Dock to Dish Set to Host Monthly "Fish School" Events to Educate Key West Community About the New Age of Healthy, American, Sustainable Seafood

Underscoring its commitment to help the community learn about the many lesser-known, more affordable, but still great tasting fish species that are plentiful in the waters throughout the Florida Keys, Dock to Dish Key West, in conjunction with the Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen’s Association today announced plans to host a series of sunset “Fish School” events that combine education with fish-tasting, refreshments, and community socializing. 

Dock to Dish Co-Founder and Commercial Fisherman Tony Osborn

The first beachfront Fish School event will take place next Thursday, May 21st from 7:00PM until 9:00PM at the Dock to Dish Community Seafood Market (CSM) located at 3101 North Roosevelt Boulevard.  Dock to Dish members and their guests are welcome to attend, according to Dock to Dish Key West Co-Founder Tony Osborn.  “Our local waters have an abundance of healthy, great tasting fish and seafood that are not very well known, if at all,” Osborn said today.  “Because these species lack consumer demand, they’re often far less expensive than those that are highly popular. These events will show our community that by purchasing certain species, you can still enjoy entirely fresh, local, and delicious seafood without spending a lot.”

However, as Osborn and his Dock to Dish team emphasize, promoting lesser-known species does more than make seafood more affordable; it also eases the burden on the more in-demand and thus overfished species. “The current seafood industry in the America is demand-driven and when consumers are only aware of a few species, these species are subject to overfishing,” Osborn said. “By educating our community at Fish School events on our water’s wide variety of species, we allow our fish populations to regenerate while making fresh, local seafood more affordable for our community. It’s this positive impact on both our community and the Key West ecosystem that’s at the core of the Dock to Dish mission.”

Dock to Dish Commercial Fishermen representing the 1st Hand

In addition to promoting lesser-known species, the monthly Fish School events will also introduce the community to what Dock to Dish has dubbed their “Three Hands Fish” philosophy – a business model that guarantees their fish fresh while supporting the local Florida Keys commercial fishermen. 

According to Osborn, the ‘first hand’ is the hand of the Dock to Dish commercial fisherman who actually caught the fish.  The ‘second hand’ is the Community Seafood Market that cleans and prepares the fish, and the ‘third hand’ is the community and restaurant members who cook and consume the fish.  Unlike traditional markets and grocery stores, whose supply chain can include at least 12 separate links, the Dock to Dish seafood supply chain is made up of only the ‘three hands’ in the Three Hand Fish philosophy.  “Our very short and transparent harvesting and handling process ensures that your local seafood is always fresh, never frozen; always delicious and nutritious,” Osborn emphasized.

Dock to Dish CSM Fish Cutters Wes (left) and Ryan (right) representing the 2nd Hand

The inaugural Dock to Dish Fish School event will feature three interactive stations manned by Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen Association members, Community Seafood Market fish cutters, and Dock to Dish Restaurant Member chefs.  The first station will feature Dock to Dish fishermen who will teach members and their guests about a lesser known, in-season local fish species; the second station will feature Dock to Dish Community Seafood Market cutters teaching members how to fillet, de-bone, scale, and skin the same in-season local species; the third station will feature a Dock to Dish restaurant chef preparing and cooking that very same fish.

“In just a few months time, we’ve established strong relationships with nine of Key West’s most prominent restaurants, supplying them with Dock to Dish fish on a daily basis,” said Paul Menta, local chef and Co-Founder of Dock to Dish. “Involving the growing number of restaurants who support Dock to Dish in these events provides our members with the opportunity to learn fresh fish cooking tips from our community’s top chefs – it’s an experience that cannot be replicated elsewhere.”

Dock to Dish Co-Founder & Restaurant Chef Paul Menta representing the 3rd Hand

“The Dock to Dish Fish School is another great step forward in our association’s efforts to forge a meaningful relationship between commercial fishermen and the consumers who benefit the most from their catch,” emphasized FKCFA Executive Director Bill Kelly. “The growing success of the Dock to Dish Key West Community Seafood Market is helping to improve the livelihoods of our members while raising the general consumer population’s appreciation for what commercial fishermen contribute to our economy and our way of life.”

For more information on Dock to Dish Fish School events, emaildocktodishkeywest@gmail.com or call (305) 296-0274. 

The Florida Keys' Best Flats Fishing Is Now Literally Just Outside Your Door at Ibis Bay Beach Resort!

IBIS BAY Beach Resort in Key West, Florida receives a lot of praise for its authentic 1950s Key West ambiance, its first-rate 21st Century service, its plentiful watersport activities, and its immediacy to the Trip Advisor 5-star rated Stoned Crab restaurant.  But there’s one major new attraction that traveling fisherman are really going to love — the newly enhanced IBIS Bay Fish Camp!

IBIS BAY is home to the only boat ramp to Key West’s bay, putting flats fishing just outside the door for any of the resort’s guests. Recognizing how important this area is for visiting fisherman, owner Chris Holland has made it a priority to provide everything a fisherman guest might need to enjoy the bounty of the Key West’s beautiful waters. This includes Key West’s only boat ramp on the bay for guests who bring their own flats boat, as well as two house-owned boats for rent, a group of rooms called the Fish Camp with maritime decorations and outdoor cleaning stations, and fresh catch cooking at the red-hot Stoned Crab restaurant in front of the resort! 

Jason Wells, manager of the Stoned Crab, is a local Key West fisherman who also runs two commercial fishing boats in Alaska during sockeye salmon season each year. According to Wells, the fishing, food and experience at IBIS BAY and the Stoned Crab is second-to-none. 

“Key West is a fisherman’s paradise,” Wells said. “From March to July there’s a huge bounty of tarpon, permit and bonefish, and the actual variety is much larger for the patient fisherman. We know these waters are fantastic because we fish them every day, and that’s also why we are able to serve the best seafood on the island. We’ll cook your catch for a small fee as well, giving you a self-caught meal like you’ve never had before.” 

So what is staying at IBIS BAY like for flats fishermen? Imagine waking up in a beautiful room, opening the door to a gorgeous white sand beach and being able to get out on the water in minutes. Guests without a boat can rent the resort’s 19-foot Release for a full day ($575) or half day ($375) with or without a captain (additional $100 for half day, $150 for full day), or take out the resort’s 24-foot Starcraft ($600) for a 5-hour trip with a captain, paddleboards, beach chairs, water masks, and a special sandbar cookout of any catches courtesy of the captain! This make it a great option for families as well as seasoned fishermen. 

“Local fisherman and visitors alike know that Key West’s waters are ripe with incredible catches every day of the year,” said IBIS BAY owner Chris Holland. “The fishing community here is vibrant and friendly, and for many travelers a fishing and fresh cooking experience is something they won’t get anywhere else. For veteran fishermen we’re excited to offer them Key West’s only bayside boat ramp and everything they need to clean and prepare their fish for a fantastically fresh and delicious meal at the Stoned Crab restaurant.” 

IBIS BAY has quickly become a favorite among travelers and locals and is already having a big impact on the local community through the many events and fundraisers it hosts.  As the island’s only beach resort to embrace Key West’s Cuban history, IBIS BAY stands alone as both a resort and a destination.  Owner Chris Holland is all about authentic travel, and he has fused the island’s classic 1950s style with 21st century comforts to create a fun, uniquely Key West destination.

Additionally, Holland has recently teamed with New York-based Dock to Dish to bring the locally-sourced seafood membership based Seafood Market to Key West. They are passionate about serving and selling only the freshest fish available, whether in the Stoned Crab restaurant or at the new on-site Dock to Dish Seafood Market. 

IBIS BAY offers rental bicycles, scooters and electric golf carts to help you get around the island, jet skis to have fun on the water, and IBIS BAY Paddle Sports to take you, your friends and your family out for an amazing kayak or paddleboard adventure where you can see all sorts of marine life. Be sure to check out the clear-bottom kayaks for an incredible tour where you can watch the ocean floor sweep by while the brilliant tour guides tell you all about the island and its rich ecosystem. 

For more info visit www.ibisbayresort.com or call them at 305-296-1043. Reservations for all activities including boat, vehicle and watersport rentals can be made with the front desk, even if you aren’t staying at the resort.

Ibis Bay Beach Resort Introduces Key West to "GoPro® Vacationing"

IBIS BAY Beach Resort, the forward looking Key West resort that first introduced vacationers to “Nightboarding” in 2012, is now taking fun to a whole new level with the introduction of “GoPro® Vacationing!”  According to owner-operator Chris Holland, IBIS Bay has just taken delivery of ten 2014 model year Yamaha jet skis and each one of them is equipped with a GoPro® HD video camera as part of the standard rental package.

“The IBIS Bay GoPro-equipped jet skis are a first for the resort capital of the United States. We’re very proud to be the ones to bring the idea of GoPro® Vacationing to the Florida Keys,” Holland explained.  “We’re even more excited to let vacationers know that the cameras are free with all our jet ski rental packages.  We’re not charging a dime more and we’re taking water sports to a whole new level of enjoyment!”

IBIS Bay jet skis can be rented for $130 for the 1-1/2 hour Island Tour, for $110 for the 1-1/2 hour Early Morning tour, or for $130 for the 1-1/2 hour Sunrise Tour, which includes a full pre-tour breakfast as part of the package price.

Vacationers can also rent GoPro cameras as an option when they are renting the resort’s scooters or bicycles. GoPro rental fees are $35 for the first day, $22.50 for the second day, and $11.25 for every day thereafter.  GoPro cameras and SD Memory Cards can are available at the IBIS BAY Tiki Hut on the front Beach or at the Fun Desk, which is located in the lobby of the resort.

GoPro cameras are transforming the way consumers capture, manage, share and enjoy meaningful life experiences. They empower people to capture compelling, immersive photo and video content of themselves participating in their favorite activities. “We provide mounts for jet skis, bikes and scooters,” Holland explained, “so our guests can easily take their GoPro camera from recreational activity to the next. Making the GoPro cameras available is just one more way that IBIS BAY makes a stay here a destination stay they will always remember!”

The IBIS BAY Fun Desk brings together all the best attractions of Key West, saving travelers time and money by offering them everything they could want all in one place.  With one visit guests can book and schedule activities for their entire trip, and then get on with enjoying their vacation.  The desk is open to the entire public.  Visitors need not be guests of the resort to benefit from the experience.  The full list of activities, packages, and specials can be found at www.ibisbayresort.com/attractions, and visitors can book in advance by calling the Fun Desk at (305) 296-0616.