Category: Food

Who was the first person to eat a raw oyster? Without a doubt, this is one of the most vexing questions of all time. I don’t have the answer…I’m just glad it happened.

Helen (adorable wife) and I love raw oysters. In fact, we shared our first dozen together at Felix Oyster Bar, New Orleans, 1970. I wasn’t prepared to like them, but I was ultimately moved to act due to strong peer pressure from fellow Tennesseans gathered there to cheer for our Vols in the Sugar Bowl. It was love at first gulp.

On one of the first days of our visit to Panama City we were told by many, including AAA Guidebooks and Trip Advisor, that the best raw oysters were to be had at Hunt’s Oyster Bar.  The day was a little gloomy and overcast which made it perfect for a long lunch.  In addition, I was in the middle of my weight loss regimen therefore, a mere 86 calories per dozen fit perfectly into the program.

We arrived at Hunts at around 11:30 and promptly took two seats at the lunch counter.  This was fortunate because within minutes there was a line forming outside. We ordered a dozen each and split a small plate of batter fried shrimp and coleslaw. The oysters were shucked right in front of us but we didn’t know we were in the presence of a celebrity. It turned out that our “shucker”, a young man named Honor Allen, was the 2016 Oyster Shucking National Champion who will be competing in the World Championship in Ireland later this year. An article about his championship can be read by clicking here. Honor was very skilled in his craft and our lunch was served quickly. Helen and I both agreed that these were the freshest and best tasting oysters we’ve ever had. Having them shucked by the champ only added to the pleasure.

A couple of days later we were in the mood for another dozen or so as well as a little sightseeing, so we decided to head east to the capital of the Oyster Republic–the city of Apalachicola. We left our cozy cabin at NSA Panama City and drove along Highway 98. After a stop at the Base Exchange at Tyndall AFB for Helen to add to her wardrobe we continued eastward.  This part of the state is what I refer to as “Old Florida”. Southern Living referred to it as “Florida’s Quieter Side”.  Driving past the older homes along the waterfront and the 50’s style motels, I am reminded of the Florida we visited as young children with my parents. It is a comfort to know that some things never change.

We passed through the towns of Mexico Beach and Port St. Joe before we arrived in the quaint city of Apalachicola.  This town of slightly over 2,000 residents has a lot of charm and we had a grand time browsing through the small stores, galleries, and antique shops along the streets. Nevertheless, we were here for the oysters and kept an eye out for a shucking spot. We assumed that there would be plenty of choices since about ninety percent of Florida’s oyster crop come from Apalachicola waters. We checked out two of them.

We first walked to Up the Creek Raw Bar and though it had a great view of the waterfront from the deck, it wasn’t quite what we had in mind in the way of atmosphere. We walked back to our eventual lunch place at Hole in the Wall Seafood and Raw Bar…good choice. The small restaurant was crowded, but the tables were large and would accommodate several patrons.  A very polite couple let us know that they were leaving and gave us a table to ourselves.

The Hole in the Wall Raw Bar had captured the same quaintness as the city of Apalachicola. There were baseball caps hung on the wall behind the bar and pictures on the walls of bygone days. Three men worked behind the bar shucking oysters while chatting with customers seated in front of them. Leaning against the bar was Barbara, the principal driver of the entire operation. This gal ran the place like an Army mess sergeant. She welcomed patrons with a throaty and direct, though polite, voice that could be heard by all. She took orders and relayed them to those responsible—again loud enough for everyone to hear.  She chatted up the “shuckers”, occasionally sprinkling in a salty phrase here and there but, overall, this lady kept the joint moving like a well oiled machine.

Barbara arrived at our table when it was our turn to order. We promptly asked for two dozen of her finest and a grouper sandwich to split. She announced our order to the “shuckers” (and the crowd). Our oysters arrived after a bit and I did a double take when they were placed in front of us. I think these babies were some of the largest oysters I have ever seen. “Big Fatties” is the only way I could think to describe them. They left Helen and me wondering if we could get this done.  We managed however and, although they were delicious, I have to give Hunts the nod for this trip mainly because they seemed a bit fresher. Nevertheless, I would recommend Hole in the Wall to anyone (and have).

After we downed our last cracker, we paid up and tipped Barbara and the boys generously and took off on a walk for some more exploring before heading back to Panama City. We were in search of antique shops which is our favorite browsing activity. Helen likes to look for Vaseline glass to add to her collection and I enjoy looking for old watches and (don’t laugh) souvenir sewing thimbles. We found none, but had fun anyway.

Our last stop in Apalachicola was at Oyster City Brewing Company. Earlier in the week Helen had tried Hooter Brown, a brew from this company at the Main Deck Grill and Pub at NSA Panama City. The beer was lightly flavored with chocolate and honey, and while such a thing was unthinkable to me, Helen had taken a liking to it so we picked up a small growler to go. My honey is pictured here with her purchase. (More pictures in the Gallery).

Although our day had been delightful, it was time to depart the Oyster Republic. We wanted to make the  return drive along the scenic gulf coast in the daylight. After loading up, we moved on…heading back to Hunt’s in time to pick up gumbo and lobster bisque for dinner back at our cabin. We do love good food!

We returned home the next day, but left Panama City content and convinced that retirement is still the best gig going. We are so grateful that we can enjoy it at the pace we call Easin’ Along.

 

 

Weight loss…down 20 lbs.

 

 

It’s no secret that I love to eat. Good food is a lot of fun, and we’ve made it a feature of many posts on Easin’ Along. On our retirement road trips we’ve found some wonderful restaurants and taken great delight in sharing the experiences with Easin’ Along readers.

Cooking is one activity that gives me a lot of pleasure.  I love to go through magazines like Southern Living and pick out recipes to try on family and friends.  Helen (adorable wife) says I’m the best at scanning a recipe and, after looking at the ingredients, deciding whether or not it would be worthy of a try. As a result, I have a loose leaf notebook filled with favorites like Southern Seafood Gumbo, Spicy Chicken Stew, Hoppin’ John, and even Crackle-Top Molasses Cookies.  I have to confess however, my love for food got a bit out of hand this past year, and I have decided that 2017 is the year to crank it back some…but more about that later.

I also cook a mean meat loaf.  The recipe I use is one that I found over twenty years ago in an obscure magazine. From the minute I saw it, I knew I had to try it out, and voila, we had a new favorite dish within minutes of it coming out of the oven. After several years of a few minor tweaks to the recipe, I decided it was time for our neighborhood friends to render judgment, and thus the annual meat loaf dinner became a tradition. I posted an article about this tradition last year and have linked to it here.  This gathering is always a highlight of the season for Helen and me so I hope you’ll take the time to check out that post.  This year, because I won’t be eating my beloved dish for a while, I thought I would spend a few paragraphs on the featured guest at our dinner…the meat loaf itself.

I usually prepare this dish over two days.  The ingredients contain a large number of vegetables (onions, peppers, carrots, and celery) which have to be chopped then cooked in a large skillet in butter until all of the moisture has evaporated.  For our dinner of twelve guests I double the recipe, so chopping and cooking the vegetables takes almost an hour. The vegetable mixture then has to be cooled. Therefore I find that the easiest thing for me to do is to complete this phase of the cooking process and let the vegetable cool in the refrigerator overnight.

Another trick I have found to simplify this process is to chop the vegetables with the Vidalia Onion Chop Wizard that can be purchased online from Amazon (link here). This simple device takes a lot of work out of vegetable chopping and has a measuring cup built into it.  I use the smaller dicing blade rather than the chopping blade, but that is just a matter of personal preference.

About three hours before serving time I mix the ingredients for the meat loaf.  I don’t mess around with the meat I use. Nothing but Prime Angus Ground Chuck is good enough and it is combined with a mixture of spices, eggs, and half and half cream.  I find that a stick blender is the best appliance to use for blending the cream and eggs. Included in this mixture is a package of mild ground sausage which gives the meat loaf an added zesty punch. The chilled vegetables are worked in at this point as well.

Everything is placed into an oversized mixing bowl and is hand kneaded until thoroughly mixed and until the sausage is evenly distributed. Your hands will get cold, but there is just no other way to do a large meat loaf except by hand. After about five minutes of kneading, I form the mixture into a loaf and place it on a large cooking sheet covered with aluminum foil. I insert a meat thermometer into the center of the loaf and place it into an oven that has been pre-heated to 350°. It takes approximately an hour and twenty minutes for a meat loaf of this size to reach the desired temperature of 160°. I’m always watching while it cooks because I like to make sure that the sides get slightly crispy in a few places before I remove it from the oven. I always let it rest for about 20 minutes before slicing. After that, bring out the side dishes and bow gracefully as the guests ooh and ahh. My choice is always mashed potatoes, sweet green peas, and mushroom gravy. I have placed a picture of a freshly sliced meat loaf here.

Our dinner party was as great as always and I have a picture gallery from the evening on the home page and also a link placed here. Please check it out. Also, I would love to share the meat loaf recipe with anyone who would like to receive it. Let me know by way of the comment section below so I will have your email address and will send it out right away. Enjoy!

Finally, beginning next week, Easin’ Along will have the first of four articles related to our approach to good health going into the New Year.  I know, articles like this are everywhere at this at this time of the year, but we are not going to be handing out advice. Instead, our focus will be on four areas that we consider important if we are to participate in the active retirement lifestyle we hope to continue.  We’re going to look at diet, exercise, sleep, and essentials of overall good health like doctor visits, medications, vitamins and supplements.  This is an area that we hope to have a lot of participation from Easin’ Along readers, because we’re by no means experts. Nevertheless, we are certain that a lot of you have the same concerns and thoughts on these subjects and we would like to share them here. I look forward to the discussion.

That’s it for now…it’s time to grab a meat loaf sandwich for lunch so, I’ll be Easin’ Along. Let me know if you want the recipe.

Wishing everyone a happy and blessed 2017.