How can you tell if a crab is stoned?
Written: Oct 24 '04 (Updated Oct 24 '04)
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Pros: STONE CRABS!
Cons: expensive
The Bottom Line: The Doc Rocks & Tom is one cool cat.
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| carnut2k4's Full Review: Carmine's Ocean Grille |
October is such a great month in Florida. The heat eases up, the humidity gives way to cool dry air and Stone Crabs are back on the menu. From October 15th thru May 15th these sinfully delicious crustaceans are ‘in season’. For the remaining five months of the year they get to breathe a little easier – sort of. We’ll get back to ‘a day in the life of a Stone Crab’ a bit later on.
It Ain’t Joe’s, But It’s Close
For the initial Fall gorging it was off to Carmine’s Ocean Grill & Sushi Bar in fashionable Palm Beach Gardens. Carmine’s is a stones throw away from the Intracoastal Waterway and Singer Island - which is still trying to recover from Hurricane Jeanne. The wife and I arrived about ten minutes early for our seven o’clock reservation so we decided to wait outside for our dinner companions (Epinions own Doc & Tom!). While we waited the valet parked a slew of German marks and even a Bentley or two. It’s an expensive area with several good restaurants. As of this writing I think Carmines is the best of the bunch. Inside we were greeted by a hostess who wasted no time in telling me they didn’t have my reservation. Now if that doesn’t impress a couple of Restaurants & Gourmet Advisors nothing will! I had made the reservation the day before and for the first time in my life was experiencing a ‘lost’ reservation. Sigh. Luckily they did have a table available for us anyway and we were led through the crowded Restaurant to a cozy table in the back.
Atmosphere
Deep red carpeting against painted pastel walls heavily accented with rich, warm woods. Volume ceilings ease the congested path carved through the many tables. Lighting is subdued but not to the point of not being able to read the menu. Comfortable wood backed chairs are parked under wood tables. No table cloths – maybe the messy nature of a seafood restaurant precludes them. The floor plan is a U shape with tables filling both wings. The connecting part of the U has a large square, wooden bar which is always filled and is a very popular after work spot for the local thirty something crowd. The ambiance is classy but very comfortable. Doc and Tom were dressed to the nines as were about half the patrons in there. I was in khaki shorts and a polo shirt and blended into the mix easily. They have the right formula to ensure that most will be at home here.
The Menu
It won’t be possible to discuss the entire menu here. It is extensive and not one thing on it should be overlooked. Everything here is amazing. For this review I will limit the scope to what we ate, but I will include the restaurants website (which includes their full menu on it) at the end of this review and it is well worth a look-see so you can appreciate all of their offerings. You won’t be disappointed – I promise.
We started off with a couple of appetizers. The Peppered Mussels (steamed Mussels with White Wine, Garlic and Herbs - $9.95) were outrageous. We were in awe of their excellence. No unwelcome fishy tones at all. Fresh, firm and perfectly seasoned Mussels. The sauce they were in was so good that we got extra bread and sopped it all up before relinquishing the dishes to the bus boy. I also ordered an old favorite of mine there – the Gorgonzola & Bosc Pear Salad (with White Frisse, Watercress & Orange Vinaigrette - $7.95) and as I remembered, it was incredible. The main course was even better…
Being that it was the kick off of Stone Crab season we had, yup – Stone Crabs! Stone Crabs are served cooked, but chilled. As a matter of fact these were served in their smashed shells sitting on a deep dish of chipped ice. Only the claws on Stone Crabs are edible. They are divine. The meat is sweet and succulent and plentiful. The claws were quite large. In my opinion, of all the ugly things that crawl around in the ocean – these are the best. These are better than a ten pound Maine lobster in my book. I can’t get enough of them. Drawn butter is not served with Stone Crabs. Instead the dipping sauce is a mildly spicy mustard sauce. The flavor of a Stone Crab is not nearly as delicate as a lobsters and stands up to the mustard beautifully. As a matter of fact I drank a Newcastle beer with it which I wouldn’t dream of doing had it been lobster on the plate. The claws were on the expensive side (even by Stone Crab standards) with ‘jumbo’ claws going for $21.95 each. Last year, Carmine’s was selling ‘three jumbo claw’ platters for a little over thirty dollars. I read in the paper that the busy hurricane season somehow contributed to a massive crop of crabs and that the prices would be lower per pound on the wholesale level this season. I guess Carmine reads a different paper than I do. These were expensive, but oh so good. The claws were an a la carte item as they always are. A small, and very tasty side of slaw came with the claws but that’s it. My wife had the Macadamia Nut Crusted Dolphin (Mahi Mahi). It was also amazing and was served with a generous portion of Sweet Potato & Maple Puree (I HATE sweet potatoes and I finished these when my wife couldn’t eat anymore – that’s how good they were!) and a Mango-Pineapple-Guava Salsa for $21.95. Scrumptious.
A Day In The Life Of A Stone Crab
I started telling this tale at the table at which point the Doc excused herself to the little girl’s room. She didn’t want to hear about the wretched life of a Stone Crab before eating one. But don’t worry – this sad story has a happy ending! Stone Crabs are worth as much by weight as Crack Cocaine. Well maybe not that much, but they’re pretty darn expensive. So in order to maintain this valuable crop some measures need to be taken to ensure we don’t eat them all. Try them, and you’ll see how that would be a real possibility if there wasn’t regulation to prevent it. So anyway, as most people know, lobsters and crabs are able to re-grow missing appendages. It takes about a year or two to fully re-grow a lost claw. So the fishermen who pull up the Stone Crabs only pull off one claw from the crab and then they toss it back in the water. The remaining claw is left on to defend itself. Now this poor little guy spends the next year or so growing that new claw and then that net snags him again and he’s pulled up only to have his other claw ripped off this time - and then he gets tossed back into the drink again. I know it sounds just awful but I did promise you a happy ending. The happy ending comes when you’re sitting at the table devouring these lost limbs. All you’ll be thinking about is how good they are and how little you care about those one armed crabs wandering the depths of Biscayne Bay.
Back To The Meal
Luckily we all had enough room for dessert and coffee. Me and Tom both had regular coffee – good enough but not memorable, and the Ladies both had Cappuccino. They looked great and came with those ‘rock candy’ stirrers. For dessert the Doc had some sort of chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream. Her and Tom made enough moaning sounds to let me know it was good (but not enough to add this to the list of establishments they have been ‘asked to leave’ from). My wife had a berry torte which was just as awesome as it was the last time she had it there. I went for the crème brulee. It was fantastic – and served in a small bowl which was at least three times the size of a traditional ramekin that one would expect this dessert to be served in. That was just fine with me.
The Service
Aside from the misplaced reservation these folks didn’t miss a beat all night. Cordial, helpful and friendly. I wish I could remember the name of our waitress. If I could, I would include it here so that people reading this could ask for her by name. She was excellent. She was professional and well spoken. She helped us through the menu, kept our glasses full and was attentive without being annoying. I love that she had the confidence and composure to walk up to Tom and tell him that he should remove his jacket before eating the crabs. Turns out she was right. Tom had a bit of a fight with those claws, but in the end he won. She was happy to give us a copy of the menu to take with us and she didn’t give the ‘sigh & eye roll’ when we had her split the bill. I wish I ran into more waitresses like her. She made it so comfortable for us that before we knew it three hours had slipped by. That’s how it should always be.
Check Please
It wouldn’t be fair to end this without including ‘the catch’. The four of us ate some of the most expensive dishes they offered and we had a couple of drinks too. The bill came to three hundred dollars (including tax and tip). This isn’t a family friendly place for most folks. Leave the kids at home and reserve this restaurant for more intimate outings. I can gleefully report that there wasn’t anyone in the place under eighteen. Besides, Stone Crabs would be wasted on the young. They wouldn’t ‘get it’. Hopefully my next encounter with Stone Crabs will be at the almighty Joe’s Stone Crab down in Miami. Keep your eyes peeled for a review…
Carmine’s Ocean Grill & Sushi Bar
2460 PGA Boulevard
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
561.624.1141
www.carminesoceangrill.com
Reservations..... not mandatory but suggested
Vegetarians...... salads and pizza – vegans will not want to go here
Bathrooms........ clean, well stocked, high class Kohler fixtures
Kid Friendly...... NO
Hours................ 11-11 / 7 days
Dress Code........ casual or elegant – not a jeans and sneakers type of place
Recommended:
Yes
Kid Friendliness: No
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Notes, Tips or Menu Recommendations Eat Stone Crabs, lots and lots of Stone Crabs
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Epinions.com ID:
carnut2k4
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Member: Jason
Location: in the wind
Reviews written: 99
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Muscle Shoals has got The Swampers
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