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Tag Archives: Florida Keys

Throw-back Monday– 1989-The Conch Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge

Twin Rock Lobster Tails broiled to perfection, some Saffron Rice, real butter from Wisconsin. What can be better?

American Press Travel News-March 25th–Bob and Barb “Remembering great places to dine and visit! Today, the Conch Restaurant is gone. Whoever bought it after Allen Stoki passed, changed names and then new owners changed names again!

When Barb and I were pleasantly researching our book in 1988: “The Best Restaurants in The Florida Keys”, of course, we visited the Conch Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge in Islamorada, owner operated by Allen Stocki. We’d been there before and on another date, I also joined Ted Williams there for dinner when I was creating the International Gamefish Release and Enhancement Foundation. I had hoped Ted would become a Board Member-he did!

OK! I Just heard Conch prounounced “konsch” not Konk; I straightened that lure-maker out at the ICAST giant fishing show. He is now “Konk” prepared when he visits to try out his lures in the Keys!
One of the very personal specialties Stocki taught his wait personnel, was to learn by heart the more than 80-ways he could prepare a Keys Lobster. They would tick off “lobster Hawaiian, Parmesan, Lobster cheesy and Florentine, en cruet sauce, and my favorite Lobster prepared at that sorely missed by many; their Lobster Imperial!” This dish required the lobster to be taken out of the shell, sautéed in butter and then covered with Crab Imperial. The dish would be baked and served with Béarnaise Sauce. Stocki’s Chef then garnished this masterpiece with Key lime slices and parsley and served with fresh homemade bread. A dish you just never could forget! This, and more than 60-restaurants in my book, are gone now, but fortunately, many other very fine restaurants have stepped up to the plate, so-to-speak!  We miss that great restaurant in our original book: “The Best Restaurants in the Florida Keys” I still have about 45-books from that first printing. Just email us for your half price signed copy!!!

An Excerpt from The Book: “A Fishing History of the Keys.”

“A Florida Keys Fishy History of the Denizens of The Deep”

 

Curt Gowdy and President Bush out fishing with Bob Epstein (Credit Bob T. Epstein for image)

American Press Travel News–March 1st, The following is a short excerpt from Bob’s book: “A History of Fishing in the Florida Keys.” –From all corners of the earth, tourist visitors make pilgrimages to the Florida Keys to fish, and it’s no wonder, with more than 600 fish varieties in Florida waters, most of which are caught in the waters between Miami and the 150-miles down to Key West. And according to the writings of Zane Grey, a fabulous outdoor writer, and world famous angler, the waters between Indian Key and Bahia Honda Harbor were the very best in the world (as he wrote in the 1920’s). So, along with locals, and Americans from all over the U.S.A. who come to duel with offshore fish such as swordfish, marlin, sailfish, mackerel, tuna, wahoo, dolphin fish (Mahi Mahi), and a large assortment of other deep -sea fishes, the Keys is most noted for, it stands to reason that the real magnet drawing all to these boney islands, are these underwater finned residents of the Keys! Ask anyone about the Florida Keys, most responses would be about fishing, Key Lime pie-sort of the “apple pie & mom” of South Florida’s special nature, is what is thought of first.
Inshore, there is an entire hierarchy of fish-royalty, from the bonefish, tarpon, permit, the triage of the perfecta, to the snook, seatrout, red drum, and mangrove snapper, that today, as in the past hundred years, attract anglers to both shore, and canoe-fish as well as hiring hundreds of fishing guides and their skiffs, in pursuit of these fish for picture-trophy, and the plate as well. Today, with 43-bridges that connect each of the Keys Islands bridge fishing is also a great draw for anglers without boats, to bring their families and friends to go out to sea without ever getting their sneakers wet and still catch fish too!

Redbone Tarpon Tournament to “Catch a Cure” for C.F.

AmericanPressTravelNews-4/23/17 Bob and Barb fishing for a cure for Cystic Fibrosis at Redbone Invitational Tarpon Tournament in Islamorada, FL. Keys. Tarpon are the toughest inshore saltwater fish in the world. We caught a big one during the Catch a Cure fishing event in the keys. I fished with Perry Blythe from N.Carolina and together with Wade Boggs of NY Yankee fame, as well as 34 other anglers a bunch of dollars was raised for research into the deadly genetic disease; Cystic Fibrosis! Everyone who fished this event WON!  Great strides have been made in extending the lives of thousands of CF sufferers through the millions of dollars raised by the Bonefish/Redfish ( Redbone) invitational tournaments over the past 34-years! All events are totally catch and release!