## Royal red shrimp Deep-water shrimp caught off the continental shelf, sweeter and softer than the usual Gulf whites — closer to lobster than shrimp. They cook in about ninety seconds, so anywhere that overcooks them is telling you something. Ask if they are fresh or previously frozen.
## Apalachicola oysters The bay's wild oyster fishery has been under harvest restrictions to let the reefs recover, so what you are served may be farmed from the same waters. Both are excellent. Raw with nothing but lemon is the local default; "Rockefeller" and chargrilled are everywhere too.
## Grouper The regional signature. Fried in a sandwich is the classic, blackened is the local order, and grilled with a little butter is how you taste the fish. Beware of "grouper" that is suspiciously cheap — it may be something else entirely.
## Mullet Smoked mullet dip is the great Panhandle bar snack. Do not skip it because you think you dislike mullet.
## Where to look - Waterfront — the harbour in Destin, St. Andrews in Panama City, the Apalachicola riverfront. - Off the highway — some of the best fish houses in the region look like nothing from the road. - Farmers markets — for smoked fish, tupelo honey (a Gulf County speciality) and citrus.
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