Debonair Dips begins in 1980 on Virginia Key, a whisper away from the hustle of downtown MIami, but in a place where time seemed to stand still.  At Jimmy Luznar’s shrimp docks, the breeze whispered through the Australian Pines and carried the smoke not only from the smudge pots of pines needles keeping the mosquitos to a tolerable level but from the smokers full of fish.  Jimmy a/k/a Jimbo was a force who held court to subjects who passed the time shooting horseshoes and the breeze over ice cold beer, a hunk of smoked fish and perhaps a cigar with rum.  

 

Jimmy’s birthday was always an event.  In the 80’s it was a potluck BBQ, swimming in Duck Lake with the Manatees at the shrimp dock, and picnic tables full of food with coolers full of beer in a screened in shack for protection from the bugs. Smoked Fish Dip is an old Florida thing with bragging rights and everyone has their version that is the best. The fish Jimmy smoked was mostly mullet then and I wanted a good dip without a mess of additives.   The Gulfstream Gold Line was born out of the version created for Jimmy’s birthday parties.  I wanted a dip that stood out from the rest . . . something special . . . gourmet . . . and when Jimmy started smoking Sails, it was marvelous.

 

I made my fish dip until Jimbo’s was no more.  Christmas is a time of remembering people through food and, not unlike the fruit cake tradition of the South, I would make an annual trip to Jimmy’s for a big hug and to procure a flat of smoked fish that I would lovingly jar my dip and gift it with homemade mango bread.  I continued this tradition until the backyard mango tree was lost to a hurricane and Jimbo’s closed. This is my Miami Christmas memory.