Between seasons

This is the lull between Fantasy Fest (and the the end of hurri- cane season) and the top of the post- Christmas tourist boom. The old city harbor, from our seats at Conch Republic Seafood, is quiet.

After a few cool days, we're back to t-shirt weather.

And it's time to say good-bye for a while to royal red shrimp.

Big and meaty, from 2,400 feet down a bit west of the Dry Tortugas, they're remarkably sweet. Key West pinks -- our everyday local catch -- are always really good. These are always remarkable, worth waiting for every year.

They say the biggest ones are 3 years old. With drawn butter (sinful) or cocktail sauce (merely decadent), they last about 3 minutes after the lemon goes on.