I have been going to Florida almost every year since I was a baby. I have eaten great food, mediocre food, and just truly horrible grub. But on a recent trip, I experienced what I can only call "food nirvana".
Okay, so you might not believe that some pretty rocking food can be found down in the land of old people, Cadillacs and early bird specials, but it definitely does exist. For the past three years, my husband and I had been trying unsuccessfully to eat at a local seafood joint called Star Fish Company in Cortez, thanks to a solid tip from our friend Grodon Stevens (@uncommongroup).
Let me explain. Year number one - the babes were crying and the line up was too long. Year number two - again, massive line ups and no seats, so we turned to their fresh seafood shop and bought our own fish to take home. But in year number three, the food gods were on our side!
With our kids gone with the grandparents over night, our next morning was free and we set our clocks to 11:00am so that we would be first in line at Star Fish Co. We arrived only to discover we had not brought enough cash money to pay - so we made our way to a nearby ATM. Yes, Star Fish Co. ONLY accepts cash.
With cash in hand, I got back in line and I sent Doug to find us a table, but we opted to sit at the bar, which was perfect as my love for cheap beer is rampant that day. With an excited grin I ordered conch fritters, boiled crawfish, a shrimp Po' Boy with cheese grits and what they called the "Cortez Special" (blackened grouper and sauteed shrimp with hush puppies). Doug was a little skeptical at the amount of food I had ordered, but hey, I had been dreaming of this place for three years!
The conch fritters arrived in front of us; hot, crunchy and absolutely delicious. Doug had never had conch, and boy was he surprised! We could not get these into our mouths fast enough.
Next came the crawfish; salty, sweet and messy. Always a crowd pleaser. The shrimp Po-Boy was just as I had envisioned; crunchy and sweet fried Gulf shrimp, on a bun with homemade remoulade.
Our last box of food, was just as amazing as the rest. Fresh grouper and shrimp, the cheesiest grits and tantalizing hush puppies. I felt like this was my last meal and managed to scarf down a solid helping while drinking copious amounts of very reasonably priced Michelob Amberbock.
This meal may sound pedestrian to some, but the fact that all the seafood was caught nearby that morning, and that it was all done in house - from scratch, made this meal the most memorable. A Florida meal that will not be forgotten.
Next time you're in the vicinity of Cortez, Florida (on the Gulf Coast), grab some cash and an empty stomach before visiting this amazing fishing community and restaurant. You will definitely thank me for it.
