Dive into oysters, good time with Shunk Gulley

A fishermen's landmark, the restaurant has become a destination for locals and visitors to gather since it opened in November 2017.

"The measure of success is not being able to tell the difference between locals acting like they're on vacation or those visiting acting like they live here. We don't want you to be able to tell the difference," said Boyle, who hopes everyone is treated equally well at Shunk Gulley.

In addition to oysters, big sellers include Duck Fat Gulley Fries — hand cut with garlic, olive and truffle oil, parsley, sea salt, and Parmesan with spicy ketchup and garlic aioli, as well as lunch specials from Chef Tyler McMahan and his culinary team.

"Tyler just has a good vision for different tastes but still in the comfort zone," Boyle remarked. "People always ask, 'What's a good place for local seafood? This is what you would want, fresh, responsibly sourced and served on the beach."

My first dining experience at Shunk Gulley included the Grouper Tapenade — Gulf grouper topped with a basil olive pecan tapenade over a bed of asparagus — at night on the patio with a view of the Gulf across 30A and live music in the background. My cousins, visiting from out of state, also shared bites of Key Lime Pie — though my son wasn't sharing one taste of his Creme Brulee.