The Gulf Coast of Florida is renowned for its tasty bivalves and succulent crustaceans. After years of procrastination, I packed my van and set off in search of remnants of the “old Florida,” specifically looking for small shanties and independently-owned restaurants serving fresh affordable seafood and shucked-to-order oysters.
My oyster eating, fried shrimp sampling, grouper gobbling and gumbo tasting tour stretched from Apalachicola to Perdido at the Alabama border. Road trip stats: One week; 175 miles; 15 establishments. Consumed: 117 oysters—raw, baked and char-broiled—plus fish tacos, shrimp poboys, grilled grouper, fried shrimp, grilled shrimp, and five varieties of gumbo.
My oyster eating, fried shrimp sampling, grouper gobbling and gumbo tasting tour stretched from Apalachicola to Perdido at the Alabama border. Road trip stats: One week; 175 miles; 15 establishments. Consumed: 117 oysters—raw, baked and char-broiled—plus fish tacos, shrimp poboys, grilled grouper, fried shrimp, grilled shrimp, and five varieties of gumbo.
One unexpected treat about oysters on the half shell in the panhandle: Order six; you often get seven. Order a dozen; there might be thirteen or more on your tray. This was explained to me as Southern hospitality. Another tradition, eating them on Saltine crackers, was harder for me—ahem—to swallow. But whether you like oysters raw, baked or fried, with or without crackers and cocktail sauce, here’s a guide for your own road trip. Let the eating begin!
First stop: Boss Oysters
Apalachicola is celebrated for its oysters that are generally plumper and saltier than most Gulf oysters. At Boss Oysters, overlooking the Apalachicola River, each table is equipped with a roll of paper towels, plastic squirt bottles filled with cocktail sauce, ketchup, and tartar sauce, and four varieties of hot sauce. Raw oysters are served on a bed of ice, and can be dressed with toppings such as citrus and ginger salsa or seaweed and wasabi fish roe. There are a dozen baked oyster choices, as well as chowder, gumbo, oyster stew, peel-and-eat shrimp, and fish served grilled, broiled or fried. The grouper is always fresh, never frozen. Sweet corn fritters are crispy bites of yum.
123 Water St., Apalachicola, 850-653-9364
Apalachicola is celebrated for its oysters that are generally plumper and saltier than most Gulf oysters. At Boss Oysters, overlooking the Apalachicola River, each table is equipped with a roll of paper towels, plastic squirt bottles filled with cocktail sauce, ketchup, and tartar sauce, and four varieties of hot sauce. Raw oysters are served on a bed of ice, and can be dressed with toppings such as citrus and ginger salsa or seaweed and wasabi fish roe. There are a dozen baked oyster choices, as well as chowder, gumbo, oyster stew, peel-and-eat shrimp, and fish served grilled, broiled or fried. The grouper is always fresh, never frozen. Sweet corn fritters are crispy bites of yum.
123 Water St., Apalachicola, 850-653-9364
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