Food, fun fuels Lobster Festival

PANAMA CITY BEACH —The 28th annual Lobster Festival returns to Schooners on Monday and runs through next weekend, culminating with the Dive Tournament, sand sculpting and a feast on the beach.

"It's the all the way around festival with kids activities to adult activities, the Dive Tournament, the food arena, music arena and you have the beach; that's what Panama City Beach is all about," said Chef Konrad Jochum, aka "Lobster Man." "Go as crazy as you want and bring the kids. It fills everybody's needs. And people actually benefit from it."

Proceeds from the Lobster Feast on the Beach benefit Florida Aquatic Marine Institute and Toys For Kids Foundation.

"It's a lot of work," admitted Jochum, who added why it's worthwhile: "It's for a good cause, and it's a lot of fun."

Beginning Monday, fans can go loco for lobster with in-house specials featuring lobster prepared 13 different ways: Lobster Bisque, Lobster Chowder, Petite Tails, Lobster Roll, Lobster Po'boy, Lobster Club, Big Man's Tail, Lobster Burger, Lobster Au Gratin, Lobster Mac & Cheese, Lobster Dip and the new Lobster Flatbread and Lobster Enchiladas.

"We always want something new. Every year we have a wild card — threw in lobster flatbread, lobster enchiladas," Jochum said.

Specials run through Sept. 17. (The regular Schooners menu also will be available.)

"A lot of people were not able to get in on the weekends. Usually we had some lobster specials but not this expansive. Go big or go home," Jochum said.

He plans to get a minimum of 4,000 pounds of the native Spiny Lobster, also known as rock lobster, which he has sourced from Apalachicola to the Keys. Shovelnose, a closely related species, is a delicacy he also serves whenever it is available.

"I might have to get more. We'll have a whole array of lobster. It takes a whole army to put it together — both kitchens," admitted Jochum, who oversees kitchens at Schooners and Spinnaker.

Most of the food will be prepared in the kitchen at Spinnaker and transported to Schooners.

"It's called the Captain's Catch; it's so sweet and so good," Jochum said. "It's best just to grill or saute. First-come, first-served."

The Lobster Feast on the Beach begins at 11 a.m. Sept. 16-17 on the sand behind the restaurant, 5121 Gulf Drive. Tickets to the feast are $30 per person per day. When weigh-ins wrap up, more local lobster also goes into the pot to be devoured.

"The beach is a lobster village between the feast, music, bands, sand and tournament," Jochum said. "Lobster from the Dive Tournament we will cook on the beach Saturday and Sunday."

On Wednesday, I stopped by Schooners to get a preview of the in-house lobster specials, and it just whet my appetite for more. If I was to take advantage of all the lobster specials and feast dishes, I could eat lobster about 20 different ways.

The Smoked Lobster Dip was garnished with tomatoes, cucumbers, artichoke hearts and jalapenos and served with tortilla chips. The dip was more mild than a tuna dip, convincing me lobster just makes everything sweeter. The warm, creamy Lobster Chowder was filled with big bites of lobster and shrimp, along with potatoes, diced green bell pepper and corn — and had a slight kick at the end.

"It's what a good chowder's all about. All the ingredients are packed with flavor," Jochum said.

Lobster salad — a refreshing and hearty salad with a little crunch — a blend with celery, scallions, cilantro and parsley filled the Lobster Roll. Just when I thought this couldn't get any better, Jochum brought out a double-decker club with the same lobster salad, lettuce and tomatoes on toasted bread instead of a roll — except this had thick slices of bacon.

The Lobster Burger was a decadent favorite — from the flavors to the textures of the seafood burger on the soft bread with remoulade. Cutting off a section proved a little challenging because it's just cutting through seafood. This would be best just picked up with two hands and eaten all at once.

"It's shrimp, scallops, lobster and egg whites; no filler," Jochum said.

If you're looking for straight-up tails, lobster platters include three Petite Tails served over Yukon Gold potatoes mashed with butter, half and half, salt and pepper (the same delicious recipe from Spinnaker sans the corn), or one Big Man's Tail over the potatoes.

"Steam them, then cut them in half and grill them; it's much more tender this way," Jochum said. "It cooks faster on the grill and this way it doesn't shrink that much. Obviously brush it with lots of butter. Lobster without butter is a sin, like dancing without music, not even funny."

(Jochum later attracted attention at a table with a spread of lobster — including a 6- to 7-pounder. The Dive tournament brings in lobsters upwards of 14 pounds from divers competing in Spiny Lobster, Shovelnose Lobster and Big 6.)

While I liked the slightly charred edge and smokiness of the large tail that I cut with a steak knife, the smaller tails were a little sweeter. After I cut off a bite, I used my fork and fingers to pry the sweet meat away from the shell before heading into the butter sauce.

"It's going to get messy," said Jochum, who joked he'd keep count of how many napkins he went through over the course of the week. (At this point, I had used three.)

The best just might have been last, the refreshing Lobster Enchiladas: "Corn tortillas are filled with a mixture of, obviously lobster, goat cheese, roasted red peppers and corn and baked and served with green chile tomatillo sauce," said Jochum, who added this was one of his favorites along with the chowder.

Topped with Monterey Jack and cheddar that gave a slightly cheesy crust to the tortilla, this could stand up to any of my Tex-Mex favorites — and the lobster just took it over the top. This just might be the best representation of my Texas and Florida homes on a plate.

The Lobster Feast on the Beach will include the chowder, dip and mac & cheese, as well as well as Ceviche, Black-eyed Pea & Lobster Chili, Lobster & Collard Greens, Lobster Paella, Lobster Creole, Smoked Lobster Potato Salad, and Grilled Lobster Tails & Sausage with Sweet Corn and New Potatoes. The feast menu incorporates some of the Southern flair on Spinnaker's new menu.

"The Lobster and Collard Greens is a stew with ham hocks. It's sporty, keeps you young and active," Jochum said.

The chili is based on a white clam chili recipe he once served at the former Boatyard restaurant on the Grand Lagoon. "I brought that from my Keys days," said Jochum, who headed seven restaurants in the Florida Keys, including the A&B Lobster House.

The set up for Lobster Fest, which draws thousands of lobster fans and divers from the Southeast, goes on long before the event — from putting up the stage and tent to kitchen preparations. The beach stage features live music, with a dance floor on the sand. Festival-goers sit in beach chairs, at tables under tents or wherever they can find a spot on the sand near the surf. Some arrive by car or boat to check out the festivities, which also include lobster petting.

And just when you can't seem to get your lobster cravings under control, you will have another chance to satisfy them.

"We are celebrating lobster this week, Sept. 11th through the 17th, the start of lobster season, and in the month of October," Jochum said. "If we are doing lobster, we might as well go lobster crazy, a switch over from the old Lobzilla from Boatyard days. We'll give everyone a break and then go crazy."

Lobster Festival Schedule

Monday, Sept. 11

11 a.m. to 10 p.m.: Lobster specials inside restaurant

7-10 p.m.: Jamah Terry on the main stage

Tuesday, Sept. 12

11 a.m. to 10 p.m.: Lobster specials inside restaurant

7-10 p.m.: Barry & Greg on the main stage

Wednesday, Sept. 13

Professional sand sculpture completed by Sanding Ovations

11 a.m. to 10 p.m.: Lobster specials inside restaurant

7-10 p.m.: Anthony Peebles on main stage

Thursday, Sept.14

11 a.m. to 10 p.m.: Lobster specials inside restaurant

4-5 p.m.: DJ on beach stage

5-9 p.m.: Barry Fish Band on beach stage

9 p.m.: $500 raffle drawing

Friday, Sept. 15

Professional sand sculpture completed by Sanding Ovations

11 a.m.: Restaurant open with lobster specials

5 p.m.: Diver registration & safety meeting at Spinnaker Beach Club

4-5 p.m.: DJ on the beach stage

5-8 p.m.: Barry & Greg on beach stage

8-9 p.m.: DJ on the beach stage

9 p.m.: $500 raffle drawing

9 p.m. to midnight: Identity Crisis on main stage

Saturday, Sept. 16

Dive Tournament begins

8:30 a.m.: Registration for Sandcastle & Sand Sculpting Contests begins

9 a.m.: Open Division for advanced Sandcastle & Sand Sculpting begins

10 a.m.: Sandcastle & Sand Sculpting Contest for Youth and Adult/Family begins; restaurant opens with lobster specials

10 a.m. to noon: Beach Stage goes live with DJ, music and contests

11 a.m.: Lobster Feast on the Beach begins

Noon to 3 p.m.: Stainless Steel on beach stage

2 p.m.: Sandcastle & Sand Sculpting competition ends

2:30 p.m.: Sand Sculpting Awards on beach stage

3 p.m.: Weigh-Ins start; scales close at 5 p.m.

3-4 p.m.: DJ on beach stage

4-8 p.m.: Barry Fish Band on beach stage

8-9 p.m.: DJ on the beach stage

9 p.m.: $500 raffle drawing

9 p.m. to midnight: Identity Crisis on main stage

Sunday, Sept. 17

10 a.m.: Restaurant opens with lobster specials

10 a.m. to noon: Beach stage goes live with DJ, music and contests

11 a.m. to 6 p.m.: Lobster Feast Buffet on the Beach & Beach Party

Noon to 3 p.m.: Weigh-Ins; Barry & Greg on beach stage

3-4 p.m.: DJ

4 p.m.: Lobster auction and diver awards on main stage

4-7 p.m.: Identity Crisis on beach stage

7 p.m.: Grand Prize Drawing; DJ

What: 28th annual Lobster Festival & Tournament; 17th Annual Schooners Sand Sculpting Contest

When: Sept. 11-17 with lobster specials, live music; sand sculpting contests Sept. 16; Lobster Feast on the Beach and Dive Tournament Sept. 16-17; rain or shine

Where: Schooners, 5121 Gulf Drive, Panama City Beach

Admission: Free for spectators

Feast tickets: $30; proceeds benefit the Florida Aquatic Marine Institute and Toys For Kids Foundation

Details: 850-235-3555 or Schooners.com

LOBSTER FESTIVAL