Doc Ford's Author's Restaurant Goes Big Time in New York Times

    SANIBEL, FL, May 26, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Author Randy Wayne White is well-known and respected for his Doc Ford mystery novels. On Sunday, May 16, White's renown kicked up a notch when the New York Times Food Writer, Sam Sifton, featured Doc Ford's Rum Bar & Grille's Yucatan shrimp dish.

White is part owner of the restaurants (http://www.DocFords.com) on Sanibel Island and Fort Myers Beach in Southwest Florida. The restaurants are popular with residents and tourists, mainly for the delicious cuisine but also because of the strong following for White's Doc Ford books.

The novels portray the crime-solving skills of Marion "Doc" Ford, a retired government agent engaged in marine biology. Food and cooking often play roles in White's books. Scenes describe Ford and his pal, Tomlinson, discussing food preparation while solving a mystery. "While traveling and writing for Outside (Magazine), I came to know and love the superb cuisine of the rural tropics. I loved the sauces, the spices, and the passion that went into the food preparation." Those experiences link White's novels and his restaurants.

The dish that gets the attention in Sifton's article is Yucatan Shrimp; fresh, boiled shrimp tossed in garlic butter with Indonesian sambal and jalapeno, cut by lime and made fragrant with cilantro. Gourmet dishes like this are on the Doc Ford's Rum Bar & Grille menus, even though the restaurants are in the tradition of sports bars, reflecting White's love for sports and food. White is quoted by Sifton as saying, "The communal act of peeling and eating the cooked shrimp leads to a sharing of the spirit of Sanibel itself, and casual, family-style dining that brings people closer to one another than they might get primly eating with a knife and fork."

Not surprising then, that Doc Ford's Rum Bar & Grille patrons are often seen sharing stories and laughs over tropical cuisine served in White's island eateries. Co-owner Marty Harrity, who also owns the Fort Myers Beach sports bar, The Beached Whale, adds, "The food at Doc Ford's is where it starts. You've got to have great food, ambiance and service to deliver a memorable dining experience. At Doc Ford's and the Beached Whale that's what we're all about."

Doc Ford's Rum Bar and Grille on Sanibel is located at the corner of Sanibel-Captiva Road and Rabbit Road near the J.N Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge entrance. Doc Ford's Rum Bar and Grille on Fisherman's Wharf in Fort Myers Beach is on the Fort Myers side of the Matanzas Pass Bridge, directly under the bridge.

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