– Breakfast top sellers have been our combo’s that include pancakes or French toast and your favorite meats and eggs. Coming in a close second in popularity is Maggie’s Mess – a dish that started out as what our servers ate on break. Come in to make your own Maggie’s Mess.

– August 25, 2010 is Backwater’s on Sand Key’s 10th Anniversary celebration from 5 to 7PM. A big Southern Boil is planned for the deck.

– Egg recall in certain parts of the country has become widespread, but isolated to mid-western and west coast suppliers. Florida is safe.

– On your way to work? Try one of our new muffins and cup of coffee featuring flavors of the weak combinations.

We found no signs of oil sheen, oil or wildlife impact in our two day trip. The devastation further north has eluded us, despite what the media would have us believe. Unfortunately, many tourists, annual visitors and foreign travelers have cancelled their visits to our state for fear of oil spoiling the natural beauty our area has to offer. Small businesses are feeling the effects all along the Gulf shores.

As a side note and  more pleasant subject, the weather and fishing was spectacular. We limited out on Grouper, Red Snapper and Mangrove Snapper. A few Amberjacks, Sharks and Goliath Grouper kept our poles bent! The full moon brought squid, shrimp, flying fish and other marine life to the surface for a nightly show. If you have never ventured deep into the Gulf for a night of fishing, you are missing a lot of action!

Healthy eating doesn’t have to be boring and flavorless. That’s why Maggie Mae’s on the Bluffs is roasting turkey to offer unique menu items at a low cost. Try our new Turkey Breast Club Salad or our new Turkey Panini with cranberry mayo. Who else but Maggie Mae’s is roasting turkeys?

If turkey doesn’t satisfy those hunger pangs, try some of Maggie’s new subs including the Philly Steak and Italian Stallion. Remember, only fresh top quality ingredients go into all of Maggie’s menu items at breakfast and lunch.

You can view the new menu by clicking on the links  – Breakfast Menu - Lunch Menu.

To reassure people who are watching the beaches we are posting this link to Clearwater Beach and the clean white sands we are enjoying – just click here for the Beach Walk Camera. These same clean beaches are throughout the Gulf coast including Indian Rocks Beach, St. Pete Beach and the entire coast line.

To watch the history and daily tracking of the oil slick in Gulf waters near Louisiana, MSNBC has set up a neat link to this animated news site.

While BP has taken responsibility for the damages of the spill itself, the news media should accept responsibility for inaccurate reporting.

• Not a single drop of oil has reached any Florida shores. While it could happen if a major storm pushed the oil in our direction, at this point, there are no projections of that happening.
• The Gulf of Mexico is NOT closed to fishing. Only a small portion close to the mouth of the Mississippi River has been closed in the vicinity of the leaking oil rig. By the way, there are about 4000 oil rigs in the northern Gulf.
• Seafood is safe from Gulf waters and continues to be harvested in the majority of the Gulf. Most of the oyster beds in the northern gulf are not affected by the spill as of this date. Those beds are west of the Mississippi River.
• The spill moves daily in one direction or the other depending on the tides, winds and containment efforts.
• Our shores are over 200 miles from the closest point the spill has ever been projected to move in the last week.

Turtle Nest

May 1 starts the turtle nesting season for Florida beaches. The lumbering giants make their way up the beach to a safe destination above the high tide line. They dig a hole for their eggs and lay from a few dozen to over 100 eggs.

• There was a St. Patrick, although he was born British, but went to Ireland to preach Christianity in about 432 AD.
• Soon after his death, in 461 AD, Ireland celebrated his life by naming a special day in his behalf.
• Soon the British and Scottish joined in the annual recognition of this saint.
• From this point forward, legend and history share very little common ground. Some say St. Patrick used the shamrock, a three leaf plant, to symbolize the Holy Trinity in his teachings. History doesn’t back this up.
• Green was not the color in the original celebrations. It was blue. The shamrock story may have helped to change the color change.
• Few of the foods we associate with St. Patrick’s Day were common to Ireland. Lamb, fish and mutton was the fare of the day.
• Somewhere along the line leprechauns, green derby hats and green drinks became part of the mix.
• However, history shows that St. Patrick’s Day always started with mass in the morning and a feast and celebration for the rest of the day. Americans at least have carried on the celebratory regimen by partying all day!!

For a complete schedule and the headliner acts performing visit www.clearwaterseablues.com.

Hands Across the Sand also recognizes the significance of beaches as a draw for the largest industry in the state – tourism. A single oil spill could destroy the states economy for years to come.

For more information about this event, click here for the website.

Chili Cookoff Winner - Bill Runyan, Largo

Backwater’s on Sand Key held their 5th Annual Chili Cookoff on Sunday, January 31, 2010. While Bill Runyan won first place and  Alex Zak resident of Sand Key, captured second place, drama ensued in the battle for third.

There was a three way tie in the points race for third spot. The five judges’ forms were totaled for flavor points only as called for in the rules. Again, a tie! The five judges were called back and asked to taste the three chili  entries tied for third. Finally a winner was chosen between the three and Bill Tannock took 3rd place honors. 

The crowd was able to meet Johnny Ciao, a New York celebrity personal chef, formerly of Indian Rocks Beach, who has cooked for the stars from “Willie Nelson to Marlon Brando”. Johnny also gave the winner a copy of his latest cookbook. Visit Johnny’s website.