AMI us about an hour south from the Tampa airport - or 25 minutes from the Sarasota Bradentton Airport. If you know where Bradenton is, you take a bridge over to AMI. We first went over 20 years ago, and when we had the chance, bought a condo there. Don't get there often, but in a few more years, hope to get away from western NY winters!
Nope, Fast Eddie's is gone. No chains in the island, still, but many of the restaurants that we used to love are gone. Rotten Ralph's, AMI Pier and the Gulf Drive Cafe are the only ones that have been there the entire time we've been going (maybe the Sandbar, but we didn't take kids there!).
Plugging a few more FL shops - Cotton Patch just south of Bradenton and Quilter's Haven in Palmetto