Shellfish by the Sea

Happy National Shrimp Day! In honor of this illustrious holiday, I’m highlighting the place where my daughter Lindsay recently made her first restaurant order of a kids’ helping of fried shrimp. The setting was Crabby Bill’s Seafood Restaurant in St. Pete Beach, a casual, two-level spot that sits along the Gulf of Mexico. We were sitting under an umbrella at a rooftop table, still in our bathing suits from the shelling cruise we’d taken that morning out of nearby Pass-a-Grille. The sun was shining, a breeze was blowing, and the beach views made a perfect backdrop for our meal.

I had narrowed in on the Fried Popcorn Shrimp ($9.99) when Lindsay announced she was doing the same. She eats shrimp at home and isn’t what I would call a picky eater, but at restaurants she often sticks to her staples of grilled cheese, chicken fingers, and mac and cheese. So my husband and I applauded the fact that she was branching out, and she seemed pleased by her very reasonably priced meal ($4.99), which came with one side dish, a soft drink, and a package of Oreos for dessert.

Maybe it was the beachfront setting or the appetites that we had worked up while searching for shells, but that lunch hit the spot for all of us that day. Crabby Bill’s isn’t anything fancy, but its rooftop dining area is a fine place to enjoy a little seafood just steps from the sea.