September 13th, 2010
On the day we were boating we also had to get something to eat, therefore a stop at Monty’s South Beach was the thing to do. It is located at 300 Alton Rd., Miami Beach, FL 33139. Tel. 305-673-3444. They are working on their website at the moment. No reservations.
Perfect location at the Miami Beach Marina where Monty’s has a captive audience.
Raw Bar, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Music; at lunch on Friday it was, actually pretty quiet. A few people were taking a scuba diving class. It was funny to see them just sitting there on the bottom of the pool. I could not help it so I took their picture.
The restaurant had a gorgeous view and plenty of outdoor dining.
We were hungry so we ordered a shrimp appetizer. Cooked Cajun style; they were spicy and a little messy. There was a lot of sauce which I used later to put on my salad which was topped with blackened red snapper.
A grilled chicken salad was also ordered and both salads were of a substantial size.
Scott ordered the grilled red snapper fish tacos.
We enjoyed our lunch and off we went to Stiltsville. But, on the way out the surprise was the Manatee. He was beautiful showing his scars.
Talk to you later….have a great day!!
August 27th, 2010
My goodness, it has been such a long time since I have gone to Ed’s Chicken. They have been in Dewey Beach for so many years. If you have visited Dewey Beach and have not eaten at Ed’s then you might as well go back and do so, because it really is an institution.
I have even brought my parents from Puerto Rico through the years to eat chicken and crabs there and they always looked forward to that.
Ed’s Chicken & Crabs is located at the corner of Swedes St. and Rt. 1 in Dewey Beach. Tel. 302-227-9484. It seems that they are always open. Credit cards are accepted.
When I first went to Ed’s Chicken (that’s what it was called), I loved the way they marinated the chicken. You could taste the vinegar marinade. It was delicious. Later on I would eat other things there but chicken is what I liked.
Yes, an institution or a roadstand, and in Puerto Rico they would probably call it a chinchorro. It has had several facelifts through the years; paint, fencing, and umbrellas. But what has not changed is their friendly disposition. The owners always there to take care of things.
On Thursday, I decided to go there after enjoying the bay. The man behind me was raising his eyebrows as he listened to everything I was ordering; 2 dozen steamed clams, 1 chicken dinner, 1/2 dozen crabs, and the seafood medley which had all kinds of seafood. Yes, you guessed it, I was writing a post for the blog.
Let me tell you that Ed’s is a very popular restaurant, but you never have to wait long. Five minutes, if that.
Ed’s has carry out but the best is just sitting out on the corner of the highway and eating outdoors in the casual atmosphere known here at the beaches. No liquor license but you may bring liquor in.
I have to tell you that I was a little disappointed with the chicken. It is not that it was not good, it just was not the vinegar marinade that I remembered.
The clams were very good and the seafood medley got good reviews, as well.
I thought that the crabs were o.k. but definitely I have had better ones. This has been a very good year for crabs and I was not that crazy about these ones.
It was good eating outdoors; such a beautiful evening. Every time I can do this, it makes my meal better.
Have a great week-end….
July 5th, 2010
Four of us for dinner with no reservation. That was our dilema. Where to go in Boulder with so many restaurants within walking distance, on Pearl Street.
We decided to to to Jax, located on 928 Pearl St. Tel. 303-444-1811, website http://www.jaxfishhouseboulder.com.
It was crowded. The time 6:30 p.m. Jax is not big but they can fit a lot of people. Busy, a little noisy but that is the way you want this fish house.
The first thing we saw as we stepped in, was the Raw Bar. Up to about a dozen varieties of oysters, clams, chilled crabs and lobsters are flown every day.
We had a certain amount of time in which to order and eat since we were on our way to the Boulder Theater to see guitarist Jesse Cook.
Our waiter was amazing and I am so sorry I did not get his name. He was a professional.
We were a party of 4. We started with 3 dozen oysters. Salty, and very cold, just like we like them.
For dinner, I followed the suggestion of our waiter and had the special of Mahi Mahi. It had polenta, hearts of palm and the broth was well seasoned and delicious. The presentation was beautiful.
My friend ordered the Mississippi Skillet Catfish. You had the choice of blackened or fried. She chose blackened. On the bottom pancakes, andouille sausage gravy, onion rings and a side of the sausage. Great combination and never had seen it presented in such a way.
An order of Black Mussels was another dinner and the broth was so good that more bread was requested.
The Lobster BLT, had lots of lobster and house smoked bacon, citrus aioli, and arugula. Crispy french fries and cole slaw that got great reviews. So good in fact that he went a couple of days later with friends and they all had this entree.
Jax is offering Dinner Series with Chef Hosea Rosenberg. He was in Season 5 of “Top Chef”.
The first dinner is taking place on July 14th at 6:00 p.m. Only 18 seats are available per dinner. $100 per person. The theme? “As Fresh as it Gets”: The Pacific Northwest.
For more info. and reservations please check the website or give them a call.
Note: Jax has Happy Hour from 4 – 6 p.m. Dinner starts at 4:00 p.m.
I am back in Delaware so talk to you later…..
May 2nd, 2010
Every single time I take a bite of a softshell crab I say that I love them better than lobster. When they are cooked right, there is nothing better. So sweet and plump with just a hint of fat. Really, that is how it is.
The softshell crab is a crustacean seafood. You can eat it whole if cooked after molting (shedding) its hard shell.
Crabs grow larger in size and their shells cannot expand, therefore, they shed their exterior and have a soft covering in a matter of days.
This is when they are perfect for eating. I don’t know how many years ago, but I do remember having my brother for dinner and I served him softshells but he really could not eat them. I guess the sight of eating a whole crab, including legs was not the thing for him.
The softshells I got tonight were from Jimmy Lynn’s Seafood Carry Out. They are located at 18226 Coastal Highway, Lewes. Tel. 302-644-9329. I wrote a post on Jimmy Lynn’s back on 7/31/09. If you would like to read it all you have to do is click on July under Archives and scroll down to the date. You can find Jimmy Lynn’s Seafood Carry Out on Facebook, as well.
Jimmy Lynn’s Seafood Carry Out is “home of the crabs with attitude”. Tonight’s choice was delicious. I just dredged them in a little gluten free flour with just a bit of Old Bay Seasoning and sauteed them. They were perfect.
Years ago I got a recipe for softshell crabs over linguine. It was given by Mancini’s located at 907 Coastal Highway, Fenwick Island, Delaware. Tel. 302-537-4224. Website is www.mancinisbop.com. That recipe was so good so here it goes:
Fresh Softshell Crabs over Linguine
4 fresh sofshell crabs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh garlic
1/2 cup flour (seasoned with salt and pepper)
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
juice of one lemon
Clean (or have the store do so) the softshells; dredge them in season flour (be generous with flour).
In a large skillet, melt butter. Add olive oil and garlic. When hot, saute softshells until slightly browned on both sides (approx. 5 minutes on each side).
Wheen crabs are browned, add wine, chicken stock and parsley. Saute until sauce thickens.
Finish with a squeeze of lemon.
Serve over linguine.
The above recipe is very good and so easy. Just adjust seasonings to your liking.
Remember to make it your own. Talk to you tomorrow, probably…..
April 16th, 2010
How could you not start thinking about crabs? Not just crabmeat, but sitting down and picking crabs. Getting messy and full of Old Bay Seasoning.
I wrote yesterday about how gorgeous it was here at the Delaware Beaches. I wanted crabs for dinner.
Lazy Susans just opened up last week for the season. They have been in business since 1984. It is a true crab house. Their location is 18289 Coastal Highway (Rt.1), Lewes, Delaware. Tel. 302-645-5115.
Just in case you do not eat crabs, Lazy Susans also have other food items on their menu like steamed shrimp, BBQ clams, oysters in season, fried fish, chicken, oyster, shrimp and seafood baskets, flounder, sandwiches, soups and salads. Great corn in season, as well as specials every week. The restaurant is very affordable, has a full bar, and a kids menu is available.
Me, I only eat the crabs and maybe some corn.
Last night as I was coming inside the restaurant I looked around to find out that it is still early in the season, so tables were pretty open. I chose a picnic table, covered in the brown paper, always present in a crab house. Perfect for cleaning the mess afterwards.
Lazy Susans has another dining area in the back of the restaurant that is very open and a bar is located there, as well.
We started with crabby deviled eggs and they were very good. It was a good balance between the crab and the egg. Sometimes the filling can get too heavy either way, but last night they were perfect.
To me, there is nothing better than a blue crab; I mean a true blue crab. I have eaten crabs from other parts but there is that sweetness of the Delmarva crab that is so delicate and tasty. I then dip the crabmeat in vinegar and the combination is great.
When my sons were young, I made sure that they learned to eat crabs at a very early age. My oldest was an expert by the age of 3. I remember him sitting in his high chair at the Crab Claw in St. Michaels, in Maryland, and people would stop to watch him pick crabs. I actually showed him so that I would not have to be picking them for him. A little selfish on my part but, both of them have been big fans of crab picking ever since.
The crabs at Lazy Susans were mediums. As the season progresses, the crabs also get bigger and depending how the season goes, they get more expensive, as well. These mediums were heavy, which is the way you want them; very sweet also. The mustard is found as you open the crab. I always thought it was the fat. But, I found out that it is not. It is actually the crab’s hepatopancreas. What is it? It is a main component of the crab’s digestive system. The hepatopancreas is a gland located on both sides of the mid gut in the main body cavity. It functions as both liver and pancreas.
The “mustard” has a strong and delicious taste and it is considered by us crab “connoiseurs” as a true delicacy.
I have been wondering, why does a crab’s shell turn red-orange when cooked? Afterall, it is blue-green as in “blue crab”.
Apparently, the red pigment is the most stable component of the coloring in a crab shell. The other colors on the crab are destroyed by the cooking process.
The red pigment is astaxathin, a carotenoid, like beta-carotene. It is heat stable while the other protein that makes up the blue-green pigment is not. The red-orange is released when cooking.
Yes, picking crabs could get the conversation flowing.
Sitting with friends for a crabfeast is the best. We get messy and nobody cares. During the summer, it is a past time of all of us here at the beaches; crabs, corn, fresh tomatoes, and beer. Priceless!!
Have a geat week-end!!!…Talk to you later…
Note: Information for this post was taken from www.bluecrab.info.com
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