It's Crab Fest Time at Cooters!CLEARWATER BEACH - To celebrate the official opening of Stone Crab season, Cooters Restaurant & Bar will host their 16th Annual Crab Festival Oct. 15 -18, and all are invited to attend. The four-day fest will kick off at 5:00 p.m., Thursday, October 15, and will run throughout the weekend. Cooters' special Crab Fest menu will feature stone crab, king crab, snow crab, and Dungeness crab all at discounted prices, drink specials, and live music under the big tent. "While stone crabs are certainly the top draw to the Crab Fest, we like to offer other crab varieties to our guests as well, so that they have plenty of options," said Jeanie Roush, Manager at Cooters. "We're well known to both locals and tourists as the place to go for snow crab and king crab throughout the year. Our Crab Fest gives everyone the opportunity to try different varieties of crab." Stone crab season in Florida runs from Oct. 15 - May 15, and harvesting is highly regulated by the Florida Department of Agriculture. Stone crabs are captured live in traps and returned live to the sea immediately after the claws are removed. This enables the crabs to regenerate their missing claw. After the claws are harvested, they are fully cooked in fresh water, and then "Flash chilled" in ice water. The cooking of fresh stone crab claws immediately after harvest prevents the delicate meat from sticking to the inside of the shell and the ice water plunge locks in the natural sweet flavor and keeps the freshly cooked claw meat rich and succulent. "The sweet meat of the Florida stone crab claw is delicious unseasoned, served hot with butter, or cold with dipping sauce," said Carol Mears, owner of Cooters. "We'll serve them both ways. In previous years, our Crab Feast Platter, which is loaded with an assortment of crab, has always been a popular choice. We have lots of choices on the menu to keep everyone happy. Come join us for great food and great fun!" About Cooters Restaurant & Bar - Established in 1993, Cooters Restaurant & Bar is known for fresh seafood, hand cut steaks and creative daily specials. The well known restaurant puts its own unique spin on dining by offering the locals and visitors of Clearwater Beach a taste of real Florida - A fun, casual atmosphere with friendly service, delicious food, tropical drinks and classic Southern hospitality. The restaurant serves hot food daily from 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Sunday - Thursday, and 11:30 a.m. - 11:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Cooters is located at 423 Poinsettia Avenue, Clearwater Beach. Phone 727-462-2668. Website: Cooters.com.
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