What I Ate At The Beach!

Hello lovelies!

Boy am I GLAD to hear you guys don’t hold grudges! Of course, I should’ve known I could win you over with cookies…I’ll be sure to keep a few extra in my pocket should I plan any further blogging indiscretions! πŸ˜‰

So, while the man-friend and I were beaching it up last week, we made SURE to get our fill of as much fresh and local seafood as possible and since I want to make sure not to “forget” anything, I’m not wasting ANY more time…

Come on guys, let’s parrrrrtay!

WIAW Nemo

I may or may not have found Nemo…and eaten him! 😯

The first place we went to was called The Boatyard. It was a nice place…great outdoor seating…right on the marina…live music. My only complaint was that it took FOREVER to get our meal and it was dark by the time the food rolled out so no pics! You’re just gonna have to picture this one…

Gooey melty brie with apples and raisins served with toasty bread for starters and then a perfectly grilled swordfish fillet with chimichurri sauce, over a bed of grilled asparagus and mixed squash…oh, and I got some fried plantains on the side (first time trying them…not bad, not bad!)

On Sunday night, we went to Schooner’s Beach Bar and I ordered my “obnoxious” yet delicious seared tuna salad. Let’s see that one again…

Schooner's Seared Tuna Salad

Oh and that plate in the background? That would be my friend’s Caribbean Jerk Chicken topped with a tropical fruit compote. I stole a bite. It was delicious! πŸ˜‰

Monday evening, we just HAD to go to Capt. Anderson’s Restaurant after our friends went on and on about delicious steak and seafood dishes AND the house-made hush puppies!

Stuffed Grouper, Green Beans, Hush PuppiesI ordered the crab-stuffed grouper with toasted almonds, bacon-y green beans, and of course hush puppies! Verdict? Omg, you guys, it was seriously one of those moments where you take a bite and you forget to breathe for a couple of seconds…and the hush puppies were by far the BEST I’ve ever tasted!

And would you take a look at this dessert cart?!

Vacation Desserts

I was MUCH too full after practically licking my plate clean to even THINK about dessert, but our friends ordered the honey-sweetened caramel pecan cake (far left) and the torte sampler (in front of the pecan cake) and were more than happy with their picks.

Before parting ways on Tuesday afternoon, we headed over to Pineapple Willy’s for lunch…

Onion RingsThere was a tower of onion rings involved within the first few minutes of sitting…one of which had a tail…all of which were delicious! And that’s saying something since I tend to be pretty picky when it comes to fried sides! πŸ˜‰

Grilled Shrimp & BroccoliI went with the grilled shrimp plate and thankfully added a side of steamed broccoli because the fries and basil corn on the cob ended up being pretty disappointing, but the shrimp was amazing!

And so was the man-friend’s fried mahi-mahi

Mahi-Mahi Sticks

You see that garlic toast in the upper right hand corner? That came with MY plate…I figured it worked out to an even two (and a half) fish stick trade! πŸ˜‰

Later that night, once the man-friend and I made it to Gulf Shores, we divied up all the leftovers I’d been collecting over the last few days and made some pretty kick ass salads…

IMG_6517Lettuce, tomato, red onion, avocado, swordfish and grilled veggies from our first night and the shrimp and broccoli I didn’t finish at lunch. Now I know a thing or two when it comes to salads, but I have to say there is just something about throwing random leftovers on a pile of greens and slapping some dressing on it that just works!

After our shopping extravaganza on Wednesday, some alligators chased the man-friend and I all the way to The Original Oyster House. Once we were there, we felt it was only right to get some lunch! πŸ˜‰

Raw OystersOysters on the half-shell…all for me too since the man-friend chickened out on me once they got to the table! Lol

Salad Bar

A salad bar LOAD UP!

Grilled Mahi-Mahi

Some grilled mahi-mahi annnnnnd…

Greens & ColeslawTWO (shared) sides: turnip greens and coleslaw!

Confession: I was full after the salad! I ended up taking my entire plate back to the hotel with us (where another leftover salad ensued). But let me just say, those greens were fan-freakin’-TASTIC! I can be a bit of a snob when it comes to good greens, but this place totally nailed it…not too sweet, not to salty, and not all nasty and greasy! πŸ˜€

On Thursday, I took a recommendation from a reader and directed the man-friend to The Tin Top Oyster Bar for lunch…

Seafood Platter & GreensI ordered the seafood platter: broiled grouper, shrimp, oysters, and half a crab cake with turnip greens annnnnnd…

Mashed Potatoes

A big ol’ bowl of brown stuff…aka smashed potatoes with gravy! πŸ˜‰

The crab cake was a little dry, but the rest of the fish was delicious. Sadly, the turnip greens snob came out in me though…this bowl tasted like it was cooked with a CUP of sugar! Luckily my other side saved the day…seriously, it’s been FOREVER since I’ve had mashed potatoes and gravy…YUM!

On our last night in the gulf, believe it or not, the man-friend and I were seafooded OUT! After a quick Yelp search, we stumbled over Rotolo’s Pizzeria…and well, you guys KNOW how much we love a good pie! πŸ˜‰

Cheesy Bread

We started with some garlic cheesy bread (garlic butter, cheddar, mozzarella, parmesan, and FETA!!) with house-made marinara for dipping. Then it was time for our personal-sized pies! The man-friend went with his favorite of pepperoni and mushroom, but I decided to get a little adventurous and with the Sicilian…

Sicilian Pizza

With marinara instead of the olive oil base because their sauce is
OUT OF THIS WORLLLLLLD!

Sicilian Pizza Cheese

And the pizza as a whole was perfect with a capital P! Perfectly stringy melty cheese, soft yet crisp dough, and the combination of sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, and basil? Well, everyone knows that’s a winner! πŸ˜€

And THAT is 1000 words of seafood-filled deliciousness! Over and OUT!

What is your FAVORITEΒ seafood dish?

Is there anything out there that you consider yourself “snobby” for?

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35 Responses to What I Ate At The Beach!

  1. LOVE all the seafood! Crab stuffed anything is my favorite. I had crab stuffed yellowtail snapper when I was in the Florida Keys… Oh. My. Goodness. No words.

  2. omg so crazy! so many of these dishes would have definitely been the dishes i would have ordered if i was with ya sis πŸ˜€ and i sure wish i was with you πŸ˜‰ hehehehe all of that seafood looks absolutely amazing. i definitely couldn’t choose a favourite seafood dish, but, having said that, a grilled thick piece of salmon that’s almost too rare is probably my most favourite thing <3

  3. Lisa says:

    Mmm…all your eats look magnificent, but I have to say those grilled veggies are calling to me in a major way. Something about grilled veggies makes me swoon slightly. Maybe because I’ve only had them a handful of times this Summer.
    And that pizza!! Holy crust, that’s totally the best part of pizza and that looks amazing.

  4. Onion rings are my fried food of choice! It’s not often that I splurge and enjoy fried foods but if I do, it’s going to be onion rings (or maybe sweet potato fries)…mmmm!! πŸ˜‰

  5. Fran@BCDC says:

    What a glorious array of food, Heather! The pizza looks incredible. I should go eat breakfast to get myself under control… πŸ˜‰ Have a great day!

  6. Favourite seafood? That is a tough question…I would have to pick either a big piece of perfectly cooked salmon (hard to come by) or grilled calamari. But I also love scallops, shrimp, oysters, trout….I’m just a big seafood fan.

    And that onion ring tower literally has me drooling. Onion rings are definitely my favourite ‘fried’ side, so that just looks incredible.

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Oh yes, I love a good grilled calamari…which is ALSO hard to come by! Nothing like getting a plate full of rubber rings! XP And I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for onion rings, but so many places screw them up…these were absolute crunchy perfection!

  7. let me get back to work, now that i’m drooling. holy moly.. I love seafood. this all looks amazing!

  8. Oh my word…how good does all of your food look! I love trying loads of different fish when I’m on holiday. Halibut or salmon is probably my favourite…depending on what mood I’m in. I HATE monkfish though; I don’t know what it is I just can’t get round it!
    That dessert cart looks incredible also…I think my sweet tooth would come into play there haha.

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Mmm, I LOVE halibut! I’ve never tried monkfish before, but now I’m thinking of tiny little fish with bald heads and brown cloaks! Lol

  9. Alllll your food looks amazing — like usual πŸ˜‰ — and it seems like you’ve had a great time πŸ˜€ I’d love me some beach outings at the moment πŸ˜‰ Also the salad with leftovers… I so agree!! There’s just something about throwing stuff together that works brilliantly all (well uhmm most of) the time! XO

  10. Lucie says:

    Oh my GOSH! I don’t even know where to start! Everything looks so good, these onion rings are just crazy huge! And that Pizza??? I want it!
    I LOVE scallops and giant prawns, especially when perfectly grilled.

  11. I don’t even know where to start with this comment. I want it all. Especially that tower of onion rings. I want to climb to the top of it and stick a flag in it and declare myself Queen of the Onion Ring Tower.

  12. Love oysters on the half! I get so many crazy comments when I post my raw seafood conconctions ~ but they look amazing! I like mine with hot sauce and lemon! And the pizza too! I just wanted to snatch a piece right off the screen! The whole thing looks amazing! Happy Wednesday!

  13. Tara says:

    What a great weekend of eats! I am not the biggest seafood fan, but I’m seriously eyeing all the shrimp you have been eating. I also have to talk about chimichurri sauce. It is honestly one of my favorite thing ever.

    I am a creme brΓ»lΓ©e snob. If it’s on the desert menu, I’m ordering it!

  14. I need those onion rings and that cheese bread…like RIGHT NOW! πŸ˜‰

  15. You had me at gooey melted brie…omg. Your little nemo sign is so cute, I love it!

    All of your food looked delish, especially that pizza! Yelp can be a very good thing.

  16. sara @ fitcupcaker says:

    I love vacationing just so I can try all the food in different places. I love eating fresh seafood too and all of that looks might delicious! Shrimp is probably my favorite seafood, then crab, then fish, im gettin hungry over here thinking about it all.

  17. mmm I love seafood! every meal looks so delicious! i’m recently obsessed with oysters! but my favorite seafood is probably either crab or salmon!

  18. Everything looks amazing! I love seafood and often have a difficult time decoding what I want because it all sounds good. I had some of my moms scallops last night and after not having them for a long time remembered how much I like them! Glad you were able to enjoy nemo πŸ˜‰

  19. I love that you made leftover salads at the beach!!! I never think to do that.

    You know I’m a snob… about all food. It has to be good or it’s not worth it. Why waste a meal?! πŸ˜‰

  20. kris says:

    uh, hello delicious vacation. Sounds and looks like you had the most amazing time! πŸ™‚
    My favorite sea food dish is most definitely seared ahi tuna. So that plate of yum you had up there? – definitely right up my alley! Althoughh, that unpictured gooey melted brie on toast you described sounds pretty darn captivating as well. Glad you had so much fun!

  21. Daaaaang I want a massive onion ring from the leaning tower of deliciousness!!! It sounds like you had a fun time at the beach, and definitely had some delicious eats! πŸ™‚ Hope your week is going well, Heather!

  22. purelytwins says:

    YUM!!
    making us sooo hungry πŸ˜‰ haha guess we better of dinner soon.
    hugs

  23. So much awesome seafood in this post!! That tuna steak has me hungry…
    I am a total snob for hummus. I’ve eaten enough of it that I can distinguish pretty fine nuances!

  24. Holy crap, you guys ate some good food! You always do though. πŸ˜‰ That pizza in particular looks delicious, as does the crab stuffed grouper. My favourite seafood dish is sushi! Does that count? If not, then I’d have to say a piece of perfectly cooked salmon/trout/arctic char. I’m definitely a snob about my fish – it needs to be cooked perfectly! And I’m a steak snob too. Anything more cooked than rare is overcooked. πŸ˜›

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Confession: I’ve never ordered a steak under medium. Which is kinda weird, because I HAVE had steak tartare before…I don’t know, I just always think that the pool of blood it will be sitting in after I cut into it with gross me out I guess! Lol

      And sushi TOTALLY counts…I mean, look who you’re talking to! πŸ˜‰

  25. My husband and I took a vacation to Florida this past March, and we had the most delicious fresh seafood too! My favorite was one place’s homemade crab cakes – coming from MN, where fresh (good) fish is very rare, we loved it!

  26. Amie says:

    Your seared ahi salad looks right up my alley! And I always have the most high maintenance orders ever, so you’re not alone πŸ™‚

  27. All of your food looks so good! I love eating fresh seafood when traveling to the beach! My favorite seafood dishes would have to be lobster ravioli or marinated and cooked crab dipped in garlic butter sauce…YUM!

  28. As a self proclaimed seafood obsessed guy- this WIAW fits the bill perfectly. ALMOST as perfect as your pancake porn posts. Favourite seafood dish is without a doubt a simple, grilled platter- the more variety the better πŸ˜‰

  29. Okay. Sidenote- I have to cook up my food and store it in my fridge for the week when I’m at school. That basically limits my meat to chicken, chicken, some more chicken, and occasionally beef.

    But whenever I’m home I LOAD UP on fish. It’s just not practical in a dorm room for… well, practical reasons. Lol. If you know of any fish that doesn’t actually smell like fish– I’m in πŸ˜› That said, right now seafood is all that I can think about after this WIAW. Shrimp, mahi mahi, oysters, crab, SWORDFISH… You can see my dilemma. Please hold off on the fish for a few more weeks so that I won’t die from jealousy.

    Thanks πŸ˜‰

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Haha! Aww, sorry girlie! It IS tough when you’re limited by your surroundings. Hmm, a fish that doesn’t smell like fish…maybe you could gift your roommates with clothespins for their noses! πŸ˜‰ Lol

  30. Man you eat well on vacation. I love that, and I love those onion rings. I’m not a huge fan of fried food, but onion rings get me everytime. Your pizza looks divine and so does the bowl of smashed potatoes and gravy. I can’t even remember the last time I had gravy.
    And to answer your question, the things I’m a food snob about….I’m pretty sure you already know the answer, but just in case it’s CHEESE!

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