Fun Playing With Our Two Favorite Gulf Coast Restaurants, Part 2

During our first decade visiting Destin (2002-2012), we had heard through the electronic and local grapevines that the best sushi around would be found at Sushimoto in Miramar Beach, but somehow, we never got to try it. In 2017, Cooking Channel's Emeril's Florida featured the restaurant. After seeing that, I knew that the next time we were in the vicinity, we would get there. 

Both of our visits offered wonderful food and service, despite the restaurant being filled to capacity most of the time we were there. We can't wait to eat there again.

Even on the Emerald Coast, it can be a challenge to find restaurants serving shrimp that has not been dipped in Sodium Tripolyphosphate. Most shrimp is dipped and frozen on the boat, even if it is local. Sushimoto not only serves snapper and tuna from local waters, but offers pristine, not dipped local shrimp. This shrimp is cooked, as it must be for safety. 

On our first visit, we learned that Omakase needs to be ordered in advance, so we saved that for our last "dining out" night in March. We parked ourselves at the sushi bar (and were served by Andy's wife Sophia, a native of Taiwan who is as expert a sushi chef as he is). How to choose? There are so many options!  A full menu of more Americanized sushi rolls. Meat dishes. Ramen bowls. Vegetarian entrees. And a large list of Nigiri and Sashimi, topped off with a small "specials" board. We started with a "fish jerky" listed on the "Specials" board. 

Though incredibly savory, this turned out to be the one type of fish I don't love to eat - one of the oilier varieties like Mackerel. Fortunately, we were very hungry, and the mayo-condiment on the side helped tame the gaminess. It was beautifully prepared, and reminded me a little of the Mojamo Tuna Walter Sanchez used to make at Cafe Tango a few miles east. It was however a far more intense fish than tuna, and that intensity was made deeper by the drying process. 

Next up - the only type of shrimp that is safe to eat raw. 

Sweet Shrimp Nigiri

These Sweet Shrimp are imported from Japan, and tasted like candy of the sea. The heads are deep fried and make super duper Shrimp Chips. Yes, you just pop the whole thing into your mouth, and it's delicious.

Of course, the second best way to sample the largest number of different tastes (after Omakase, or Chef's Whim Tasting) is to order Chirashi - an assortment of sliced fish, cooked eel, and Tamago (omelet) over a bowl of sushi rice.

Chef Andy brilliantly serves his Chirashi in a bowl that crowds all of the goodies together on top of the rice such that you have to dig a little for the rice - he doesn't want you to fill up on it! And the portion was so large, we could each barely finish (and quite a bit of rice was left over). The Snapper and Tuna, as well as the Shrimp, were locally sourced. As noted, the Shrimp was served cooked but cold, and it was exquisite. The other fish, which included Escolar (which I normally avoid, but that is how much I trust Chef Andy), Salmon, Hamachi, and Eel, were also pristine. The house made Tamago (omelet) brought back memories of the film "Jiro Dreams of Sushi," which demonstrated how sophisticated Tamago is supposed to be. Chef Andy explained that most Sushi restaurants use a food service Tamago product, because it is so time and labor intensive to make properly. His is made in house and melts in your mouth (and he will proudly show off the pan he makes it in - which is what really triggered the Jiro recall!). Eel is also not one of my favorites, but Andy made it most enjoyable. The top of the bowl rounds out with a helping of Daikon Radish noodles and cucumber slices. A truly special meal.

For our Omakase, which we reserved several days in advance, Chef Andy called the day before to ascertain our budget and whether we had any food restrictions. We asked him to avoid the super oily fish, and that was it.

Dressed Crab Leg, Special Chawanmushi, Cold Octopus Salad

The octopus salad was the only thing we ate in two visits to Sushimoto that wasn't stellar. The texture of the octopus meat was tough, though the papaya, avocado and other accouterments were a shiny blend of bright flavors. The Chawanmushi (egg custard) was the star of this plate, with a special treat hidden at the bottom.

Nigiri Tasting

Local Tuna, Local Snapper, and Salmon. Each morsel was individually and expertly seasoned and enhanced, so no extra soy sauce was needed or desired.

Next to the Salmon, beautiful slices of Scallop were reined in by Nori and topped with roe. The Tamago got a bit short-changed by this photo, but it's taste sang, as it had on our first visit.

The Boiled Salmon Skin, surrounded by a delicate sauce, was an unusual texture. Chef Andy said he only makes this for Omakase. We enjoyed it.

"Asian Cajun" Shrimp (local shrimp) over rice. 

Sophia had created this dish a few weeks prior, to bring Sushimoto into the spirit of the recently concluded Mardi Gras celebrations. Pristine local shrimp, bathed in a Cajun inspired, chile infused concoction, thankfully served over plain rice to help with the heat. This was a spicy meatball! But though we were sweating, we couldn't stop eating it!

Umami Spaghetti in a Nest

This deceptively simple looking dish was, as the name suggests, an Umami Bomb. I don't recall exactly what Chef Andy mixed into those spaghetti noodles, which were stuffed into a fried noodle basket, but again, we found ourselves unable to stop consuming it. Until we reached "Uncle." Chef Andy was disappointed that we didn't have room for one more dish, but we simply couldn't. A shame too, because it was pork belly. Oh well.

Housemade Ice Cream, Moochi and Cookies

But there is always room for dessert, yes? This one was thankfully light, and delightful to eat.

Stuffed as we now were, Chef Andy decided to share one more delectable bite with us, and a very special one. Soaked Kumquats, from a tree in Chef's own back yard. I don't recall what they were soaked in, but they were the perfect bites to conclude an amazing meal.

Given the spice level of the shrimp dish, I was grateful for the excellent Sake selection available (beer and wine are also on the menu). Service was as good as it gets on both of our visits.

The warmth and hospitality of Sushimoto will make you want to come back for more! Reservations are strongly encouraged, and Omakase must be requested in advance. We can't wait to play with their Neptunian delights again!

Here's a link to a clip from Emeril's show.

Sushimoto
11394 US Highway 98 W
Miramar Beach, Florida (look for the "Melting Pot" sign - but eat at Sushimoto!)
(850) 424-5977
Mon-Thurs: 11am-2pm; 5pm-8:45pm
Fri: 11am-2pm; 5pm-9:45pm
Sat: 5pm-9:45pm
Closed Sunday. (Closed Monday also during the winter - call to confirm hours.)

Fun Playing With Food in Destin, Florida - We're Baaack

We last visited Destin, the "Luckiest Fishing Village in the World," in February 2012. Since then, life intervened with some twists and turns. Beginning in December 2018, we not only returned to Destin, but for the first time, snowbirded there until March. We anticipate moving to the region sometime shortly. 

A lot has changed and a lot has remained the same, both culinarily and otherwise. Our condo overlooked the Gulf of Mexico and offered some lovely views.

From the terrace

From the private beach access

On the beach at sunset

We also took a short road trip to Delray Beach and Jacksonville, enjoying delicious eats along the way. 

Stone Crab Claws for dinner at Gleneagles Main Dining Room

Salvadoran Tamale at Rosy's, Jacksonville

The best plate of food from the trip? Was it this Chirashi at Sushimoto in Miramar Beach?

Or perhaps this whole Grilled Snapper at Christiano's in Santa Rosa Beach?

Or could it have been something we cooked ourselves, like this Seared Tuna sourced from Blalock's Seafood & Specialty Market in Destin?

Please join me in the posts to follow as we seek out Fun Playing with Food in Destin and its environs.

Fun Playing With Asian Food at Nobu Tei, Solon Ohio

Our newest Solon favorite for playing with food is Nobu Tei, a lovely Asian eatery sandwiched between franchises Zoup and DiBella's Subs at 30050 Aurora Rd Solon OH 44139, not far from the Harper Road exit of US 422. They are open for lunch and dinner seven days a week.

The menu ambitiously transports you from Sushi, Japanese Noodles and Tempura, to Hibachi, to Thai selections. For this report, we visited twice with friends, and took out one order. Our first visit and part of the take out focused on the Japanese cuisine (we'll skip the Hibachi, though), for the second visit and part of the take out, we "Thai'd one on" so to speak. Actually, while we couldn't actually "tie one on" during our April 2015 visits because the liquor permit was pending, the website of the Ohio Department of Liquor Control indicates they got their permits in late May - full bar, seven days a week. The bar area looks like a fun place to socialize. We settled for tea on our two visits. 

For our first adventure, each couple ordered the Sushi Combo For Two (Chef's Choice). According to the menu, the sushi plate should have been preceded by Miso Soup, but it never appeared, and our server didn't seem to think it was included (and we didn't feel like arguing). Also missing was the traditional warm towel to cleanse the face and hands before handling Japanese food.

Overall, this wasn't a bad plate of sushi, though the hamachi (second pair from the right, front) definitely smelled and tasted fishy. And the tamago (egg sushi) third row right, lacked profundity as well; it was stiff and watery and might have been a frozen product. The only other criticism is that this is presented as a dish to feed two diners. When I asked the server why there was only one piece each of tamago, octopus, and crab stick, she explained that it was a 15 piece order (which is stated in the menu, yes). Oh.

On the positive side, the Kimono Roll (4th row), which contained both real crab and kani, had a great combination of crunch and savory and, most important, it tasted fresh and good. The other items ranged from very good to a slightly chewy octopus (hard to share!), but other than the old-tasting hamachi, I'd try sushi there again. Our dining companions ordered two rolls in addition to their Sushi for Two: Eel Cucumber and Spicy Tuna. I enjoyed the piece of Spicy Tuna roll I tasted. Our companions liked the Eel Cucumber enough to order another on our next visit, the following week.

The next week, Bob and I started with Crispy Calamari, Thai Style. $6.75 bought us four large rings of squid and a squirt of spicy dipping sauce. And we liked it, so long as we didn't focus on the cost per ring. Fried to a crispy crunch, with a nice coating that stayed on as the ring was eaten, this was a pleasant dish. I would have liked some tentacles, or at least enough pieces to really share.

This next choice turned out a little strange - the menu says, "Avocado Salad. Sliced avocado, lettuce served with special sauce." As I adore all things avocado:

It was exactly as the menu described it: leaves of Iceberg Lettuce topped with slices of avocado and drizzled with a tingly-tasty sauce. Any avocado lover would like this, but it just seemed like an odd, sparse salad. Yes, I took the leftovers home and yes, I ate them.

Our Thai entrees were all preceded by a standard iceberg lettuce salad topped with a peanutty dressing and served right from the cooler:

So far, most of the food had been rather mundane. Not wanting to be negative, but want to tell the complete story.

But here is where Nobu Tei turned into a blissful experience; they won us over with the next four Thai dishes:

Yellow Curry with Chicken

Drunken Noodles

Swimming Crispy Duck in Red Curry

Massaman Curry w/Tofu

The three curries were each served with a bowl of rice. 

Each of these dishes jumped off the plate and danced on our palates with sophisticated spicing and respectable heat. The complexity of the sauces did not overwhelm the proteins; both tofu dishes were expertly prepared and featured crisped tofu the likes of which I haven't tasted in an NEO Ohio Thai restaurant anytime lately. The Drunken Noodles married fresh rice noodles with egg, onion, scallions, bell pepper, basil and choice of protein (tofu here), topped with a spicy, savory Thai Brown Sauce that made me wish I'd ordered the dish for myself. My Massaman Curry, however, also delighted the palate with complex flavors and assertive but not overwhelming spices. 

But the most exquisite of the dishes was the duck - fried to a perfectly crispy finish, swimming in a delightful red curry sauce with vegetables and cilantro.

The take-out started out similarly to how our last Nobu Tei meal had ended - with their other fried duck entree special: Spice Duck. 

Notwithstanding the rigors of packing and carrying, this duck was crisp and savory, with a slightly different spice profile from the Swimming Duck. The accompanying sauce was not a curry, but redolent of soy, fish sauce and a touch of sweet.

For take out, the sauce came on the side, together with the  peas, bell pepper, red onion, carrot, and basil leaves to accompany the dish. Here is how it looked together on the plate:

My entree came from the Japanese side of the menu: Yakisoba stir fried noodles with red onion, carrot and asparagus and more of that nicely fried tofu (my choice of protein). Though it paled a little next to the wonderfully complex and savory duck dish, it was most enjoyable.

We also shared an order of Chicken & Vegetable Tempura: 

Chicken strips, onion, broccoli, carrot, and mushroom were served with a mild dipping sauce (we actually liked the sauce for the duck with it better). Some of the foam container had melted, a tribute to the initial heat from freshly fried tempura. 

Overall, despite a few growing pains, Nobu Tei is a fun addition to Solon and the East Side Suburbs. While the sushi needed a little work, it was mostly very good and the complexity, depth and freshness of the Thai sauces and curries will win you over also. During our second visit, a group engaged one of the Hibachi tables nearby; it certainly sounded like they were having a good time. And despite the AWOL miso soup on our first visit, service is generally energetic and pleasant. So, based on our first three experiences, I look forward to playing with more food at Nobu Tei. 

Nobu Tei

(440) 318-1714

30050 Aurora Rd Solon OH 44139

No website, unofficial Facebook page here.

Fun Playing With Jiro's Sushi Movie and A Ginko Dinner

About 2 weeks ago, our friend and fellow blogger Tom instigated a "Movie and A Dinner" evening. Jiro Dreams of Sushi would be playing at the Cleveland Cinematheque, and where better to go after the film for dinner than Dante Bocuzzi's Ginko, located down a flight of steps from Restaurant Dante in Tremont? Getting a reservation at the tiny Ginko that night proved almost as difficult as getting a seat at Sukiyabashi Jiro, Jiro's 10-seat, sushi-only restaurant, also located down a flight of stairs, in a Tokyo subway station. Our intrepid group waited for Ginko seats at the beautiful cocktail bar in Restaurant Dante, but Tom had to leave before we finally made it to the sushi counter. 

If you love food-centric movies, you will probably like this film (which is now playing in Cleveland at the Capitol Theater in Gordon Square). The movie chronicles the life and career of the 85-year-old sushi master and world's first 3-star Michelin Sushi Chef, and his two sons. Like it's Japanese cousin, Tampopo, Jiro Dreams of Sushi will leave you craving exquisite Japanese food - in this case, sushi. We were grateful that Ginko was worth the wait!

Boiled Squid  Appetizer Special   

Ginko is a small space, consisting mostly of sushi bar, with a few small tables around the perimeter and two larger tables, where Shabu Shabu is offered, in addition to the sushi menu. Interestingly, we began with appetizers, despite Jiro's explanation in the film that serving any course other than sushi detracts from the sushi, so he does not offer such diversions. Still, if we had any doubts that Ginko was serving authentic Japanese food, our tiptoe through the appetizers dispelled them immediately. I was expecting slices of larger squid rather than the small whole specimens served. I confess, it tasted strongly of the ocean, not in a bad way, but still feeling like an acquired (or more accurately, a "to-be acquired") taste to my palate, though the creamy dipping sauce definitely helped. Despite exquisite ingredients expertly prepared - this is probably a dish that I wouldn't order again. But I'm glad that I tried it. 

My reactions to the appetizers ordered by my dining companions were similar. Steve got octopus cups that had been tenderized and melted in the mouth (and which summoned up images of octopus served by Jiro, after a 45 minute vigorous massage), but still tasted a little too much of the ocean for me. Adventurous eater Edsel's giant clam slices had been alive mere moments before they became slices, and even he urged the application of soy sauce, which evened out the intense brininess with a different kind of salty flavor. Edsel's marvelous photos of these dishes, and the other items he and Steve enjoyed can be seen here. The freshness and quality of the ingredients and preparation were fabulous, but I can't say that I longed for a second bite of either. Again, though, I'm grateful for the opportunity to taste these things, and wouldn't hesitate to try different "specials" even if they sounded outside my comfort zone.  

Jumbo Shrimp Tempura Roll: Shrimp, Asparagus, Tobiko

Our next plate of two menu items both featured local asparagus. The shrimp in this roll was as good as or better than most of the shrimp we ate on our Gulf Coast trip this winter, and again benefited from expert preparation.

Asparagus Roll

This simple item reflected the beauty of a seasonable vegetable paired with quality sushi rice. Our palates were now completely primed for fish.

Seared Salmon Belly Nigiri and Tamago (Japanese Omelet) Nigiri

This plate contained our next two orders. The Tamago had played a featured role in the film, where an apprentice made over 200 trays of the delicacy before getting it "right" enough for his master. My mouth was watering to try Ginko's version, which was a few degrees too cold, but otherwise egg-and-rice perfection, with the vinegar in the rice playing off of a distinctive sweetness that had been added to the eggs. 

The seared salmon belly was recommended by our server, and tasted as rich as Copper River salmon we've eaten in the past. Every bite made me sigh with pleasure - this, we had learned earlier in the evening, is how great sushi should affect one.

Ginko Roll: Tuna, Salmon, Hamachi, Avocado, (hold the Cucumber), Kaiware, Romaine Lettuce, Daikon, Tobiko

My first thought on biting into the Ginko Roll was that the wrapper was a little stale. Then I realized - it wasn't soy paper or any other wrapper - it was thinly sliced daikon radish! Since radish is not my favorite flavor anyway, I enjoyed the next bite without the extra wrapper (nori had been placed below the daikon) and was rewarded with tastes and textures worthy of the masterwork I'd just seen at the cinema. It takes great skill to combine three types of fish in one sushi roll without muddling the flavors, and the sushi chefs at Ginko are indeed expert. Taishi Noma, who was born in Kyoto, Japan, is head sushi chef and he prepared the appetizers and nigiri. One of his assistants, also a sushi pro, made the rolls. 

This meal, together with a bottle of Pellegrino water, totaled out to just below $55 for two of us (including tax), and we were too stuffed to even consider dessert. Jiro Dreams of Sushi and Ginko made for a stimulating and delicious pair. If you fancy Japanese food, then even after the movie leaves town, you will have fun playing  with the sushi and Japanese delights at Ginko. 

2012 Fun Playing With Fish in Destin FL, P.2: Marie's Bistro

We return now to Florida, specifically the town of Blue Mountain Beach. Last year, we'd discovered the newly minted Marie's Bistro (warning - music will start as soon as the webpage opens) located in a very small restaurant space on 30A. Our memories of that lunch (Best Shrimp of Trip 2011), to-go sushi, and the genuine hospitality of the place were so strong, dinner there would end our first full day. In December 2011, the restaurant grew from 1,208 square feet to 3,000 square feet, adding a full bar and entertainment space along with a more contemporary room, and we couldn't wait to visit. 

However, a word first about the term "fresh" as applied to shrimp in this blog. I believe that about 98% of shrimp available in the United States is frozen, most on the boats where the shrimp is harvested. The only place where any of that 2% or so of never-frozen shrimp has ever been consistently available at retail is on the Gulf Coast. I've enjoyed it in New Orleans (where I had my "shrimp epiphany" at Brigsten's in 2005) and occasionally the Emerald Coast. The reality is that shrimp is so perishable, and the supply so effected by financial and environmental issues, that almost none of the shrimp we tasted this year was "fresh" in the sense of "never frozen." Therefore, please read the term "fresh" to refer to shrimp that may have been previously frozen, but is otherwise pristine - good quality to start with, handled properly, and neither treated with the nasty chemical sodium tripolyphosphate, nor ammoniated (old and smelling of ammonia). The element that distinguishes never-frozen from frozen shrimp is the texture - never-frozen shrimp melts in the mouth, frozen shrimp requires a little more chew. We found only one never-frozen shrimp on this two week search, at the very end. We'll get to that!

Meanwhile, we enjoyed Hanie and Marie Nasri's hospitality on four occasions this year, which is why Marie's is getting its own blog post. That first meal, like all dinner entrees at Marie's, began with a choice of soup or salad. Bob and I both selected the soup, the name of which didn't make it into my notes, but which you see below.

Pristine pieces of shrimp predominated the tomatoey goodness, together with some crab meat and other goodies. By the time we'd gotten a few bites into our soup, Hanie remembered us from our sushi pick-up on the way to the airport last year, and it was as if we were old friends. Watching Hanie in action this year, it became quickly apparent that he and his staff treat all of their customers like family.

Ah, the joy of shrimp that doesn't smell or taste like soap. We'd see as soon as the next day, and throughout our trip, that the Gulf shrimp industry is hurting badly and lots of lousy-tasting shrimp is being sold. But not at Marie's, where they take great care when selecting their fish and seafood purveyors.

Bob selected sauteed Triggerfish topped with lump crab meat and finished with Ginger Orange Hollandaise. The rice in the photo must have come from my plate; Bob's garlicky mashed potatoes are under his fish. We had the same veg, which obviously was NOT from a food service bag of pre-cut vegetables, and therefore didn't have any of that "triple wash" bleachy flavor or wooden texture. But the fish and crab played the starring role on the plate. The sauce combined eggy richness with tangy citrus, with the ginger bringing the two happily together. The fish and crab were so fresh and well prepared that they didn't even need a sauce, though this one was most worthy. 

My seared gulf tuna barely kissed the grill, and wore a tangy-savory Apricot Apple Chutney. The rice accompaniment was delicately spiced, and crunched from bits of pistachio, which contrasted with tart currants. I loved the combination of flavors and textures in the rice, but again, the fish was the star:

Everything served at Marie's, except the bread, is made in-house, with love that you can palpably experience when you eat. As my plate became disproportionately empty (the zucchini in the veg was the last item standing; it's just not my favorite), Hanie asked if I disliked zucchini and would like another veg, and began rattling off options. Heavens no, as the tuna, rice and other veggies had done their job wonderfully. Nevertheless, after clearing the plates, Hanie insisted that we must try a dessert, and brought this plate to the table:

Marie's flan melted in the mouth with the succulence of fresh eggs whipped and cooked just so. Most caramel we taste is so full of heavy corn syrups and artificial flavors; Marie's "from-scratch" caramel delicately complemented the other ingredients without overwhelming them. Topped with freshly whipped cream, Marie's caramel and custard was like a vacation on a plate, and our taste buds floated away to a happy, happy place. 

We returned to Marie's for lunch on Valentine's Day and both enjoyed the Shrimp and Grits. The dish contained a perfect balance of creamy, buttery grits, sausage, sweated onions, and fresh tasting shrimps. I wish I could have this for lunch once a week for the rest of my life.

Meal number four came during our second week on the Gulf. The soup that evening again featured tasty shrimp, and also contained corn and bacon, which always pair well with shrimp.

By this juncture, Bob was ready to landlubber a bit, and so he sampled a Special - Pork Tenderloin (which had a nice ring of fat around it) with mushroom stuffing and gravy over rice, with sauteed veg.

My entree was grilled Cobia, with butter, garlic and lime, then topped with sauteed spinach and also served over rice, with another side of veg.   

Again, my fish was expertly cooked and a delight to eat. Only one of the four dinner entrees we enjoyed was over $20, and most price points were between $15 and $20 for dinner. Given the sizes of the portion,  we felt that Marie's offers a very good value.

But Hanie wasn't finished yet - he asked if we liked baba ganoush. When I responded in the affirmative, he said we had to taste some grilled eggplant spread Marie had just made for a wedding. Though we were stuffed, we agreed to a little taste. We were barely able to dent the plate he brought us, but it was so delicious:

The baba is front and center, and freshly made hummus is on the other side of the bread. For over 25 years before opening the restaurant, Marie and Hanie operated At Your Service Catering and Marie still does catering for all types of events.

The tradition we started in 2011 of taking sushi from Marie's to eat on the plane ride home continued in fine style in 2012. Our last tastes of Florida were among the best, from Marie's partner-in-kitchen, Chef Mike Tran:  

Spicier Tuna Roll (sans cucumber): Spicy tuna topped with Sriracha and Wasabi Aoli               

Da Bomb: Spicy Tuna, Crab Salad & Sriracha

Red Dragon: soft shell crab, avocado, green onions, tuna, spicy mayo

Christmas Roll: shrimp tempura, topped with avocado and tuna)

Of course, the soft shell crab was previously frozen, and the crab salad was at least partly surimi - though I could have sworn that it also was part real crab meat. The various sauces and toppings enhanced the flavors without overwhelming them. The sushi survived the afternoon nicely, and we started digging into them around 6:30pm, when it was announced that our flight would be delayed an hour. Even the tempura held up surprisingly well. We ate 2 rolls during the boarding delay, and finished our dinner during the first flight segment, savoring every fish-flavored bite.

As we had prepared to pack up the sushi rolls with frozen fruit to keep them cold during the journey, Marie handed me this loaf of frozen cranberry nut loaf that she had baked - the better to keep things cold,  she explained, and to enjoy for breakfast at home tomorrow in Cleveland. Thank you Marie!

Though the bread wanted to crumble once it defrosted, good ingredients in skillful hands always lead to yumminess, and it paired nicely with simple scrambled eggs and butter for Thursday breakfast. We still have some of this bread in the fridge; once crumbled, it made a wonderful addition to pancake batter on Sunday.

Sorry, you really can't see Marie's bread in there until it's cut open, and I'd already put the camera away - but you get the idea! Marie and Hanie (and their kids who sometimes work in the business with them) are all about having fun with food, which makes them my kinda people!

You will not find anywhere on the Emerald Coast a more honest plate of freshly prepared food containing freshly sourced and delicious ingredients at fair prices, and delivered with genuine joy, as you will find at Marie's Bistro, 2260 West Hwy 30a, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32526, 850.278.6856.

The next post will begin with lunch at the barely one-year old Nick's on the Beach, also on 30A. Would their seafood live up to the never-frozen shrimp and crabs we've savored at their sibling restaurant Nick's Seafood Restaurant in Freeport? Stay tuned.