[joiei]

After a so long I won't do that again drive to Panama City yesterday, I met up with my sister, the hubbie and the youngest grandkid, we had lunch at Uncle Ernie's Bayfront Grill in the St Andrews section of Panama City (just Panama to the oldtimers, and the beaches is the beach). Nice waterfront location, with lots of covered outdoor seating as well as inside seating in the ac.

I had the grilled grouper sandwich without the mushrooms on a croissant. It was delicious, but that may be subjective since it is my first grouper sandwich since I got here. I couldn't find anyplace that served one for breakfast.

This place is so Southern even the Whataburger has grits on the breakfast menu.

It is a beautiful day, sunshine, 90 degrees with low humidity (at least for here) and the chance to visit with family.

More later as we get to those meals.

[joiei]

For dinner tonight I asked for casual, not dressy in any way. The two options of my sister (Sonic) and my bil (Popeyes) got shot down immediately. My reply was I was not about to drive 15 fricking hours to go eat at either of those places. My prerequisite was for fried dill pickles. So we went to Boondocks up almost underneath the new West Bay bridges. The fried pickles were perfect, just the right amount of breading, salty and with ranch dressing. I love that stuff (once in a while, it would be nice if someone in Tulsa could figure that out). I ordered the combo plate of grouper and shrimp, both fried with onion rings. The grouper was moist and tender with a very very light coating. The shrimp were a knockout for fried shrimp. They were large shrimp that had been shelled and deveined and not filleted. The coating was very light so you tasted mostly shrimp. The onion rings were forgettable. I would go back to try the whole flounder or the grilled grouper if I can have some more of those shrimps and some more of those fried pickles.

The restaurant is right on the inter-coastal so you have great views of barges passing. Plus you can get airboat rides, or float airplane rides there. A multidimensional company.

The last reviewer in that link just doesn't get what Boondocks is about. She lives in Georgia for god's sake, I don't know about small shrimp to her but mine were quite large, probably 16-20s.

Now I need to get some rest because tomorrow is another fun day playing with my 2 year old grandnephew. He is a real cutie.

[Jaymes]

The Florida panhandle obviously has come a long way since I lived there. In those days, all you could find was fried foods and 'U-Peel-M' shrimp. I hate 'U-Peel-M' shrimp.

If I wanted to Peel-M, I would have bought a couple of pounds for half the restaurant price and stayed home.

Thanks for the report, Joiei.

Hope the rest of your vacation goes equally as well.

[joiei]

The Florida panhandle obviously has come a long way since I lived there. In those days, all you could find was fried foods and 'U-Peel-M' shrimp. I hate 'U-Peel-M' shrimp.

If I wanted to Peel-M, I would have bought a couple of pounds for half the restaurant price and stayed home.

Thanks for the report, Joiei.

Hope the rest of your vacation goes equally as well.

But you lived here so long ago they didn't have sliced bread. Just kidding, really. You need to revisit the area. Get yourself a condo rental in one of the 30 story highrises. And don't stay in Fort Walton Beach. Go to South Walton County. I mean almost everybody from Houston gets over here at least once a year for a stay on the beach.