Dining by Boat

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Dining by Boat
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There is almost nothing more fun and fulfilling than spending a long day on the water and then pulling up, by boat, to the dock of your favorite waterfront restaurant and ending the day with a few tropical drinks (as long as someone else is driving the boat...) and a yummy meal. Waterfront restaurants line the Intracoastal Waterway, but finding a good one can be a challenge without the right tools.

A popular series of books that has been around for a few years outlines some of the better dining locations in various boating hot spots.

The Intracoastal Waterway Restaurant Guide & Recipe Book, by Susan and Charles Eanes, takes you from Mile Marker 0 in Virginia all the way down the ICW to Key West, and lists things like the location of the restaurant, the average cost of a meal, hours and days of operation, phone numbers, bar details, dress, and more. Each restaurant has a write-up describing the food and the people behind the food—owners and chefs. Recipes for different restaurant specialties are also included.

The Eanes are very strict in their restaurant criteria. Each restaurant, according to their introduction, had to "be within a reasonable distance of the ICW...or provide courtesy transportation for dining patrons, the menus had to be varied and the quality if the cuisine consistently outstanding, the staff and management had to be courteous, knowledgeable and offer exceptional service, the décor had to be attractive, clean, and provide a vista or congenial ambiance, and the wine list had to have depth and balance to complement the cuisine." You can't accuse Susan and Charles Eanes of being careless diners!

The Eanes have also trekked the Chesapeake Bay, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and the West Coat of Florida in search of a good meal. The photos and recipes make their books perfect gifts for the new boat owner or the gourmand. The only criticism that we've received from our customers about these books is that most of them are in need of updates. We suggest that you call ahead to the restaurants that you're planning on visiting, especially on Florida's West Coast, where restaurants may have closed due to recent storm damage.

Happy dining from Bluewater!