Capri Fish House, Isles of Capri, Marco Island area, Florida

I’d eaten by myself at a few waterside places while Nancy was playing Mah Jongg — Snook Inn, Paradise Lost, Crabby Lady — when she finally broke loose and went to lunch with me. In the run-up to celebrating 50 years of wedded bliss, where to go to really impress the Love of Your Life? To the romantic Isle of Capri?

No? How about the Isles of Capri and this romantic spot?

It just reeks of class.

Well, she married me for better or for worse, and she had, if not fair warning, plenty of indications.

The Capri Fish House is one of the several great casual waterside restaurants in the Isles of Capri. The Isles lie just north of Marco and they’re the site of much fishing and other Florida activities. I’ve already reported on the Island Gypsy and Pelican Bend. Now it’s Capri Fish House’s turn.

This is a fun place. It’s always crowded and full of well oiled sun worshippers getting oiled inside as well as out. There’s even a tiny beach.

They also have what marks the waterside places in the Marco Island area — that-morning fresh seafood from Goodland. That’s what I ordered, a blackened grouper sandwich. (Are you seeing a pattern in my orders?) This time I went wild and chose onion rings as my side.

The grouper was very fresh and very nicely cooked. As you can see, the blackening seasoning was very light, as it had been at Pelican Bend, and in contrast to Island Gypsy’s blackening. I prefer a fairly pronounced blackening, and was thrilled by the actual pan blackening a la Paul Prudhomme at Salt Rock, but it’s good either way. The main things are the freshness of the fish and sufficient skill in the cooking, both of which are first class here.

Let’s not forget the onion rings. They were lightly breaded and great. These rings were well above average, and I recommend you order them.

Nancy ordered a side portion of fish (the size you get when you order it on a salad) and vegetables as her side. It came, as you can see, with a side salad followed by a huge serving of vegetables. It may not look huge due to foreshortening, but it was big enough that I had to help her finish it.

The fish, again, was delicious, the side salad was fresh as can be, and the vegetables were al dente.

I said that I recommend the onion rings, but I should say a word about the fries. I didn’t try any, but I did see a man at another table reaching behind a woman whom he may or may not have known to sneak her fries. You can see this as high praise for the fries, or as a counter to the calumny regarding women who never order fries but eat all their companion’s. You decide.

As you have guessed, I recommend Capri Fish House. They know how to cook and they know how to select fresh fish. Those should be brainstem activity for waterside restaurants, but alas, such is not the case. There are a lot of freezers out there, and a lot of cooks who don’t pay attention. The great quality of Goodland seafood gives Marco area restaurants a big edge, and Capri Fish House is another place that takes full advantage of it. Go to Florida, go to the Isles of Capri, and enjoy some top notch seafood.

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