With a Name Like Pusser's...

Pusser's Bar and Grille has been holding down a prime corner location in the "Shoppes of Veranda" (aka next door to Ruth's Chris Steak House) in Ponte Vedra for a couple of years now. If you haven't been, what's keeping you?

A great location, friendly, attentive service, and the best rum concoctions this side of the Caribbean await! Oh, and there's the food, but that's not what I think of when I think of Pusser's.

We're blessed in this region with some fantastic seafood, a wealth of independent restaurant operators with unique perspectives, and some simply good places to kick back and raise a wrist. For me, Pusser's falls into the latter category.

I'm ok with dropping some bucks on a frozen rum concoction to sip while downing a plate of coconut shrimp, but it turns out not all my friends are so inclined. Few of them have been to Pusser's. Another of my "not so scientific" polls revealed that the number one reason for that fact was, well, the NAME Pusser's. It reminds people of something... less than appetizing.

My personal frame of reference is shaped by an ex-Royal Navy Liverpudlian-turned-Canadian I dated several years ago while living in Cincinnati. He was mad for a grog made from Pusser's Rum, which is, in fact, quite good.

On one of his visits stateside, he left behind a tin cup with the Pusser's logo, a china coffee mug with a map of the Bahamas, and mix-tape of the Beatles featuring some rare UK release versions of my favorite songs. I still have that tape. Hmmm....

When Pusser's management invited me to re-visit their Ponte Vedra restaurant, I was skeptical. After all, I panned it last year during the 2009 Taqueria Tour. Had anything changed since then?

A sneak peak at their new menu, and a stipend of fifty dollars (in the interest of full disclosure) to defray the cost of my explorations convinced me to take another look. So without further ado, and in the name of Seafood Summer, let's talk seafood!


First up - this starter from Pusser's bar menu - Fried Calamari, served with house-made Marinara ($8.50) can be had for half-price during "Half Off Happy Hour" Monday - Friday 3-7 p.m.

Not much you can say about Calamari - this rendition was good - tender, crispy breading, large rings. I didn't taste the Marinara, I'm more of a lemon and tartar girl when it comes to fried seafood.

Another appetizer we enjoyed was Mussels Montserrat - Steamed mussels in white wine, garlic and butter. Served with toasted Cuban bread. ($8.95)

These are also half-price during happy hour, and worth returning for.

You can get them served Fra Diavolo but our server wisely informed us theirs was a tomato based version, which, again, not a fan of. LOVE the spicy, just not the tomato sauce. Good call, friendly waitress person!

This is as good a time as any to point out that - in my humble opinion - the number one asset of Pusser's is not the great location, or the rum, or the food - it is the service staff.

Everyone we've encountered has been friendly, helpful, knowledgeable and efficient. They have a knack for making you feel welcome and comfortable. They truly seem to be enjoying their jobs, which is a plus. Kudos to the entire front of the house staff.

I should mention that most of our visits were incognito - it was only the last time we attended that our cover was blown - as our patron wanted me to meet General Manager Dan Monk, and Executive Chef (and Ponte Vedra native) Chris Delay. Both men made a stop at our table to greet us, and were equally friendly and knowledgeable.

Chef Delay came to table while we were sampling our entrees.

Grouper Ponte Vedra is a pan-seared grouper (Red Grouper, he informed us) topped with a generous portion of sauteed jumbo lump crabmeat and béarnaise, served with fresh vegetables and tropical sticky rice. ($24.50) Portion sizes are generous here.

The crab was the star of this show. My Grouper was in little grey pieces, from the small end of the filet, and was all but lost under that mound of sweet jumbo lump crab. The sauce was rich and thick, and there was rather a lot of it. Vegetable medley was standard fare.

Their sticky rice is a bit sweet - its a Caribbean thing - but I'm not overly enthusiastic. In this case it was a good pairing with the rich sauce and sweet crab, but again, the humble Grouper was lost in translation.

The Matriarch accompanied me on this occasion, and her entree choice was the St. Lucia Seafood Pasta - Fresh shrimp, scallops and fish tossed in a basil white wine sauce over linguine. ($20.50)

She enjoyed the straightforward presentation, and the abundant fish and shellfish. The bits I tasted were nicely done. Big, beautiful shrimp and scallops and at least two varieties of fish made this a most enjoyable choice. The sauce was a rich and flavorful enhancement to the dish.

While the food on these visits was better than my previous trips, I am still convinced that the real beauty of Pusser's is in the drinks. $2.50 Red Stripe all day, every day, and a lineup of frozen concoctions that would knock any parrot head off their perch.

There's an indoor bar and an upper deck bar called the "Upper Deck." They can accommodate large groups and special requests.

On one recent Saturday there was a charitable event for over 100 young professionals being hosted on the Upper Deck - complete with an old fashioned low-country boil.

Our drink of choice is the Painkiller - sweet and spicy - but beware - it packs a punch! If we're coming back, its because of that. And to try the Coconut Shrimp, of course.

The usual clientele of the restaurant is multi-generational, although I haven't seen too many children there, and dress is anything from date night finery to beach casual.

Pusser's Bar and Grille is located in the Shoppes of Veranda, across from Ruth's Chris steakhouse. There is complimentary valet parking in the evenings, and a covered parking garage available. Open daily for lunch and dinner starting at 11am and for Sunday Brunch from 10am-2pm.

Bang Bang, Spicy Asian, Bangin' Firecracker Shrimp

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Well prepare to witness some fine flattery, my friends.

As the Beasties have been out on the town, sampling the finest seafood on Florida's First Coast (with the occasional side trip), we've noticed a pattern emerging on appetizer menus all across town. It's a little phenom we like to call:

Bang Bang, Spicy Asian, Bing Bang, Bangin' Firecracker Shrimp.


At the heart of this dish is the lovely shrimp. Sweet, tender, slightly chewy. Battered or coated, fried, then lightly sauced with a creamy, sweet, hot Thai Chile inspired sauce. So now you've got sweet, creamy, hot, chewy, salty, crunchy goodness, piled in a dish or on the plate. Simple, yes, but insanely addictive. Thus all the imitation (er, flattery) cropping up all around town.


Let's start with the original. To the best of our knowledge (or at least what we were able to turn up by Googling it), Bonefish Grill is the OG of the Bang Bang Shrimp craze. Or should we say Original Bangsta!

A sweet, spicy, crunchy, chewy, creamy pile of shrimp, garnished with scallion tops and brought steamy hot to your table with a set of chopsticks. Everyone watches as the waiter navigates through the room with this dish, and then its like a chain reaction - ooohhh - I want THAT!

We love Bang Bang Shrimp. So much so, we hardly ever eat anything else at Bonefish. A couple of Sidecars and some Bang Bang Shrimp, a rockin' Crabcake app, and you've got the makings of a great evening. But I digress. This is all about the Bang Bang.

Lovers of the original can rejoice in the fact that you can get them for $5 (discounted from the usual $9) on Wednesdays.

As we made our way around town we felt compelled to compare the Bang Bang Shrimp from Bonefish Grill to the rest of the Bangin' crew. So we set out to perform a VERY unofficial taste test.

First up - Firecracker Shrimp - from Pusser's Bar and Grille in Ponte Vedra.

These are pretty awesome as well. Generous portion, the shrimp are a nice size, cooked and spiced just right. $8.50 - but you can get them half price during happy hour Mon-Fri 3-7pm, so if you can't wait for Bangin' Wednesday at BFG, c'mon down to my end of the beach and enjoy some of these babies for $4.25 ...

WAIT - it gets better! MONDAY is $4 Firecracker Day - so save that quarter for the soda machine at work. Wash 'em down with a Red Stripe - $2.50 all day, every day!

We have recently changed our opinion of Pusser's, thanks to a personal invitation from their new marketing manager (accompanied by a $50 gift certificate to defray the cost of our tastings there).

While we spent more than that on drinks alone during our explorations, we were for the most part pleased with what we found. A new menu was released last week, and we'll be posting on that shortly as well. But for the purposes of this post - we can say without prejudice that their Firecracker Shrimp was a pretty good representative of the category.

Then there's the craftily named Bing Bang Shrimp at Crazy Fish in Jax Beach. Yeah, they are not fooling anyone with THAT name.

Described on their menu as "jumbo crispy fried shrimp covered in our sweet island tropical sauce" - these were more sweet than spicy, more crunchy than anything.

The shrimp themselves were nicely done, but because they are larger, the portion seems smaller. Not as easily shared as most of the others.

They dress out the plate with some chunks of melon (to tame the heat which never quite came on) and a huge hush puppy (aka waste of space onion studded ball of dough). Seriously, people, what on earth is the deal with Hush Puppies? Leave these for the howling dogs. Focus on the good stuff.

Next up is another oddly presented contender - from Jackson's in Riverside - Blazin' Shrimp ($6) are reported to be seasoned Buffalo wing-style shrimp with a dipping sauce.

Six large shrimp for - you do the math - a buck a piece. Again, the individual shrimp were delish - but you won't want to share.


Our favorite of the Bang Bang Wannabe Gang was the Sock it to me Shrimp appetizer at The Blue Fish in Avondale - $6 on the lunch menu, $11 at dinner or on the bar menu. (We went at lunch - and it was a great bargain).

The portion was generous on this day - enough to share or have as a meal. The juicy shrimp were nicely breaded and fried, served piping hot with a coating of creamy Thai spiced sauce. The assertive heat stayed around after the dish was cleared. I'm thinking these were panko crusted - but I'm going to ask the server next time because they were my favorite in the coating category.

The light, crispy texture and the generous portion size have propelled this dish to the top of our lunch craving list. Sure, you could share, but you won't want to! Drizzle some of that lemon and dig in!


One of the biggest disappointments in the search for the perfect faux Bang Bang was this gloppy mess from Mitchell's Fish Market in St Johns Town Center.

Spicy Asian Shrimp came with sweet sticky rice, pickled cucumbers for a whopping $9.95. WAY too much money for WAY too much sauce covering WAY too small, WAY over-breaded shrimp.

The flavors were good - the spicy heat was there - but the textures were just wrong. And instead of a nice medium sized shrimp, these were tiny - almost salad sized, and not butterflied. The breading expanded when they cooked, so most of what was on that plate was breading, sauce, and air. The rice was nice, but mostly it was there to elevate the shrimp so the portion would look larger. The pickled cucumbers were soggy and limp. We tried the crab cake too - do NOT even get me started. Stick with the Kung Pao Calamari if you want a great fried seafood app at Mitchell's.

Speaking of alternatives - we couldn't let the Asian Shrimp app category go by without singing the praises of this delicious offering from Fuji Japanese Restaurant on Roosevelt Ave.

Shu Mai are tender, sweet shrimp dumplings - a bargain at $4.50.

If you drizzled a little shrimp sauce on them you'd have a Bangin' good replica - but don't - they are melt-in-your-mouth perfection with the accompanying dipping sauce.

Another controversial entry in the Bangin' category is the Bangin' Shrimp Taco $2.95 at Jax Beach fave rave Tacolu.

EVERYBODY raves about the Bangin' Shrimp Taco - everybody except me, it seems. My verdict - too sweet. The shrimp (about 3 to a taco) tasted like they've been candied. Hot, sure, sweet, hellz yeah.

Yet somehow it doesn't work for me. Don't get me wrong - We LOVE The Lu! But the Bangin' is the one taco on their menu I don't really much care for.

I wish they had other shrimp tacos - I do LOVE a good shrimp taco, just not sugar coated. In this one case, I'd say don't take my word for it, try it out - but ask the waitress about the "secret tacos" - and try them all -

So there you have it! Our verdict - the original is still the winner -
Bang Bang Shrimp from Bonefish Grill - can't say there's nothing like it, but we're sticking with the original.


Well, we sampled as many as we could find, but I'm sure we've left out some of your favorites - so if you know of another Bangin' Slammin' Rockin' Sockin' Asian Fried Shrimp Appetizer in town, please let us know!

In the interest of full diclosure - the fine folks whose work it is to promote the Bonefish Grill have asked us to compare them to another local seafood restaurant - and this time they've put their money where our mouths are - with a generous donation to the Beastie's dining fund! We'll be drawing those comparisons soon in another post.
Thanks to both Pusser's and Bonefish Grill for helping to make this the best seafood summer EVAH!

Taverna - Luscious Light Lunch

Nothing better on a scalding summer day than a bowl of gazpacho and a lovely piece of snapper!

Mediterranean Cooking Series at Azurea

Executive Chef Ted Peters of Azurea at One Ocean Resort in Atlantic Beach is sharing a few of his culinary secrets with a Mediterranean Cooking Series, Sunday, August 15, 2010. Twelve lucky foodies will enjoy the interactive class for $60 per person.

Beginning at 1:00 p.m., participants will enjoy champagne and canapés while they meet the chef and staff and hear the course of events for the class. After receiving an apron, hat and menu packet, chef Peters will help them create a summer meal from Mediterranean ingredients.

Once the four-course meal is prepared, future chefs will enjoy wine pairings with each course. The afternoon is wrapped up with a take-home of a chef’s jacket and apron along with the day’s creations at 3:00 p.m.

With 17 years of experience in fine dining, Chef Peters has made a name for himself hosting wine festivals, appearing on distinguished committees and judging panels, as well as immersing himself in local charities. Most recently he was invited to cook at the prestigious James Beard House in NYC.

To reserve a place in the Mediterranean Cooking Series by Chef Ted Peters of Azurea at One Ocean Resort, call (904) 249-7402 or for more information visit www.oneoceanresort.com

Factory Fresh?

The Daily Deal is a coupon / sales incentive program from Jacksonville.com - featuring great deals on goods and services from local merchants. Recently they featured a restaurant we'd been wanting to try, so when they dangled the line with $24 for $50 worth of seafood at The Crabcake Factory in Jacksonville Beach, we took the bait.

Three generations of beach babes rolled into the place during a Thursday lunch service.We were sorry to see the dining room was empty, but that meant we had our choice of seats. We asked our hostess for a table in the lightest area possible.

She led us into the deserted dining room, and passing at least three tables that would have done nicely, proceeded to steer us to the darkest back corner of the room. While she seemed confused, we just made ourselves at home near the window.

The Crabcake Factory features Maryland Blue Crab - billing it as "Incredible Seafood in a Fine Atmosphere."

The best dish to grace our table was the simplest of starters - the Cream of Crab soup was delicate, sweet and buttery, with just the right consistency - not too gloppy or soupy. The sweet blue crab was showcased perfectly in this dish. If only we would have stopped there. But we had fifty dollars to spend, so we ordered up and waited for our next course to arrive.

Caribbean Conch Fritters served with jerk key lime sauce (8.95) were massive, dense balls of fried dough with a few shards of rubbery conch scattered inside. A let down after that lovely soup.

On a previous visit I had enjoyed the Jumbo Lump Crab Cake Napoleon - a pan broiled crab cake topped with sweet and sour mango salsa and finished with a lemon Chardonnay butter sauce and minced greens (11.95)

It was light and sunny creation, with plenty of crab and sweet mango, lightly sauced, and with a glass of white wine it was the perfect afternoon snack.

When I asked for more of the same on this outing, our waiter recommended I try instead the Bayou Jumbo Lump Crab Cake - served over crawfish in a light Cajun lemon butter cream sauce. (11.95)

I have to admit, the crawfish lured me in. But what I found at the other end of that hook was a gelatinous glop of shiny, over-seasoned dayglo orange goo, which completely overpowered the sweet tender crab in the generously portioned cake. Good crawfish though.

Our youngest diner was intrigued by the "Famous" Fish Taco - billed as original baja style fish tacos, beer battered fresh fish with shredded cabbage, pico de gallo, and cheddar cheese, topped with a spicy chipotle aioli. (lunch menu 8.95)

Unfortunately, there was no getting past that thick, orange beer batter.
Once cooked it was more like two thin strips of fish encased in a savory deep-fried muffin. She politely picked at it, but was happy to have ordered a side salad so she at least had some sustenance. Our other two diners ordered the same entree. Seafood Imperial - scallops, shrimp, crab claw fingers stuffed with lump crab imperial glazed with a lemon butter Chardonnay sauce. (9.95) - presents as a mound of creamed seafood and stuffing buried under a dome of broiled glaze with blue crab claw tips poking out at the corners.

Not knowing quite how to approach the dish, the matriarch of the family pulled out one of the delicate little crab claws and started to pull the meat off with her teeth.

In a flash she spat out the crab and began moaning, desperately wiping her tongue with a napkin, washing out her mouth with water from a nearby glass. When she could speak, she informed us the little crab claw was rotten. "Smell this" she asked. I dutifully obliged and met with a whiff of the most rancid, putrid, disgusting thing I've EVER smelled in a restaurant, period.

Fearing for her safety, we stopped the other diner from eating her meal. She plucked out the crab claws, and cautiously sniffed each one. No problem. She began tentatively nibbling away at it, but I can only imagine her enthusiasm was lessened.

When our waiter finally emerged, we asked him to remove the rotten dish. He apologized for our trouble and whisked it back to the kitchen immediately, without asking could he bring something else in its place.

Now there were four hungry diners, three not so appetizing entrees, and one person sitting with no food at all. Another ten minutes went by before we saw our waiter again. We waved him over (which we had to do despite the fact there was only one other table seated in the entire room) and suggested our diner might want something to eat. "Oh, sure, what can I get you" he asked.

She wasn't sure she wanted anything at all, since whatever would be brought out clearly wouldn't get here before we were finished with our meals. The waiter said, "well, I did ask the chef to fire up another Imperial for you, and put a rush on it. Let me go check on that for you" he offered generously. Another ten minutes ticked by before the replacement meal arrived.

Then we were three diners sitting in front of picked over plates, while our matriarch was left to dig in and finish her meal. She noted the temperature of the dish was quite uneven - with some pieces being cold and others quite hot. Accompanying veggies were basically raw. She dug out a whole scallop and shrimp, ate them both, and took a couple polite bites of the imperial mixture, just enough to curb her hunger, before throwing in the napkin.

In an ironic twist, as we were waiting for our check to arrive, the chef emerged from the kitchen - not to ask how our meal was or apologize for the rancid crab, but to have his picture taken! I snapped this one with my cell phone while the photographer was snapping away. I didn't ask his name.

When we walked out, a CCF employee asked the matriarch how everything was. Big mistake. "It was awful. I was served rotten food. This was possibly the worst dining experience of my life" she answered honestly.

"Oh my gosh! I'm sorry! What happened?" She looked to me for explanation.

"She was served rotten food," I replied.

"I'm sorry that happened to you. Did the waiter bring you a replacement?"

"Yes. We had already finished our meals by then though."

I'm thinking the waiter could have let management know this had happened, so someone other than our waiter could have come to the table and apologized to our 72 year old matriarch. We worried that she might suffer ill effects from coming in such close contact with rotted seafood, but she has a stout constitution and was just fine. We took the edge off the event with some fro-yo dessert at nearby Mr. Yogato.

Their website promises "you’ll have a fun-filled and delicious dining experience!" On this day, they did not deliver on that promise. We won't be punching in at the Crab Cake Factory again.

Is Gators Dockside coming to Murray Hill?

This falls under the category "unsubstantiated rumor" - thanks to a fellow foodie with a nose for news, NTB has just heard that the former site of 1171 (1171 Edgewood in Murray Hill) is gearing up to become another Gator's Dockside location! Anyone know anything more about that?

The Blue Fish - Dining With The Bluehair Set

When Avondale stalwart Sterling's Cafe closed its doors late last year, Richard and Evalee Grenamyer waded in and created a sea change.

Remodeled and re-imagined, the prime location re-emerged as The Blue Fish Restaurant and Oyster Bar - the same -at least in name and concept - as a restaurant the Grenamyers own in Memphis, Tennessee.

The Avondale location serves lunch and dinner every day. It's open at 11 a.m. Monday through Saturday, and Sunday brunch begins at 10:30 a.m. Memphis diners have to wait until the dinner hour, presumably so the fresh catch of the day can be Fedexed in - let's hope they're not hauling it out of the Big Muddy.

The transformation is stunning. Shades of blue - deep navy, cool seafoam, vibrant turquoise - are everywhere - the walls, barstools, table linens, light fixtures. And since blue is my favorite color, I feel right at home.

Indoors and out, the dining spaces are adorable. Two pics i recently snapped have been serving in turn as my iPhone wallpaper.

Evalee Grenamyer was quoted in the Florida Times Union as saying that their goal was to have "a fun, affordable place that people feel comfortable coming to". And they are coming, despite an impossibly long urban renewal project that has the street and half its parking in constant upheaval.

Apparently many of Sterling's regulars have also made The Blue Fish their home away from home. During a recent mid-week lunch, an elderly couple were seated next to me, on what was obviously their first visit since their beloved Sterling's had shuffled off its mortal coil. Noticing a group of diners hobbling in, walkers gleaming in the midday sun, the woman whispered to her companion "It sure looks different, but its the same old crowd." He chuckled and agreed "that's exactly right, the same OLD crowd."

Featuring two bars, one up and one down, with a great bar menu, The Blue Fish has reportedly become a lively gathering place for the over sixty set - I haven't been to Happy Hour (3-6 PM Daily) yet, but a friend told me that based on the SRO crowd the night he and his partner stopped in, they could have been featuring 2 for 1 Geritol shots and Viagra poppers. The early bird gets the worm - so head on over there one afternoon and see for yourself - maybe you'll find a sugar daddy! One assumes the late night weekend crowd might skew a bit younger. Report back, Beasties. You know I confine my alcohol consumption to the other side of the ditch.

It's time to talk about the food! I've only been for lunch so far, where the serving sizes are a gracious plenty. At dinner, I am told, each entree can be bought as a full serving or a "light plate."

Taking a tip from a businessman (apparently there's an Avondale version of the power lunch going on at The Blue Fish) I ordered the Lemon Caper Catch ($13) - on this day it was Snapper. I was pleased with the choice, yet confused by the presentation, which included a fair amount of what looked like grass clippings scattered around the rim of the plate.

If this was an herb of some sort, and meant to enhance the flavor of the dish, why was none of it on the food? Then I figured it out. Clearly this was an homage to the parsley-scattering craze of the 1980's. How very retro.

The fresh catch varies, but for a recent two week stint we were offered nothing but Talapia (don't EVEN get me started) and Catfish, which may be all the rage in Memphis, but I try to avoid farmed fish in general - it just doesn't have the same characteristics as the line-caught variety.

Sock it to me Shrimp appetizer was a bargain at $6 - The portion was generous - enough to share or have as a meal. The juicy shrimp were nicely breaded and fried, served piping hot with a coating of creamy Thai spiced sauce.

Again, the generous sprinkle of finely chopped herbs, but this time some of them actually landed on the shrimp. Accompanying field greens were wilting, browned and undressed, so had we wanted to eat them we would have had to squeeze on some fresh lemon juice, I guess. A wise restaurateur once told me he puts nothing on the plate that isn't meant to be eaten. But hey - check out their adorable "fishy" silverware - HOW FUN IS THAT?

A Fried Oyster Caesar salad (on the dinner menu at $10) was fairly pedestrian in the salad component, but the nuggets of soft, briny oysters encased in crispy-fried corn meal elevated the dish into something quite enjoyable.

Again they came to table hot and perfectly cooked, thankfully with no retro presentation devices.

The buzz about this place has been mixed. Good food, slow service. Great service, food was off. Presentation on a dish changes radically from one day to the next, so when you go back to re-experience a favorite, it comes out as something altogether different and unappealing. These are a few of the comments I've heard while working on this piece.

One thing I've observed for myself, the quality of the service varies wildly, from person to person, seat to seat. I found as I was lunching alone I was often seated near the front door. That little alley of seats I call the desert, both for the blast of heat that envelops you as the door is being held open while Gertie parks the hover-round, and for the vast uninterrupted space and time you are sitting with not so much as a sip of water or a wave from your server.

On one such occasion I ordered the Quiche of the Day, which was delicious, but I was disappointed that it was made with a prefab pie crust. Accompanied by either salad or a cup of soup (which gets the minced herb treatment) and those mysteriously naked wilted salad greens ($10)

Assuming the thing is not being made to order since you are served a generous slice, it amazed me that it took over 20 minutes to bring it to the table. In that time, my waitress gabbed with the other waitstaff, went on a sabbatical of some sort, and finally, after noticing my outright glare, checked in with the kitchen and brought the lukewarm quiche. "The first one burned, I had to tell them to throw it out and start over" was her explanation. She was throwing the kitchen crew under the bus to compensate for her own inadequate attention span. Note to self. Do not sit in her section again.

On another occasion in "the desert" I observed a crew of two young women coming to turn the table next to mine. One carried the silver, napkins, water glasses and a flower arrangement, the other followed with just a roll of clean white paper to spread atop the cloth. On her way to the table, the girl with the paper sneezed, three quick, germy little blasts. Not to worry, she lifted her arm and sneezed onto her sleeve - the one that was carrying the roll of paper. I watched as she laid it down and carefully spread it out to the edges of the table, smoothing it with her arm and hands.

The other woman, unaware of the microscopic danger, set the glasses and napkins, then placed a pretty bouquet of daisies in the middle of the table. I debated whether I should call it to her attention that the paper was contaminated, but decided to let sleeping germs lie. Next time I sat at the bar. No paper, just clean, freshly wiped surfaces and friendly service.

I loved the Shrimp and Grits. These were sauteed with Cajun spices, mushrooms, shrimp broth and butter over stone ground grits ($12). I'd love to tell you that theirs was among the best I've eaten. It was. I just wouldn't want you to get the impression that yours will be the same.

A friend saw my post of the dish on Facebook, with my pronouncement that it was amazingly good. She said had the same experience on a Tuesday, thought about them all week, went back for more on Friday, and was shocked at the outcome. Very little if any sauce, dry, poorly cooked grits, a completely different presentation. She did contact the restaurant afterward to share her disappointment, and they noted her concerns, so let's see how it goes.

I'm sure in time I will return to The Blue Fish.

The Blue Fish

3551 Saint Johns Avenue
Jacksonville, FL 32205

(904) 387-0700

www.bluefishjax.com

With oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico, the general consensus is that people's way of life has been eradicated as a result of this ecological disaster. In pondering that fact, it strikes me how much we take for granted the abundance of local seafood here in Northeast Florida. So I've vowed to make Summer 2010 my Seafood Summer - in part because I love the stuff, can't get enough, and in part to express my solidarity to those coastal residents in the areas immediately affected by the BP oil spill. Let's start at the water's edge.

Safe Harbor Seafood Market & Restaurant

Mayport Florida is a little fishing village on the St Johns River, where the river meets the sea, across from Fort George Island. It seems like a world apart, but its just a few short miles from the busy Port of Jacksonville.

Home to Naval Station Mayport and a US Coastguard station, quiet little Mayport also boasts some of the best shrimp, crab, fish and more - all of which can be purchased raw, steamed, broiled, grilled, blackened, or fried!

When the Food Network's Guy Fieri visited Singleton's Seafood Shack in Mayport, he missed the boat, in my humble opinion. Sure, Singletons is an institution, but for my money, and my taste, when I go to Mayport, I'm headed to Safe Harbor Seafood Market and Restaurant.

Grouper, Shrimp, Clam Strips, Soft Shell Crab, you name it, they've got it.

In summer I take most Fridays off from making the world a better place at my day job.

My favorite way to launch into the long weekend is to drive out to Mayport and hang out on the deck at Safe Harbor, sipping a cold beer and noshing on fresh fish and seafood.

There can be quite a wait for a cooked meal, but its always worth it. Chill out. Get Nautical.

Then once you've finished your lunch, stock up on tender sweet Mayport shrimp and whatever other delicacies look amazing, and head home to cook up some more seafood faves! Tonight for me that means Thai Green Curry with Mayport Shrimp.

See you next Friday!

Safe Harbor Seafood Market & Restaurant

4378 Ocean St. Unit 3,
Mayport, FL 32233

904.246.4911

Mon - Sat 10am to 6pm
Closed Sunday

Swimming in Butter

Oh how I love fish and seafood. Many thanks to a beach native who long ago "schooled" me the difference between the two - Fish - well, you get that. Seafood - that's the shellfish, mollusk, crustaceans and all manner of miscellaneous aquatic creatures. No matter. I love it all. Basically, if it swims, I'm in.

Our area's abundance of fresh fish and seafood is one of the most compelling things about living in the First Coast.

With the inevitable tragedy that is the BP oil gusher (honestly, how can we call this a spill or a leak when it has been shooting out for weeks) threatening the livelihood of gulf fish, shrimp and oyster businesses, my thoughts have turned to seafood and those who make a living proffering it. They need our support. Harvests had to be pulled early, habitats are being destroyed at an alarming rate. Local food businesses are lending a helping hand where they can. One simple thing we can do to help is eat more seafood. Increased demand equals higher prices for those who've had to glut the market with their catches before they were lost altogether.

In the coming weeks I'll be sampling some of Jacksonville's fantastic fish and seafood offerings. I promise something for every palate and every price point! Baked, blackened, grilled, broiled or fried, we're going all in. Care to join me?