food and fun

I think good food accompanies any good beach trip...and good food we had.

Starting with Thomas's donuts, made fresh everyday (somehow this box disappeared very quickly with 3 boys in the house).

We also frequented Mike's Diner which was just across the street from our condo. Gammy and Papa would always eat here when they came to the beach for years, and we quickly learned why. They have anything from breakfast on the diner side to raw oysters and seafood gumbo on the oyster bar side....all delicious!

But if you want to talk about oysters...Dusty's has to be our top pick. As David informed me they have the number 2 oyster shucker in the country who works there...so you know it has to be good, and good it was.

 They have lots of other options if oysters aren't your thing.

Owen had his first crab claw there and quickly became a fan. Anything that can be a vehicle for ketchup is awesome in his book.

He left the oyster eating to the rest of us. Somewhere in the past couple of years my husband has become an oyster lover. While he and my dad enjoyed a couple dozen of the raw ones, I stuck with the Dusty Baked.

My Dad even insisted on keeping Owen one night, so David and I could have a dinner out...just the 2 of us. Those are few and far between, so we took him up on it. We tried out J. Michael's. I think our favorite new find was a hole in the wall type of place called Hognose Snapper. Great quality seafood at very affordable prices.

The last night my dad took me out on a date. Even when your grown, that little girl inside of you always appreciates a special date with her dad. He treated me to a really special meal at Saltwater Grill. I had some delicious scallops on a bed of parmesan risotto with a bed of spinach and tomato with a basil aioli. Yum.

We enjoyed listening to the piano player and just talking. 

Yes, the food was good...but what makes the meals special is the company you share it with. 

The laughter we all shared at Dusty's, a quiet date night with my husband, and dinner between father and daughter. All perfect in their own way.

Food and fun, in my book...they go hand in hand.