Alligator burgers: Do they really taste like chicken?

Tooling through the Everglades on Highway 41 (the old Tamiami Trail), we came across this rustic cafe yesterday--so we stopped for blue crabs. Though they had run out of blue crabs and frog legs, they had plenty of shrimp and alligator.

I ordered a seafood platter which had two gator burger patties, about six boiled shrimp, some chopped zuccini, gator nuggets, and some sort of fried flatbread. My friend had a grouper sandwich, so, as usual, we shared.

I had always heard that alligator tasted like chicken, so I was curious. Neither the burger nor the nuggets tasted at all like chicken--but the chef had spiced it up pretty good, so even chicken might not have tasted like chicken in his hands. I admit that my taste buds are getting used to spicey food down here!

In addition to the gator, we were treated to a big dose of local color, with accents unheard around the Midwest, and a guitar/harmonica player/singer who knew about Cape Girardeau and Billy Swan. We listened to the smooth sounds of "I can Help," as we left.

Next stop--the smallest post office in the United States!

From the depths of Florida, this is your really roving reporter, Madeline, signing off to go snooping through the Mall Jungles and the "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge!