re: Stinky's Fish Camp in Navarre

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Stinky’s Fish Camp Seafood & Wine Bar. At Stinky’s Fish Camp in Santa Rosa Beach, Fla., acclaimed chef Jim Richard works with Chefs/Owners Todd Misener and Brannon Janca.

Richard, who hails from Lafayette, La., has been cooking on the Florida coast for more than 15 years. He served as executive chef at Flamingo Café, opened Cuvee Beach as general manager, and, in between his own projects, found time to open Zampieri’s Harbor Grille in 2006. He began his first business, which he still operates, Blue Mountain Catering company, then bought his first restaurant, The Lake Place, then opened Stinky’s.

Richard, a Culinary Institute of America graduate, pulled together his experiences – including cooking in Five Diamond hotel kitchens across the country and working with Commander’s Palace Chef Jamie Shannon in New Orleans – to create an incredible menu and wine list at Stinky’s.

In addition to the sandwiches and baskets of crisply fried seafood, specialty dishes not often seen on menus beckon at Stinky’s. Stinky’s Stew, for example, is one such item, chock-full of tender, succulent morsels of shrimp, mussels, Gulf fish, and crab legs in a garlic seafood broth, served with a pressed, stuffed, crab po-boy wedge on the side. This dish is great to share. There’s even a side order of crawfish hushpuppies on the menu!

The signature entrée, House Specialty Catfish Meuniere, is adapted from Richard’s grandfather’s creation. On the lighter side, raw oysters, prepared as shooters, ceviche, or with a sauce, are available daily. Baked oysters are served on the half shell with a variety of toppings including smoked cheese, bacon, and horseradish; spinach and mushroom; and garlic butter. Other appetizer choices include Fried Green Tomatoes & Creamy Crawfish Étouffée, and Blackened Gulf Shrimp.

My favorite light, southern-fried treats, however, are the grouper squares with three sauces. For this dish, Richard dips freshly cut squares of grouper into flour, then an egg wash, then Zatarain’s seasoned corn meal before frying. The fish is so fresh, a squeeze of lemon would be just perfect, but the variety of the sauces – Remoulade, Smoked Jalapeño Rouille, and Smoked Tomato-Jalapeño Tartar – take the dish into another realm entirely. The three sauces are like lagniappe!

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