For the last few months I’ve been craving ramen. Not the stuff you can just tear out of a package to be thrown into a bath of boiling water and a salty packet of seasoned imitation . No. I wanted it fresh, made just for me, straight from the kitchen made with intent and love , delivered to my eager salivating hungry emotions. I posed the ramen quandary to some of my chef friends and Ichicoro Ramen in Tampa Fl and Ichicoro Ane St. Pete Fl got most votes. The staff and food where worth the wait, and you are going to wait, but whilst doing so, enjoy the keen drinks at the bar, poured and shook by an upbeat knowledgeable bartender the wait doesn’t seem long . Ichicoro Ane is the sister restaurant in St.Petersburg Fl doesn’t disappoint with a larger menu and venue . What I found special at Ichicoro Ane wasn’t just the robust new flavors, vibrant atmosphere or even the foot tapping ,head bopping, notes from the Dj booth, but that while sitting at the bar noticed there were USB ports, hangers for bags & purses hidden underneath the plank of the bar. For me that shows a keen attention to a detail surly appreciated by guests. Regardless of which one of these purveyors of flavorful ramen and other fare you choose to be satisfied at you won’t be disappointed, especially with enough selections for a multitude of cravings. Hope you enjoy. Forks Up.
ted to go to the Mediterranean not just because it appeared like a great destination for adventure but because it seemed to permeate food, culture and wonder. As luck , new friendships and work would have it I was able to fulfill this dream and traveled to Spain. From the coastline that reached the northern tips of Africa, to the white dotted blue architecture of Mijas Pueblo and the vast array of seafood at the market, Spain began to mystify me. As I bustled about trying to visually and physically take in the sites I noticed that the Spaniards had a steady rhythm of ease, not to be mistaken for laziness, that seemed to enchant most of the cities that I visited Malaga, Sitio de Calahonda, Gibraltar, Mijas Pueblo, Fuengirola , La 
Linea, Andalusia to name a few. Occasionally the shopkeepers and even some kids would say to me “Tranquilo”. To me this meant one of…
ted to go to the Mediterranean not just because it appeared like a great destination for adventure but because it seemed to permeate food, culture and wonder. As luck , new friendships and work would have it I was able to fulfill this dream and traveled to Spain. From the coastline that reached the northern tips of Africa, to the white dotted blue architecture of Mijas Pueblo and the vast array of seafood at the market, Spain began to mystify me. As I bustled about trying to visually and physically take in the sites I noticed that the Spaniards had a steady rhythm of ease, not to be mistaken for laziness, that seemed to enchant most of the cities that I visited Malaga, Sitio de Calahonda, Gibraltar, Mijas Pueblo, Fuengirola , La 
Linea, Andalusia to name a few. Occasionally the shopkeepers and even some kids would say to me “Tranquilo”. To me this meant one of two things, one everyone is programmed to say this to make the tourists smile and feel at ease or two recognize why it was being said to me. As I hurried from shop to place taking selfies and landscape photos I realized why it was being said to me , because I was not truly embarrassing my enjoyment. Yes I smiled, laughed and ate but the emotion was as distant as my original city of departure . So I put my phone down, took in the mountains I was gazing upon, grasped the sand beneath my thighs and smiled at the stars. The breeze from Tanzania kissed me on the cheek and wrapped its breath around me like a long-lost friend and only then did I finally start to see, feel and taste Spain,”Tranquilo”indeed.
UrChefTravels 