Indians, Cotton and Shrimp

I think I now know something about the Native American Indians I didn't fully understand before.  It seems that for years I thought their ways of communicating with smoke signals was pretty crude but ...  I was so wrong.   I found out the hard way that the tribes in Michigan, where we normally gamble, managed to get word to the ones down here (Wind Creek Casino in Atmore AL) that we are indeed fools so take every advantage of them that you can.  This relatively new casino was nice but not many were playing this afternoon.  Maybe spending on Black Friday items ... which was probably better anyway.  We only stayed about two hours and I lost what I had planned to but Sharon did win a little.  For the hours drive, for me was not worth the trip, but Sharon enjoyed it.

Leaving the casino I noticed a field of fluffy white puffs of something swaying in the breeze across the road.  A closer look was called for so I pulled off the road to take a closer look.  My first live cotton bushes/plants.  I'd seen pictures before but in all my travels had never seen them up close.  Up close they weren't quite so fluffy as I had expected but so very white and lots of them.  I cannot imagine ever picking these by hand but they did and I cannot think of a more back breaking job.  They're low to the ground requiring the picker to be bent over all day long.  A real pain.

 Moving on ...

So what to choose?  Will it be the Zydecco Penne (Crawfish Tails, Andouille Sausage,Jumbo Gulf Shrimp, Cajun Vegetables, and Roasted Garlic in a cream sauce), or a Seafood Platter (Butterflied Shirmp, Deep Sea Scallops, Extra Select Oysters,Filet of Flounder, and Crab Cakes) or All you can eat shrimp,flounder,tilapia,clams, or chicken and maybe top it off with French bread baked in a sweet cinnamon vanilla raisin custard topped with a Whiskey sauce? 

We found Captain's Galley on County Road 10 west of Foley.  Not anywhere near the main drag but tucked away on on Bon Secur River sort of on the outskirts of town.  We pulled in lot and parked in front of their shrimp boat.  Not fancy by any means but more like a mom and pop operation in your home town.  The Auburn/Alabama game was in the final minutes and most of the patrons were glued to the several screens up around the dinning room as we  made our way to a seat.  We ordered a couple of beers and some onion rings and both decided after reviewing the large menu on the all-you-could-eat shrimp. Our rationale was that we skipped lunch so why not pile on dinner.

In short order our meal was served.  A very light batter covered about 16 shrimp.  How can I describe fresh?  Okay ... how about NOT like most of the shrimp you get up north. Delicately flavored with a batter that was just barely there.  Right out of the frier to our plates in seconds.  Figuring that Sharon couldn't eat all of hers I held off wolfing all mine down; avoiding any redicule later on if I had ordered more.  Whoops ... fooled again.  She put her batch down like a baby Robin with a beak full of worms. So the waitress winked and I winked back and before long another hot batch appeared.  Slathered up will a little cocktail sauce they too soon disappeared but there was absolutely no room for the whiskey drizzled French Bread pudding.  Pretty fine dining for less than $30 and jeans and sweat pants are appropriate.

So Captain's Gallery is officially the first resturant, at least on this trip, that we can finally recommend to others. We're sure there will be more.

Still livin' the dream.

Phil