Esthero, Fl

Now en route, the GPS is telling us to keep left to Alligator Alley. I am convinced that somewhere along this route I will see alligators; I mean the highway is named it for a reason right. Continuing on, I am getting noxious from looking out my window at the never ending swamp. Looking hard, I don’t see any! Until finally…there it is, complete submerged with only its head above water. Since the swamp areas are completely fenced in, I am confident enough to walk from the shoulder of the interstate, down the incline, take off my sandals and get my feet wet to get a closer look at my reptilian find.

This evening we were to meet with another good friend, who runs his own fishing charter, not knowing this ahead of time, I inconsiderately chose a seafood restaurant, Blue Water Bistro…nice going! However, I could not think to go anywhere else when I saw the menu online.

The restaurant has an interesting configuration, outdoor seating with bar windows allowing for trio seating and an aqua themed dining room with vaulted ceilings. We, of course, chose to sit outside, to maximize the beautiful Florida weather. Sipping on a glass of Conundrum and Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc, we are salivating over the appetizer menu, and tonight, to our treat, there is a three for the price of one drink special. Oh la la, this could mean trouble.

Now, feeling better, I opt of the Half Dozen Oysters, we also order the “Morning After” Mussels, which is comparable to having a Bloody Mary in a tomato, citrus, vodka spiked broth, even served with a celery stalk, but made with artichokes, a nice additive I thought. We also order the King Crab Legs served hot, and the Grouper Kung Pao - Stir fried grouper, broccoli, bell peppers and zucchini in a spicy Szechuan peanut sauce. All was without a doubt, superb. Great flavor with every bite of my dish and our bartender, who was also our server was phenomenal, certainly a hot commodity for the restaurant.

Happy by now, we ask our server to send the restaurant manager our way. Maybe our motives were pure, we wanted to pay it forward by complimenting on food and service, or maybe we were hoping for a free round since it looked like we were closing down the house. She was older, and had clearly been in the business for many years, primarily in the Florida area. Obviously seeing that we are such foodies, she is more than happy to give us a tour of the kitchen, which is immaculate.

Now moving inside, we were being served by our waitress/bartender and another fine gentleman who is a huge Ty Domi fan. Imagine that, a Domi die hard here in the sunshine state. After talking about hockey, the Leafs, sky diving and fishing, a few more top offs on our wine, on the house, a shot of Grand Marnier and Red Death™ (an Alabama Slammer and a Kamikazi, mixed together), we were told to hit the road. I remember, while walking back to our hotel, only a few minutes away, THANK GOD, laying on the pavement for a little while. I was hurtin’ for sure, and we both will be come morning.

Special Thanks: Aron Blaisdell

Fort Pierce

At first glance I am forced to look a little harder, as it doesn't even seem like I'm in Florida anymore, but am.  Looking around: palm trees - check, ocean - check, sand - check, but abandoned streets, homes and stores mirror imaging each other made of cement from foundation to roof, not really part of my check list.

As we continue on our quest of a grocery to replenish our cooler, we stop at one "grocery" and when we go in it smells like wet dirty rag, and didn't really provide that fresh obsessed feel with their produce.  The second one, we didn't even bother going in.  Was this what we were in for?

We finally arrive to the "resort", we both agree that perhaps they are thinking a little too highly of their property, but it is on the intercoastal, right on the water, at a perfect position to admire the sunset later on this evening poolside or on the fishing docks.  The folks here appear to be pleasant.  There seems to be a lot of locals here this weekend.  Fort Pierce seems to be that sort of getaway.  Taking it all in again at second glance, I'm beginning to see why.

* * *

Today we are in the cabana, reheating pizza on the grill while staying in the shade to keep cool.  Our dog is on the sand outside of the pool deck because surprise, surprise - no dogs allowed, but she is loving the scene.  As we are working away on our laptops, we cool down by taking her into the water, where she won't go on her own.  When we do so, the minow and nedel fish tickle our legs.  There's just so many!  A few moments later, having returned back to the previous position of checking emails, what do I see in the corner of my eye, but Animal Services.  A woman (questionable if she really is one) steps out of her vehicle as she puts on a pair of gloves and proceeds to our dog.  Oh my, what the f#&%!  After apologizing for the inconvenience and misunderstanding, a police cruiser pulls in - gong show!  I at this point feel like I am on Jerry Springer, completely trailer trash explaing myself, "Yes, she has a bowl full of ice water...she just finished going in for a swim...we're sitting right here and can't let her past the fence because there are no dogs allowed."  Clearly, it was a guest at the hotel that called.  Perhaps someone even swimming in the pool.  Ask around much ass h%$&?

* * *

This evening we are totally localizing it - another term that we have adapted into our vocab.  The dive is The Ramp.  It is supposed to have some really good food.  Walking into the place, it resembles a fish and chippery, but it smelled a lot better, not like old greese.  With the kitchen in full view, we were excited to see what the menu was all about.  They have Dirty Oysters, which are raw oysters topped with caviar, Bermuda onion and sour cream, a dozen for $8.95.  Another interesting item was the Dolphin, broiled, grilled or blackened, for $14.95.  It is also served as Dolphin Parmesan with pasta or yellow rice, for $17.95.  Of course they had gator and also conch, which we ordered as a red chowder, a cup for $2.95.  The conch in the chowder was a bit chewy, but the flavor was great, with a little kick in the back.  We also ordered the Peel 'Um Shrimp, steamed with Ol' Bay seasoning sprinkled all over it and melted butter on the side, a half pound for $8.95.  I ordered a bowl of Seafood Jambalaya served on yellow rice, which turned out to be a large bowl, and therefore a meal in itself, for $4.00.  I know what you're thinking, 'Why didn't she go crazy with the oysters?'  Believe me, writing this now, I am totally upset that I didn't.  I was sick most of the time with a bad stomach flu and a fever which hit me both nights.  Go figure, raw oysters on the half shell, a dozen for $7.95 and I'm sick.  Let's stop it right there.  Let's not mention it any further.  

Walking back to the hotel, are tummies are satisfied, mine is cursing me, but I am content with whatever happens as the jambalaya was so good.  The meal was great!  We now know why it is a local fave, it's one of those diamonds in the rough types.

The sound of country twang coming from the hotel next to us draws us into their Tiki Bar.  Desperate fishermen have crowded their docks hoping for that big daddy to bite, while their wives are dancing with a beer in one hand and their baby in the other, to the latest Brooks 'n Dunn single.  Everyone is having a great time.  This is how to do it on a Saturday night, netting bait, fishing for grouper or snapper or baricuda or shark, heck, whatever bites, good music, friends, and fresh sea food.  

OBX aka Outer Banks

On the road again…destination: Outer Banks, specifically Ocracoke Island, pronounced oh-kruh-khok. The drive is certainly one of a kind, with plenty of eye candy. I don’t mean men, but lots of interesting things to look at. Not being from South Carolina, I had a lot of, “Hmm, you don’t see that everyday” moments. Par example: The largest hammock, which we found at Nag’s Hammock store in Point Harbor, sand dunes that were inches away from taking over the highway, multilevel homes with porches that wrapped almost around the whole house for every floor on stilts striving for that non-impaired view of the ocean, a flying saucer home and plenty of fresh produce along the way from local farmers.

Passing through little town, after little town, we couldn’t help but feel like such outsiders with our eyes growing over what is to the local, just the way things are, such as a drive through liquor and cigarette store or a restaurant bathroom with a curtain for a door.

We just make it for the ferry ride to Ocracoke, and it’s a beautiful sail into the sunset. Beer in hand with our dog in the other loosing fur due to her fear of the ocean, it was a romantic time with the breeze in our hair pushing some of it in my mouth. I will never be that woman with her hair literally flowing in the wind, but will always be the one with it stuck on my gloss and on my tongue, yum!

Just a 10 minute drive into the hotel district, was to our surprise the entire island. I have to say when I Google mapped it, I was under the impression that there was quite a ways from one point of the island to the other, but it was literally a sneeze. Our accommodations, from the exterior looked like the most descent place to sleep, but so goes the cardinal rule, never judge the book by its cover. With it looking like a pretty busy night on the island, quite surprising for midweek, we were completely ripped off for a rate, hello it’s September! That was just the beginning, the room was atrocious, with pink faux marble countertops, a stench that would make your grandmother’s moth ball filled attic smell like the Body Shop, and to top it off, windows that did not open. The only thing that would save us tonight would be our scented candles that were lit as the first order of business.

Since the sun was now completely down, and the moon as the only exterior light on, we knew that if we wanted dinner we didn’t have much time to do so. Being on an island, I of course wanted oysters, and he wanted crab. The place which claimed to have the freshest seafood on the island was already closing up. It was eight o’clock and the servers were already counting their tips. The next place to go was three quarters of a mile away, but with two glasses of sauvignon blanc in hand, it was far enough to allow us to finish them.

The restaurant that was seemed to be poppin’ with a parking lot full of cars was Howard’s Seafood and Raw Bar. It was a casual resto with wooden booths and a screened in porch with license plates from all over the United States as their wall feature. We of course ordered the oysters which were very local, judging by their freshness, size and barnacles still intact. The crab legs, which were just Alaskan snow crab, and not king. The piece de resistance was supposed to be the Hawaiian grilled mahi with green beans and rice, but that was like chewing on a dish rag, the rice tasted like it was reheated over and over again (and I know rice, I’m Asian), the best thing on that plate were the green beans, and those were most likely frozen. It was like a gong show on a platter. The wine was great! But that was probably because we had a head start three quarters of a mile before.

We were not looking forward to the 30 minute walk back, but the half bottle of wine that we took to go helped a bit. It was very dark and desolate with the occasional bike rider that went by, but this was island living, up early and down early, with the sound of sea gulls and crashing waves, boats bobbing in the harbor and air of hard working souls at rest.