More Fun Playing with Gulf Coast Food: the balance of Week 1

Our exploration of Florida's Gulf Coast in fish and seafood continues with lunch on Friday, February 10 at  Nick's on the Beach. Nick's owners are related to the owners of a favorite, Nick's Seafood Restaurant (affectionately referred to by the locals as "Nick's in the Sticks"), in Freeport. Nick's in the Sticks has long been a reliable source for fresh, never frozen, pristine, shrimp and fish, and live crab. We'd missed the new restaurant by just a couple of days in 2011, and I was primed to see if their seafood matched that offered by their sibling.

The short answer is "no," though the fish was very good. I asked our server about the shrimp, which was touted on a parking lot menu board - $9 seemed a low price point for a plate of never frozen, locally procured shrimp - was that really what they were serving? She was, to the end, very sure that it was, but it wasn't.  

Bob's lunch was everything we expected and hoped for from Nick's:

Fried Mullet with fries, hush puppies, white lima beans and bacon

Mullet must have been running that week; this was fresh, fresh fish. All of the sides were well done - the fries were especially crisp, and the beans had a nice chew and porky flavors from the bacon. The hushpuppies, like most we sampled this trip, tasted like food service product, but they were hot if not crisp.

The small portion of shrimp on my plate (5) didn't bother me at first, because if it was the real deal, this would have been a completely fair amount of food for this price point. I'd ordered the "Seafood Plate," grilled, and the shrimp were expertly seasoned and perfectly cooked. They were so well prepared that it wasn't until after I'd already eaten one that the smell hit my nose - sodium tripolyphosphate. 

This made me sad, because Nick's has always been a refuge of freshness in a sea of preservatives. I guess we need to stick to the Sticks for shrimp, though the fried mullet on the beach was exquisite. 

Our annual event at the Holiday Inn on the Beach kicked off shortly thereafter, and we enjoyed our Friday dinner and Saturday and Sunday breakfasts in the Hospitality Suite with friends.

It worked out that we lunched at the same restaurant both Saturday and Sunday, and I'll get to that in a moment. First, Saturday dinner at Camille's Restaurant, which is part of Charles Morgan's Harbor Docks group. We hadn't been to Camille's in a number of years, but they had always been good. This visit yielded mixed results. Though they weren't that crowded for a Saturday night, service was slow.

Bread service

The rolls were warm and seemed freshly baked.

Bob's Entree

Three of the four of us had the catch of the day (grouper), with a couple of different preparations. Bob's was the "special" - "Panko Crusted Grouper over Rice with Oysters Rockefeller." We should have realized that since there was no upcharge for the oysters on his plate over the "catch of the day" ($27), they were probably old and needed to be used up. That proved to be the case, and the cheesy topping, as you can see, was singed. The crusted fish and rice were ok, but the oyster left a bad taste in the mouth.

My plate of Sun-Dried Tomato Crusted Grouper with Horseradish Cream over garlic mashed potatoes and sauteed spinach with lemon caper cream sauce looked and tasted like it had sat under a heat lamp for a while. It wasn't a bad plate of food, but I expected something a little more fresh-tasting and inspired for $27.

Tightlines, where we lunched on Saturday and Sunday, took over the touristy Lucky Snapper on Destin Harbor in November 2011, and had been recommended by correspondents on the Trip Advisor Destin Forum for their seafood. For the most part, those recommendations proved worthy, as did Tightlines.

Grouper Fingers Basket

As an aside - I can't abide the trend of turning all sorts of fish into fried "fingers." I don't know if this arose out of the "chicken fingers" craze, but all it is now is annoying. Turning filet into fingers obviously allows restaurants to sell a smaller portion of the protein for the same price, without having it look too small because all that extra batter takes up room on the plate. Tightlines was not the only place where we saw this, and their food was so good overall that I can't fault them, but I needed to get that rant out.

Tightlines's fish was fresh and nicely cooked, and the fries hot and crispy. The hush puppies were the only examples we sampled this trip that didn't come directly from a food service box (though the mix was probably commercial, it was shaped and fried to order) and they benefited from the whole corn and pepper textures in the batter.

I usually ignore the cocktail and tartar sauces, which are often right off of the Sysco truck. Not at Tightlines. Tightlines won Best of Trip for FRESH horseradish in the cocktail sauce, and a very unusual and tasty tarter, redolent with olives rather than the usual cucumber pickles (ok, I'm biased where cucumbers are concerned). But my dining companions agreed that these touches were special. Since the fish was already consumed, I discovered that the cocktail sauce paired deliciously with the fries. The server said that these are made in house, and while I doubt they are whipping up their own aioli, the flavors trumped all of the other condiments we sampled on this trip (though Stewby's Seafood Shanty also gets an Honorable Mention). We decided to bring "the gang" from our event for lunch at Tightlines after the hotel event wrapped up on Sunday.

Our group of 12 returned to Tightlines for lunch on Sunday. Confident now in the quality of their fish, Bob and I ordered an appetizer of Peel and Eat Shrimp, in addition to the ubiquitously fried strip lunch baskets (the Cobia, which hadn't been offered the day before, positively sang with freshness).

Peel N Eat Shrimp

Fried Cobia Lunch Basket

Our tablemates, some of whom also got Peel and Eat Shrimp, agreed that it tasted just a bit old, though no hint of chemicals. The server said they get their shrimp from Destin Ice, which is an excellent source. If the "old" taste had to do with it being Sunday, how was the Cobia so fresh? I haven't a clue. I do know that shrimp that are NOT treated with tripolyphoshate have an extremely limited shelf life and these were only a day or so over optimum. The fried Cobia (again as "fingers," though the menu board didn't describe it that way) and sides were again excellent, and I'd try Tightlines's shrimp again. I wish them much success!

Fresh Fried Cobia!

For Sunday dinner, two of our friends invited us (and four other friends) to join them at a restaurant I've studiously avoided over the years - Louisiana Lagniappe. My friends like the Sunday-Thursday special: "Two Can Dine With a Bottle of Wine for $44.99." While this seems like a good deal, in my experience, you get what you pay for. This restaurant is part of Southern Hospitality Restaurant Group, a local chain that owns several touristy restaurants, including The Back Porch, Fisherman’s Wharf Grill, Cafe’ Grazie and Pompano Joe’s. But friendship prevailed.

Pluses - a beautiful harbor view, and somewhat upscale dining environment. Service was attentive. I just wish I could say nicer things about the food, but it is what it is - food service pack, right down to the fish:

Hush puppies from a box - dry and almost inedible - were the bread service

Salad  comes with dinner - over-chilled, over-dressed and some slimy  lettuce

Grouper Pecan

This chunk of fish, which seemed previously frozen, probably came into the house with the crust already applied. It was sautéed and topped with nuts and "meuniere" sauce which tasted completely processed. The "loaded" potato half had the taste and texture of sawdust and almost certainly was pre-fab food. I can't say that any of this surprised me, but I would have loved to be able to give a more positive report. 

We trundled down 30A for Monday lunch, at Shorty's Surfside and Topside in Grayton Beach. Shorty's deserves more attention than it gets (given its proximity to the Red Bar, a few feet away). The Mahi in our fish tacos was delicious - the grill in this place has always kissed any fish cooked on it with exquisite smokiness, and our Mahi benefited from that marvelous appliance:

Bob's Fish Taco plate, with fries

My Mahi Tacos, with Mac N Cheese

The plates were a little too busy, but the fish shined. I do, however, have a bone to pick. The menu describes the mac and cheese side as "Baked Mac & Cheese," and implies that it is made in-house. As you can see, however, what I was served was not baked and was straight out of a food service pack and nuked. Moreover, it wasn't anywhere close to hot when initially served and it took a while to get a server to notice the need for attention, despite two servers working the nearly empty room. The belated re-heat to tepid didn't improve it at all. How hard would it be to sprinkle some breadcrumbs and butter over a dish of this product and bake it down - no one would even know it was food service product and then it would be baked (and tastier) even if it came from a box. Bob rated his side of fries "meh." On the bright side, the corn relish intrigued with citrusy brightness; we both liked it. And the grilled fish at Shorty's can't be beat for flavor. Just skip the mac n' cheese.

Monday dinner was organized by local friends. Jim, Roberta, Bob and JoAnne said to meet them at the Original Waterfront Crab Shack located on the Miracle Strip in Ft. Walton Beach, directly across from City Hall. Interestingly, Trip Advisor reviews pegged this place as a tourist trap, but locals brought us here. Indeed, as it happened, one of the owners, Emil Pagliari, was in the house, and it turned out that he knew Jim and Roberta (who didn't know he owned the place until they saw him there). You'd think that if someone at the table schmoozed with the owner, the table would get great service, wouldn't you? Well, we were the only inside table (several tables were occupied on the "smoking allowed" screened in porch), and our server first forgot to tell us about the dinner specials, then periodically seemed to forget that we were there. Though the burgers came out hot and juicy to the two people who ordered them, the rest of us ate nice food that had been allowed to cool too much. Perhaps the kitchen held the fish plates back while cooking the burgers?  

Bob's Fried Amberjack Sandwich with Slaw and Fries

This would have been a lovely plate had it not sat at the pass for 15 minutes. Fish was fresh and flaky.

JoAnne's Crab Cakes

The crab cakes were made from lump crab (and not the local Blue Crab) with very little binder. The crabmeat was nice and free of chemistry, but perhaps a day older than it wanted to be (thank you JoAnne for the taste!).

My Grouper was fresh and prepared well, though the portion was smaller and the price higher than the Amberjack. The slaw tasted like a bagged veggie mix combined with a house-made dressing, and we liked it. Unfortunately, despite our friends' relationship with the owner (who had left the building long before we got our food), most of the food had cooled considerably by the time we received it. Too bad, because those onion rings would have been spectacular, had they been served hot. They were actually pretty good even though they were cold!

The next day was Valentine's, and I'd made the reservation at Fire on Opentable a few weeks before. I was excited to read of the promotion of Chef Chris Mongogna to the Executive Chef role; he cites Cleveland's own Michael Symon among his mentors. Also recommending Fire was the stated commitment to local/sustainable products, and the new location at Gulf Place, closer to Destin.We would share the occasion with four of the friends with whom we'd dined at Louisiana Lagniappe. This would be one of our spendier meals; while I knew Fire wasn't a cheap date, I expected excellent value for the dollar based on our prior two dinners there. Unfortunately, I was underwhelmed with the experience (and I think my friends were, also).

The waitstaff at Fire seemed very energetic at first. When my friends' first wine selection proved unavailable, our server appeared with a suggested replacement at the same price point that drank deliciously. Moreover, despite the occasion, the restaurant wasn't more than 2/3 full, so things seemed off to a terrific start.

The complimentary cornbread and butter was a hit with everyone. Appetizers and entrees were ordered, wine poured, and we looked forward to tasting Chef Mongogna's creations.

It seemed like a long time since we'd ordered, but no appetizers appeared. Our server eventually offered us another plate of corn bread, which we accepted. At last, the first course was served:

My appetizer was a special - Gulf Coast oysters baked with crab and cheese, then topped with horseradish sauce. Because of the word "baked" in the description, I didn't expect the oysters to be raw (I've shied away from raw oysters since a friend got cholera from them). Surprise! Other than the surprise, this dish was very well executed. The price tag for this plate, once we got the bill, made me wince a little - $15 for three small oysters and some crab meat?

Bob ordered this soup of the day, Asian Style Shrimp Soup with Three Mushrooms. My taste was lovely, but the temperature seemed tepid. Bob told me later that it was almost too cold to be palatable, but since we were with two other couples, and a reheat in the microwave might ruin the delicate shrimp, he didn't want to start with sending it back.

Avocado, Citrus and Crab Salad

This crab salad was ordered by two table mates. Since it was meant to be cold, it didn't suffer from the delay in service, and my taste was lovely.

After the appetizer plates were cleared, we waited again. A long wait. The kind of wait that almost always ensures that the food will not be served anywhere near the correct temperature. Our attentive server had disappeared, though she did stop by a couple of times to assure us that the food would be up shortly. And the restaurant was still not terribly crowded, though it was busy.

Grilled Grouper with Andouille and  Creamy White Beans, Sauteed Broccolini

Bob's Grouper should have been delicious - but the plate was barely warm by the time he received it. You can see how the fish cracked apart on top from sitting too long after being fully cooked. And the winter tomatoes did nothing to enhance the flavors on the plate.

Pecan Crusted Red Snapper, Poblano Grits, Cane Syrup, Glazed Snow Peas & Carrots, Brown Butter

My food was warmer than Bob's, or I would have sent it back, given the $27 price point. The veggies were soggy (probably due to the plate sitting), and I didn't get any real pecan flavor out of the crust. You can see how the butter drizzled on top of the fish on the left side has soaked through the coating, from sitting too long, which made that part of the filet mushy. We loved the way the poblano flavor worked with the grits, and the snapper itself was very fresh, if a tad overcooked (probably again a result of the post-cook sit), but the dish overall lacked profundity.

Dessert was the least impressive course. This would be the only dessert we'd order the whole trip (thank you Marie's, for treating us to the flan our second night in town!), and it just fell flat (as well as too cool, having been served after yet another considerable wait):

Warm Sticky Toffee Cake with Caramel

The best I can figure is that they were slammed before our 7pm reservation and never got out of the weeds. I felt a little weird, having brought friends here for a higher quality  dinner; I'd heard Terry mention that her entree wasn't hot and I know Bob's wasn't. Thankfully, I also heard them praising the waitstaff to management and complimenting some of the dishes, so perhaps it all balanced out. Fire has so much potential for greatness, and was mostly excellent in two prior visits, so I just don't know what to make of this experience. I expect that we will try them again, and I do wish them continued success.

The sun, which had disappeared on Sunday and not returned, finally deigned to make an appearance on Wednesday, for at least the first half of the day. We seized the opportunity to grab a sandwich at the original Dewey Destin. Lunch is always better on the pier!

Bob's Fried Grouper Sandwich

Mine - Grilled Triggerfish

I've learned to stick with the fin fish here; the counter people never really know anything about the products they're selling. Both sandwiches were delicious, though for the price in the teens, I'd have liked a little more fish on my sandwich. The fries were nicely cooked and the food service cole slaw serviceable. And wonderful service, as always, with a genuine smile.

Dinner the day after Valentine's Day presented a challenge. Would anyone have fresh fish this Wednesday, or would everything be "holiday leftovers" served to mostly empty houses? We decided to try The Smiling Fish Cafe, where we'd enjoyed a delicious Grouper dinner in 2011. And there, the worst of my fears came true. Only a deuce and a four top were occupied when we arrived, and the $24 piece of fish Bob was served looked tired and tasted old.

Grouper Special - Grilled with an Espresso rub, topped with fried noodles and served over mushroom risotto 

Not only was the plate somewhat cold (which made no sense at all, because the two servers had the three tables completely in hand and were most attentive), but the fish was overcooked and tasted stale. Bob was going to eat it anyway, until my plate, which followed, hit the table. The Fried Grouper plate, which was the only other fish option for someone who doesn't care for coffee or mushrooms, was my selection. Another lesson learned - if a type of fish is only offered fried (no option for grilled etc.), there is a good chance it may be a pre-packaged product instead of fresh fish prepared by the house.

Crispy Fried Grouper

This plate included "Slow Cooked Cajun White Beans and Steamed Rice," which were served stone cold. Not heated to 140 degrees then allowed to get tepid cold - it was never heated above the 40 degrees it was probably stored at since Tuesday's dinner service cold. The fish was neither hot nor crispy - and why was an $18.50 entree serving of fish cut into those blasted fingers? I cut one open and it was positively unappetizing. After the first bite (and a bite of the other's plate), we called our server over and told her that the food was unacceptable and why. Though Bob's plate wasn't as cold as mine, the fish's flavors and textures just weren't fresh.

The chef came to our table, apologized, and explained that his "food warmer was broken" and that was why my beans and rice were so cold (he did not even try to explain the fish issues, which was probably smart). A genuine shame because our dinner last year had been so good. Since it was clear they had no fresh product in the house, we decided to try our luck elsewhere. I won't give up on Smiling Fish, but I do hope that they get their act back together because their kitchen has turned out some lovely food.

Since it was now getting late, we decided to take a chance on Christiano's Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria, on Rt. 98 nearby. I'd read about it on Trip Advisor, and had a fondness for a restaurant formerly located in the space (Cafe Locanda). Although only a few diners remained, winding down their meals, a musical duo gently entertained the room with jazzy sounds:

Chef/Owner Chris Chirum and his staff made us feel welcome, even though it was well after 8pm. Bread service was noteworthy:

House Made Focaccia

We loved this dip! Olive oil combined with cheese and red pepper flakes for a peppy accompaniment to the warm focaccia. For entrees, Bob stuck with fish:

Triggerfish  Meuniere  

Damn the calendar - this was fresh fish, expertly prepared. Served with asparagus and a slightly out-of-focus side of pasta marinara, which I thought an odd combination (meuniere and tomato sauce). Bob loved it.

Despite the dining disaster earlier in the evening, I inexplicably trusted our server, Michael, when he said the shrimp were fresh - he seemed to really know food and his menu - so I ordered an appetizer item from the menu, after he suggested it and offered to turn it into an entree over pasta:  Bad-a-Bing Shrimp.

Bad-A-Bing Shrimp as Entree

The shrimps simmered in a Moscato-garlic-butter sauce before being tossed with sun-dried tomatoes, lemons, scallions and pasta. The pasta was cooked so well, and the flavors of the sauce jumped so high, I couldn't even tell if the pasta was fresh or dried (it was dried). But the stars of the plate were the luscious Gulf shrimp, which Chef Chris told me were sourced from Harbor Docks Seafood Market (and which, from the texture, were probably frozen on the boat, but were otherwise pristine and delicious).

We saw on this visit, and a second visit we would make the following week, that Chef Chris tries to meet all of his customers, and he really seems to value them. His hospitality is so genuine that I suppose I can forgive him for being a Steelers fan. He is committed to serving fresh food at fair prices; I highly recommend that you visit with him if you are in the neighborhood. Christiano's is open only for dinner, Monday through Saturday.

As our first week on the Emerald Coast drew to a close, we'd had some very good, some not-so-good, and some in-between dining experiences. Through it all, we kept playing with our food, and looking for the elusive never-frozen, pristine shrimp. Would we find it? Stay tuned for the next (and final) installment of Fun Playing With Food in Destin 2012!

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.

2012 Fun Playing With Fish in Destin FL, P.1: RIP Mr. Ferrell Shipp

Our winter trip to Destin, Florida enables us to consume a disproportionate amount of fish and seafood. We are just returned from the tenth edition of this trip, and we were fortunate to have fun playing with several species of water creatures at a variety of venues. This report will be broken into several blog posts, and won’t be entirely chronological this year, but stick with it and you won't regret it!

Tasty Crab Cake Sliders from Obrycki’s at the BWI Airport

Kindly note the usual disclaimer – though we return annually, we generally eat at each establishment only once per year. Great restaurants can have bad days, and mediocre spots can have stellar days; this blog simply seeks to share our experiences as we perceive them, and to bring some positive attention to those that we enjoyed the most. 

We arrived in Destin a little later than we’d planned on Wednesday February 8, due to a GPS [operator] error when leaving Panama City Beach's airport. The original plan had been to hit a restaurant on Route 30A on the Alys Beach/Rosemary Beach side of the world on our way west to Destin, but Bob wanted to check in at the condo first. So here it was after 8pm, and we needed dinner. With my inner ear still clogged from flying, and with me still adjusting to maneuvering and parking the massive Lincoln Town Car we'd rented (don't ask), I committed the most quintessential sin a traveling food lover can make in this smart-phone enabled age – picking a dining destination on sight alone. 

As we’d headed west on Route 98, around the Cross Bay Bridge, we passed a place that for years had been a ubiquitous chain dinner house; the sign atop the restaurant at 34906 Emerald Coast Parkway now read “Miller’s Destin Ale House.” “How could an independent restaurant survive the rents in this strip,” my brain wondered, but I couldn’t resist the opportunity to make a new locally-owned find so close to our lodgings. My first instinct proved unfortunately correct. It became quickly apparent once we stepped inside that despite “Destin” in the neon name, this was indeed part of a chain, called "Miller's Ale House" and which apparently inserts the city name into most units, whichever city it might be. Founded in Jupiter, Florida in 1988, the brand is primarily located throughout Florida, but also has outlets in seven other states. I asked the fellow who seated us whether any of the fish was from that part of the world, and he said yes and described the local supplier they source from, so we decided to stay. 

Indeed, some of the fish served here is locally procured, though they were out of Grouper this evening. We accepted the remaining choice of Mahi, and each ordered the grilled fish plate.

Grilled Catch of the Day (Mahi) with french fries and cole slaw, plus choice of sauce (I got roasted red pepper, Bob tried Red Thai Curry) on the vegetables. Wait - where's the cole slaw?  

Oh, there it is - we had to ask for it.

Had the fish not been cooked to within an inch of its life, it would actually have been quite good. At $13.49 for the above platter, no harm or foul occurred (except to the fish, which was dry from being overcooked), though the roasted fresh vegetables served in a canned-tasting sauce were inedible. Fries and slaw, as at most places we visited, were food service pack but enjoyable. We returned to Sundestin and prepared to meet the morning.

Morning turned to mourning almost immediately. Our “go to” breakfast for ten years has been the Silver Sands Breakfast at Harbor Docks. Something looked wrong before we even got into the parking lot – no sign of the sign (pictured below, from an earlier visit), and no cars. The Silver Sands’s proprietor, Mr. Ferrell Shipp, was in his 80s when this article was written about him in 2010. He always made the Silver Sands’s biscuits, which were like no others we’ve ever tasted, even as he seemed older and more arthritic every year. The locked front door at Harbor Docks all but confirmed my suspicions. A quick Google search told me what my heart now already knew – Mr. Shipp had passed away July 5, 2011 at the age of 86, and his family decided to shut the breakfast business down in October 2011. We will miss you and your wonderful biscuits – Mr. Shipp, you cannot be replaced.

Mr. Shipp makes his Exit.

This discovery left us sad, but also wondering where we’d eat breakfast at this early hour. We meant to head to The Donut Hole, but in another feat of operator error, turned left instead of right onto 98, out of Harbor Docks. After driving west across Okaloosa Island and into Fort Walton Beach, and finding nothing that looked appealing for breakfast, we turned around and headed back towards The Donut Hole. Then, just across the Destin Bridge, a sign caught my eye: The Florida House of Destin. 

Located where Another Broken Egg had been for years, at 104 Harbor Boulevard, the independent-looking restaurant promised breakfast, lunch and dinner (the menu refers to a website at www.thedestinfloridahouse.com, but it doesn't appear to be working). This menu item caught my eye: “Crabcake Benny – two poached eggs served on top of two pan seared crabcakes and topped with a creamy hollandaise sauce and served with homefries or grits.” I asked our server about the fish and seafood on the menu, and he said it was all fresh and local. 

While we waited for our breakfast to be served, we chatted briefly with the owner, Charlie. A native of Connecticut, Charlie had owned a restaurant in Vermont for 13 years, then lost everything to a hurricane that flooded his property (you don’t buy flood insurance in the mountains of Vermont). He and his Alabama-born wife re-located to Destin about three years ago, and the Florida House was in its second full year of operation. Everything, he said, was made from scratch, and the menu emphasizes comfort foods like burgers, sandwiches, pot roast, meatloaf, roast turkey and steak. He and his wife also own the pizzeria located in the former Miss Chen’s across 98 (Crust), and he promised that the thin crust pizza there would satisfy this New York ex-pat.

Breakfast is served:

Bob's pancakes, served with sausage

Bob’s pancakes were nicely done, though to my palate, there was a “mix” flavor and texture to them. The sausage tasted typical. But what about the crab cakes? They were pretty darn tasty, though I honestly couldn’t tell you if they were freshly made from local product or not (and our later lunch experience would suggest not). The hollandaise, probably from a food service pack, was flavorful and the eggs perfectly poached (sorry, no yolky porn shots). The only problem was that the grits on my plate were ice cold. Charlie’s wife (who’s name I didn’t note; I apologize), was in the vicinity, and got me a fresh, extremely hot bowlful (which, like the cold ones on my plate, also lacked salt). The flavors and textures of crab cake, runny egg, hollandaise, melty cheese and grits, now combined together in the bowl, made for a completely satisfying breakfast, far better than a similar breakfast had been at The Donut Hole a few years back at about the same price point. 

The Florida House is offering 2-for-the-price-of-1 dinner specials throughout dinner service for the remainder of the winter, though we did not partake, and they also boast a full bar. We did return for lunch during our second week, and I’m very sorry to say that we just weren't impressed with the “Fish and Chips” plate, which we'd been told used the same "Golden Fried Grouper" as the Fish Sandwich. During our first visit, and again on our second, I asked each server about the fish – both insisted it was fresh, local Grouper. Judge for yourself:

Mine

Mine - featuring the noteworthy potato salad

Bob's

The potato salad was deliciously fresh and obviously made in house – if only the other items on the plate were also house-made! You can see from the size and shape of the fish that it isn’t a Grouper filet (I’d guess tilapia); I didn’t photograph it after I cut into it, but to my eye and tongue, it was a previously frozen product (and previously breaded, as well). At that point in the trip, having already wrassled with a couple of places over quality issues, we just let it be. The potato salad did dazzle.

Our overall experience at Florida House was very pleasant, as was the crab cake in my breakfast – but I can’t recommend the fish, period. As with La Famiglia Ristorante a few doors down, land and vegetable based comfort food seems to be delivered well for a fair price, but avoid the fish and seafood if that is what you crave. The pizza at Crust will be addressed in a later post, but it is worth your trouble if you enjoy New York-style pizza (and the meatballs and tomato sauce on it were fabulous).

So - did we find any worthy fish dishes in Florida? Of course we did - and it didn't take very long. Cue Harbor Docks, which now serves lunch until 4pm daily! After a few uneven years, Harbor Docks seems to have stabilized itself, though the "restaurant group" now extends to seven restaurants in multiple states. The dinner price points remain a little high for what is offered, but we've enjoyed several recent lunches there. After taking our seats, we were delighted to learn that Harbor Docks's owner Charles Morgan had decided to bring breakfast service back at Harbor Docks, and that some of the Silver Sands Breakfast's staff would also return. Service would commence on Valentine's Day.

Armed with this happy information, we asked about the lunch menu; particularly, the mullet. I'd never had mullet, but was game to try it. Our server started to describe it, then said - "wait a moment, I'll be right back." The next thing we knew, this appeared for our consideration:

Two strips of fried mullet in "regular" batter, with tarter sauce

Hot and crispy, and exploding with intense, yet fresh fish flavor - these bites immediately convinced us to try the Panko Crusted Mullet lunch special. While we waited, the internet informed me that mullet is primarily used as fish bait, but is on the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch list as a "best choice" for human eaters also.

Pretty succulent fish bait! Mullet tastes a bit more of the ocean than the "milder" white fishes, and it's size does not lend it to grilling, but neither of these considerations mattered. The freshness shined through every flaky bite. The cole slaw and hush puppies as usual were of the food service variety, but serviceable, as were the grits.

Our next visit to Harbor Docks would be for breakfast on Friday, February 17. It definitely felt strange. Morgan was smart to change some things up, while trying to keep other things the same.

New Harbor Docks Breakfast Menu

Harbor Docks kept the Fisherman's Platter (a Shipp invention, and now named for him), biscuits, sausage gravy and grits. Fried chicken, which used to be a take-out item only, is now on the eat-in menu, together with waffles, which are new. Gone is the ham steak, which Bob enjoyed though it was an acquired, salty taste, and the plain gravy I was so fond of. Alcoholic beverages are now available. And some new omelet combinations and breakfast sandwiches have been added, together with sauteed apples and fresh fruit.

Breakfast began with this complimentary basket of food service muffins and butter.

Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

A mixture of old and new - the biscuits were split oven and smothered in the gravy instead of being served whole with a bowl of gravy. Less waste must surely result - I could never finish the contents of a gravy bowl with two biscuits. But the gravy lacked the peppery freshness I remembered, and the biscuits lacked profundity. I also enjoyed a side of cheese grits.

Bob's Breakfast - Mr. Shipp's Fisherman's Special with sausage, and

Biscuits

For as long as he'd been working, Mr. Shipp had never allowed anyone else to make the biscuits. We wondered if he'd left any of his recipe or technique for another to follow. These biscuits probably wanted to be baked a bit more. Even with more browning, though, their made-from-mix character and lack of great biscuit texture (flakiness) would have been apparent. Hopefully, with practice, whoever is making these will improve - Mr. Shipp had decades of practice before we ever tasted a one of his (and we'd noticed the last couple of years that they weren't quite the same). Mr. Shipp's biscuits inspired us, on more than one occasion, to carry home a 5# bag of White Lily flour in our luggage, the better to try to duplicate his biscuity goodness - while Bob is a good biscuit-maker, they are never quite as light and flaky as Mr. Shipp's. (BTW - White Lily Flower can now be acquired in or near most cities.) 

I hoped to get back for another breakfast, to try the Chicken and Waffles, but it just never happened this trip. We will definitely try them again next year, since they'd only been operating for three days when we ate there; it was too early to really judge it fairly.

Our last visit to Harbor Docks came on Presidents' Day (Monday, February 20) and was largely a repeat of  our first lunch, though with a different start:

Freshly baked corn muffins

I would suspect that we weren't served any muffins at our first lunch due to the late hour; they may have run out of them. At the time, I didn't even remember this usual start to lunch at Harbor Docks. These specimens were hot and toothsome. 

Country Fried Mullet, Cole Slaw, Grits, Hushpuppies

Both mullet lunches were a veritable steal at $8 dollars a plate. The comparable plates of snapper, grouper and tuna were $13-15 (all offered with a choice of sides, including cucumber salad and ginger rice). Of course, taste is everything. The impeccably fresh, well seasoned, crispy mullet satisfied on both occasions.  

Yes, fun playing with Florida Panhandle food was off to a great start indeed. More to come in the next post.