Miller’s Dockside: Part 4 in the Boat for Food Blog Series- A Culinary Adventure around Useppa Island!

We must be in a rut. Here we are again, heading north to Boca Grande for lunch. Plenty of fine places to visit south of here, but there is only so much time for boating and eating. We’ll get to the southern eateries soon enough.

From Useppa, we go north up the ICW, across Charlotte Harbor. The Tarpon fleet is long gone, the fish scattered up into the harbor and the numerous canals in Cape Coral, Englewood, Cape Haze and Punta Gorda.Today we enter the Boca Grande Canal and take a sharp left to the Boca Grande Marina, home to two restaurants: Millers Dockside and the Eagle Grill. You won’t confuse the two. This trip we did the Dockside, the Eagle will come later.

 When boating for food, convenient dockage is important, and the marina provides a complimentary tie- up for lunch patrons. It is just a few steps into the restaurant, as well as the ships store. Dock master and attendants are ready and cheerful.

The Dockside means just that, you are right next to the dock. We watch as fishing guides come in and release their live bait, gas-up or meet fresh customers, all 10-15 feet from our table. Boats come and go, with fisherman shopping in the ships store and waiting for a table. We are seated quickly and our server promptly showed up.

 

The menu is really eclectic for a casual venue, with everything from Boca Dogs and Burgers (think soda fountain fare), quesadillas to shrimp and grits, fresh tuna nachos and Duck Dim Sum. International fare, who would have guessed? As usual, I go for the health food-dogs and fries with a beer. There are salads on the menu, of course, and Mary had one-of course.

Another day boating for food from Useppa Island, what a tough day!

Will Boat for Food Blog Series: The Fishery

The Fishery: Part 3 in the Boat for Food Blog Series- A Culinary Adventure around Useppa Island!

We are motoring north again, in search of fresh fish for our get-away lunch. We  cross Boca Grande pass and the fleet of boats working the fish inside of the pass. When you think of eating fish, however, it’s not tarpon but The Fishery that comes to mind.

Located immediately south of the old Boca Grande railroad bridge, this casual family restaurant is located adjacent to a real fish house, the port where Gulf commercial fishing vessels bring their catch into Placida/Cape Haze. It doesn’t get any fresher unless you catch it yourself. Of course, that is not difficult around here.

Slowing for the channel into the Fishery, we parallel the railroad structure which is renowned for holding some beefy Snook. Just last season we were anchored right here with Captain Dave Hoke out of Bokeelia, live baits placed perfectly for the moving tide. Our fishing mates were daughter Shari and hubby Brian Gear from Fort Myers. Our laid back day away from our tropical paradise was rewarded with a fresh and delish dinner.

Back to The Fishery: They have really handy dockage right in front, and can handle a multitude of small boats. Up and in we went, bypassing the outdoor dining patio with not an empty seat, to enter the rustic but air conditioned restaurant. There is something special about an eatery that is smart enough to place the bar between the entrance from the dock, and the restaurant seating.

So we endured warm welcomes, cold brews and rapid seating to sit and study the menu. Grouper must be the all-time most requested fish in Florida. Accordingly, it is priced “at market” which always results in 2 questions: How much? And is it FRESH? You got to love this answer: our server says it is not available now because  they are waiting for a “better supply”. If that doesn’t tell you everything you need to know about The Fishery, nothing does. Ever had a place try to pass of a skinny Tilapia on you when you order Grouper? Yea.

 

 

 

Surprise of all surprises, Mary orders a salad with blackened snapper. It was really good, the greens all fresh and crunchy, the snapper perfectly and lightly blackened. With a background of dining on Baltimore Crab Cakes, I should have heeded the disclaimer on the crab cakes, said to be “Fishery” style. What a dummy, I didn’t even ask. They don’t short you on the crab, no problem there, but you have got to like eating Old Bay seasoning by the spoonful. Too bad, but if you don’t try something new…………The fries were good, but then I rarely meet one I don’t like.

 

This trip got a little out of hand –it was 23 minutes dock to dock.

 

Tarpon Time at Useppa Island: Fishing for the Great Silver King!

With a typical 80-day season, producing an average 5,000 tarpon landed, it's no secret that the world's best tarpon fishing happens around Useppa Island. 

Believed to be the birthplace of tarpon fishing, Useppa and the surrounding areas of Boca Grande, Gasparilla Island and Cayo Costa come alive between April, May and June. Anglers from all of the world come to Southwest Florida to try their hand at landing these majestic creatures. 
  

Photo Credit: http://www.sanibelcaptivafishing.net/

Tarpon fishing is a catch-and-release only fishery. And with great stamina and power, these fish are explosive and acrobatic fighters that have made their name as one of Florida’s most challenging and exciting nearshore sportfish! 

Photo: Eric Strachan

  
If you want to know more about the season and rules of Tarpon fishing? Check out the latest from Florida Wildlife Commission (FWC) here. 

Looking to try your luck at landing a Tarpon? Here are a few fishing charters we recommend in the Southwest Florida area:

Hoke Fishing Charters: Captain Dave Hoke

• Offering 1/2, 3/4 and full day fishing charters. Bring the kids and join this native guide for a memorable fishing excursion battling tarpon, redfish, snook, trout, sharks and more! Also available for private shelling, dinner and sunset cruises.

Falling Tide Charters: Captain Cory McGuire

• Light Tackle Back Country Fishing for Snook, Redfish, Trout, as well as Tarpon fishing the world famous Boca Grande Pass. Half, 3/4 and Full Day Trips Available. Customized family trips, Fishing Tournaments and Night Fishing Trips. 

Old School Charters: Captain Bryan Dollar

• Specializes in full day and half day charter fishing along the inland waters of the Boca Grande and local waters of Pine Island sound for inshort and near shore light tackle fishing. 

Lots of Activity on Useppa

We have been BUSY...making presentations about Useppa and showing property to 266 people,  made up of caravans with five Michael Saunders offices, presentations at MSC sales meetings, hosting visiting Realtors from several offices of Sotheby's, Pepper Frazier & Co., Nantucket, and Coyle Realty, Tampa. We still have major presentations scheduled with two Leading Real Estate Companies of the World, next week, and a regional meeting of Sarasota Realtors, in October, plus two more caravans in October.

Last week, we entertained three journalists that specialize in Resorts, Real Estate and Food & Wine for two days....and a past editor of Gulf Shore Life, gone Freelance.  We also entertained the head of Sales from DuPont Registry, who visited with a group of friends, camping in for a day. They all fell in love with the Island, gave us industry and advertising advice and promised us great press....along with the potential for at least two weddings.  Here come the brides.....

For additional exposure, we have been donating our cottage for charitable events and, thus far, have been sold as the highest bid item at the Women’s Council of Realtors annual fund raiser. We've also offered our cottage for three additional charity events.  One that sounds like a lot of fun is the Annual BYOBachelor Auction in Sarasota, to benefit breast cancer. 

BYOBachelor Auction
Buy Your Own Bachelor

  Another charitable event, the Sarasota Exotic Car Fest to benefit Cerebral Palsy (a VERY BIG TIME event). 

And, referred by our neighbor, Karen Able, we are supporting an event for St John Neumann Catholic High School, (their daughter’s school  in Naples) a well-attended and very well-funded event, year after year.  All of these events are during Season and are highly publicized.   So, lots of exposure!!

And, for the first time, Useppa Island homes can be seen on Luxury Portfolio International.  Just go to www.LuxuryPortfolio.com, click on “HOMES” and enter our MLS zip code 33924 to see several Useppa properties.  And, last, we were introduced in Gasparilla Magazine, presenting properties on Useppa....a whole page! 

This coming selling season is going to be exciting!!!  And, it is almost upon us!! Stay tuned....