We finished with a good slice of coconut cream pie ($5.99), not made on the premises but not tasting like a freezer-burned Sysco concoction either. The pinto beans I chose as a side were tender and well seasoned, but the cilantro rice could have used more cilantro and maybe some vegetables and spices to liven it up. The deftly grilled seafood was simply seasoned with salt and pepper, but there was a cup of buttery cream sauce with hints of garlic and lemon that could be used for drizzling or dipping as desired. The cream softened the intensity of the cayenne, thyme and other seasonings, and the nine shrimp were plump and juicy - so it was a fairly well-executed and generously portioned dish.Ī troika of jumbo shrimp stuffed with crab-based dressing also was part of the Sunset Trio ($18.99 with two sides included), along with a small fillet of grouper and four or five small sea scallops. The shrimp were not blackened, per se, but the signature spices were stirred into the creamy garlic sauce that enveloped the shellfish and the linguine they were tucked into. The blackened shrimp scampi ($17.99) was slightly misnamed. Alternatives include grouper, baby back ribs, burgers and meatloaf. To paraphrase Bubba of “Forrest Gump” fame, there’s grilled shrimp, fried shrimp, coconut shrimp, blackened shrimp, New Orleans shrimp, stuffed shrimp, shrimp scampi, shrimp po’ boys, Buffalo shrimp wraps, shrimp tacos and shrimp pizza. Moving on, Original Shrimp Dock presents lots of options for enjoying the locally harvested gulf pinks, not surprisingly. Why don’t servers know where to deliver food? Why are entrees being fired too soon? Doesn’t anyone care that the food is going to sit there getting cold while we finish the first course? I might have shrugged it off as a side effect of restaurants hiring inexperienced servers just to get through season but it seems so prevalent these days that I’ve begun to wonder if managers have abandoned the notion of training the front lines and encouraging good communication with the kitchen. ![]() Another server, who had earlier offered us a neighboring table’s food before we’d even ordered, stood over us holding the dishes and apparently awaiting further instruction from us. We had just barely dipped into the appetizer platter when - insert heavy sigh here - our entrees arrived. The breaded gator bites were too chewy, and the course, heavy breading on the fried shrimp impeded our ability to truly savor the sweet succulent shellfish - which really should have been the standout ingredient. The other two components were less successful. The toasted bread had a pleasing balance of diced shrimp, pico de gallo and melted cheese even with a blend of mozzarella, Romano and blue cheeses it did not feel heavy on the palate or become a hot gooey mess. The half-dozen wings were good - juicy meat, evenly caramelized skin slathered with a tangy but not spicy garlic sauce. The restaurant is decked out with tropical colors and historical photos of the shrimp fleet and fishing folk, and it’s casual enough to welcome anyone off a boat or off the beach. In more recent years, Bootleggers Waterfront Grill and Big Game Bar & Grill have occupied the boxy structure, which boasts an enviable covered deck with views of Matanzas Pass, an impressive array of docked boats and a fairly constant parade of winged wonders that exercise perching rights. ![]() The name is a literal homage to the building’s origin in 1950 as a commercial dock and one of the first modern shrimp processing and packing plants on the stretch of Main Street known as Shrimpers’ Row. The Original Shrimp Dock, which debuted in December, is a sister restaurant to Parrot Key in Salty Sam’s Marina. The shrimp, above right, may not be blackened but the signature seasonings are tucked into the creamy pasta sauce. ![]() The Sunset Trio, above left, includes scallops, grouper and stuffed shrimp. The Shrimp Dock Sampler, left, includes wings, fried shrimp, gator bites and shrimp beach bread.
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