C U I S I N E
with Southern Twists
THERE WAS A TIME
when Fish Camps were
family retreats that sold
Local Seafood
Hog Island Fish Camp
By Margaret Word Burnside and Aaron R. Fodiman
inexpensive bait, rented fishing
poles, and cooked the catch of
the day for dinner. Those who
went to these camps enjoyed
the casual setting and the
company of other like-minded
individuals. Tampa Bay native Walt
Wickman opened his first restaurant,
Walt’s Seasonal Cuisine, in Dunedin. His
second endeavor is the highly successful
Olde Bay Café and Dunedin Fish Market
at the Dunedin Marina. For his third
creation, Hog Island Fish Camp, he found
a suitable location not far from the Marina
on Broadway in downtown Dunedin.
Its casual Florida décor, complete with
fishing and nautical memorabilia, creates
a relaxing ambience for guests as they
sit down to review the menu. This is
where Walt has done a spectacular job
of compiling a selection of offerings that
will please most anyone, whether they
are in the mood for simply prepared fresh
seafood or for an unusual meal of Venison
with a Blueberry and Sherry Gastrique.
To begin, you can choose from Stone
Crab Claws, Bacon Parmesan Crusted
Oysters, Fried Green Tomatoes with
Shrimp Rémoulade, BBQ Duck Wings,
Smoked Mullet Dip, Grouper Wings, Pimento
The Roasted Pork Sandwich at the new Hog Island Fish Camp
is topped with White Cheddar and a Bourbon BBQ Sauce.
Cheese Spread or PEI Mussels and
Frites, just to name some of our favorites.
There are also four soups – a Beer Cheese,
A portion of the menu that
we especially enjoy is the extensive
selection of side dishes,
such as Cole Slaw, Butter Pan
Fried Corn, Country Style
Green Beans, Braised Greens,
Rapini, Butter Beans Fregola,
Succotash, Roasted Zucchini
and Tomatoes, Mac and Cheese,
Hoppin’ John, Hand Cut Frites, Roasted
Fingerling Potatoes, Potatoes au Gratin,
Hush Puppies and Cast Iron Skillet Corn
Bread. We could make a meal out of these
outstanding side dishes.
Walt seems to have done everything
right here, including a full bar, great beers
and wines and an efficient, friendly staff
that is headed up by the well-known
restauranteur Jack Herr and Chef Jonathan
Plicta.
With so many wonderful places to eat in
Dunedin, Hog Island Fish Camp will help
to draw even more people to this dining
mecca. Open for lunch and dinner seven
days a week and with its own parking lot,
this is sure to be another culinary jewel in
Dunedin’s crown.
9
EDITOR’S NOTE: The Hog Island Fish Camp
is located on Alternate 19 at 900 Broadway
Avenue (just north of Main Street) in Dunedin,
(727) 736-1179.
Photography by Noraa
a creamy Tomato Bisque, an Oyster and
Milk Stew, and one that Walt calls, “Bay
Bottom,” with scallops, shrimp and fish
in a tomato chowder.
For salads, they offer a Watermelon with
arugula, feta and a lemon vinaigrette; a
Baby Iceberg with bleu cheese, bacon and
cherry tomatoes with black pepper buttermilk
dressing; as well as a Fried Quail
and deviled eggs over arugula salad with
a bacon balsamic vinaigrette.
The rest of the menu is split into Sea
and Land. The Sea includes Fried Local
Mullet, Broiled Salmon, Shrimp and Grits,
Pan Seared Grouper, Cedar Key Clams
over Linguini, and a Fish of the Day. Of
course, there is also a fried or blackened
Hog Fish or Grouper Sandwich.
The Land offerings include a Hanger
Steak, a Pork Steak, Sirloin Steak, Pan Fried
Quail, Venison, and a Southern Style Buttermilk
Fried Chicken dinner that is meant
to be shared by two or three guests. For
light eaters, there is also a Buttermilk Fried
Chicken Sandwich, a Roasted Pork with
White Cheddar Sandwich, and a Chicken
Salad Sandwich.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016 TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE 169