Harry’s Seafood Bar and Grille In St Augustine, Florida

 

Harry’s Seafood Bar and Grille In St Augustine, Florida

 

St Augustine (1565) proudly wears the title of America’s second longest continuously occupied settlement of European origin. Only San Juan Puerto Rico (1521) is older.  And although the Spanish ruled the region for some 200 years, it remained a battleground between Spain, France and Britain, until it was finally ceded to the United States in 1819.

 

As you might guess, Spanish influence is still evident on nearly every street in this beautiful old colonial city, including remnants of city walls, old building, and the national monument of Castillo de San Marcos, which overlooks the harbor.

 

Of course I have greatly abbreviated the history of St Augustine because I know the limited attention span of my three faithful readers.  Instead, I’ll tell you about one of the best restaurants I’ve visited in quite a while, Harry’s Seafood Bar and Grille.  Hey you’ll get some history!  The historic Spanish fort is right across the street!

 

Now let’s talk about Harry’s Seafood Bar and Grille.  Think of New Orleans, another French influenced city, and you’ll get a mental picture of the restaurant’s lovely courtyard and sumptuous menu.

 

Let’s start with a delightful cocktail.  I certainly did!  The Royale is a smooth blend of Crown Royal’s apple whiskey, elderflower, and ginger beer, with a squeeze of lemon.  It came with a recommendation from our waiter, Greg.

 

It’s here I need to show off my snobbery.  Any restaurant, independent of décor or price, depends on its food as a calling card.  But also very important to me is a pleasant and well-trained wait staff.  I don’t go to a restaurant to make a BFF, but I value civility, a solid knowledge of the menu, knowing which side to serve from, not stacking dishes on the table, and a firm grasp on when to interject and when to silently keep a proper distance.

 

Greg is an outstanding waiter and when, after reading this, you rush for St Augustine and a visit to Harry’s, ask for him.

 

So what else did Greg recommend?  The she-crab soup.  I’d heard that before and was not disappointed.  Matter of fact, I injured myself hurrying to get the second spoonful to my mouth.  Using the word ‘delicious’ doesn’t do this heavenly concoction of crab and wine and cream justice.  You will quickly forget the already fading memories of any other crab soup you’ve tasted.

For me there is always an appetizer I can never pass up:  Fried calamari. Harry’s serves their version with a very light panko batter and fried green beans, with a remoulade sauce on the side.  I like my fried foods crunchy and the use of panko made it delightful so, and the calamari were tender.

 

So, what else did I order?  Pan fried slices of eggplant, interlaced with lump crab meat and topped with sautéed onions and a very flavorful cream sauce.

For restaurant food, my code is simple: if I could have done better in my own kitchen, then next time I will.

 

At Harry’s Seafood Bar and Grille, I could never do better, and the menu was topped off with service that competes favorably with anything to be found in a French bistro.  For me, that’s high praise and I add another kudo for Greg, our waiter!

 

Sure, go to St Augustine for the culture, the history, the shopping, but never forget to visit Harry’s Seafood Bar and Grille!