Mortgage Broker in Grant-Valkaria, FL

Count the Old Fish House Bar and Grill as another of those restaurants that should have been seen in this space years ago.

It looks exactly as one would expect, set off by a large, dusty lot from U.S. 1 in Grant-Valkaria, with that rustic, Old-Florida vibe.

Its rear view is glorious: scores of slips that host pleasure boats of all sorts, motor and sail, as the water of the Indian River Lagoon ripples and the breeze blows lightly. It alone is enough to make the place attractive.

In the restaurant, which has indoor and outdoor seating, all is wood and things nautical, with interesting furnishings and what appeared to be a highly popular bar. It wasn’t noisy or rowdy, just congenial. Service was fast, friendly and on-point.

Last Sunday, I went as guest of a friend who cannot bear to see a good oyster go unconsumed, and so she ordered a half-dozen of them ($15.99, market price), plus what she said was going to be one of the area’s all-time great burgers (classic burger, $14.29). Being diet-limited, I went for a basket of grilled mahi ($16.94).

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Had they served rolls with the oysters, they could have been served as (substantial) sliders, so big and thick were they, served on ice with seafood sauce, horseradish and lemon. One of them, Oysterzilla, went down as smoothly as a bivalve ever will, beautifully salted and fresh as it gets.

So immersed in the oysters was my friend that she scarcely had time for the burger, much of which went home with her, but it was beautifully grilled to medium-rare and delivered with slices of tomato, onion, crunchy lettuce and a couple of crossed, deli-style pickles.

The important thing in a burger is the meat, though, and it was first rate, a good third-pound slab that did not lack the right texture and beefy flavor.

My only complaint with her burger really was the accompanying mountain of fries, which were those purveyor-supplied things with the coating. Oh, they were cooked beautifully but come on. Good fries, fresh or frozen, need no coating.

Mahi, hushpuppies, key lime pie ... yes, please

My mahi, which came in four fairly big, nicely cut chunks, was just fine, though a touch overcooked, with a little citrus taste rendered stronger by additional lemon. They weren’t square, friends, as fish aren’t square. Good. It had exactly the right grain and absolutely no aftertaste or hint of frozen-ness.

These I ordered with hushpuppies, which were grand in their dark brown surface and corny flavor. I cheated. I ate one. Oh well. I took one taste of everything else.

That included key lime pie ($7.49), which I ordinarily do not order unless a sign that says “Fat Snook” graces the window. This, my dining companion insisted, was unlike any local key lime pie, and as I wasn’t going to eat the thing anyway, why not?

The spoonful I had was delightful, from a square of slightly crunchy, homemade graham cracker crust topped by dense, heavy, exceptionally tart and smooth filling topped by a squirt of whipped cream. The thing probably weighed half a pound, so if you order, share. After I break the diet, I’ll go back for this.

The only other complaint I had was about the iced tea, which was far too weak and, said my friend, had a strange taste. Back it went in favor of a soft drink.

That’s it. The Old Fish House deserves all the kudos it has received over the years. Perfect, no, but a lovely slice of old Florida and that magnificent Indian River.

Lyn Dowling is a freelance food and lifestyles writer based in Melbourne.

The Old Fish House Bar and Grill

Three and a half stars

Address: 5185 S, U.S. 1, Grant-Valkaria

Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays, 11:30 to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays

Call: 321-727-7007

Online: https://oldfishhousebarandgrill.com/

Other: Water access for boats; kids’ and dogs’ menus; full bar.

Home lifting, the process of raising an entire home off its slab and constructing below, is becoming a more popular option in coastal communities.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — In neighborhoods battered by frequent storms and flooding, in the future staying put safely may require living higher.

RELATED: Florida family chooses to lift home rather than leave after multiple hurricanes

Home lifting, the process of raising an entire home off its slab several feet in the air and constructing below, is becoming a more popular option in coastal communities. Soon, a first-of-its-kind state program is launching to help more homeowners elevate.

“Demand since the hurricanes have gone way, way up. Everybody's been flooded or been worried about their homes being flooded because they're close calls,” Albert Jasuwan, president of JAS Builders, said.

Jasuwan and his company are working on dozens of home lifting projects, booking jobs from Longboat Key to Crystal River every week.

“Lifting makes sense for a lot of people, especially if you love your floor plan. You love your house, you love your neighborhood, you love the schools you're in,” said Jasuwan, adding it's really the only way to protect against flooding in some communities.

It's fairly expensive, starting around $200,000 and up depending on the size of the home. Between designing, permitting and construction, the process could also take up to a year. But as Jasuwan explains, it could save homeowners from a full rebuild and tragedies brought by storm surges — and even bring lower insurance costs.

“We're still at about half the price of building new over a new block, new slab, and we make it better than new because we're putting pilings in all the way deep down the earth,” he explained.

RELATED: In flood-weary neighborhoods, home lifters see growing demand

The Florida Division of Emergency Management is putting out a new program to make home lifting more accessible and affordable.

“Elevate Florida” is expected to launch in the new year, providing grant funding for folks in flood zones to lift their homes, rebuild damaged ones at a higher elevation and/or for communities to buy and tear down at-risk structures to maintain as open spaces.

The ultimate goal is to mitigate widespread damage across neighborhoods.

Credit: FDEM

RELATED: Homeowners say process to raise homes with FEMA’s help has too much red tape

The application process is not open yet, but the state says homeowners should prepare if they are interested by compiling the following:

If you are a resident of Florida and interested in learning more about mitigation grant funding for your property, please email ResidentialMitigation@em.myflorida.com with your name, city, and your specific question or situation.

Nationally, FEMA offers funding for home raising in flood zones.