Red Snapper

My birthday party idea was to take the family to Captain Anderson’s for dinner, but it didn’t work out because Charlotte was ill. So Linda and I went last night. 

Arriving  just as the doors opened at four-thirty, we were the first to enter and were seated at a window table. 

At the table next to us were twin baby girls with family, parents, grandparents. The little girls were quiet but curious, looking around at everyone. Dressed identically, one had a pink bow in her hair, one a yellow bow.

Having had my September allotment of fried food (a Popeye’s chicken drumstick my birthday weekend), fried was not on my menu last night. Which mattered not, because both Linda and I are in a rut there. Her favorite is the Grouper Imperial, a serving of broiled grouper topped with as much lump crabmeat as there is grouper under it. 

Mine is the whole Red Snapper broiled over flames. In the past my meal included a side order of fried oysters to go on top of my salad, but those days are history. We shared a bowl of the crab soup and I spooned mine over my tossed salad then crumbled crackers on top. 

Originally the restaurant really was Captain Anderson’s, an owner and operator of party boats here. Mrs. Anderson taught at Bay High when we were there early 1950s. The last time we saw and visited with her, she was our hostess at the restaurant the summer we arrived home from Japan.

Tom