Shrimp and Oysters

[PharmacistHog]

courtesy of LSUFan. 

[PharmacistHog]

and a few pompano the night before (my first time trying those).  pretty good stuff. 

[Boarcephus]

Do love the oysters and shrimp.  Just got back from Sandestin Saturday and brought a 30 pound box of oysters home with us and will finish those up today.  Have not done the bbq shrimp in a while but after seeing that pic, perhaps it's time. 

I've said many times, wouldn't live down there on a bet but man, I wish I had access to the food.  I have yet to find a way to get fresh oysters up here in nw Arkansas.  I retired two weeks ago and when that urge hits, I'm may find myself running my butt down the gulf and bringing some home.  Not sure where LSUFan lives but I bet he can hook me up with a source if I decide to drive down that is a little closer than Destin. 

[PharmacistHog]

Do love the oysters and shrimp.  Just got back from Sandestin Saturday and brought a 30 pound box of oysters home with us and will finish those up today.  Have not done the bbq shrimp in a while but after seeing that pic, perhaps it's time. 

I've said many times, wouldn't live down there on a bet but man, I wish I had access to the food.  I have yet to find a way to get fresh oysters up here in nw Arkansas.  I retired two weeks ago and when that urge hits, I'm may find myself running my butt down the gulf and bringing some home.  Not sure where LSUFan lives but I bet he can hook me up with a source if I decide to drive down that is a little closer than Destin. 

LSUFan is in NOLA.  He usually hooks me up with some good stuff.  I don't even usually like ocean fish but those he brought were great.  No fishy, oily taste.  The oysters and shrimp were great.  I ate about a half a loaf of bread sopping up all the bbq shrimp juice. 

[Boarcephus]

LSUFan is in NOLA.  He usually hooks me up with some good stuff.  I don't even usually like ocean fish but those he brought were great.  No fishy, oily taste.  The oysters and shrimp were great.  I ate about a half a loaf of bread sopping up all the bbq shrimp juice. 

How did he get them to you?

[PharmacistHog]

How did he get them to you?

A super-secret meeting on Interstate-530.  (he came up for his son's graduation)

[Boarcephus]

A super-secret meeting on Interstate-530.  (he came up for his son's graduation)

I'm envious.  I'm just trying to come up with source for getting the oysters up here.  Like I mentioned, as of a couple weeks ago, I've got the time to road trip to pick them up.  It's a little over 600 miles to NOLA but only about 500 to Beaumont, TX from Fayetteville.  I may run LSU down when I need some and see if he can recommend where to buy them in 50 or 60 pound bulk.  If you don't mind me asking, how much did you buy and how much did they cost?  I buy a 30 pound box for $50 in Destin but it's close to 770 miles from here and that's really further than I want to go, especially if I can find a place a couple hundred miles closer. 

[PharmacistHog]

I'm envious.  I'm just trying to come up with source for getting the oysters up here.  Like I mentioned, as of a couple weeks ago, I've got the time to road trip to pick them up.  It's a little over 600 miles to NOLA but only about 500 to Beaumont, TX from Fayetteville.  I may run LSU down when I need some and see if he can recommend where to buy them in 50 or 60 pound bulk.  If you don't mind me asking, how much did you buy and how much did they cost?  I buy a 30 pound box for $50 in Destin but it's close to 770 miles from here and that's really further than I want to go, especially if I can find a place a couple hundred miles closer. 

I honestly don't know.  we kinda had a barter deal going on.  I gave him some deer sausage and backstrap.  He'll probably come popping in here sometime today.  maybe he will know. 

[Boarcephus]

I honestly don't know.  we kinda had a barter deal going on.  I gave him some deer sausage and backstrap.  He'll probably come popping in here sometime today.  maybe he will know. 

Thanks.  I'll run him down when I get ready. Getting ready to finish off our 30 pound box in just a few minutes.  In about a month I'll be needing to do them again. 

[Boarcephus]

This is where we just got back from....

[PharmacistHog]

We skipped our annual trip to Destin/Ft Walton last year.  We have a brand new baby so it looks like we will miss this year, too.  The traffic seemed even worse than ever on our last trip.  Since my oldest son started school we have to go down while school is out and it really sucks down there when EVERYBODY else is down there.  I miss those post-Labor day trips when you might have the beach to yourself. 

[Boarcephus]

The trip down this year sucked.  There was a wreck at the tunnel in Mobile, a wreck on interstate between Mobile and Pensacola and a wreck (or something) just before you got on 3 mile bridge at Pensacola.  Miserable trip down. I guess anymore there is no good time to go to Destin other than the dead of winter.   We were there in October and ran into the Fall Break crowds.  Never knew those existed.   Left at 4am Saturday and was in Fayetteville at 4 pm. Legit 12 hour trip home.   Made great time. 

[PharmacistHog]

The trip down this year sucked.  There was a wreck at the tunnel in Mobile, a wreck on interstate between Mobile and Pensacola and a wreck (or something) just before you got on 3 mile bridge at Pensacola.  Miserable trip down. I guess anymore there is no good time to go to Destin other than the dead of winter.   We were there in October and ran into the Fall Break crowds.  Never knew those existed.   Left at 4am Saturday and was in Fayetteville at 4 pm. Legit 12 hour trip home.   Made great time. 

I usually leave LR about 10pm and let my wife and kids sleep while I drive all night.  I make fewer stops that way and make WAY better time.  Its worth it to me to be dead tired for the first day than stop 14 times on the way.  I usually get through Mobile about daylight and stop at Crackerbarrel on the other side of the bay right about the time my family is waking up.  Works out great. 

[PorkRinds]

I usually leave LR about 10pm and let my wife and kids sleep while I drive all night.  I make fewer stops that way and make WAY better time.  Its worth it to me to be dead tired for the first day than stop 14 times on the way.  I usually get through Mobile about daylight and stop at Crackerbarrel on the other side of the bay right about the time my family is waking up.  Works out great.

That's exactly what we do for any long trip.  I drive all night, drinking coffee until I just can't go any more, and the wife sleeps.  When I can't go any more, she takes over and I stay awake to keep her awake. 

[Boarcephus]

The trip from LR is not all that bad but that extra 2 1/2 hours on to Fayetteville just makes it just border line too long for one day.  Probably seems longer than it did when we first started going 30 years ago. 

[PorkRinds]

The trip from LR is not all that bad but that extra 2 1/2 hours on to Fayetteville just makes it just border line too long for one day.  Probably seems longer than it did when we first started going 30 years ago. 

30 years ago I was 4....

[Boarcephus]

30 years ago I was 4....

Bite Me!!  LOL!  We made our first trip there in the mid 80's and bet we've been back 30-40 times.  Love it down there. 

[PharmacistHog]

Bite Me!!  LOL!  We made our first trip there in the mid 80's and bet we've been back 30-40 times.  Love it down there. 

I went for first time in early 80's. I was little. We stayed at Seasprays condos on okaloosa island. Love it tgere. Thats where we always stay. Back then destin was nothing. I can remember taking our crawfish nets and catching ice chests full of crabs on the destin side of the bridge. Theres nothing but buildings there now.

[PorkRinds]

I've been trying to convince the wife that we need to find a more secluded spot when we go to FL, away from all the tourist havens like Destin.   But she likes the shopping and eating as much as she does the beach, so it's a tall order. 

[cosmodrum]

The trip down this year sucked.  There was a wreck at the tunnel in Mobile, a wreck on interstate between Mobile and Pensacola and a wreck (or something) just before you got on 3 mile bridge at Pensacola.  Miserable trip down. I guess anymore there is no good time to go to Destin other than the dead of winter.   We were there in October and ran into the Fall Break crowds.  Never knew those existed.   Left at 4am Saturday and was in Fayetteville at 4 pm. Legit 12 hour trip home.   Made great time. 

Rut roh, I'm going down in a couple weeks.

[DeltaBoy]

Rut roh, I'm going down in a couple weeks.

This year my family wants to hit all 3 of the Presidential Museums in the State of Texas so I working on making sure to hit some historical BBQ places on each trip.   It so sad my Wife Hates Sea Food.

[Jackrabbit Hog]

I went for first time in early 80's. I was little. We stayed at Seasprays condos on okaloosa island. Love it tgere. Thats where we always stay. Back then destin was nothing. I can remember taking our crawfish nets and catching ice chests full of crabs on the destin side of the bridge. Theres nothing but buildings there now.

My first trip to Destin was in '91 or '92; fell in love with the area.  We don't go every year but close to it.  Had a fantastic trip down there last summer and are going back in June for a relative's wedding (so it'll be a fairly quick trip). 

One thing we've decided is that we aren't staying in Destin anymore; just too crowded and congested.  Santa Rosa Beach, Grayton Beach, and Seagrove Beach are our favorite spots now.  In ten years we'll probably have to move even farther east as the congestion moves that way.

About the drive down, we're kind of lucky I guess.  Since moving to Memphis in '05, our route is to Birmingham then due south.  If you time it right so you're not near Birmingham during rush hour, the traffic is generally very light the whole trip.

[Boarcephus]

Rut roh, I'm going down in a couple weeks.

Don't let me bother you,  just one of those deals.  We were in Mobile around 2 ahead of the rush hour which has always been just about perfect but not this trip.  I don't think there is a good alternative from Pensacola on in after noon or so.  You can loop around it but the extra miles throws you about the same time had you driven straight through on 98.  It's just busy but on the other hand, we left Saturday at 4 am and busted it on through to Pensacola in an hour. 

Jackrabbit, we've toyed with Santa Rosa and Grayton Beach but even though they may offer smaller crowds on the beach, we love the shear beauty of Sandestin more.  Once you check through the security gate, it's not nearly as crowded as you'd think.  Everything is manicured, lakes galore, you can walk for hours and feel perfectly safe and the view from the 15th floor of our condo is hard to beat.  We were there in May and Oct of last year and again in May this year. 

[PharmacistHog]

About the drive down, we're kind of lucky I guess.  Since moving to Memphis in '05, our route is to Birmingham then due south.  If you time it right so you're not near Birmingham during rush hour, the traffic is generally very light the whole trip.

There's nothing remotely lucky about that. 

[majestic]

Did you check with Richard's about getting oysters?  I didn't really pay much attention at Whole Foods the other day, but they had some pretty good looking crab legs and lobsters. 

[Jackrabbit Hog]

Jackrabbit, we've toyed with Santa Rosa and Grayton Beach but even though they may offer smaller crowds on the beach, we love the shear beauty of Sandestin more.  Once you check through the security gate, it's not nearly as crowded as you'd think.  Everything is manicured, lakes galore, you can walk for hours and feel perfectly safe and the view from the 15th floor of our condo is hard to beat.  We were there in May and Oct of last year and again in May this year.

The only way they'd open the gates for me at Sandestin would be if I had a mower and some rakes in the back of my pickup.  Otherwise, they wouldn't let riff-raff like us set foot in such a high-falootin' place.

[Boarcephus]

Did you check with Richard's about getting oysters?  I didn't really pay much attention at Whole Foods the other day, but they had some pretty good looking crab legs and lobsters. 

Last time I checked Richard's got theirs from the east coast and our experience with east coast oysters has not been good.   I brought back a box of the Apalachicola oysters and they were perfect.  Not a dead one in the bunch, they were cleaned and I bet I got close to 120 of them for $50.  They're generally smaller than the Louisiana ones.   I really think what I'll start doing is making an oyster run when we want them.  I mentioned earlier we retired a couple weeks ago and all of a sudden I have time to do what I want when I want.  I bet LSUFan could point me in the right direction when the time comes. 

[Boarcephus]

The only way they'd open the gates for me at Sandestin would be if I had a mower and some rakes in the back of my pickup.  Otherwise, they wouldn't let riff-raff like us set foot in such a high-falootin' place.

LOL!  Bet it's not any more expensive than those places on 30-A.  One of the guys we worked with is headed down and is spending almost $6000 for a house not far from Stinky's. 

[BR]

This year my family wants to hit all 3 of the Presidential Museums in the State of Texas so I working on making sure to hit some historical BBQ places on each trip. 

[thebignasty]

       

You don't make it to 60k without some clunkers.

[Boarcephus]

You don't make it to 60k without some clunkers.

[PharmacistHog]

Last time I checked Richard's got theirs from the east coast and our experience with east coast oysters has not been good.   I brought back a box of the Apalachicola oysters and they were perfect.  Not a dead one in the bunch, they were cleaned and I bet I got close to 120 of them for $50.  They're generally smaller than the Louisiana ones.   I really think what I'll start doing is making an oyster run when we want them.  I mentioned earlier we retired a couple weeks ago and all of a sudden I have time to do what I want when I want.  I bet LSUFan could point me in the right direction when the time comes. 

I'll check the labels on the ones I got tonight and let you know where it came from.  They have all kinds of stuff.  I also have a friend in Biloxi that may could hook you up.  Last time I went through there he GAVE me 50lbs of shrimp.   

[ricepig]

My first trip to Destin was in '91 or '92; fell in love with the area.  We don't go every year but close to it.  Had a fantastic trip down there last summer and are going back in June for a relative's wedding (so it'll be a fairly quick trip). 

One thing we've decided is that we aren't staying in Destin anymore; just too crowded and congested.  Santa Rosa Beach, Grayton Beach, and Seagrove Beach are our favorite spots now.  In ten years we'll probably have to move even farther east as the congestion moves that way.

About the drive down, we're kind of lucky I guess.  Since moving to Memphis in '05, our route is to Birmingham then due south.  If you time it right so you're not near Birmingham during rush hour, the traffic is generally very light the whole trip.

Yep, our extended family has a house at Seaside, it was great in the beginning, but now is crowded. The best time to go now, is mid-Sept to mid-October. The trip down is Memphis-Birmingham-Montgomery-Defuniak Springs.

[Jackrabbit Hog]

Yep, our extended family has a house at Seaside, it was great in the beginning, but now is crowded. The best time to go now, is mid-Sept to mid-October. The trip down is Memphis-Birmingham-Montgomery-Defuniak Springs.

Seaside is where we found Hurricane Oyster Bar back in '04.  It was a small place on the beach side of the highway.  Back when Seaside wasn't too crowded.  Later that year we found out it went out of business because of damage from one of the hurricanes that fall.

Oh, the irony...

[HogimusMaximus]

I'll check the labels on the ones I got tonight and let you know where it came from.  They have all kinds of stuff.  I also have a friend in Biloxi that may could hook you up.  Last time I went through there he GAVE me 50lbs of shrimp.

I have a friend in a small town on the coast that hooks me up to.  Got 100 lbs of shrimps last time and hadd a grand old party on the beach.  Nice to have connections.

[LSUFan]

Thanks for the summer sausage, ground, and the back strap. All gone in two days (I told ya!)

Looks like a helluva job you did on the shraamps and oysters. Let me know what you do with the crawfish sausage, ifin' you don't mind. 

[PharmacistHog]

Thanks for the summer sausage, ground, and the back strap. All gone in two days (I told ya!)

Looks like a helluva job you did on the shraamps and oysters. Let me know what you do with the crawfish sausage, ifin' you don't mind. 

If you ate 4 summer sausages in two days my goodness thats crazy. That backstrap should hsve been really clean if I grabbed the right packsge. I cook them like a steak so I clean em up nice before freezing them. Gonna finish of the shrimps and sausagevtomorrow. Will take pics.

[PharmacistHog]

25 bucks for a 15lb sack.

[Boarcephus]

25 bucks for a 15lb sack.

Appreciate it.  I paid $50 for a 30 pound box at Shrimpers so I can live with that.  oldman1015 has hooked me up with a contact that goes once a month out of Star City.  I'll give him a try next month and see how it goes.  My ONLY concern is the harvest date.  It's only about 300 miles to Star City from here and that's do-able.

[PharmacistHog]

Appreciate it.  I paid $50 for a 30 pound box at Shrimpers so I can live with that.  oldman1015 has hooked me up with a contact that goes once a month out of Star City.  I'll give him a try next month and see how it goes.  My ONLY concern is the harvest date.  It's only about 300 miles to Star City from here and that's do-able.

Are you in NWA?

[Boarcephus]

Are you in NWA?

Fayetteville

[PharmacistHog]

Fayetteville

Well I can probably help you out. I'm down there fairly often. If I could get in on the order I could probably pick it up at Star city snd meet you between here (LR) and there.

[Boarcephus]

Well I can probably help you out. I'm down there fairly often. If I could get in on the order I could probably pick it up at Star city snd meet you between here (LR) and there.

I really appreciate the offer but I hate to ask you to do that.  He goes the middle of the month, and as a matter of fact is making deliveries today, so I'll call him next month and check the price, harvest date, etc and go from there.  If it works out it's something I can live with, I don't mind driving to Star City.  Bring back old memories. 

[PharmacistHog]

I sent you a PM.

[DeltaBoy]

You guys have fun trading Seafood,  I might sneak down to the Texas Coast once we get done in College Station visiting GB1 Museum.