Stone Crab Weekend at Frenchy's

[floridaredhed]

Been to Frenchys on Clearwater Beach for stonecrab weekend yet? We're headed there tonight, wondering about price, availability,etc.

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Frenchy's Cafe
41 Baymont St, Clearwater Beach, FL 33767

[floridaredhed]

Update...we were able to get large claws for $17 per pound tonight at Frenchy's Rockaway. Our server told us they had run out of mediums around 6 pm. Stone crab were awesome... I ate my 3 pounds and I'm happy!!!!! No one injured by flying shells as far as I know....

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Frenchy's Cafe
41 Baymont St, Clearwater Beach, FL 33767

[Veggo]

That's a very good price for large in a restaurant. They usually run about $13 on the docks, sometimes more.

[sweet_polly]

Wow...that was a great price! Did you have to wait long to be seated?

[floridaredhed]

Little under an hour for a deck table. If we were willing to sit in the tent we could have been seated much sooner...we enjoyed drinks and the sunset...very nice evening.

[ospreycove]

I finally made it to A.P. Bell seafood, cortez for Yellow edge and scamp grouper winds died down and a few boats came in yesterday.Picked up GREAT Stone Crabs.fresh off the boat that day, $12.00/lb meds. and large/jumbo,( wish my camera worked so you could see the size of some of the claws),, at $18.00/lb as I mentioned they were really good, but, they are not cracked but it went well with a meat mallet flat side on the picnic table outside. They said the Stones are coming in big and in good quantity, but I would call first if you go, Grouper that I purchased was $5.99/lb (whole fish) figures out to about $11.00/lb for filets, assuming you do not have a use for the heads, frames, etc for soup or stock
A.P. Bell Fish Company Inc.
941.794. 1249

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The Fish Company
725 Atlantic Blvd Ste 12, Atlantic Beach, FL 32233

[cflynn]

Ospreycove - $12 is an excellent price for hard shells; thank you for getting the word out. Yellowedge is my favorite deep water grouper for sure!

[ospreycove]

The one price I did not include was for Stone Crab "Floaters"? I have no experience with them, but as explained they are claws that are not filled out with muscle, recent shedders? I assume. The "Floaters" were $6.00/lb, but I did not buy any. Does anyone have any info. on these claws???

[Veggo]

I bought floaters 4 or 5 times from Bell, but no longer. The shells are very thin, and there is far less flesh than in a normal hard shell, and it is very flaccid. The shells often have a break in them, and I have experienced a couple of "tender tummy" episodes afterwards which has me wonder if they are more succeptible to bacteria infiltration.

[ospreycove]

Veggo, I wonder if Bell's is the only place that tries to sell them; the product sounds a little sketchy after reading your definition of "Floaters".......I think I will stick to the "Sinkers"....lol!!

[sweet_polly]

Can't handle the Frenchy's crowd, but enjoyed my first taste of stone crab this season last night. Picked 'em up at Land and Sea Market for $21.95 per lb. (medium). Two pounds was just enough to make the hub-unit and me angry. lol I can never decide which is my favorite food on the planet...stone crab or foie gras.

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Frenchy's Cafe
41 Baymont St, Clearwater Beach, FL 33767

[floridaredhed]

We typically make an annual pilgrimage...I can eat at least two, maybe three pounds myself so we have to do the lower priced thing! My husband still laughs about the first time he ever saw me devour the stone crab..claims it looked like a frenzy!

[sweet_polly]

LOL! I know...I even found bits of it in my hair when last night's feeding frenzy was over.

[Veggo]

I routinely vacuum stone crab shell pieces 8 feet distant from my dining table. 26 days and counting 'til I get back home to Florida, first stop is Bell Fish in Cortez Village for lots of claws!

[ospreycove]

Veggo, Believe it or not Bell's ran out of Stones yesterday. We had some real windy weather last week and I think the crabbers did not check their traps. I was there for Grouper and only one boat was out on Friday, rest of the commercial guys stayed in port. It is not windy now so hopefully by mid-week they will be in good stocks on Stones and Grouper!!