Key West's Source for Wild, Local Seafood
By Margit Bisztray, Food Critic

As you've noticed, the press––no matter how mainstream–––is heavily covering the rising demand for local and wild food. Well, I've found the source for wild, local Florida seafood, especially Key West pink shrimp. It's called Fishbusterz, and it's on Stock Island, Florida, the next Key north of Key West.

As you may or may not realize, the shrimping industry used to be based out of Key West, with the boats pulling up right at the Bight (where you did not go at night unless you were one tough cookie: it was dangerous down there). Yachts from all over the world and restaurants catering to their owners have taken over this bit of water, but the shrimp boats are still active. It's just that today they pull into Stock Island.

Meanwhile, a couple of young entrepreneurs have seized the opportunity to organize and profit on this industry. On any given day, the massive, impressive shrimp boats (they remind me of giant insects) will pull up to the dock and begin to unload thousands of pounds of fresh shrimp, most of which is instantly frozen on board, to keep it fresh. These go into a machine called a grader, which sorts them by size before they are packed into crates of ice and shipped to wherever they're going. Some of Key West's top restaurants, with some of the pickiest buyers, are already sourcing their seafood from Fishbusterz (Blue Heaven and nine one five).

For the rest of us, who don't own restaurants, Fishbusterz sells wholesale seafood (the most beautiful display of glistening fresh fish and shrimp I've ever seen), including all sizes of shrimp and stone crab claws, spiny lobster and, in addition to the expected yellowtail, grouper and mahi, other rarer fish species you forget even swim in the water around South Florida, like swordfish.

Or, you can take a seat at Shrimp Shack, watch the shrimp boats bob around, watch shrimp be unloaded, look for manatees, and dig into plates of steamed pinks, oyster po' boys (Gulf of Mexico oysters, of course), fried shrimp, grilled or fried catch of the day and, if you're too curious to resist, a shrimp Sloppy Joe.

This is the real deal: fresh, local wild seafood, eaten right on the spot.

Shrimp Shack and the seafood market at Fishbusterz is located at 6840 Front Street, Stock Island. Call 305-294-6456 for more information.

NOTE: Margit Bisztray has been reviewing restaurants and writing about food for ten years. She has published three editions of The Complete Key West Dining Guide, and her work has appeared in such publications as Vogue, Gourmet, Islands and Metropolitan Home. To read more restaurant reviews, log your own personal opinions, rate your favorite restaurants and watch streaming video archives of these shows and other reviews, visit Margit's Top 5.