Tag: Port St. Joe

Delightful Dockside Dining

One great aspect of cruising on the Gulf Coast is the history and culture associated with waterfront dining at restaurants and watering holes. Tying up to the piers puts you in touch with a culinary tradition that dates as far back as 1859 at Bruning’s in New Orleans’ West End. Others such as the Fly Creek Inn in Fairhope, Alabama, were known haunts of writers and poets who were drawn to the unmistakable ambiance and connection to the food and drink that comes from being on the water in the Deep South.

Today, there are hundreds of great local haunts for everything from fried grouper baskets to the freshest oysters, and while this space is too small to list them all, here are a few great seafood joints from west to east to keep in mind when cruising the Gulf.

LOUISIANA:

Brisbi’s—New Orleans: West End was the home to seafood waterfront dining for over 150 years until Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Today, the restaurants are coming back and Brisbi’s is leading the charge. Tie up and enjoy the relaxed open-air oyster bar downstairs, or head upstairs to what many call the “Yat Club” for great New Orleans seafood.

Morton’s—Madisonville: On the deepwater Tchefuncte River on northern Lake Pontchartrain in quaint Madisonville, the staff is never in a rush at Morton’s—but neither are you while you’re there. With the best crawfish on the north shore, everything is always fresh, even down to the mirliton dressing.

MISSISSIPPI:

Trapani’s—Bay St. Louis: Located adjacent to the recently completed municipal marina, Trapani’s has been dishing out some of the best seafood and po-boys on the Mississippi Coast for 20 years. After lunch or dinner, stroll one of the cutest towns on all of the Gulf Coast.

ALABAMA:

JT’s Sunset Grill—Dauphin Island: Located on the western side of the island, JT’s is that sort of relaxed joint where you can get your fix of fried oysters and a side of fishermen’s tall tales. Slip space can get tight, so head over early for lunch or dinner.

LuLu’s—Gulf Shores: More like a destination, Jimmy Buffet’s sister owns LuLu’s, and it has the exact feel of the sort of place a sister of Jimmy’s would run. With a ton of adjacent slips on the ICW, eating at LuLu’s is more of an event with live music and volleyball, but always check out the daily specials.

FLORIDA:

Boathouse Oyster Bar—Destin: Sidle up to this waterfront joint and the staff will scurry out to help you dock. Inside this well-worn and casual joint are fantastic oysters prepared numerous ways. Call ahead and they’ll have fresh tuna steak sandwiches on French bread with chips in brown paper bags waiting for you on the pier.

Dockside Café—Port St. Joe: Fried grouper baskets, fresh oysters from next-door Apalachicola, and every type of rum drink imaginable await at the Port St. Joe Marina. It’s the ideal spot on St. Joseph’s Bay to watch the sunset and listen to lone wolf guitarists doing Jimmy Buffet cover bands.

By Troy Gilbert, Southern Boating January 2015

Mollusk Mania on Florida’s Forgotten Coast

July brings with it a unique tradition for recreational boat owners on Florida’s Big Bend on the Gulf Coast—bay scallop season. A run of sandy barrier islands and a marshy estuarine system contribute to an ideal salinity and ecosystem for the tasty mollusks, an environment unique to the Gulf Coast. Highly susceptible to even minute environmental changes, the harvesting of bay scallops is strictly controlled and no commercial activities are allowed. The one exception is for recreational boat owners and individuals who wade from shore with dip nets, a pastime that has led to an almost cultural institution on this stretch of Florida’s coastline.

Midsummer brings out the snorkels, flippers and mesh bags as Floridians and tourists peruse the sandy seagrass beds just offshore of Florida’s Forgotten Coast between Port St. Joe and Tarpon Springs. “Diver down” flags pop up above tried and true secret scalloping spots, and with scallops preferring depths of only 4-6 feet of water, it is a family-friendly experience. Port St. Joe also holds an annual Scallop Festival every August in this very authentic old-style Florida town.

Bay scallops once had an extensive habitat throughout the state from Pensacola to West Palm Beach on the Atlantic Coast, but it is increasingly shrinking due to development pressures. Today, isolated populations—still numerous enough to allow scalloping—can be found in the waters around Port St. Joe, Crystal River, Steinhatchee, and Homosassa on the Gulf Coast. Florida saltwater fishing licenses are required and scalloping charters can be found in many of the marinas. The 2014 season runs from June 28th to September 10th, and the per-person limit is two gallons of in-the-shell scallops per person on board, but no more than 10 gallons on board any vessel. It is best to clean scallops almost immediately after harvesting, for the bag limits are one pint of meat per person and no more than ½ gallon per vessel.

After long afternoons swimming in the cooling Gulf waters, families and friends get together for scallop feasts on the beaches or back porches, with most dishes lightly breaded, seasoned and flash-fried. Similar to an oyster in that it is a mollusk, bay scallops are more muscular because of their ability to actually swim. They have lean, firm meat but a very delicate flavor and as such, cooking methods should be light and gentle. More inventive dishes have been making the rounds in the past decades with scallops served in ceviche or lightly broiled and served in beautiful salads and even sliders. Many coastal restaurants will even prepare your fresh catch and simply charge a “corkage” fee for preparing your feast.

Scalloping is one of those unique institutions that hearkens back to a Florida of a bygone era. It is an ideal method to launch your boat and get your kids and friends out on the water—not that you ever need an excuse—and make them earn their dinner.

By Troy Gilbert, Southern Boating July 2014

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