62 replies to this topic

[Mayhaw Man]

Sexton's

A little piece, sadly one of the last little pieces, of old Destin that's left. It's a great place. Really great. Fresh seafood of all kinds.

Also, you might want to head down to the docks and see what you can find in the late afternoon. A quick chat with a deckhand cleaning fish can sometimes yield some real bargains. Beer helps to sweeten the deal.

[Susan in FL]

I'll direct you to a couple of the most recent topics on Destin, but won't refer you back too far because present day Destin might be different than the pre-2004 and pre-2005 (hurricane seasons) Destin.

This topic includes some feedback from a trip by a member in April of this year.

This topic is from 2005.

[NancyH]

Thank you, Susan, for linking to my earlier post!

Shaloop - since February, I've been advised that the Donut Hole has reopened - it always was great for breakfast with family, and I assume it still is, as is the Harbor Docks Silver Sands breakfast. I've been told to avoid the Destin Diner, so we've never tried it.

For family dining, Harbor Docks again rates (especially good value at lunch), as does Staff's in Fort Walton Beach, Pandora's, McGuire's, Smiling Fish Cafe, Cafe 331, and Seagrove Village Marketcafe - you may look around a bit to find that last one now, but they promised they'd be there somewhere!

Our "knock your socks off" meal was at Cafe Tango, but it really isn't kid friendly (perhaps you could go earlier to accommodate the family aspect). Beachwalk Cafe certainly had "knocking" potential, but I wasn't feeling well and we only had lunch there - again, I'm not sure how the kids would do there.

Enjoy your trip and do report back to us!

[shaloop]

Thank you, Susan, for linking to my earlier post!

I have already read your post and bookmarked it as well as a few others I found here (on egullet.) I enjoyed reading your highlights (and lowlights.) How does Louisians Lagniappe rate? We ate there several years ago and the food was good. Anyone eaten there? Any thoughts? Thanks again for everyone's help and if anyone else has any other suggestions I'd love to hear them. Planning trip for end of July/1st of August. Thanks again.

[carpetbagger, esq.]

shrimp sammiches at pompano joe's and the back porch are good, and both places are wallet and kid-friendly.

[NancyH]

Thank you, Susan, for linking to my earlier post!

I have already read your post and bookmarked it as well as a few others I found here (on egullet.) I enjoyed reading your highlights (and lowlights.) How does Louisians Lagniappe rate? We ate there several years ago and the food was good. Anyone eaten there? Any thoughts? Thanks again for everyone's help and if anyone else has any other suggestions I'd love to hear them. Planning trip for end of July/1st of August. Thanks again.

We've never eaten there and we've heard mixed reviews. I gave the most credibility to the friend who lived in NOLA and was not impressed with the food or the prices.

[NancyH]

shrimp sammiches at pompano joe's and the back porch are good, and both places are wallet and kid-friendly.

Our experience at both of these places is that they are both kind of touristy, and therefore very hit and miss. I think we had a good lunch at P. Joes. We had a so-so dinner and a very good lunch at Back Porch. Even going to Back Porch just for drinks has been inconsistent - they are pricey - one bartender gives good pour for the $$, another barely any. They do have lovely views and atmosphere, though.

[NancyH]

Time to bump this topic up, since we are planning our annual pilgrimage to Destin that will occur shortly.

So - locals - what's new and exciting? What's closed since last winter? I'm looking forward to hearing from you.

[Swisskaese]

This restaurant is not new, but Criollas is a very good restaurant.

[NancyH]

Does anyone know if Stinky’s Fish Camp has opened yet? Any comments? Does anyone know exactly where it is located? Thanks!

[NancyH]

My husband Bob and I just returned to the Cleveland cold from an 11 night vacation in that paradise we know as Destin. We started visiting Destin four years ago, when the local Mensa chapter started holding a Regional Gathering at the Holiday Inn on the beach in February. We stayed in a full gulf view room for a couple of extra days and got hooked!

We arrived on a Friday and enjoyed the hospitality at our gathering, including Mabel's incredible jambalaya. Regrettably, I did not get a picture of it. They fed us for most of the weekend, but we went out Saturday night anyway, so we could get our first meal at one of our favorite places, Harbor Docks. Harbor Docks

We started with a crab au gratin appetizer - I only wish I had taken another photo after we dug in, to show off the mounds of fluffy fresh crab under the cheese!



I had the spicy fried amberjack special.



Bob had the Sauteed (fried, actually) Snapper w/Shrimp and Cheesy Sauce. Both entrees were fresh and delicious. Though I wish Harbor Docks would get more imaginative with the side dishes, I can't complain about the fish and seafood, and they are coming up with some very creative sauces.



Our weekend event concluded Sunday morning. Though we were unable to find any lunch companions, one couple that was staying over to Monday agreed to meet us for dinner later.

Bob and I set out to try a new place we'd heard about - Dewey Destin's. We trundled down Calhoun Street, right before the Destin bridge to Okaloosa Island, then turned left down a narrow driveway - to find this shack sitting on the water with a cooking trailer behind it.



But what a wonderful shack it is - if you shop carefully. The modest menu includes Appetizers, Sandwiches (plattered with fries and slaw), fried or steamed baskets and steamed seafood by the pound. The fish specials for the day were tuna, mahi and grouper. I asked if the fish was local, and only the grouper was (the rest came from Alabama). The grouper was indeed very fresh (caught that morning):



So, we ordered our lunches, received our beverages, and wandered out to the right of the two table-covered docks to select a table. We thought their use of brightly colored terra cotta flower pots to keep the acoutrements on the tables on the windy docks was most clever:



After a brief wait, a server brought our order to us. Bob hadn't asked about origins, he just ordered a fried oyster sandwich. I had a bite and they were scrumptious!



My grilled grouper sandwich was as yummy as the raw guy looked:





After lunch, we drove around and located most of the places we intended to try later in the trip - much easier to find things during the day then at night!

Later, we joined up with the other couple, who wanted simple but exquisitely fresh fish. Twist my arm, we were at Harbor Docks again! Our table started with two appetizers. First, Shrimp Almondine:



Next - stuffed mushrooms. Though I abhor mushrooms, I did enjoy a scoop of the seafood stuffing and cheeses oozing through this dish:



Three of the four diners opted for the Cobia Special - Grilled and topped with Shrimp and Basil Cream Sauce.



I had to be different - and got the Sauteed Red Snapper Topped With Scallops and Jalapeño Alfredo Sauce. Though the fish was more fried than sauteed - the dish worked wonderfully.



We headed back to the Holiday Inn too stuffed to consider dessert.

[NancyH]

By Monday morning, all of our had friends departed, and we headed for our favorite local breakfast. While it is located in the Harbor Docks premises, it is actually a concession called "Silver Sand" and they make a marvelous breakfast. I met the elderly gentleman who makes the biscuits (who did not want his picture taken) - they are they best biscuits in the world!

Bob opted for the ham steak, plain grits, and egg (which is served with 2 biscuits, not pictured):



I had my "usual" - large bowl of cheese grits and biscuits with gravy:





This Monday turned out to be a beautiful, warm day - finally, after three years, a day appropriate to take a "see the dolphins" cruise! It was fantastic, and we did get up close and a little personal with the adorable mammals. But we didn't reach land until after 3pm. I learned on this trip that most places don't serve straight through lunch to dinner. It appeared that Kenny Ds, on old 98, would be serving, so we headed there.

Kenny D's serves New Orleans inspired cuisine and is located in an old chrome diner that has been re-decorated to fit the theme, while retaining some old diner charm. Unfortunately, there was only one other table (of snowbirds) eating Happy Hour raw oysters when we arrived. The server seemed a little bedraggled, and explained that she had just come on and things had not been prepared for her (like iced tea).

Our food was a mixed bag. Bob's Red Beans and Rice looked positively mouth watering:



But it was ice cold. We sent it back, and it returned warm - but the rice was old and hard. Too bad, because there some nice flavors in there.

My fish tacos, in contast, came to the table blazing hot:



But they were a little skimpy in the fish department - perhaps because I asked for the local fish (grouper) instead of the "imported" mahi they were going to use. The plate came with an incongruous basket of french fries. All in all - it was not a great experience, though the fish tacos did taste very good.

Monday night, we were determined to get to the Red Bar (we had intended to go there last year, but I got sick at the end of the trip and wasn't up to the drive). We found the place and wandered up, but were not made to feel invited by the crowd of smokers on the patio, so we walked back around to the main entrance, then through to the bar. We sat at the bar for a drink, taking in the eclectic atmosphere and clientele. But there was no warmth or welcome from anyone and the bartender actually forgot to pour our drinks after taking our order.

After our drink, we switched to the dining room to order dinner, expecting live music. But the local Beachcomber paper was wrong - no music tonight. No problem - there were plenty of interesting decorations to look at while we waited for our server. Even though there were only a couple of other tables occupied (and they were being served by other servers), our man was pretty slow on the uptake. Red Bar, and its cousin Cafe 331, have a limited menu that is presented on a chalkboard. This evening, there was only one fish dish, plus one shrimp dish.

Bob and I both ordered the fish, which I believe was grouper:



The fish was excellent as was the garlic mashed potatoes and salad (with a house made tomato-something vinagrette). The roll was stale.

Overall, I'd probably go to Cafe 331 before I'd return to Red Bar, but it was a Monday, so it probably deserves another chance.

[NancyH]

We started Tuesday with breakfast at the Holiday Inn (Priority Club freebies) - nothing picture worthy there, though not a bad way to start the day. Then, it was time to check out of the hotel and check into a nearby condo that we had rented.

We had lunch at the Camille's at Crystal Beach, which had been recommended very highly. We didn't realize that they were affiliated with Harbor Docks until later in the week. Camille's. I was craving sushi and was told this was a great place to get it - but alas, we learned that there would be no sushi before 5pm. So, we ordered lunch.

I had their gumbo, which was loaded with seafood and very good:



My only complaint was that the two jumbo shrimp topping the dish didn't taste fresh.

Bob had a grouper sandwich, which was good but which he felt had too much breading:



That evening, Bob agreed to let me satisfy my sushi craving. We started at a new local restaurant, Sai-Kyo (which is short for "Saigon-Kyoto" and which serves Vietnamese and Japanese food). We ordered a Tuna Roll and Hawalian Roll (BBQ Eel, tuna, yellowtail, cream cheese, and asparagus, wrapped in soy paper).



Our first mistake was not sitting at the sushi bar itself, though sitting in the restaurant gave us a vantgae point that assured us that the Vietnamese soups were wonderful, based on other tables' orders. The sushi chef, who was Vietnamese, kept the same food service gloves on his hands before and after he made our sushi (he was sitting at a table reading the newspaper when we came in). The sushi itself wasn't bad - but it lacked profundity. We decided to push on.

We drove out to Cafe 331 - only to find it closed! Ouch! So - down to Basmati, which we had heard about but never tried. We found a friendly proprietor and server, and a lovely environment. The dishes on the menu looked mouth-watering (if a little expensive in the over $30/plate range) but we stuck with sushi. We ordered a crab roll, tuna nigiri and inari, which was presented on a lovely stone:



The inari was the best I've ever had - stuffed not only with tasty sushi rice, but with diced fresh salmon - exquisite!



Unfortunately, the crab was not as tasty as it looked - not bad, just not exquisitely fresh. The tuna and inari, and the happy sounds other diners were making, would probably bring me back next year.

Even though we had been to Camille's for lunch earlier in the day, I still felt like my craving for awesome sushi had not yet been satisfied, so we headed over there. And the sushi taste off winner was - Camille's!

We started with a tuna roll and a spicy crab roll:



Even though the crab turned out to be surimi, this sushi was so well prepared that we sighed with pleasure as we ate it. Danny and Mike made us feel right at home, and we trusted their recommendations. After a little taste of escolar, Danny suggested we try the Uni, which had just come in. Bob and I had never had Uni before, so we went for it:



While I think it is a bit of an acquired taste - we did enjoy it. Next up - Toro, another delicacy we had never tried before:



Yummm! Finally, Danny suggested Hamachi, which had likewise just arrived. I hesitated a bit, because I've never tasted a piece of yellowtail that I liked - it's never fresh enough. But we said ok, and we were not disappointed:



It was perfect - and my sushi craving satisfied. Danny suggested that we try the sushi/habachi side of Harbor Docks, which in all our visits we had ignored. He said he'd be working there on Sunday and we told him we'd consider dropping by. But Sunday was a long way away.

[NancyH]

Next up - Valentine's Day!

We started at Fabrice in Santa Rosa Beach. This little cafe is owned by the former pastry chef at Criolla's and his wife. They were very busy when we rolled up around 11:30am. We had to walk past the case of obscenely decadent looking pastries to get to an open table.

Though I was tempted by the "Croque Madame" - a baked sandwich with Sunny Side Up Egg on Top - Slices of White Bread filled w/Bechamel Sauce, Warm Gruyere Cheese & Parisian Ham - I still needed to eat fish. So I ordered the Fresh Tuna Burger and was not disappointed!



This heavenly sandwich consisted of small chunks of rarely seared fresh tuna on freshly made bread, topped with fresh basil and aioli and plated with mixed greens, fresh sundried tomatoes and an Asian Spicy Dressing.

Bob opted for the "P'tite Baguette Jambon de Paris Gruyere", described as "Parisian Ham & Gruyere Cheese on a Buttered Homemade Fresh Baguette", and which was also served with greens, those amazing tomatoes, and dressing:



Though Bob was initially a little disappointed that the ham wasn't different than other good quality hams he's had - it was a masterful sandwich on perfectly fresh made bread, and he did enjoy it. And - did I mention the sundried tomatoes?

Then - we had to face the pastry case again when it was time to pay! Since it was Valentine's Day, we decided to get a pastry to eat later (one of our Destin traditions is to watch the sunset from our room terrace while sipping bubbles). We selected a chocolate, chocolate covered cake topped with fresh raspberries - which I did not get a photo of, because we didn't actually eat it until the second leg of our flight home the following Tuesday! Even after a week in the fridge, though, it was fabulous! Very high marks for Fabrice - which is now open seven days a week; call for hours. (850) 267-0619.

We returned to the condo to sit on the terrace and do laundry. By the time the laundry was done - it was almost 4pm. We decided to hit the Destn Taqueria (208 Main Street) for a light bite, since our dinner reservation wasn't until 8:30pm. This place is a little local gem and is frequented mostly by local Hispanic construction workers. A table of them were enjoying raw oysters on the half shell and shrimps with Modela Especiala when we sat down.

Our server, who knew little English, but did not let that get in the way of great hospitality, brought out English menus and the following:





The guacamole tasted freshly made and had a nice little kick. The green chili sauce was also wonderful, and would top our tacos shortly.

Bob and I each ordered two items - we both got the pork taco with chili and pineapple, he got a steak taco (the picture of which seems to have gone missing) and I got a cheese and jalapeno tamale. The tortillas were so fresh and the fillings fantastic!





Finally, we thought we were ordering alcoholic sangria, since this item was right below the beer and above the wine on the beverage list, but it was actually more like soda pop- and darn tasty with the spicy food, too.



We hurried back to watch the sunset and drink some bubbles. When the dinner hour was approaching, we headed to one of our favorite places - Cafe Tango on 30A. Chef Walter Sanchez and his wife Paja have a delightful 8 table restaurant serving only the freshest food with a truly unique flair. Even though we were in the last reservation spot at 8:30pm, our table was ready with no waiting when we arrived a few minutes early. We ordered some wine and decided to order off of the regular menu, rather than the Valentine's Day menu - mostly because I needed to have Tuna Mojama again. This item was a special appetizer last year, but is on the menu now: Air dried, Salt Cured Bluefin Tuna, marinated in Olive Oil and served with Greens and Crostinis.





This Spanish specialty item reminds me of "Tuna Salumi" and has taste and texture worthy of Armandino Batali!

We each ordered an entree, to be preceded by a salad. I only photograph dinner salads when there is something special:



The best part of this salad is the housemade dressing - Habanero Honey Mustard (you read that right) and it is addictive! And - the fresh cracked Tellicherry Peppercorns only complement the dressing's heat and flavor.

I ordered the chef's "signature dish", Pistachio Crusted Grouper, topped with Jumbo Gulf Shrimp and drizzled with Amaretto Buerre Blanc:



Wow! The cripy pistachio's and the nutty flavor of the Amaretto - this really works! Also - the combination of Asian vegetables and goat cheese seemed odd, but also really worked well. Even the mashed potatoes had unique flavors.

Bob went for the Chef's choice, which I believe was Red Snapper, Baked with Lemon Caper Butter and topped with Jumbo Gulf Shrimp.



Though we seldon get dessert, the occasion and the choices demanded it - bread pudding with fresh caramel, pecans and ice cream:



A sweet ending to a happy Valentine's Day.

[NancyH]

On Thursday, we planned to drive to Pensacola to visit the National Museum of Naval Aviation - a trip well worth your while BTW.

We started with a hearty breakfast at the newly restored Donut Hole:



Bob didn't think any of the ham, grits or biscuit (not pictured) were even close to Silver Sands's versions.

I opted for the Sweet Potato Pancakes, which are served with a side of a Pecan-enhanced syrup:



It was a huge portion and very tasty.

We didn't eat again until we returned from Pensacola, and therein lies a short tale. We didn't make it back to Destin until a little after 4pm. For some reason, I thought that Vin 'taj was open straight through lunch to dinner. We walked in about 4:30pm, and the place was empty (though the "open" sign was illuminated) and a gentleman came out and said that lunch had ended at 3pm, they were preparing for dinner, and they had only a limited bar menu available until 5pm (pizzas and a couple of appetizers). Now, had he invited us to sit and have some wine and a snack and made us feel welcome, we would probably have sit and waited the half hour for dinner service. But he put us off so badly that we left, which turned out to be a very good thing.

We had heard great things about the new incarnation of D&K, which recently recreated itself as a fully enclosed New Orleans style cafe. Though it was still a few minutes before 5pm (their official opening time), we were cheefully seated and offered dinner menus. The dinner we ate rivaled Cafe Tango for best of trip!

First - bread, hot and fresh from the oven. We were so hungry at this point that we each ordered a starter (normally we share one), and we were glad we did!

Bob's cup of gumbo had everything that our previous two flirts with New Orleans style cuisine had missed: hot, loaded with fresh fresh seafood and rice, spicy and delicious:



I tried the Three Cheese Seafood Dip with Garlic Bread - oh my goodness good!



We each then ordered an entree, to be preceded by a salad that was photo worthy for a couple of reasons:



Note first the large spears of fresh Yellow Zucchini. Normally, I wouldn't be crazy about raw zucchini in a salad, but this was so fresh, and so good when dipped in the second worthy item - the chef's "2000 Island" dressing - creamy, spicy and perfect, but counterpointed by the slightly sweet warm fresh muffin also on the salad plate.

Bob had the Grilled Grouper topped w/Shrimp Creole. Those grilled shrimps were amazingly good! There's also a scoop of great tasting rice hiding under all that fish.



I had a huge honking heap of sauteed Snapper loaded with breadcrumb stuffing, seafood (crabmeat, shrimps and scallops) and topped with cream sauce. I could only eat about half of it.



We were both so stuffed - we thought we couldn't eat another bite! But our gracious host Kat insisted that we try some desserts, so we did:



The next morning, we utilized our lovely kitchen to warm leftovers for our breakfast. For lunch, we trundled up 30A to Seagrove Village Market, which has lost the luster of the fabulous food we enjoyed there last year.

Bob's Oyster Po Boy tasted ok, but was more breading than oyster:



But the cardinal sin was serving me a piece of grilled grouper that looked and tasted like a frozen filet:



Moreover, the hushpuppies, which had the best taste of any we sampled this trip, were cold. Even the iced tea didn't taste as good as last year. Oh well.

A bit later, we met some of our local friends for a happy hour at a place called Okinawa, in Fort Walton Beach. We did not care for the sights or smells sufficiently to want to eat there, so we decided to head for Nick's on Rt 20, overlooking the Choctawhatchee Bay. We had been told not to miss this place, as much for the people as the food.

We rolled in there around 7:30. The place was packed and there was a long waitng list. Nevertheless, we perched ourselves at the Formica bar, ordered a couple of 32 oz Amber Bocks (the only dark beer they had) and just watched. We remained at the bar until about 8:30, then moved to a table by the window. The poor staff was totally in the weeds - someone had forgotten to put a reservation for 18 where the evening's staff would find it - though they accomodated the party, it screwed everything else up. By the time we ordered, they were out of baked potatoes and I can't imagine that happens often!

Anyway, we each ordered a grilled platter - mine was Triggerfish, Bob's Amberjack. I'm guessing my portion was kinda skimpy because they were running out of that, too (one of the 3 pieces was mostly skin and a couple of bones):



Bob's amberjack was ample and delicious:



The grits were cold, so I asked the server to either bring another or reheat what we had - she said she couldn't bring new, but would happily re-heat ours. We then heard a server tell the next table that there was only one order of grits left! Once reheated, the grits were quite good, and we both enjoyed our dinners and thanked (and tipped) the poor servers, who looked about ready to collapse. We'll definitely be back to Nick's next year (I'm told we need to try the fried crabs) - but not on Friday night!

[NancyH]

Bob still had some leftovers on Saturday morning, but I did not. So, I trundled out to the Destin Fish and Ice Market seeking Smoked Tuna Dip. I've always wanted to go into this place, but without a kitchen, there never seemed to be a point to it. I was impressed with the cleanliness of the place and people seemed nice. Sadly, though, their Smoked Tuna Dip had a preservative and artificial color added, so I passed on it. Instead, I picked up some Crab Dip, Capresse Salad and a fresh loaf of whole grain bread.



It was all very good.

Lunch that day was another favorite from last year, the Smiling Fish Cafe. Again, I suffered a disappointment, but this one was partly my own fault. Last year, I had enjoyed the Fish Taco, which was loaded with huge chunks of fresh fried grouper, fresh slaw, chipolte sour cream, cilantro, and guacamole, and served with black beans and yellow rice - a feast! I ordered the same this time, without looking very closely at the menu description. Gone were the beans and rice (replaced by the orzo salad they now serve with their wrap sandwiches). More important though - the item I was served looked like a skimpy "wrap sandwich" instead of a taco, and the "slaw" was just a bunch of bagged salad.



I couldn't detect any guacamole or chipolte flavors in it, and flagged a server to ask about the gauc. She brought me a plate with a blob of green goo that didn't taste any better than it looked. I debated bringing it back - I really hate to do that, and had just done that with the grits the night before. So I ate a little more than half of the sandwich before determining that I was absolutely not enjoying it.

Bob, in the meantime, had ordered a winner - a perfectly grilled Grouper sandwich dressed with herb mayo and freshly made fries.



After tasting his and thinking about it some more, I brought my plate up to the register and told them why I was returning it. Without taking a breath to allow for argument or discussion, I told them I would like a grilled grouper sandwich and that I would pay for it. I had to repeat that I would pay for it (the cashier asked "where's the other half" of my wrap even after I said I would pay for the new meal). No one apologized for the lousy first plate, but the cashier did not charge my husband for the second can of pop he got while we were waiting for my new lunch. My grouper was as good as Bob's had been - so lesson for travelers - read the menu and don't assume you're getting the same thing you had last year even if it has the same name!

We met 2 friends for dinner at Cafe 331. I love that place! From the many lamps hanging all over to the funky decor - I just love it. I learned upon arrival that they don't have sushi anymore. But they did have a couple of fantastic fish specials, served with a smile.

The bread was fresh and hot - this photo is their fabulous Olive Bread:



Next - John ordered the Gumbo, which was quite good:



Then came the entrees:

Mine was grouper over dirty rice that had the most wonderful sausage in it, with salad and house made dressing:



Bob had the other fish special (I think it was Amberjack, but I could be wrong) - plated over a unique and wonderful Grit Cake and Spinach:



John had the shrimp with pasta:



The landlubber of the group had a very tasty pork chop:



We left happy!

Our first thought Sunday was to have brunch/lunch on the beach at the Beachwalk Cafe. While dinner there is very pricey, lunch is more reasonable and we had a wonderful lunch there last year, at a table on the beach. We stopped by and learned that it was too cold for beachfront dining, so we decided to try a place I had read about on the internet (a one-sentence entry) on 30A. The info warned that you had to call first, but the phone number in the info was connected only to a fax machine. I tried calling information, but they had no listing for the name we had. However, we had driven past it a couple of times, and there was a sign outside that said "Sunday Brunch" - so I figured, what the heck, lets try it? It turned out to be one of those fabulous "traveler not tourist" experiences.

We walked in to a small room that holds up to 24 customers that smelled of wonderful cookery. There were two tables totalling about 12 customers. The lady in front of the house said we really needed to call first and she wasn't sure if they could accomodate us. The gentleman manning the kitchen boomed out that if we could be patient, they could serve us but that it would take a while. We said "no hurries, no worries" and were offerred a momosa that never went dry during the two-plus hours we sat there.

Now, the reason I'm not telling you the name of this place is because it is located in the home of the chef/owner, and they deliberately do not advertise (hence, the phone listing is in his name, not the restaurant). Julie asked that we respect their desire to remain a mostly word of mouth business, and we agreed.

It was an amazing morning. After a while, Julie and Eric were treating us like old friends as Eric whipped up beautiful food on his electric cooktop. He was meticulous about everything - and started working even slower after a stack of metal bowls descended from the top of the refrigerator and onto his wrist. But my the food looked good - open faced ham and eggs on toast with melted cheeses and arugula from their front-of-the-lawn garden, omlettes with fresh scallops or ham or lobster, plated with beautiful, perfectly ripe and delicious fruit. Once the Tropicana ran out, Julie started juicing oranges from the tree in front of the porch. She also gave us a taste of their fresh calamondon fruit, also on a tree in front of the porch.

When another local couple called to say they'd be dropping in, Eric had to go out for supplies - they only order enough to cover their reservations, so everything is absolutely fresh (that is why they didn't have enough scallops for me - I had to settle for lobster in my omelet). Before he left, realizing how long we'd been there, he whipped up an appetizer of smoked salmon they had left from the previous night's dinner, on toast with cream cheese, onions, capers and hunks of those incredible pink-fleshed oranges.



When we were finally served (while enjoying our time with Julie and the newly arrived local couple) - it was a meal well worth waiting over two hours for. My omelete was Lobster Newburg - with sauteed bananas, pecans, roasted red bell pepper, sherry, almond flavor and two melted cheeses, plated with perfect fruit (how did he get peaches this good in February?).



Bob's came last - a massive Chesapeake Omelet with smoked ham, hot peppers, onion, garden arugula and two melted cheeses:



We literally had to tear ourselves away from the party - it must have been 3:30 in the afternoon!

After this wonderful experience, we experienced the first culinary let-down we've had in 4 years of going to Harbor Docks. We decided to take Danny up on his suggestion and stop by the hibachi/sushi side for dinner. Danny was working the sushi bar, but we were going to hibachi. First, they were out of cucumber salad and steamed rice. Ok, it was the Sunday before Presidents' day. Then, the bartender and servers were very slow, even though it wasn't crowded. But most important was the food we did eat: the shrimp ("appetizer" for all, side dish for Bob) did not taste fresh; heck, it didn't look or taste anything like the shrimp they serve on the other side of the restaurant. Ditto for the scallops (which I had been craving since I almost got some at brunch, but there weren't quite enough of them).

Bob's Steak w/side of Shrimp:



My Grouper with side of Scallops (the Grouper, BTW, was fresh and fabulous - so the meal was not a total loss, especially since they offer "buy-1-get-1-half-price" for hibachi Sun-Weds):



Our trip was now coming down to the wire - less than two days to go!

[NancyH]

Monday was Presidents' Day and we started a little late. We decided to go to Blue Orleans, which serves breakfast and lunch food all day. Gator and his crew treated us like family and served up a wonderful meal.

Bob had the "Blue Plate Special" - Beans and Rice with two sides (he chose Collard Greens and Tomato):



Though I wanted breakfast, I could not resist the description of the Seared Scallop Salad with fresh Pecans, Cheeses and raspberry dressing:



It tasted even better than it sounded - the scallops are skewered on a sprig of Rosemary, so the flavor infused the mollusks. Also - the slices of mandarin orange were absolutely fresh and sweet - I've never had fresh mandarin (and despise what comes in the cans) - it was simply fabulous. We'll be back for dinner and music at Blue Orleans next year!

For our last evening in paradise, we decided to hit the happy hour at the Marina Cafe (Early Dinner Special 5:00 pm – 6:00 p.m. Buy one entree get the second entrée of equal or lesser value free. Happy Hour – Nightly 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
½ price sushi, 1/2 price gourmet pizza, 1/2 price drinks). We had enjoyed a high quality (and expensive) meal there two years ago, so we thought this would be fun.

The restaurant was having some issues between the hostess/manager and the bartender, who snapped at us that we'd have to wait 30 minutes for sushi when we ordered, then proceeded to literally throw two glasses of wine on the bar in front of me. We had our drinks and waited for the sushi, which, it turned out was not worth waiting for; it looked pretty but tasted stale and pale:



Fortunately, we had already planned our last dinner at Trattoria Borago after hearing great things from a couple we chatted with at Blue Orleans. Borago.

We started with some of the best calamari I've ever had:



I wanted to stick with fish or seafood, but they didn't have a lot of choices. I toyed with getting appetizers instead of an entree, when the server said I really needed to try their signature dish, the Grouper Nicoise. Hmmm - Grouper with artichokes, olives, haricot verts, baked tomato and lemon white wine butter over whipped potatoes. But I was really "potatoed out" by that time, and their pasta looked so good (through the open kitchen, I saw them handling fresh pasta that reminded me of that served at Cleveland's own beloved Carrie Cerinos). So I asked if I could have pasta and they said "sure"! And oh my was it great:



Bob opted for Penne w/hot Italian Sausage (house made), carmelized onion, portobello mushrooms, and herbed goat cheese. It was also a winner:



Bravisimo! We'll be back to Borago!

So - Tuesday was our last day and we had to check out of the condo by 10am. We made it, and elected to have one last Silver Sand Breakfast. I repeated my earlier selection of Cheese Grits and Biscuits with Gravy, but Bob decided to try Egg, Sausage and Hash Browns:



I usually don't care for breakfast sausage, but this was very good (especially when dipped in gravy). So sad to leave it - but the plan was to lounge by the beach until about 1:30pm, then have our last meal - Harbor Docks lunch. It never disappoints - Grilled Amberjack, fresh slaw, average hushpuppies, and cheese grits (can't get enough of those when I'm in the South).



Bob ended our fish odyssey with a hamburger plate - but at least he waited until the end of our trip to order one!



So there it is - Destin 2007 is over. But is it? I just learned that Sandor has returned to the Emerald Coast, and is cooking at Cafe Provence (which was actually on my "go to" list, but we just couldn't fit it in). Hmmm - we may take a detour to Florida after our trip to Alabama this summer.

Also of note - Nim's, the adorable multi-Asian cuisine restuarant in Destin Commons, has closed; I understand the owners plan to reopen in the Publix strip mall on 395. Shame - we never got to try them.

If you would like to see even a few more pictures (and a more organized slide show than EG let me do) please check out my albums on Shutterfly.

[joiei]

your report makes me so homesick. I used to love going to Silver Sands when it was its on place on the beach on the east side of Destin with each table having its own toaster on the table. Another place I used to love for breakfast was June's Dunes, but it has been replaced by a highrise. sighhhhhhhhhhh, the old days in Destin. I would recommend that for next year, check out Gravel Road for lunch, I had an excellent grouper sandwich there when I was down between Christmas and New Years.

[annecros]

Wow, everything looks wonderful. Thank you so much for sharing!

[NancyH]

your report makes me so homesick.  I used to love going to Silver Sands when it was its on place on the beach on the east side of Destin with each table having its own toaster on the table.  Another place I used to love for breakfast was June's Dunes, but it has been replaced by a highrise.  sighhhhhhhhhhh, the old days in Destin.  I would recommend that for next year, check out Gravel Road for lunch, I had an excellent grouper sandwich there when I was down between Christmas and New Years.

Gravel Road was on our list of choices, but we couldn't fit it in. We were still tossing up between GR and Borago when we ate at Blue Orleans, but our chat with the couple there tilted the choice to Borago.

Edited by NancyH, 24 February 2007 - 03:51 PM.

[BethG]

Wow Nancy, those pictures are fantastic! Thank you for sharing your vacation with us. After looking at those beautiful sushi pictures, I think I need to pick up some for dinner tonight.

[tino27]

NancyH: WOW! Those photos are amazing. If I wasn't hungry before, I definitely am now.

I know the feeling of returning to a much loved restaurant only to find that it has slipped. I always find it amazing how food can connect us with a perfect moment in time.

[NancyH]

My husband Bob and I are recently returned from our annual pilgrimage to Destin. We spent a full two weeks eating, drinking, carousing and terrace-bumming (which is like beach bumming, without the sand between your toes). I uploaded 299 food photos to Flickr, and even though I winnowed a bunch out when I did my blog entry, there were still a lotta pictures!

So - what follows are some teasers. To see more, and read the full narrative, check out my blog. Also on my blog are links to all the contact and menu information about the places we visited.

We flew down on Valentine's day and went for dinner at our "go to" place, Harbor Docks.


Smoked Tuna App


Snapper Parmadine

I confess - I've gotten so used to the Harbor Docks "specials" board that I never even look at the menu anymore. But our wonderful server, Sunshine, suggested that we go beyond the "grilled, blackened or fried" choices for the daily catch and try some other variations. This hunk of fabulous snapper was broiled, then topped with crabmeat, which was topped with melted cheese, which was then topped with toasted almonds. It was so delicious I had it again two nights later.

For breakfast, we headed for the Silver Sands. Though housed at Harbor Docks, this is an independent company that rents the space every morning, serving the best breakfast in town and the best biscuits in the world. I am told that they used to have their own space, but got burned out of it and didn't want to rebuild. There is probably a condo where that space used to be now, anyway.

We chatted with the gentleman who makes the biscuits - I'm not exaggerating, he's got to be about 90 years old, and so arthritic that he can barely move. Yet, he makes these amazing biscuits! I can't bring myself to ever order pancakes or anything like that - I've got to have them biscuits!



We had two meals at Stinky's Fish Camp. My husband proclaimed this the best gumbo he has ever had:



This was my dinner entree:


Stinky's Stew - Shrimp, Mussels, Grouper, Snow Crab Legs, Oysters, Wine, Tomato, Lemon, Garlic Broth, Roast Potato and Corn

It was amazingly good - every bite of seafood perfectly fresh.

Back at Harbor Docks our third night, and our friend Ed (who originally suggested going to The Back Porch) had too much stuffed shrimp to finish - lucky me!


Shrimp With Crabmeat Stuffing Wrapped In Bacon And Broiled

We enjoyed lunch on the beach on a perfect sunny day at the Beachwalk Cafe.


Bob's Caribbean Fish Taco Lunch

Grilled Lime-marinated yellowfin tuna, soft flour tortillas, shaved cabbage, pico de gallo, and chipotle lime sour cream. And 50 cent Lemondrops.

On Monday night, we tried a wonderful local place I learned about on the The South Walton Forum, Cafe Locanda Italiana and Colosseum Bar, 4942 HWY 98 W, Santa Rosa Beach, (850) 622-1119. Our host, Lorenzo, made us feel right at home, even though the place was pretty darn empty (everyone else's loss!), a pattern we would see over and over again on this trip.


Grouper alla Piazzaiola

Bob's entree was superb! 8 oz of fresh grouper cooked in a light tomato sauce, with oregano, garlic and black olives, and served with a non-breaded Eggplant Parmesan and Puffed Potatoes. I enjoyed my tastes of this dish, and almost felt a little jealous that I hadn't ordered it. Until I dug into my entree:


Spaghetti Del Pescatore

My entree was amazing. Forget everything Anthony Bourdain told you about Monday seafood when you visit Locanda! My bowl was stuffed with exquisitely fresh fish and seafood - shrimp, mussels, tiny scallops, fried grouper, crab, and fabulous fresh squid - tossed gently with cherry tomato, garlic and white wine. No cheese, no heavy sauce - just fresh seafood, seasonings, and good quality, perfectly al dente pasta. I only wished I could have finished it!

Same problem at Gravel Road for lunch - only a fresser could have bitten into this:


Grouper Sandwich with Candied Pecans, House made Tarter Sauce, Lettuce, Tomato on Whole Wheat Bun

I enjoyed delicious sushi at Camille's:


Red Dragon Roll: Soft Shell Crab, Smelt Roe, Avocado, Green Onions And Spicy Sauce Topped With Tuna

Bob had this fabulous salad for lunch at Fabrice:


Seared Tuna Salad Nicoise with Anchovies, Hard Cooked Eggs, Potato and Tomato

I was sad that we trudged up to Nick's on Rt. 20 in the rain, only to learn that they had no crab claws. But they did have fresh alligator!


It really does taste like chicken!

We enjoyed happy hour at the Hurricane Oyster Bar, which is located in a newish plaza just off of SR 283 in Grayton Beach.


Grilled Oysters Pesto

We dined that evening at Fire, a newcomer to the area (literally right across the parking lot from the Hurricane Oyster Bar) owned by relocated New Orleans restaurateurs. Dinner was outstanding - and though the weather was brutal, we couldn't understand why it was so empty on a Friday night.


Grilled Pineapple Salad

This was simply fabulous - my only complaint was that there was a little too much cheese and buttermilk dressing, which overwhelmed the tender Bibb Lettuce a bit. The candied nuts and grilled pineapple were sweet and the dressing complimented perfectly.

\
Sauteed Grouper with Vegetables and Sweet Potato Cake

The next night - Saturday - we dined at D&K Cafe - and it was even emptier than Fire had been! Yet, most of the chain restaurants we passed seemed to have full parking lots. HELLO - what is wrong with this picture???

Especially when D&K serves seafood this pristine:


Sun-Kissed Martini Trio

We shared this delectable assortment of pristine seafood for appetizer - Boiled seasoned Shrimps, Fried Crab Claws, and Lump Crab Meat drizzled with Remoulade.


Grilled Grayton Grouper with Soft Shell Crab, topped with Seafood Cream Sauce

We both noticed that the fish at D&K was the first grilled fish we ate that actually tasted of a wood smoke grill. And softshell crabs are in season - and this one was fabulous! There is a portion of rice under all of that fish, also. Yum from top to bottom and all the way around.

We spent part of Sunday at the Thai Charity Food Court, which is open 9am-3pm every Sunday at the Wat Mongkolratanaram Buddhist Temple at 741 Mayflower Avenue (turn left off of Lewis), FWB, (904) 863-2906. We arrived with open hearts, open minds and empty stomachs.



I asked what the above sweet dish is called, but the vendors only knew how to say it in Thai, and my brain couldn't hold the word. An amazingly thin batter made with coconut milk, sugar, rice flour, scallions and other ingredients is ladled into a greased cast iron form, which is set on a charcoal fire. As the cakes set, the maker makes "sandwiches" of them, placing the half moon shapes together to make a loose ball, which still has two distinctive parts. The cooker is then covered until the cakes are finished. They are scooped from the molds, and plated as above. Simply amazing in taste and texture - sweet and savory at the same time, and crunchy yet viscous and pudding-y at the same time.

Our Sunday dinner at Borago was a disappointment this year, as far as seafood was concerned. But their fresh pasta is awesome.


Three meat Bolognese with Cheese Tortellini and shaved Parmesan

Bob's last lunch, at Harbor Docks:


Bronzed Swordfish with Red Pepper Cream Sauce and Shrimp


My last lunch:


Sesame Fried Tilefish


I got the last order of Tilefish before they ran out - and it was so fresh it practically jumped off of the plate!

So now, I am returned to Cleveland, the land of the frozen seafood. I look forward to visiting the Emerald Coast again!

[RAHiggins1]

I'm headed that way the last week of July. I'd like to know where to buy the best seafood while there. Best quality and price. I'm going to do a little fishing naturally, I've picked out a good party boat, but would love to here of any good deals for catching my dinner.

It's also the weekend of the lobster mini season but I doubt there any lobster that far north unless they are abut 150-200" down. I'm Naui certified for scuba, but not really making plans for that as my gear all needs extensive servicing and me maybe a refresher or recert course.

Local fair would also be good. I like small mom and pop shop eateries and seafood naturally will be my focus on this trip.

Any help or advice will be greatly appreciated, and if you happen to live there and go fishing every day, I'd love to join you.

[NancyH]

I've been visiting Destin with my husband every year for the past 4 or 5 years.

I would also recommend that you read this board: Sowal.com and perhaps post there re fresh fish at retail and fishing.

As far as restaurants go - my favorite is Cafe Tango, followed closely by D&K Cafe and Stinky's Fish Camp. But there are so many - if you peruse the info the above links take you to, you'll learn about the local pre-fab eats, though not as much about do-it-yourself.

Enjoy your trip and report back!

[RAHiggins1]

Anyone ever eat at "Old Bay Steamers"? My wife's coworker who just happens to have stayed in the condo next to the one my coworker owns recommended it.

I couldn't find them directly on google but did find lots about them on travel sites and also some reviews in local papers like this one.

[NancyH]

I have eaten there once. Many of the locals seem to love it, but I don't know why.

As the name implies, the specialty of the house is steamed seafood. The problem is that the menu is Sysco-derived - especially the seafood. At least in the winter, when I went, everything was frozen and nothing was local.

The place is loud and kitschy, but again, if you like that, you'll like this place. Huge portions of food are served on big plastic trays - but again, the sides were nothing special (frozen corn on the cob in Florida?). Prices are modest, which may be why it is such a strong local draw.

And the one time I went, my food wasn't even served hot; they get so busy (they don't take reservations) that service can suffer (and this was off season and during the week).

If you want great seafood, get the stew at Stinky's Fish Camp or the seafood pasta at Locanda. You'll pay about the same (or less) and enjoy it more.

[RAHiggins1]

We just got back from my week in Fort Walton Beach/Destin. Unfortunately, my wife isn't big on taking a camera to dinner :( So I'll try to describe my experiences to you here.

We left Saturday morning and drove straight there. We arrived at 5:00pm CST, checked in to our condo at the "Sea Oats" and then went to find some dinner. We drove up and down the "Miracle Strip Pkwy" and landed at "The Original Crab shark Restaurant and Marina". It was raining outside and they refused to seat us outdoors under the covered portion of the deck. We later watched someone one else get seated where we asked to sit. The wait staff informed us that they were unable to serve draft beers and we would have to order by the bottle. My wife ordered a Hurricane and ended up sending it back as it tasted of pure grenadine. The food however, was good. I ordered their any two platter with grilled mahi mahi and gulf shrimp and my darling wife ordered the shrimp and grits. My brother in law who came with us but followed us in his car, also ordered the same any two combination. Afterwards we went for a moonlit walk on the beach and played godzilla on whatever sandcastles we could find.

On Sunday, we woke up, watched the umbrella guys set up the umbrellas and beach chairs on the beach from the balcony and sipped on some Community Coffee that we picked up with various other essentials at the publix the night before. We then headed out to play in the ocean and bask in the sun for the day while sipping on Landshark beers. Once the heat ran us back in, Mark (bro in law) and I headed out to find some fresh local seafood. We ended up at "Sexton's Seafood Market" where we bought 3 pounds of of huge head-on shrimps. We made a stop by one of the three over-priced grocery stores in the area and picked up what we needed to make Barbecue shrimps, parsley buttered red potatoes and a nice baguette to eat out on the balcony as we watched the sun set.

Monday was pretty much the same itenirary, we ate dinner at Landry's Seafood House. This place was great. Food was excellent, service was everywhere it needed to be and our waiter was covering an extra station as well. I had the stuffed Flounder, she who must be obeyed's dish oddly enough isn't on their web menu. We can't recall the name of it, but it was shrimp, scallops, and mushrooms in a tomato sauce on penne pasta and she loved it. Mark had the fresh catch of the day which was Tilapia. How can you sit at a table not 300 feet from the ocean and order Tilapia? Its farm raised in guatemala or bangladesh or some other cesspool backwater fish farm. <Shrug> He liked it anyway.

Tuesday we went fishing on the "Sweet Jody"! We caught 3 red snappers and 3 white porgys and a vermillion snapper. the crew cleaned them anbd we packed them on ice until I could prepare them. All day on a party boat watching a large asian family and most everyone else who came NOT prepared wretch for 6 hours will wear you out, in between reeling them in that is. We were tired when we got back and I crashed for a long noon time nap, after which I woke up craving steak and eggs and there was a Waffle House next door. After which Mark went and picked up his girlfriend at the airport.

Wednesday was more beach time, followed by the most overpriced, undeserving restaurant I've ever had the misfortune to dine at. I guess it was the novelty of a place called "The Black Pearl". Our clique of friends enjoy anythng that is island or nautical related and a major portion of that is dedicated to pirates. So we could not resist. $9.00 for 2 oz. of Gordon's gin in a martini is in my opinion too much. Had it been on the drink menu for me to see they were actually pirates at this restaurant I'd have ordered the $5.00 beer instead. Mark's girlfiend Kimberly and I ordered the wasabi crusted tuna with a soy ginger reduction. The tuna was cooked rare as I asked for, but the wasabi crust was some hard crunchy concoction and I found the sauce bland while the wasabi was from a tube and overwhelming. Maybe that is why I could not taste the sauce. My wonderful bride had the mahi mahi which she liked and Mark had the grilled grouper and shrimp which he did not like, he thought it was not fresh and as he describes it, "Slimy". In any case none of us thought that the meal we received was worth on average $10-20 more each per person than the other seafood restaurants in the area. Two words - tourist trap.

We headed to "The Track" after dinner and had much fun on the go-karts. The wood track wasn't quite as fun as it looked from the road. The small slick track was a blast as the karts were much faster. We followed this up with another moonlit filled evening of what we came to call "Godzilla'ing".

Thursday brought more beach fun, a quiet day at the condo filled with many aloe applications and then my bride and I hit the shops on the strip in Ft. Walton Beach. There is a wonderful pet bakery called "Three Dogs and a Chick" where we picked up some treats for our fuzzy children back home. We also bought some doodads at the antique places and stopped in the Cigar Shop. That evening I prepared the red snapper we caught using the "Red Snapper Basquaise" recipe from AB's Les Halles Cookbook". You just can't go wrong with that recipe. I used Chateau St. Michelle in the recipe and also for libations. Its a $11 bottle of chardonnay that is actually very good for its price. I rate it with Simi as a good comparison.

Friday we stayed in due to rain and then went for a Dolphin Cruise anyways. It was a nice boatride in the bay and we did get to see the dolphins. Afterwards we headed over to "McGuire's Irish Pub"
Cathi, my wife, ordered an Irish Wake for the souveigner glass, Mark followed suite. We poured them in the car later on after they bought up the whole danged gift shop. For dinner I wanted Beef, so I ordered the New York Strip and was glad for it. Mark ordered the Irish Steak and Mushroom pie which he was mildly dissapointed in and the women ordered the fish and chips which appeared to be whiteing, they both thoroughly enjoyed it. We proceeded back to the condo to pack up since the whole day had been very wet. We were feeling the birth of the now present Eduardo in the gulf.

Saturday was check out time and we stopped by a place I had seen on the way in that advertised fresh shrimp on the boat in Vaisparo, Florida. We bought 10 pounds of $4/lb fresh shrimp that had been passing their time in the bay not even 8 hours prior to our arrival. We also bought 10 pounds of $2/lb fresh sea trout that had been caught in the nets with the shrimp. We then drove home unloaded the car and ordered chinese.

Sunday I woke up early and attended to a much dilapidated yard, headed off to the store after calling all of my close friends and inviting them over that evening to a fish fry. I sliced up a 5# sack of red skinned gold potatoes into chips and fried them in the outdoor frier, followed by the shrimp prepared ala *Justin Wilson and the trouts dredged in Zatarain's Fish Fry. We could only eat half of what we brought back and there were eleven of us in total. I also baked the remaining whole Red snapper we had caught. I stuffed/coated it with Boscolli's olive salad after trimming the fins and gills and a good salting. I also cut 4 slits to make it cook even and stuffed lemon slices in the slits as well as in the cavity. It made for a nice New Orleans Style Red Snapper Provencal. A perfect cap to a good week in florida.

* Justin Wilson marinated his shrimp in a highly seasoned egg wash for a few hours and then tossed them in plain flour to fry. It comes out wondamous, I GAYR-on-TEE!

[NancyH]

Glad you enjoyed your trip. I'm a little jealous - I need to learn to fish!

I'm a little surprised that you went to Landry's, which is a chain - you can do so much better than that in this neighborhood - but so long as you enjoyed it, that's what counts.

We'll put Crab Shack and Black Pearl on our list of places to avoid.

[RAHiggins1]

Glad you enjoyed your trip.  I'm a little jealous - I need to learn to fish!

I'm a little surprised that you went to Landry's, which is a chain - you can do so much better than that in this neighborhood - but so long as you enjoyed it, that's what counts. 

We'll put Crab Shack and Black Pearl on our list of places to avoid.

It was our first trip and we didn't really get to see through the glare of the tourism to be the traveler the first time up to bat. Hopefully, my companions will allow me free reign next year to pick some more choice spots. Louisiana Lagniappe looked interesting, but we could not find parking and headed on down to Landry's instead. We were just cruising the strip lookig for a place to eat. It never dawned on me to go to Harborwalk. It's on my list for next year though. Sunday came too quick to even think about calling in a spot for the brunch. We went to Dewey's but my wife was not willing to roast in 95ºF for dinner. I guess the first week of August is the wrong time of year for outdoor seating.

Edited by RAHiggins1, 05 August 2008 - 07:03 PM.