Destin Seafood Extravaganza... A Happy Holladay

Nothing is better than a beach vacation, especially one that is filled with loads upon loads of fresh seafood from the Gulf of Mexico. It's been about two weeks since I returned from paradise, aka Fort Walton Beach, and I am still coming down from my seafood high. Let's re-live my wonderful seafood extravaganza!

My brother Michael and I hopped a flight on Thursday evening and took off for a long weekend vacation with our parents in Florida. We were tickled to see Judi and Steve waiting for us at the gate, decked out in full beach gear. They had driven down five days prior and were already looking like locals. Mom's skin was glowing with a tan, dad was sporting a scruffy "beach bum" beard, and they were both grinning from ear to ear. I was absolutely famished and could not wait to chow on an early seafood dinner. We headed to a casual ocean-side restaurant called Floyd's Shrimp House http://www.floydsshrimphouse.com/ Luckily we didn't have to deal with a crowd and we were happy to sit near the beach volleyball courts that were still filled with players. The food at Floyd's can best be described as seafood bar food. My shrimp tacos were spiced just right and were sprinkled with a tangy sauce. I was a little envious of Micheal's grilled Mahi Mahi, which was much better than mom's Grouper. The Shrimp Queso app was a little weird but I kept eating it so I guess it wasn't bad and the Fried Pickles were super salty but I kept eating them too. I was feeling really tired and spaced out due to the long day of work and travel, so my recollection of this place is somewhat jaded. I will simply say that I liked everything just fine.

http://www.pompano-joes.com/index.shtml

For our next seafood dinner, we headed to a Destin hot spot called Pampano Joe's. This neighborhood beach house is located along the scenic old Highway 98. It provides both outdoor patio seating with live music and indoor/outdoor ocean-side seating. We chose the latter. Beloved for it's bustling and down-to-earth atmosphere, you can't help but feel positive energy here, which is probably due to the lively wait staff and sing-along music. It has a Caribbean flair that is displayed in the general decor and the unique style of seafood. I went with one of the Caribbean entrees. The Island Shrimp were deliciously grilled and skewered, plump and juicy, ranking about a 6.5 on my spicy scale. I did not care for the jerk flavoring of my side of Chutney. It seemed too similiar to traditional BBQ sauce, which I don't care for. Poor Micheal was struggling with a sun burn this night. However, his frosty Pina Colada and scrumptuous Swordfish alleviated the pain. Light and airy in taste, with a firm texture and creamy to the maximum level, I was utterly envious of his meal. There were four artichokes and scallops engulfing the fish, all topped with fresh tomato and greatly enhancing the flavor of the fish. I guess I worked really hard at laying around on the beach all day, because I was the first to finish my plate. I happily sipped my beachy cocktail and helped everyone finish their meal. More happiness entailed when dad ordered a piece of Key Lime pie. Finger-lickin whipped cream on top of the rich and tangy lime, left us in awe. And please don't let me forget about the sinfully buttered, graham cracker, crust!





The next night we headed to another seafood joint on old 98 called The Crab Trap. http://www.crabtrapdestin.com/the-crab-trap-destin.html This quaint, ocean-side restaurant won me over with it's elegant yet casual atmosphere, impeccable service, and the best shrimp I've had in years. While I enjoyed the spicy kick of Pampano's shrimp, they just couldn't measure up to the plump, buttery, goodness of what I found at the Crab Trap. And speaking of Crab, it needs to be mentioned that this was my first experience cracking crab legs! That's right dear readers, I lost my crab cracking virginity on this special night. And stangely my mom was there to coach me along. Mom, Dad and Michael have been crab leg lovers for several years now, so they were more than happy to show me the way. I enjoyed every bit of the tasty legs. However, I must say that they wore me out...

The next night my family was ready for round two of crab legging at The Old Bay Steamer, but I chose to opt out and went with the Mahi Mahi special instead. This fish was A-MA-ZING. It was served on top of a beautiful tomato based linguini with a bit of wine flavoring .A great move on my part, as everyone tasted and immediately coveted my special meal. This place is a little more "under the radar". It sits a block or two from Fort Walton Beach and I am sure it has it's fair share of tourists, but it doesn't seem to be heavily marketed, as I was not able to find a website. The decor here is very colorful and jazzy, with a bit of a NOLA vibe. And the atmosphere is busy and energetic while keeping it's cool. The Old Bay Steamer definitely earns my recommendation, along with the other places.

We hit one more restaurant before flying out. However this unique, Irish brewery and pub is in a league of it's own and will be posted at a later date in time. Until next time, live to eat....SEAFOOD!!!

Selenas at Willow Lake Tavern

http://www.selenasrestaurant.com/

Fresh fish and seafood are flown in daily from the East Coast to this delightful restaurant that resides in the legendary Willow Lake Tavern building in Anchorage, KY. Serving up a fusion of Creole and Sicilian cuisine, Selenas creates many original seafood platters that will leave you begging for more. As a huge fan of anything cajun and any kind of seafood, I requested to eat here for my family birthday dinner and was particularly excited that our brother, Matt Holladay, was in town and able to join us. I had a wonderful dining experience at Selenas almost a year ago when a friend suggested it for a girls night dinner. The girls and I were able to sit outside on the gorgeous patio that features a coy fish pond and attractive tree lights, providing a quaint and cozy atmosphere. I recall everyone raving about the Praline Brie appetizer which includes pecan praline sauce, drizzled over creamy danish brie that was served with apples and grapes. I also enjoyed a refreshing yet spicy Shrimp Remoulade salad. I highly suggest both of these options if you are wanting to keep it on the light side. However, on my birthday dinner night, I was more than ready to splurge on a rich and sinfully decadent meal. I met my family for dinner around 6pm on a Thursday and we were sat immediately, as "Holladay, party of five". We opted for indoor seating due to the extreme heat. I am a July birthday baby and my mom likes to remind me almost every year that "It was 100 degrees the day you were born!"...what can I say, I guess I like it hot! 

I was hoping the Fried Green Tomatoes we ordered for an appetizer would have a hot and spicy kick, unfortunately the sauce served along with them was bland for my taste. Otherwise, I thought they were pretty good with just enough breading. The Spinach and Artichoke appetizer did not let me down. It was super creamy and I just adored the bite-sized toasted cheesy breads that accompained. I swear I thought dad might lick the platter clean! For my entree, I chose the Seafood Scampi. It was just what I was hoping for, rich and decadent with lots of flavor including mucho garlic, butter, and lemon, topped with a layer of bread crumbs. The seafood was very tasty and plentiful and my only complaint was that it was too "peppery" or as my grandmother might say "The chef stumped his toe on the pepper" The rest of the family feasted on their favorite seafood. Mom always goes for fish, so she chose one of the daily specials including grouper fish that was served in a light wine sauce with dirty rice and veggies. Dad always like to mix things up so he chose the NOLA medley with the classic red beans and rice, jambalaya, and the shrimp and crawfish etoufee. I was utterly jealous of his choice, particularly the spicy jambalaya that had everything but the kitchen sink thrown in...sausage, chicken, ham, crawfish, and shrimp. Michael and I both adored the robust flavoring and plumpy shrimp and crawfish included in the etoufee, which he chose as an entree. Our brother Matt went with the fried shrimp platter and chose sweet potato fries that I was more than happy to help him devour. 

We were pleased with our service that was prompt and gracious and we all left with full hearts and stomachs, taking note of Selenas special events for future dining or drinking adventures. There are $3 Margarita Mondays, half price on any bottle of wine on Tuesdays and Sundays, not one but TWO daily happy hours in the casual bar area, as well as a Sunday brunch and even a weekly crawfish and shrimp boil. You can contact Selenas for catering or private party dining that allows you to create a specific menu for your lovely guests.

So remember, the next time you are feeling a bit jazzy and want to let the good times roll, just roll into Selenas at Willow Lake tavern for some tasty creole cuisine and scrumptuous seafood platters. It's a Holladay family favorite for sure!!