Dining Out

From breakfast to dinner, we’ve surfed seafood dishes worthy of King Neptune. Whether you cook fresh fish at home (Key West Shrimp Co.) or dine out at these excellent restaurants, you’ll swoon over these seafood dishes. Be sure to visit RumFish Grill, our cover star.

Starting with the lobster Benedict at Treasure Island’s Sea Dog to Brick & Mortar’s bouillabaisse of seafood with coconut and spicy curry broth, both Gulf Beaches and St. Petersburg serve up sensational seafood.

The Key West conch fritters at Billy’s in Tierra Verde and the view can’t be beat. Nothing’s better for Sunday football than smoked fish spread from Belleair Market, Nachmann’s or Ted Peters.

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rill Cap’s Steamer Bar & Grill is downtown’s best new restaurant, from the surf and turf and steamed shrimp and delectable oysters to a recent special, the crispy skin Faroe Island salmon with honey brussels sprouts, and pomme pureé. For hogfish, reel in dinner at Bonefish or Middlegrounds. Chef Tyson’s new American cuisine at Parkshore Grill features incomparable mussels, shrimp pasta, surf and turf and ahi. Lingr’s Nordic Asian fusion rocks, especially the bluefin tuna with rock shrimp, espelette crispy rice and tomato powder.

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rill Enjoy the piquant seafood paella at Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grill downtown (and coming to Tyrone) or marisco paella at Ceviche after an app of Iberian oysters. The Big Catch at Salt Creek, Trophy Fish is fun for sensational seafood, music, and people-watching, expecially the Ponzu marinated swordfish steak with sautéed broccolini & saffron mashed potato. For surf and turf, the classic allure of Il Ritorno and and Rococco steak paired with fine wines is captivating.

For lobster rolls, The Helm and Island Grille are our faves, and you can’t go wrong at DJ’s Clam Shack. Maine lobster at Sea Salt is a treat as is the snow crab at Crabby Bill’s. With stone crab season starting Oct. 15, we’ll slurp them cold or hot with mustard sauce at Billy’s Stone Crab, Seafood and Lobster Restaurant, Frenchy’s, and Crabby Bill’s. (Frenchy’s Stone Crab weekend celebration is 10/28-29, Dunedin’s is 10/22 and Palm Pavillion’s is 10/30.)

For oysters, slurp freshwater delights at The Island Grille, The Oyster Bar, Salt Rock Grill and Seaweeds. Cater your next party with Outer Banks signature seafood boil. You cannot duplicate the delicious clam or seafood chowder at Stillwater Tavern, Shells, and 400 Beach or the crab cakes, tuna poke and shrimp tacos at Tiki Docks Skyway Bar & Grill. For the signature Florida grouper sandwich, look no farther than Dockside Dave’s. Coconut fried shrimp lovers: Mango’s, J.D.’s and SeaBreeze deliver with island flair.

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Dine globally with Asian-style seafood at Hawker’s Asian Street food, Buya’s seafood bowl with avocado or sushi from Pin, Wok & Bowl, Osaka Sushi, Nori Thai, Sekushi Sushi and Pacific Counter. We love pesce Italiano, especially Stefano’s black grouper in lobster cream sauce, Villa Gallace’s spicy shrimp or halibut piccante, Bella Brava’s spicy squid ink pasta and Da Sesto Italiano’s shrimp in white wine sauce, calamari with caper aioli and cioppino.