May 14, 2008Grouper cheeks and Key lime pie
I've returned from the Sunshine State with two oddly-shaped splotches of sunburn on my back and plenty of calories under my belt. It's a good thing we did a lot of swimming and walking while we were away; I needed the exercise to burn off all the fish and Key lime pie I consumed while I was away. Before I left, I consulted the chat boards at Chowhound.com, and I was extremely happy with the recommendations. One of the restaurants that was mentioned several times on Chow was Guppy's, where we enjoyed a spectacular meal on our last night. If you've never tried posting a question on Chow, you might want to consider it the next time you plan to visit a city for the first time. Most of the responses you'll get are from locals who know the food scene pretty well. Before we got to Guppy's, I enjoyed one of the Clearwater Beach area's signature dishes: a grouper sandwich (pictured above). Just about every restaurant in the Clearwater-St. Pete area has some version of this treat on the menu. I ordered mine at Sea Sea Riders Restaurant, a casual little place just off the bay. For a market price of $11.95, the fat, juicy grouper filet came blackened on a bun with a thick slice of ruby red tomato, lettuce and creole tartar sauce. The only thing about Sea Sea Riders that wasn't great was the Key lime pie. It was about the same quality as the Edwards store bought Key lime pie we had the next night at my grandmother's house. Not that I thought either the Sea Sea Riders or the Edwards pie was bad, but they did pale in comparison to the slice we later had at Guppy's. Sunday night we weren't very hungry, so it was back to Sea Sea's for a couple of quick appetizers that we took back to the hotel and enjoyed with a cold beer. The conch fritters, another bay-area standard, wasn't as great as I expected. Heavy on the smoky barbecue flavor, these were little more than hushpuppies with some barely discernable bits of chopped-up conch inside. 
Far, far better were the grouper cheeks. These consisted of the actual meaty discs from the grouper's cheeks, which were battered and fried. Biting into the crispy batter revealed an inside of firm, pure white fish. Delish! The last evening, we checked out Guppy's, the Chow recommendation. The simple little box on the beach road is a perfect example of how you can't always judge a restaurant by its facade. I started with one of my favorite beach foods on earth: New England clam chowder. 
The next course was Caesar salad, which was dressed not with the typical croutons but with delicate little threads of fried tortilla. While some restaurants are tempted to drown the lettuce in dressing, this salad (pictured with my mojito) was perfectly dressed. 
The already reasonable prices at Guppy's (most entrees were under $20) were enhanced by the option of "light fare" meals, which are simply smaller, less expensive versions of the original. 
My mom and sister both had the full-size grilled Cape Cod sea scallops served on baby spinach leaves with warm applewood smoked bacon vinaigrette. 
When main course was finished, we had just enough room to split our third and final slice of Key lime pie in Florida. Unlike the others, this version was dense and heavy with citrus flavor. There was absolutely no mistaking that Key lime zing. 
Overall, it was nice to get away from Roanoke and sample the fare in another city -- especially a city that is so much closer to the ocean. But when the airplane pulled away from the Gulf Coast and plunged into greener, hillier country, I was glad to be returning home. We may not have Key limes here, but we sure breathe easier in the summertime! |
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Comments
[May 14, 2008 3:44 PM]
Amy Hanek : →http://www.houseonthegladehill.blogspot.comKey Lime Pie. It has to be my favorite Florida food. Even my picky kids will gobble this tart, creamy dessert up. If there weren't so many wildfires there, I would be jealous.
Thanks for sharing all of the yummy food with us.
[May 14, 2008 3:58 PM]
DebbieThose pictures are making me drool!!
[May 14, 2008 4:11 PM]
Lindsey : →http://blogs.roanoke.com/fridgemagnet/We were fortunately not close to the fires. But a couple of my relatives continued on to Key West and I hope they can make it back home to Jacksonville. I-95 was closed in places because of the smoke.
[May 14, 2008 4:17 PM]
amandaAnd how was that nonstop flight???
[May 14, 2008 4:58 PM]
Nona : →http://blogs.roanoke.com/thehappywag/I remember dining at Guppy's the last time I was in Clearwater, almost eight years ago. Glad to know it is still there.
I wish I could remember what I had, probably shrimp or grouper (my faves in Florida) but I do remember the food was very good.
[May 14, 2008 6:21 PM]
Amy Hanek : →http://www.houseonthegladehill.blogspot.comIf they closed the highway in Brevard County, your relatives should be fine.
There a few different roads crossing the middle of the state (alligator alley, I-4, and many small roads leading to these bigger ones).
What a looooooonnnngg road trip from Clearwater area to Key West. I last lived in Fort Myers and we hardly ever made the trip to the keys. Once we flew (it took just under an hour) in a plane painted for our vacation destination. That had to be the nicest vacation there. I will send you a picture of it in email. It's a really funny plane.
[May 14, 2008 7:15 PM]
Jonathan BrownWelcome home.
[May 14, 2008 11:47 PM]
GregHey Lindsey thanks for the tips. We are actually in St. Pete right now. I used to live in Orlando and spent just about every weekend in Clearwater but it's been a long time since I have been back. I'll send some pictures if we try anything amazing. We ate at the Friendly Fisherman in Madeira Beach our first night here. The food was good but I didn't think to get a picture. Maybe tomorrow.
[May 15, 2008 11:11 AM]
LoriThat all looks so good and now I am craving some fresh seafood!
I made Key Lime pie for Mother's Day and used the recipe posted by Dennis on Fridge Magnet back in March. I believe it was his wife's recipe. I followed it precisely, with my only addition being some lime zest in the batter, as well as on top of the pie. It was wonderful!
[May 15, 2008 11:11 AM]
Lindsey : →http://blogs.roanoke.com/fridgemagnet/Amanda, the nonstop flight was one of the best I've had in a while. Jonathan, thanks! Greg, what a crazy coincidence! I'm jealous that you're down there-- I could've spent another several days just eating my way through that place. If you try Guppy's, let me know if you agree with me. And do take pictures! We love food porn!