🦀 Put On the Bib. 🍋

Hey there,

One of my favorite things about traveling is coming home with a few new cravings.

We just got back from island-hopping around the BVI, where I ate more ceviche than I care to admit. It was the perfect lunch after a morning on the water—cold, bright, refreshing, and exactly what I wanted in the Caribbean heat.

Somewhere between those lunches and the flight home, I started thinking about all the great seafood we have here in Naples. Then my mind wandered a little farther ahead. Before school starts, the boys and I will head to Maine, where summer seafood looks completely different: lobster rolls, clambakes, and seafood boils spread across picnic tables.

That contrast became this week's issue.

I rounded up two seafood boils I'd happily recommend—one from a Naples fisherman I've been buying from for years and another that's worth the quick drive to Bonita—along with three ceviches that deserve a spot on your summer dining list. We also have another Weekend Wave with a few reasons to get out and enjoy what's left of summer.

From butter sauce to leche de tigre, enjoy.

Carolyn

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This week: put on the bib, cool off with ceviche, and a Weekend Wave full of live music, family fun and summer weekends done right.

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Feature

🦀 Put On the Bib.

One starts with a Naples fisherman. The other starts with a quick drive to Bonita. Both are worth getting messy for.

I can't tell you how many times I've been asked where to find a real seafood boil around Naples. Not grilled grouper. Not fried shrimp. The kind of meal that comes with gloves, melted butter and a pile of shells by the end.

After searching for that answer myself over the years, I've settled on two completely different favorites.

🔹 Buy It From the Fisherman

The first time I picked up one of Big Jimmy's seafood boils, it was a tray of freshly steamed blue crabs smothered in Jimmy's signature butter sauce. I was hooked. When stone crab season rolled around, he became my go-to, and I've been buying seafood from Jimmy and his family ever since.

Jimmy isn't a restaurant owner. He's a commercial fisherman, former football coach and one of those people who seems to know everyone in town. Over the years, I've gotten to know Jimmy, his mom (who also happens to be named Carolyn), and the rest of the family. Our kids have chased blue crabs around their driveway while we talked seafood, football and life. Buying from Big Jimmy's never feels like picking up takeout—it feels like supporting a Naples family that's built its business one customer at a time.

One of my favorite things about buying from Jimmy is that you're never buying from a middleman. The person catching the seafood is the same person steaming it, seasoning it and handing it to you.

This time of year, Jimmy is steaming blue crabs with Old Bay, but that's just part of what he does. He also offers seafood boils, shrimp trays and custom seafood spreads for everything from family dinners to backyard parties. If you're planning a gathering, the best thing to do is reach out directly. If he can make it happen, he usually will.

Jimmy recently started captain's school, so orders need to be placed a little earlier each week while he works toward earning his U.S. Coast Guard captain's license. It's another reason to cheer him on.

📞 Call or text Jimmy: (239) 776-2770

📱 DM him through the Big Jimmy's Facebook page.

🔹 Pull Up a Chair

If Big Jimmy's is buying seafood from the person who caught it, Shaking Crab Seafood & Pho in Bonita Springs is where you go when you want someone else to do the cooking—and all the cleanup.

This is the kind of place where the server hands you gloves, a bib, seafood crackers, scissors and enough paper towels to make you wonder what you've gotten yourself into. That's usually a good sign.

Everything is customizable. You choose your seafood, your spice level and your seasoning. Here's my order: the Special Sauce—their signature blend of garlic butter, Cajun and lemon pepper—with medium spice. If it's your first visit, the Shaking Crab Combo is a great introduction: snow crab, shrimp, crawfish, clams and mussels served with corn and potatoes. If I'm building my own boil, I almost always add clams.

Don't overlook the Vietnamese side of the menu, either. The crispy tamarind wings, ordered extra crispy, are worth getting for the table while everyone settles in and starts cracking shells.

It's loud. It's messy. You'll probably leave with butter on your hands, a pile of shells in front of you and no regrets.

That's exactly why people love it.

📍 25201 Chamber of Commerce Dr., Bonita Springs

🕚 Tuesday–Sunday | 11 a.m.–9 p.m. (Closed Mondays)

🌐 Visit the Shaking Crab website.

The Essentials

🌊 The Weekend Wave
Where to go — and why I’d go.

1. 🧘 Saturday, July 11 | Poolside Sweat & Flow at The Perry Hotel
Start your Saturday with a 30-minute SWEAT440 workout followed by a 30-minute Vinyasa yoga flow, all poolside at The Perry. Your ticket includes the class, and you're welcome to stick around afterward to enjoy the pool and make a morning of it.

Why I'd go: It's hard to beat a workout that ends with a pool instead of a parking lot.

2. 🏈 Saturday, July 11 | Train With The Canes Youth Football Camp
Former University of Miami players are hosting a youth football camp at Community School of Naples, with drills focused on speed, position skills, and football IQ. A fun opportunity for young athletes before fall sports kick into gear.

Why I'd go: If your kid lives in a football jersey, this is a pretty memorable Saturday.

3. 🍺 Saturday, July 11 | Summer-Ween Party at Ankrolab Brewing
Halloween in July? Why not. Ankrolab is throwing its annual Summer-Ween Party with DJ Peak Flow, themed drinks, food specials, and a costume contest. Costumes are encouraged—but showing up for a beer works too.

Why I'd go: Any brewery willing to celebrate Halloween in the middle of July is probably worth hanging out in.

4. ⚽ This Weekend | FIFA World Cup Watch Parties at Paradise Coast Sports Complex
The FIFA World Cup only comes around every four years, and Paradise Coast Sports Complex is showing every match on what it says is the largest outdoor screen in Southwest Florida. Grab a drink, find a seat, and catch the action with fellow fans.

Why I'd go: Sports are just more fun when you're watching with a few hundred strangers.

5. 🌿 All Summer | Kids Get In Free at Naples Botanical Garden
Children 17 and under receive free admission all summer with discounted tickets for local adults. It's one of my family's favorite places in Naples, and if you're visiting during the warmer months, here's my biggest tip: get there right when the gates open. The gardens are quieter, the light is beautiful, and it's the coolest part of the day.

Why I'd go: One of Naples' best family outings—and a lot more comfortable before the afternoon heat rolls in.

🧊 On Ice: Three Ceviches Worth Seeking Out

Seafood boils may be summer's messiest meal, but when it's pushing 95 degrees outside, ceviche is usually what I'm craving the next day. Bright citrus, cold fish, a little heat and plenty of lime—these are three I'd happily order again.

🇵🇪 Unidos Restaurant

Piqueo Three Ceviches — $32

If you've never been to Unidos, this is your excuse. It has quietly built one of Naples' most loyal followings, and the dining room has a cool, understated charm that makes you want to linger. The menu leans heavily into Peruvian and Latin flavors, with plenty coming off the wood-fired grill.

The move here is the Piqueo Three Ceviches. Instead of choosing one, you get three different styles served with crisp plantain chips—from bright, citrus-forward classics to richer Peruvian marinades. If it's your first visit, I honestly can't think of a better place to start.

📍 600 Goodlette-Frank Rd. N., Naples

🚲 Bicyclette Cookshop

Snapper Ceviche — $18

I've written about Bicyclette before, but I went back recently and one dish immediately earned a spot in this roundup.

Their snapper ceviche is bright, clean and incredibly refreshing. The leche de tigre lets the fish shine, while the husk cherry adds just enough sweetness to keep every bite interesting. It's refined without feeling fussy, and exactly the kind of lunch I find myself craving this time of year.

📍 2355 Vanderbilt Beach Rd. #126, Naples

🇫🇷 Ce Soir

Snapper Ceviche — $22

My first visit to Ce Soir had a few opening-week hiccups—which is completely normal—but this dish never missed.

The snapper ceviche was one of the highlights of the meal. The passionfruit consommé adds just enough sweetness to balance the citrus without taking over, creating a combination that's bright, refreshing and memorable. If you're heading there this summer, I'd make this the first thing to hit the table.

📍 495 Bayfront Pl., Naples

📊 Last Week's Poll

Which Downtown Naples spot deserves more love?

🥇 Bha! Bha! Persian Bistro — 25%
🥈 Molto — 22%
🥉 Bontà Bakery — 19%
4️⃣ La Pescheria — 17%
5️⃣ Brambles English Tea Room — 8%
🤷 I still have a few great spots left to discover. — 9%

A couple of your comments stood out:

Thanks to everyone who voted. I always find these polls just as useful for the comments as the results.

This week’s poll…

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