Doc Ford is inspiration for author’s saucy ambitions

It’s not long before a buzz begins in the dining room. “Is that Randy?’’ patrons ask their servers. “Could I say hello? Do you think he’d autograph a book?’’ The answer is always yes.

There aren’t many patrons who don’t know Doc Ford, the protagonist of White’s books. A former government operative turned marine biologist, Ford and his pal Tomlinson (part hippie, part mystic) chase criminals around the globe from their home base on fictional Dinkin’s Bay in southwest Florida. (Boston readers will see some similarities between Tomlinson and former Red Sox pitcher Bill “Spaceman’’ Lee, a good friend of White’s). White has published 16 Doc Ford mysteries, with more than 1 million copies in print. His 17th, “Deep Shadow,’’ is due out this week.

White and three partners opened Doc Ford’s Sanibel Rum Bar & Grille five years ago, on the site of a former restaurant where he used to peddle his catch at the end of a day’s work as a light-tackle fishing guide. He likes the symmetry. Last year the partners found a site for a second Doc Ford’s, in Fort Myers Beach. It turned out that the location, accessible by boat and car, was a place where White had once lived during his shrimping days. “Pure karma,’’ he says.

While White describes himself as a silent partner, his influence on the restaurants is evident, from the flavors of South and Central America, which he used to write about as a columnist for Outside magazine, to the menu items named for characters in the Doc Ford mysteries.

Take Tomlinson’s Taquitos, chicken rolled with red peppers and barbecue sauce and served with lime cilantro roasted pepper pesto. “First of all, the alliteration is great,’’ White said, “but, more important, it’s something [Tomlinson] would like.’’

Doc Ford, on the other hand, would favor Yucatan shrimp, a deceptively easy dish created by chef Greg Nelson using fresh lime, cilantro, and chili paste.