Bimini Boatyard's Boat Show Bonanza: One and a Half Tons of Seafood

Michael Bennett

Bimini Boatyard's swordfish -- one of 47 pounds ordered for the boat show.

​Bimini Boatyard is one of the closest restaurants to the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, and every year, the staff prepares for an onslaught of boaters, salespeople, and daytrippers with an appetite for seafood.

Tropical-storm-like rains and flash flood warnings wreaked havoc during the weekend but didn't deter tens of thousands of people from braving the elements to peek at what millions of dollars of seaworthy vessels look like. While most couldn't afford a 248-foot motor yacht (price? if you have to ask, you can't afford it), they could afford a nice seafood dinner. And Bimini Boatyard was prepared.

Chef Michael Bennett shared his seafood order for boat show weekend -- an incredible one and a half tons of calamari, salmon, grouper, and all other creatures that crawled, swam, and just existed under the sea.

In fact, the restaurant broke its own record when it sold one ton of seafood last year. Here's the largest order of seafood we've ever encountered. Please pass the butter and lemon.
Bimini Boatyard's Boat Show Seafood Inventory (courtesy of chef Michael Bennett):

• Oysters: 1,000 pounds

• Filleted Mahi Mahi: 372 pounds

• Medium, Large and Jumbo - Stone Crab Claws: 356 pounds

• Filleted Black Grouper: 167 pounds

• Filleted Salmon: 95 pounds

• Filleted Yellowtail Snapper: 124 pounds

• U-5 Scallops: 112 pounds

• Lobster tails: 40 pounds

• Loins of Swordfish: 47 pounds

• Fillets of Cobia: 44 pounds

• Filleted Corvina: 103 pounds

• Loins of Wahoo: 25 pounds

• Calamari: 175 pounds

• Snow Crab Leg clusters: 75 pounds

• Shrimp; small, medium and large: 176 pounds

Total: 2,736 pounds (over one and a half tons of seafood)

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