THE ULTIMATE FRESH FARE

Gulf-to-table dining in DestinFort Walton Beach

By Heather Turk

With more than 20 types of edible fish available off its shores, it’s no surprise that Destin — affectionately called the “World’s Luckiest Fishing Village” — boasts the largest commercial charter fishing fleet in the country. Guests visiting Destin-Fort Walton Beach will have no trouble savoring some of the area’s fresh-caught seafood, as the destination is home to numerous restaurants known for their delicious Gulf-to-table cuisine.

One of the area’s signature seafood restaurants is actually owned by the great, great grandson of Destin’s founder, Leonard Destin. Honoring Leonard’s love of the water by serving sustainable seafood that’s delivered fresh daily, Dewey Destin’s has three nearby locations that serve up beautiful waterfront views alongside unique specialty dishes. At Dewey Destin’s casually refined Harborside restaurant, the broiled shrimp stuffed with crabmeat and wrapped in bacon is a guest favorite, whereas at Dewey Destin’s fast-casual Destin and Navarre locations, customers love the fried Gulf Shrimp served with French fries and homemade jalapeño hush puppies. For those who tested their luck out on the water earlier in the day, all three locations will also cook a guest’s fresh catch for them. destinseafood.com

Harbor Docks does a lot of “hook and cooks” as well and will cook up to a pound of fish per person. Guests can enjoy their fresh catch grilled, blackened or fried, or simply order one of the waterfront restaurant’s own seafood selections, like the broiled Gulf Grouper Parmadine topped with crabmeat, Parmesan and roasted almonds. A local favorite since 1979, Harbor Docks has fresh seafood delivered from its wholesale seafood market up to two times a day, with many of the items caught and unloaded by its own boats at the dock below the restaurant. While the eatery may specialize in Gulf-to-table seafood, it offers an extensive menu of dishes sure to please palates of all types, including several tasty Thai plates. harbordocks.com

Dewey Destin

Sister restaurants Jackacudas Seafood & Sushi (jackacudas. com), East Pass Seafood & Oyster House (eastpassseafood.com) and Brotula’s Seafood House and Steamer East Pass Seafood (brotulas.com) all & Oyster House specialize in locally caught seafood, too, and receive their fish deliveries five days a week from local fish houses. Guests can opt to try one of the restaurants’ delectable dishes, like Jackacudas’ Andouille Crusted Redfish or East Pass Seafood & Oyster House’s oven-baked Mayor oysters made with bacon crumble, smoked Gouda cheese and roasted jalapeños, or have their own fresh catch blackened, seared or fried and topped with any of the restaurants’ signature sauces.

For guests who really love shellfish, no trip to Destin-Fort Walton Beach is complete without trying one of Brotula’s family-style steamer pots. Its Family Feast, in particular, is a must, offering diners a smorgasbord of shellfish from around the country. Guests can feast upon 1 pound of snow crab, two clusters of Dungeness crab, 2 pounds of local Gulf shrimp, 1 pound of PEI mussels, two 1-pound whole Maine lobsters and 1 ½ pounds of king crab served with fried corn, andouille sausage, potatoes and garlic herb butter. Be sure to come hungry!

Brotula’s Seafood House and Steamer