Charming Apalachicola

The town of Apalachicola lies about 25 miles East of Port St. Joe on US Hwy 98. Foodies across the land are likely familiar with the name because it is here that some of the best oysters, in fact many would argue the best, in the country are harvested and processed. There are approximately 200 oyster growing appellations in North America so what, you may wonder, makes these so special? Some say it is the nearly perfect combination of clean fresh and nutrient rich water from the Apalachicola and Chattahoochee rivers which meets the salty seawater of Apalachicola Bay to create an ideal estuarine environment where baby oysters enjoy the optimum salinity and temperature to grow big and juicy.

Oysters are bi-valves and feed on single-cell plants they filter from the water passing over and through the "beds" where they grow. the oysters (Crassostrea virginica) that thrive in Apalachicola Bay grow rapidly and generally reach market size in two years or a little less. The Florida Gulf Coast in one of only a few areas where oysters are still harvested commercially from small boats by "tonging". That means that the fishermen use large rake like devices known as tongs to dislodge oysters from the bed and scoop them up and into the boat; talk about hard work.

Whatever the reason for the excellent quality and flavor of oysters grown in Apalachicola Bay we are quite appreciative of the result and find ourselves heading over to “Apalach”, as the locals say, at least once a week to get our oyster fix. Not that that we can’t enjoy the same fine oysters here in Port St. Joe, in fact the marina restaurant has a “2 for 1” weekday special (steamed, baked, or on the half-shell) that we try to take advantage of at least once a week. But the Boss Oyster Company restaurant over in Apalach has the best oyster po’boy that we have found outside of New Orleans and since we are so close, well, it would be foolish not to enjoy ‘em while we can


On our most recent excursion we took the opportunity to visit the John Gorrie Museum. Dr. Gorrie was the inventor of the original ice machine which was the precursor to refrigeration that we now take for granted. As a physician he was looking for a way to cool the air and relieve the suffering of his patients suffering from Yellow Fever. Dr. Gorrie received the first U.S. Patent for mechanical refrigeration in 1851, however he died without enjoying the commercial success of his work. While the Gorrie Museum was interesting we already knew much of the story and just stopped in because it was open on the day we were in town. The real treasure for the day was our visit to the Orman House Historic State Park for what our friend Joe Rattini described as the “best two dollar tour I ever got". The park ranger that gave the tour was quite a history buff and was a treasure trove of information on the town of Apalachicola as well as the Orman family and the general history of the region.

Apalachicola has seen both boom and bust many times throughout its rich history; first as a thriving port shipping cotton from Alabama & Georgia to Europe. During the Civil War the town's economy was shattered by a blockade that closed the port. About a decade after the end of the Civil War the lumber boom brought the community back to boom times which lasted until about 1930 when the area was finally stripped of Cypress. As the lumbering boom faded Apalach turned again to the rich waters and became the third largest sponging center in Florida. Today the fishing industry thrives and oysters harvested here are shipped around the world. Apalachicola is also working hard to re-invent itself as a tourist destination with more cute shops and new restaurants springing up each season. It sure works for us.