Seafood is not always the exclusive province of the hoity and toity, not always an imported, flash-seared, caviar-topped event. Seafood can be the dinner of fishermen and shrimpers, eaten on the water with a couple of longnecks.
Seafood is not always the exclusive province of the hoity and toity, not always an imported, flash-seared, caviar-topped event. Seafood can be the dinner of fishermen and shrimpers, eaten on the water with a couple of longnecks.
Like conjoined twins, 15th Street Fisheries is both. Upstairs, the Intracoastal-front restaurant boasts exotic finery. Downstairs, the rest of us have a damn fine dinner.
Nothing breaks the $20 ceiling downstairs, where most of the fish and seafood is every bit as good and fresh as the best South Florida hot spots serve. A kicky red sauce makes the shrimp cocktail sing, and a steaming mug of black-bean soup has homey Cajun spice.
Joe's Seafood Sizzler is a longtime favorite at the 25-year-old restaurant, a hot skillet spitting all kinds of goodness: shrimp, scallops and chunks of fish in a light Alfredo sauce fortified with Parmesan cheese. The flavors mixed and melded into the ultimate waterfront comfort food.
A basket of fried seafood was just as satisfying. Shrimp and a big perch fillet were great, if unsurprising, and the half-dozen scallops were among the sweetest I've ever savored.
Blackened dolphin did not taste quite as off-the-boat fresh but was generously coated with an herbier and more nuanced take on bayou seasoning. Big wedges of red potato salad made a fine, creamy side dish.
The casual dining room is authentic shanty, and outdoor tables offer dockside service.
When chain restaurants entered the seafood business decades ago, this is what they tried to become: easygoing spots where folks could get tasty seafood on a weeknight budget. 15th Street Fisheries stands far above them all.
