Joe’s was good training for the cruise

Well, we’re back at the JW Marriott, stuffed and happy.  Joe’s Stone Crabs restaurant was an interesting place:  It had highly experienced wait staff wearing tuxedoes and jeweled crab pins showing how long they have worked there. The restaurant was lovely, with dark woods and art deco highlights.  The noise level was incredible and people were still waiting for a table when we left.

We had the Joe’s “Classic”, which started with a basket of breads (rye, pumpernickel, onion rolls, potato rolls), followed by a large “salad” of the house cole slaw, which was propped up by two large slices of tomato and slathered in dill relish.  This was the introduction to a platter of four large stone crab claws, a hash brown potato cake (killer bee), and creamed spinach (definitely not one of my favorites, but still not bad).  The stone crabs are “sustainably” harvested.  Each year, between October and May, fisherman in the Keys catch the crabs, remove a large claw, throw the animals back to survive and grow another claw, boil the claws, then put them on ice.  Joe’s serves the claws cold, with a delectable mustard sauce.

The “Classic” dinner also included a  large slice of Key Lime pie, a specialty of the house (awesome).  Good grief, we are stuffed!  We had a nice Pinot Noir to accompany this feast and will probably roll around tonight moaning and groaning and promising not to eat this much on the cruise.  Since I was at a new low weight on my Weight Watchers yesterday (down over 40 pounds, woo-hoo!), I don’t want to waste that effort, so we are vowing to be good (ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!!!!!!!! What a knee-slapper!).   More later as we prepare for the hardships of a 12-day cruise.