A steaming pile of hot seafood dumped straight into a massive bowl over the table, seasoned skillfully with Cajun spices that your mouth starts to water before you ever even get a taste. Gloves on, crab boil bib secured, grabbing a bit of everything: crab legs, corn, potatoes, boiled eggs and shrimp.
This week, I visited J&C Crab Seafood Restaurant, a local Fort Myers boil joint that brings the bold, spicy spirit of the Gulf Coast seafood right to our vicinity, with a mix of flavors that nod to Louisiana tradition while putting their own careful twist on the boil game.
Walking through the front doors, a glowing red sign welcomes customers, accompanied by warm ambient lantern lights over the seating area and the sound of sports games playing on the TVs. A giant decorative ship takes anchor in the middle of the restaurant, above the bar, a massive lobster hovering and oversized crabs lurking on the walls. The air feels light, almost like a cooled summer night…