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Pass-a-Grille: An Enduring Charm - Long Island Boating World - January 2011
Posted on: 2011-02-26
Written by Terry Conway, www.TerryConway.net
It’s the end of the road. Literally. Anchored on a spit of land at Mile Marker 0, you find the Island’s End Resort, a charming Old Florida hideaway with six cottages linked to one another by rambling boardwalks. The grounds are dotted with palm trees, live oaks and sea grapes that spread down to a weathered pier jutting out into a swirl of choppy waters at the “Pass.” Postcard sunrises and sunsets are its calling card.
It is a perfect snapshot of Pass-a-Grille. A sleepy little Keys-type community, Pass-a-Grille is nestled between the Gulf of Mexico and Boca Ciega Bay at the southern end of St Pete Beach. Known for its leisurely pace, adults and wiry kids with spinning rods in their hands often line the seawall on the east side of the tiny beach town.
Its broad sugary white beaches play host to kite-boarders on windy days. Paddle boarders navigate the emerald waters most afternoons. Early in the morning the locals turn up for their daily power-walk. Loggerhead sea turtles nest here during the summer.
The history of the town says that Europeans first landed at Pass-a-Grille in 1528 when Spanish explorer Panfilo de Narvaez anchored his ship just off the “Pass.” Its name is derived from the French Passe aux Grilleurs, which means 'the passageway of the grillers' in honor of the fishermen who used to cook their catch on the shore when the island was still a post for pirates. The town was incorporated into the city of St. Petersburg Beach in 1957 and in 1989 a twenty-square block area was declared a National Historic District.
A mere thirty-one blocks long and one block wide, Pass-a-Grille is a mostly residential community of charmingly restored cottages and modest 1950s and 1960s dwellings. It is a far cry from the ever-churning tourist resort hotels, strip malls and scores of eateries of its neighbors up the road in St. Pete and Clearwater beaches.
Heading west up the historic 8th Avenue business district you'll come to the old, still functioning Post Office. The bulletin board on the west wall outside continues a time-honored way of communication. More specialty shops line the north side of 8th Avenue. Their art deco colors take you back in time.
Zephaniah Phillips, a Union Army veteran, chose the site when he homesteaded here in 1886. The Phillips' home was Pass-A-Grille's first, still distinguished by its early Florida architecture. At the east end of 8th Avenue sits the Seahorse Restaurant, where the locals come to eat breakfast. Back in the 1950s Joe DiMaggio and many of his Yankees teammates rolled in here on off-days. There is typically a wait to eat out on the open-air porch. The grits are a winner and the pecan pancakes are to die for.
As you travel north, Boca Ciega Bay narrows into the Intracoastal Channel. Sea Critters, an island-style restaurant, offers sparkling views of Tierra Verde and Shell Island. You can grab a dockside lunch featuring boat-fresh seafood-- conch fritters, shrimp, salmon, and grouper, the welcome Florida standard. Don’t overlook the jambalaya, it’s a house specialty. On our visits the staff was exceedingly friendly. Locals swapped stories at the patio bar. After eating kids can stroll down the dock to feed the catfish.
Close by is the Wharf. It opened for business in 1994, but the structure’s beginnings can be traced back to 1912 when Heber Bell set the original pilings for the building. The Wharf is built in Key West style with wide-open windows that on our visit transported a brisk sea breeze. Customers dine in a rustic setting where scallops, Wharf creole gumbo, a variety of oysters and crab cakes are the specialties at this waterfront perch. Try their everyday special of steamed shrimp, you can’t go wrong.
The Black Palm has quickly become a hot spot in Pass-A-Grille with its captivating twists on traditional South American and Caribbean cuisine. Try the paella with orzo, or the 'ricanachos' with banana tostones and pulled brisket. The lush, open courtyard facing 8th Avenue is a lovely place to while away an evening, especially when there's a live Latin combo performing.
Gulf Beaches Historical Museum was originally built in 1917 as the barrier islands' first church. Today, the site is a treasure trove of the town’s past. Visitors will find excavated pottery of the Tocobaga Indian tribe, photos of Pass-A-Grille's first hotel, the Bonhomie, (it cost $7.50 a week) as well as stories of how Treasure Island and Redington Shores got their names.
Eccentricity rules in Pass-a-Grille. Take Evander Preston. At a glance, the 6-foot, 2 inch Preston appears to fall somewhere between Eric the Red and Daniel Boone.
In a little more than 25 years this mercurial mix of designer-goldsmith, master chef and art collector has taken his business from a backroom workshop in the family music store in downtown St. Pete to a highly successful operation in Pass-a-Grille. It is an elegant funhouse, where he designs and creates unique contemporary jewelry with prices to match. A tiny, working toy train in 18-ct. gold starts at $80,000 and goes up from there depending on what gems you want to add.
Last year marked the 20th edition of the “Beach Goes Pop,” a free concert staged on Pass-a-Grille Beach featuring Robert Romanski, music director and conductor of the Beach Goes Pops Orchestra. It’s held the third weekend of April and has raised nearly $300,000 for children’s charities.
Gazing north you can see the flamingo-pink towers of St. Pete Beach's sprawling Don CeSar Beach Resort. Real estate mogul Thomas Rowe opened the eight-story palatial palace in January 1928 with a society gala to rival the spectacular balls of European royalty. Then the Depression struck and for decades the hotel struggled to survive. By the early 1970s the wrecking ball threatened. A determined effort by a group of concerned citizens—“Save the Don”—rescued the Pink Lady, and the grand hotel received a $3.5 million facelift.
If you’re looking to splurge and enjoy one of region’s finest dining experiences make a reservation at the chic Maritana Grille at The Don. Original Italian marble and crystal chandeliers greet visitors making their way through the hotel lobby. The restaurant, like the menu, is small and classy. At a table next to a wall of salt-water aquariums we enjoyed a three soup tasting that included a white truffle oil California asparagus. That was complimented by the Floribbean marmalade roasted gulf red snapper and a garlic roasted loin chop of lamb.
Feeling mightily contented we cruised three miles down Gulf Boulevard to the Island’s End. A former fashion designer in Latvia, manager Dee Norsberg has been running the place for nearly two decades. Dee has an engaging personality and her sharp eye is reflected in the cottages’ bright, contemporary décor as well as in the outdoor gazebos, the lush vegetation, a fanciful fountain, a whimsical doghouse, sundecks and bench swings.
We closed the evening on the old pier with a glass of wine chatting with a couple from Wisconsin. They’ve been showing up at this Old Florida gem for the last decade. The island curves sharply here, and you can feel the strong currents that rush through the “Pass.” Under a starry May sky serenity abounds.
For more information visit, www.mypassagrille.com
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