Seafood connoisseurs are in for a treat the next time they dine at The Oceanaire in Orlando, one of 15 Oceanaire Seafood Room restaurants nationwide. The upscale seafood restaurant group, known for serving ultra-fresh seafood, made an unprecedented boatload purchase of Alaskan King Crab from the Fishing Vessel (F/V), Time Bandit, and this delicacy is now featured on The Oceanaire Orlando's menu.

The Time Bandit is a member of the crab fishing fleet featured in the Discovery Channel's hit series, Deadliest Catch and is owned by the Hillstrand Brothers, Andy, Johnathan and Neal. After the catch was processed, Oceanaire acquired a whopping 40,000 pounds of its king crab clusters, much of it going straight to the kitchen of Executive Chef Garey Hiles at The Oceanaire in Orlando, Florida.

How this ultra-fresh king crab made it from Alaska to Florida is truly a unique story. It all began when Wade Wiestling, Oceanaire's vice president of culinary development, and three executive chefs from the Seattle, Dallas, and Minneapolis restaurants, ventured to Dutch Harbor, Alaska to join the Time Bandit crew for the vessel's all-important last catch of the season. The chefs experienced first-hand the challenges the crew faced out in the icy Bering Sea and the crabbing expertise required, not only to bring in the catch, but also to survive the treacherous elements.

"We have never made a commitment to one product like this before," says Wiestling. "We did it because of the superior freshness and quality of the crab, our familiarity with the boat's crew; and because Alaskan King Crab is a unique and sustainable offering for our guests." The culinary team was impressed by the fishermen's quality standards and the way in which the catch was handled and processed.

Alaskan King Crab is known for both its delicious taste and as a highly sustainable species due to strict fishing guidelines and practices. Eric Donaldson, a global fish broker, says, "Oceanaire should be commended for making a commitment to using Alaska King Crab exclusively. The fishery is one of the most stringently managed for sustainability of any fishery in the world. Legal Alaska King Crab is male crab only, with minimum size requirements. No female or juvenile crab can be retained as is commonplace in some foreign fisheries."

With the new fourth season of Deadliest Catch returning to Discovery Channel on April 15th, The Oceanaire expects its chefs will be preparing a bounty of Alaskan King Crab throughout the spring season. "It is really exciting to offer a seafood delicacy on a scale such as this," added Wiestling. "We thought it would be a great fit for our restaurant, given our commitment to serving the highest quality sustainable seafood and our desire to provide guests with a special dining experience they can't get anywhere else."

The Oceanaire Orlando's executive chef concurs. "Alaskan King Crab is known for its plump meat and sweetness, but its popularity with our patrons stems from far more than taste," says Hiles. "They come to us because they know we're committed to the environment and they know our Alaskan catch will be the freshest king crab they can find."

Alaskan King Crab is served in two and three pound clusters and can be cracked and prepared tableside by an Oceanaire server. This exclusive menu item is priced at $36.95 per pound and will continue to appear throughout 2008 or as long as the market season allows.

Asked if his chefs will join the Time Bandit crew again next year, Wiestling says, "It was an experience of a lifetime. Our culinary team learned a great deal. It has enabled us to provide a unique item to our ever-changing menu, so we would definitely consider doing it again. Or, we just might find another delicious treat from the sea. Ask me in a few months."

About The Oceanaire Seafood Room
With locations in 15 major markets, The Oceanaire Seafood Room offers ultra-fresh seafood and exceptional service, all in the classic style of a 1930's ocean liner. Menus change daily based on the availability of the freshest seafood, flown in each day from around the world. Guests savor entrees such as signature Chesapeake Bay Style Crab Cakes, Jumbo Shrimp Scampi, North Atlantic live lobster, and Alaskan king crab legs. An expansive raw bar rounds out the restaurant's award-winning culinary offerings.

The Oceanaire Seafood Room is located in Pointe Orlando at 9101 International Drive, Orlando, FL 32819.

The Oceanaire is open for dinner Sunday - Thursday, 5:00-10:00pm and Friday and Saturday, 5:00pm-11:00pm. Complimentary valet parking available. 407-363-4801 | www.theoceanaire.com.

About The F/V Time Bandit
The Time Bandit is featured on Discovery Channel's hit program "Deadliest Catch" and is owned and operated by the Hillstrand brothers, Andy, Johnathan, and Neal. Johnathan typically skippers the vessel during Red King Crab and Andy skippers the Opilio and Bairdi fisheries. Neal serves as the chief engineer. The F/V Time Bandit was built in 1991 and is 113 feet in length. The boat has a hold capacity of 120,000 pounds of King Crab, 170,000 pounds of Opilio Crab, and 350,000 of salmon. For more information, visit their official website at www.timebandit.tv.