FORT PIERCE — Those of us fortunate enough to live on the Vero Beach barrier island rarely find ourselves envious of residents of Fort Pierce.
The only things they have that we lust for are their Saturday Farmer’s Market – a big step up from ours – and a curiously named restaurant called the 12A Buoy.
This little shack on the edge of Fisherman’s Wharf in Fort Pierce – right next to a boat launch ramp – serves some of the best fresh seafood in Florida.
We introduced the 12A Buoy to Vero Beach 32963 readers right after it opened four years ago, and about the only thing that has changed since is it gets crowded earlier – in offseason as well as season – and since it does not take reservations, even on weeknights you are likely to have a bit of a wait.
Fine dining this is not.
The 12A – which has kind of a dive bar vibe – is far from fancy. No white tablecloths and fancy silverware. The ambiance is set by the pickup trucks with boat trailers out front.
But the fresh seafood, which we almost always have here, time after time has been excellent bordering on fantastic.
On our most recent visit, we decided to dine outside on the deck (mostly screened from the parking lot by a wall of sea grapes, and a lot less noisy than the relatively small dining area inside), and quickly ordered a quite nice bottle of Line 39 chardonnay (12A? Line 39? Does everything have numbers here?)
For starters, on this visit, I ordered the steamed clams ($12), my husband started with a cup of the creamy, clam-filled New England clam chowder ($4), which he insists is the best to be found in Florida, and our companion opted for a cup of “Jack’s Miami Vice,” which is a half-and-half mix of the clam chowder and the tomato-based conch chowder.
The chowders both lived up to expectations, and the clams – steamed in a garlic herbed butter and sherry sauce – were delicious. Our only complaint about this dish is it is served with a single piece of toast – not nearly enough to mop up the yummy sauce.
Then for entrées, I decided to go with the yellowtail snapper ($22), my husband chose the blackened scallops ($21), and our companion went for the crab stuffed shrimp ($19).
The snapper was butterflied, pan seared and then roasted in a lime basil oil blended with wine, garlic, olives, capers, scallions and sun-dried tomatoes. A perfect piece of fish, perfectly prepared.
The scallops were everything scallops should be and so often aren’t: five beautiful, plump orbs, dredged in blackened seasonings, pan seared medium rare, and brought to the table sweet and juicy on the inside, served in a lobster ginger cream sauce that was lighter than it sounds.
The dish couldn’t have been better.
Our companion’s crab-stuffed shrimp were also wonderful, broiled and topped with a citrus buerre blanc sauce.
All dishes come with a choice of sides. I had a baked potato while my husband and our companion chose mashed, and we all enjoyed the evening’s mixed vegetables, cooked al dente.
As often is the case here, we had no room for the wonderful homemade desserts: a choice of a key lime pie and or peanut butter pie (each $4).
But be forewarned: Some evenings, even if you dine relatively early, by the time you get to that stage of your meal, the desserts are all gone.
We would also be remiss if we did not mention two of the 12A appetizers which we did not have on this occasion – the lobster mac and cheese ($11), a table-sized appetizer of macaroni and asiago cheese baked in a personal- sized skillet with chunks of lobster, and the lightly breaded fried oysters ($10), which are always juicy and succulent.
We’ve enjoyed these on many occasions, and they rightfully draw raves from the 12A’s many fans.
For the quality of the food and the size of the portions, the prices are more than reasonable. Most entrées are in the low to mid-$20s, and how many places do you know where an interesting wine list tops out in the low $30s?
Even the simplest dishes are so good here they make you wish this restaurant was in Vero, rather than a 25-minute drive away in Fort Pierce.
If you really like fresh seafood, however, the 12A Buoy is worth the trip.
I welcome your comments, and encourage you to send feedback to me at [email protected].
The reviewer dines anonymously at restaurants at the expense of Vero Beach 32963.
