Set sail for Johnny Longboats, savor ambience, tasty seafood
On the breezy night I visited Johnny Longboats on Singer Island, I couldn’t see the ocean – but I could feel it. The restaurant seems to float amid the salt and sea, like a cruise ship. In fact, the music alone is poolside cruise ship-ready, calypso fugues mingling with the breeze from open windows.
The place was packed like a cruise ship, too, with a happy bustle at the bar and a brisk shuffle of servers in the dining room.
But, unlike a cruise ship, islandy Johnny Longboats serves pretty terrific dishes. We glimpsed this fact upon sampling the homemade conch fritters ($8.95), hot and crispy and abundant fritters served with a bright key lime sauce.
Further confirmation came from a bowl of crab bisque ($5.50, one size), a sherry-laced cream thick with fresh blue crab. I do have to note, however, that I found a couple of small bits of crab shell in the bisque. It wasn’t enough to send it back, nor did it change the fact that the soup was delicious. But it does indicate a bit of haste in the kitchen.

Her Majesty went with primrose yellow – bright, sunlit and vibrant against all the surrounding pastels. The coat was by one of her favorite designers, Angela Pelly, with a typical medium brimmed hat with a high crown rise trimmed in yellow and orange


