Every October 15th, Floridians celebrate the return of one of the state’s most iconic delicacies: Florida Stone Crab season. We marked the occasion with Sunday dinner at Billy’s Stone Crab in Tierra Verde, a classic, multi-level, Old Florida restaurant perched right on the water at 1 Collany Road, Tierra Verde, FL 33715.

Dinner started with a quarter-pound of cold peel-and-eat shrimp, followed by Billy’s Famous Salad — crisp, tangy, and reminiscent of The Columbia’s legendary 1905 Salad. But the real star was a trio of jumbo stone crabs, each claw nearly the size of my palm and packed with sweet, delicate meat that tastes like pure Gulf sunshine.

What makes stone crab so special — beyond flavor — is its sustainability. As the note on Billy’s menu explains, only one claw is harvested before the crab is returned to the sea to regenerate a new one, allowing the species to thrive for up to a decade.

Whether you’re a local or visiting Florida this fall, grab a mallet, some mustard sauce, and celebrate the season before it ends in May. Stone crab is truly one of Florida’s finest natural treasures.

-HI.TPA-