When it's time to get off the boat, the crew is sure to demand food and drink, although maybe not in that order.
By John Wooldridge
We enjoy many diversions while boating and among them is that moment at the end of the day when the crew turns to each other and asks: So, where are we going for happy hour? The search for good food and a cold drink after a long day on the water is a ritual for many of us. Getting off the boat and enjoying new sights, sounds and tastes can be a rewarding part of any getaway, especially if you happen to find yourself in a new port. To this end, we've compiled this list of 10 great places in the U.S. to tie up and enjoy a tasty meal and libation.
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| HAPPY HOUR: The boating crowd gets loose at Shooters. |
1 Shooters Waterfront Café, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
Arguably the best-known watering hole in the Southeast, Shooters has been serving up made-from-scratch food-mango barbecued swordfish, Cajun egg rolls-and festive drinks for more than 22 years. Located just off the Intracoastal Waterway, the dock fills up fast every evening, just in time for the 4 to 7 p.m. happy hour with live, island-inspired entertainment. Casual al fresco dining, the yacht-set surroundings and a renowned Sunday brunch keep Shooters at the top of its game. Events like the $50,000 Halloween Costume Contest and the poolside Hot Bod Contest every Sunday are not to be missed. (954) 566-2855. www.shooterscafe.com
2 Jimmy Seas Pub, Grill & Fenders, Green Bay, Wis.
This is the place to go by boat when you're in Green Bay. Located on the grounds of the Harbor Village Marina, it's open year-round, but in season there are 46 slips for regulars and transients. Besides boat fenders, the pub's name also refers to a rotating gallery of automobiles ranging from muscle cars to old classics, each in show condition. Fenders (as in Stratocaster guitars) also figure in live music, primarily on the weekends but occasionally during the week. Specials include $3 martinis on Wednesday nights, $8 pizza and a pitcher of beer on Mondays, and daily happy hours from 4 to 6 p.m. The menu is a solid selection of appetizers, Mexican specialties, wraps, sandwiches and two seafood baskets. (920) 438-7640. www.jimmyseas.com
3 Dollar Bill Bar, Cabbage Key, Fla.
Cabbage Key in Pine Island Sound is the destination of choice for boaters on the Gulf Coast who want to sample a simpler lifestyle. Drop an anchor just off the Cabbage Key Resort, or tie-up at the docks in the small marina. Just up the hill is the Old Florida-style inn. Make your way to its Dollar Bill Bar, where the Cabbage Creeper-a blend of light rum and pińa colada mix served on the rocks with a dark rum float-will help you ease into a relaxed attitude. The bar offers a full wine list, a variety of tropical cocktails, and sells four or five beers depending on stores. Thousands of signed and dated $1 bills paper the walls, ceilings and columns here, and you're invited to add your own. The restaurant serves three meals a day, including the freshest-caught fish and a mouth-watering cheeseburger said to be the inspiration for Jimmy Buffett's famous song. (239) 283-2278. www.cabbagekey.com
4 McGarvey's Saloon & Oyster Bar, Annapolis, Md.
Just steps from City Dock is a favorite hangout of yachtsmen, including those who attend the big, national boat shows each fall. Many patrons come to try McGarvey's signature Aviator Lager, a rich blend of hops and malt reminiscent of an Octoberfest brew. The wine list delivers a good selection from California, Oregon, New Zealand and Australia. Recent food specials have included: gumbo with andouille sausage, ham, crawfish, alligator, turtle and veggies; slow-broiled Florida snook; and a Maryland fried oyster platter. In the back room, the oyster bar offers a daily selection of the best bivalves from Maryland, Virginia and other Mid-Atlantic states. (410) 263-5700. www.mcgarveyssaloon.com
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| DOUBLE VISION: Newport's Black Pearl includes a first-rate restaurant and a patio bar right on the water's edge along Bannister's Wharf. |
5 The Black Pearl, Newport, R.I.
Named for the original owner's brigantine-rigged yacht, this teak-and-brass eatery set on the docks of famed Bannister's Wharf has endured since 1967, thanks to a reputation for serving first-class food and drink. It attracts boaters of every stripe. The patio bar is not to be missed; it serves mixed drinks, single malts and small batch bourbons, but insiders know that the current owner is an oenophile with an exceptional wine cellar. Enjoy by the glass some vintages that are available elsewhere only by the bottle. The restaurant's chef was named the 2004 Chef of the Year by the American Culinary Federation, and he dictates a menu that is always interesting and varied. The Black Pearl's world-famous clam chowder is a perennial favorite and is sold by the case on site or online. (401) 846-5264. www.blackpearlnewport.com
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| PLAY IT AGAIN: Sam's Anchor Café in Tiburon, Calif., is always hopping with boaters. |
6 Sam's Anchor Café, Tiburon, Calif.
This is one of the few restaurants on the shoreline of San Francisco Bay with its own dock. If you find yourself in San Francisco without a ride, you can always take the ferry from Fisherman's Wharf to Tiburon-a 30-minute trip across one of the world's more memorable bodies of water. Try Sam's legendary Ramos Fizz (see "Feeling Fizzy"). The restaurant serves a brunch on weekends, plus lunch and dinner daily, and maintains a wine list rich in chardonnays from California, pinot noirs and cabernets from Oregon, and champagnes from around the world. (415) 435-4527. www.samscafe.com
7 Chandler's Crab House, Seattle, Wash.
Located at the south end of Lake Union, close by Chandler's Cove Marina, Chandler's has a limited amount of public docking space. For visual impact, there's an atrium-like dining room that overlooks the water and its ever-changing canvas of yachts, small boats and floatplanes. Libations of every sort are available, but Miguel's Lemon Drop-named after the general manager who created the recipe-leads a special menu of martinis made with premium liquors. The wine list is voluminous, overflowing with bottles hand-selected from wineries worldwide. Chandler's menu includes five different oysters on the half shell and three kinds of crab. (206) 223-2722. www.schwartzbros.com
8 The Boardwalk, Put-In-Bay, Ohio.
This dockside eatery boasts not only slips but also 80 mooring buoys and a water taxi for the convenience of boaters. Great views and live entertainment bolster a seafood lover's menu that features fresh shrimp, Great Lakes walleye and perch, live Maine lobster and a signature lobster bisque. The bisque is so popular that The Boardwalk does a brisk mail-order business online. A seat on the deck outside is worth waiting for on a warm summer evening. Opening day is May 15th this year. (419) 285-3695. www.the-boardwalk.com
Feeling Fizzy
The Ramos Fizz is the signature drink of Sam's Anchor Café in Tiburon, Calif. There's only one original, but if you want to try to recreate this classic in your cockpit, here's how.
2 oz. half and half
1 oz. orange juice
1 oz. sweet and sour mix
1 tsp. powdered sugar
1 dash orange flower water
1 egg white
1 oz. gin
1/2 cup ice
Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Garnish with pieces of fresh fruit.
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9 Joe's Crab Shack, Corpus Christi, Texas.
This three-story structure is located right in the Municipal Marina, and it's well-situated with dock space nearby for hungry boaters. Joe's barbecued Dungeness crabs are locally famous, but the menu also includes Alaskan king crab legs, snow crab and lump meat crab cakes. For those whose tastes run to saltwater-free entrees, the menu also includes steaks, pastas, sandwiches and daily specials. Margaritas are the drink of choice, and you can have them frozen or on the rocks, with or without salt, in several different flavors. (361) 904-0227. www.joescrabshack.com
10 Claudio's, Greenport, N.Y.
The oldest same-family-run restaurant in the U.S., this polished antique bistro on Long Island's North Fork is an institution. Besides the historic waterfront restaurant with its solid wine list, Claudio's also operates a wharf-side outdoor clam bar, where you can kick back with a cold one and enjoy freshly-shucked bivalves as you watch the boats on parade. Claudio's own marina offers slips for vessels up to 250 feet. (631) 477-0627. www.claudios.com
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