The Pinched Pint Glass

OK, so what does a grouper sandwich have to do with Beer? Plenty read on…

My family and I have an annual tradition of going to Captiva Island for a week during the off-season. (Off-season in Florida happens to be in July.) Captiva, a fantastic little island west of Fort Myers, is quaint like Key West prior to its commercialization. There is a random hodgepodge of little houses and cottages mixed in with beautiful mansions. Captiva Island is about a half mile wide and you can walk across it in less than ten minutes. If you are looking for a place that has the feel of Key West without the crazy street drinking, college kids just turned twenty-one on their first legal binge and street bums then Captiva is your place.

Located on Andy Rosse Lane about a block from the gulf, you will find our favorite spot, RC Otter, with a decent selection of beer, favoring wheat and pale ales both of which are good summer beers. Darker beer can also be found on tap.

 During our recent visit, that dark beer happened to be Wolverton Organic Oatmeal Stout. Stouts tend to have too much mouth feel and a strong molasses taste, which I typically do not care for. When I do drink very dark beer, I favour porters that are lighter in body. However, as there was nothing else on the menu that really drew my attention, I went for the stout.

The beer arrived and here was a surprise: much less body than I had anticipated a little chocolaty which I did expect, but with no bitterness to it at all. I would call it closer to a porter than a stout. In the end, Wolverton Organic Oatmeal was a very quaffable beer for a hot afternoon.

A local favorite, RC Otters has a Crunchy Grouper Reuben Sandwich that is NOT on their menu, you have to ask for it. Fried grouper fillet is served on Rye Bread with Coleslaw and Thousand Island dressing. I add a few drops of Tabasco, which finished it nicely. Having lived in Florida for twenty years and having eaten grouper from the panhandle to Key West, take my word for it that there is no better grouper sandwich in the Sunshine State. It is worth the drive to Captiva for this sandwich alone.

RC Otters has a final attraction. Bimini Ring game,  a simple, yet highly addicting game, it comprises a steel ring suspended on a piece of rope. There is a hook at exactly the length of ropes distance. You swing the ring and try to catch it onto the hook. Simple, right? The kids will play this game endlessly keeping themselves occupied while the larger kids drink Oatmeal Stout!

Cheers!