The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Alabama’s sugar sand beaches stretch for 32 miles, offer myriad treats
When winter is coming, the meandering 1,631 miles of the U.S. Gulf Coast have great appeal to people of the North — my partner and I included. So, in October, we tested our new-to-us motorhome along the Gulf Coast, making Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, Alabama, our first stops. The area’s sugar sand beaches, emerging food scene, vibrant festivals and affordability are a draw.
With an RV for comfort, we stretched the 1,000mile trip from Lake County over three days, driving five hours Friday afternoon, enjoying a broken stretch on Saturday and arriving early Sunday morning. Along the way we prepared meals and boondocked at a rest area and a Walmart. (Boondocking, in RV speak, is to stay overnight in a parking lot for free.)
After 15-plus hours on the road, Pandion Ridge RV Park in Orange Beach was an oasis. At the clubhouse, Salt, the ambassador duck, approached us with loud, friendly quacks. Her partner, Pepper, a dark-colored duck, disappeared recently, and Salt was lonely. Three weeks after our visit, the resort acquired another duck, Sugar, and now both greet guests.
The year-old park offers 142 sites on 30 acres surrounded by generous grassy open space. The common area includes a pool, hot tub, pond (watch for ’gators) and plenty of room for the popular sport of dog walking (watch for ’gators, just kidding). And the free WiFi is strong. Bikes are available for those who want to explore the 23 miles of paved trails in the adjacent Gulf State Park and Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail.
When RVing, we like to roll from bed to kitchenette for eggs and toast. When I fry bacon, I trigger the smoke alarm. So we save that for the grill outside.
This trip, however, a friend insisted we try The Ruby Slipper Cafe, where the “Wizard of Oz” reference is intentional. The local chain was founded in New Orleans. After Hurricane Katrina hit, a young couple started feeding people. That eventually became a restaurant and, because “There’s no place like home,” they named it Ruby Slipper. Various interpretations of eggs benedict are the specialty.
One of the most interesting restaurants on the strip is Salt — no relation to the duck. Powered by local celebrity chef Chris Sherrill, the experience starts with the pleasant aroma of bacon from candles made with animal fat. As one might expect of a Gulf Coast restaurant, Salt’s menu is full of seafood.
What’s remarkable here is Sherrill’s approach with the NUISANCE Group project. Founded two years ago, the NUISANCE Group is “a team committed to raising awareness of Gulf Coast flora and fauna considered to be a Nuisance, Underutilized and/or Invasive that are also Sustainable and Available through Noble Culinary Endeavors.” In other words, he wants to eat away at the problem.
That problem includes invasive species such as lionfish, wild boar, kudzu and many more. Our dinner included lionfish and kudzu. Lionfish — just 13 to 16 inches long — are a Darwinian nightmare in the Gulf of Mexico. The accidental population gobbles feeder fish that native species need to survive, and they reproduce like bacteria. They’re threatening the sustainability of reef habitat, fish populations and the livelihoods of fishermen.
In the kitchen, they are a versatile, flaky-meaty, white-fleshed fish that can be cooked, says Sherrill, using almost any fish technique — sautéed, fried, baked, broiled, steamed and so on. Our dinner was fried and served with a citrusy satsuma beurre blanc and creamy risotto. If it was any example, we should eat the problem.
On another evening, we tried a vintage dining spot, De Soto’s Seafood Kitchen. Here, Royal Red Shrimp, a local legend, dominated dinner. The lesser-known species is caught far offshore in 1,200- to 1,800-foot deep Gulf waters. They’re red before cooking and require only a short boil. Because they taste sweet like lobster, the locals simply dip them in butter and eat. Only a handful of restaurants serve the treat.
The day after trying Royal Reds, we motored — we’d hauled our motorcycle with us — about 10 miles to the Bon Secour, Alabama. There we secured 8 pounds of Royal Reds, as well as brown and white varieties to bring north in the RV’s freezer. Two purveyors — Aquila’s and Billy’s, less than a half mile apart on the Bon Secour Bay — have the Royal Reds delivered daily.
Royal Reds are sold, cooked and served with heads on. While the visual is tough at first, the locals say cooking with heads on enhances flavor. To eat, boil, twist off the head, peel the body, dip in butter and enjoy.
And while we could have eaten well in the RV at least one night, we relished the wind in our hair on the ride from Gulf Shores to the Florida border and iconic FloraBama Yacht Club complex. Best known for its casual Lounge, the kitchen steps it up at the waterfront club. The venue is rustic, the food anything but.
When not eating, sunshine and comfortable temperatures of the ocean water beckoned us. For entertainment, Janel Hawkins of Sandcastle University shared her talent. A selftaught artist, the 23-yearold has studied under masters and has sculpted the NCAA volleyball logo for national television. Today, she teaches more than 300 classes per year.
At our beachfront meeting spot, Hawkins set up four water-filled 5-gallon buckets, two child-size spades, several carving tools, an aerosol can of WD40 and a plastic form made from a bottomless bucket. A 3-foot-wide pyramid of dry, loose sand awaited construction.