Keegan's: Not Flavor Town

While Sister Foodie was visiting last week during her Summer Couch-surfing Tour of 2013, we ventured to the beach to get some soft-shell crabs at Keegan's Seafood Grille. The few meals I've had at this relaxed seafood standby in Indian Rocks Beach have left a good taste in my mouth (heh..heh). Too bad this visit had to be the exception.

On a hot and sunny beach day, we entered the weathered, nautical-themed seaside dive that shares a shopping plaza with a salon and a few other businesses. The odor of bleach permeated the air as we sat ourselves in an empty restaurant at the height of lunch hour. I'm glad the place was clean, but I can do without the chlorine vapor at mealtime. Save for a couple of other tables, we were the lone diners. Perplexing. I've always been wait-listed here.

My usual order is the soft-shell crab dinner, which features two fried soft crabs, coleslaw and corn. A seriously reasonable $15.99, the crabs are decent size, carry a light crust and, upon the initial chomp, produce the requisite squirt of crabby nectar. Although I usually sauté them in butter after a dredge in Old Bay-seasoned flour, I don't mind a deep-fried soft crab every now and then. Much to my disappointment, Keegan's had 86'd the soft crabs the day of our lunch visit due to a sellout the previous evening.

Yes fans, hanging on the wall is a poster of Guy "Never Met a Dish I Didn't Like " Fieri

As I tried to erase the image of Guy Fieri grinning -- creepily -- at me from the wall opposite our table, I perused the menu in search of Plan B. With that autographed picture threatening to ruin my appetite, I debated between the blackened grouper sandwich (a favorite of Son of Hubs) or the grouper cheek po' boy (on the specials list). I got neither. Sister and I decided to share an appetizer of fried grouper bites, a plate of steamed shrimp and an order of mussels.

Served with lifeless tartar sauce overwhelmed by mayo, the fried grouper bites were piping hot, moist and tender but the batter was just plain bland. Grouper may be a great fish but it still needs a smack of seasoning. A slice of lemon and a scoop of mayo aren't going to tickle any taste buds. A missed opportunity.

As Sister tossed the mussel shells aside, she shook her head at the tasteless, watery broth in which the plump Prince Edward Island mollusks were swimming. Served with a big hunk of garlic bread intended for a soak in the shellfish pool, the mussel dish failed to bring forth any dipping motion from Foodie's hand. Where, oh where, was the white wine, shallots, butter and garlic bath that normally enriches a bowl of steamed mussels? Those ingredients may have been in the kitchen but they weren't enhancing this dish. Neither was the cup of melted butter in the bull's-eye of the plate (above).

The steamed shrimp were served hot (as ordered) but were led down the same ho-hum path. Although fairly large and fresh, the shrimp needed a flavor boost. True to their menu description, they had only a touch of seasoning. They would have been so much better with a wallop of Old Bay followed by a steam bath in beer, but the saving grace was the cocktail sauce, which packed some horseradish punch.

We also got a side of french fries, which did not deviate from the emerging pattern of acceptable but uninspired cooking.

Service was friendly and I loved the fact that our server didn't rush us to order entrees when we requested the appetizer and a couple of beers. She knew we were there to relax. Then again, only a handful of folks were in the place, so why would she care how long we lingered?

Keegan's is a reasonably priced and hospitable place that serves fresh seafood, but it is in no way Flavor Town USA. By the way, if my research is correct, Guy "Donkey Sauce" Fieri filmed his "Triple D" segment here several years ago before the restaurant changed ownership.

Verdict: Needs seasoning.

http://www.keegansseafood.com

Finding Faves at Dockside Dave's

Holy rhymes and alliteration, Batman, my blog break is over!

What brought me back?

I needed a nudge, I needed inspiration, I needed....a fried grouper sandwich and onion rings at Dockside Dave's on St. Pete Beach!

I feel compelled to share my half-pound black grouper bonanza with the food-following public. That, and to shout out a new Totally Tasty Find:  Dockside Dave's onion rings!

Let's begin with those sweet vegetables of shame, shall we? They were sliced thick, dipped in a fairly light batter that was seasoned to salt and peppery perfection, and then fried to a golden crisp. Sure, there was some grease left behind on the tissue paper in the basket. Who cares? These babies rank among the best onion rings I have ever eaten. You know when you bite into an onion ring and the strand of onion sometimes disengages from the batter and all you're left with is a greasy, empty shell and chin-singeing onion trailing from your mouth? That doesn't happen here.What you bite into is what you get. No flesh-scorching facial surprises.Try them dipped in the horseradish sauce that is brought to your table. Yowza! I would return for a basket of those alone (along with the ice-cold Michelob I downed).

But, wait! This meal is just beginning. First of all, Hubmeister hilariously asked our amusing T-shirt-and-shorts-clad server if they had fish sandwiches, to which she flatly replied, "Nobody feels like reading today." Amen. She was a hoot.They sure as hell didn't feel like listening, either. On our way to the little beachside hangout, I explained to my loving husband that sampling the made-famous-by-Southern-Living grouper sandwich was the whole point of this mission. In addition, this beach dive features the hallowed fish sandwich at the top of its menu and states six different ways you can have it prepared, thus the waitress' comment about reading the menu. Earth to Hubmeister!

So, the Southern Living magazine article is hanging on the wall facing me and I can't wait to see if this sandwich beats out the best grouper sandwich in the Bay area (and possibly anywhere on the planet), which, in my opinion, is the beautiful beast served up by Frenchy's in Clearwater. (See my blog post: "Totally Tasty Find: Frenchy's Super Grouper Sandwich.")

Funny Waitress (and I call her waitress because she is old enough to be cool enough not to be insulted by the term waitress) told us that the beer-battered version is Dockside Dave's signature item, so Hubs and I ordered that preparation, while Son of Hubs opted for the blackened technique.The server also recommended that we scale down the sides because the fish portions are big. I believe she meant GARGANTUAN! A half-pound of fried grouper was placed before me, twice the size of the cornmeal-dusted bun it crowned, and I knew immediately I would be ditching the bread.

The grouper fillet spanned the length of the basket. Can you find the bun? It's there!

The grouper - fresh, mild and moist - was the heavenly star of the show. If you can manage to eat it sandwich-style, which Hubs and Son did, you can top it with the fresh slice of tomato, onion, pickle and romaine lettuce leaf that are served alongside the fish. The sandwich comes solo and is market price, which was $12.95.

In our blissful ignorance, we ordered small baskets of onion rings and waffle fries for the table. FYI - the adjective "small" is an understatement.They might be considered small to giants.The fries were totally wasted and it's a shame because they were piping hot and brought to the table by a guy from the kitchen who obviously didn't want them wilting under a heat lamp, indicative that the people here care about food quality. Nevertheless, we had no room for fries as we were practically morphing into fish and swimming out the door by the time we left. Note to self: When dining at Dockside Dave's remember the old adage, your eyes are bigger than your stomach.

Despite our grouper afterglow, Hubs and I still place Frenchy's fish sandwich as winner by a nose. For me, it's mainly because I can manage Frenchy's rendition as an actual sandwich; and for Hubs, because Frenchy's version comes topped with melted cheese. By the way, you can order cheese on your sandwich at Dockside Dave's, and Dave's batter is crispier than Frenchy's, if you happen to prefer it that way.

All told, if you are in the area and feel like some bodacious onion rings and a monstrous portion of fresh seafood, don't hesitate to visit the cheesy (and greasy) Gilligan's Island atmosphere and wiseass waitresses at Dockside Dave's.

Verdict: Greasy thumbs up...and postworthy!

www.docksidedavesgrill.com/menu.html