LIVING TO EAT IN THE FLORIDA KEYS
One
cannot avoid sea food in the tropical Florida Keys, nor should they. From Conch
to snapper to Yellowfin Tuna to Wahoo to Key West Pink Shrimp, just to name a
few choices and all readily available, menus display an incredible array of tasty
critters that just seem to taste all that much better because of their
proximity to the ocean.
Your
favorite traveling companions were recently avoiding the awful weather in the
Northeast and eating our way down the beautiful string of islands for two
weeks in February. We not only ate more conch fritters that any man should readily admit to,
but also Grouper and Tuna and Snapper and Wahoo and something never heard of
before this trip, Hogfish.
So here’s
a quick listing of all the ports of call on our recent trip to the Florida Keys.
They are in no particular order of ranking, either for food quality or
atmosphere, but I’ll start the list with restaurants and bars on Key West. Mind
you, this is a very meager sampling of places to carouse in and dine at on Key
West.
THE HOGFISH BAR & GRILL, Stock Island
A Rose By Any Other Name
Because I
mentioned Hogfish I’ll start with the Hogfish Bar & Grill on Stock Island,
just off Key West. Typical like a lot of Florida, the place is a bit of whimsy,
a bit of a dive, but serving some great food. The Hogfish Bar is found in a
sketchy area on a working marina and I was hesitant about the whole thing,
including the namesake fish. The idea of something called a Hogfish is not very
alluring, but then I read that it’s sweeter than Grouper, so we went. The place
was popular with locals and tourists. I had conch ceviche for an appetizer and a
“House Special” shrimp and grits featuring delectable Key West Pink Shrimp and
a piece of blackened Hogfish. It was incredible. Janet had Hogfish fingers and
a “Dock-to-Dish” Grouper special that also had a large piece of blackened
Hogfish added to it. We ordered far too much food, but we accepted the
challenge.
The beer
list featured a lot of local beers and the usual suspects. The place was lively
and fun. I’d go again.
BTW: Key West Pink Shrimp are sweet and mildly flavored and great as a peel and
eat or used in any recipes. Like regular shrimp the meat is pink and turns
opaque when cooked, but the shells are pink when caught, indicating the species
as well as the telltale red dot on their shell. They are harvested from the Dry
Tortugas north to Tarpon Springs,
SALUTE! ON THE BEACH, Key West
Location, location, location
With
tables edging the path at Higgs Beach on Key West and gracing diners at these
highly prized seats with a dazzling sun setting behind palms, Salute! is
certainly a great casual place to alight. This popular busy Italian restaurant
is worth the wait, although knowing people who live in Key West and work in the
food industry, we were immediately seated and got a table right on the end so
we were readily able to see the sunset while sipping extra large margaritas
made with fresh lime juice and served in milk shake sized glasses.
I had
their Yellowfin Snapper, a regular entry on their menu and Janet had Grouper
off their specials. We shared an obscenely large wedge of key lime pie.
LITTLE PEARL, Key West
As luck would have it
To get a
table here on Valentine’s Day was no small accomplishment, but your humble
moochers know how to tap resources. Family members in the food industry living
in Key West can be a remarkable aid to getting a seating at this fantastic
restaurant in the sedate Old Town section of Key West.
Lovely
and romantic our dinner at Little Pearl never felt crowded or rushed in this
petite place. We shared appetizers like Bangkok Octopus, and Spicy Tuna Tartare
Brulee which I highly recommend if you ever get a reservation. For entrees we
had Wahoo and Swordfish both grilled and sauteed Snapper and we all wrestled
over the last morsel of Poached Pear that we shared for desert.
GO to
Little Pearl!
TURTLE KRAAL, The Bight, Key West
Shell Game
Shell Game
We went
here after our day-long Saturday trip to Dry Tortugas National Park and after
catching the sunset at Mallory Square. Turtle Kraal is renowned for their
turtle races Monday through Friday at 7 pm.
It’s on the
bight where the ferries depart and there can be a homeless presence nearby.
Sitting at the bar digging into our massive dinner salad and weighty hamburger
we were entertained by a woman who tried to scam the bartender for more change.
We never felt threatened with the hullabaloo, but this certainly was a glimpse
of the more raucous side of Key West. They advertise live music, but we didn’t
hang around long enough to see if a group would start up. It was the end of an
extremely long day after all. They
offer a nice array of craft and local beers.
BTW: The bight was once the center of many maritime industries in Key West. Hook
boats that harvested sponge and shrimpers worked out of this port and before
sea turtles were put on the endangered species list thousands were taken from
Key West waters. Before they were butchered processed and canned for their
meat, their shells used in jewelry and skins tanned for leather, the turtles were
kept alive in dockside pens called kraals.
CHARLIE MAC'S, Key West
Long and Slow
Long and Slow
You will
smell the hickory smoke long before you find this BBQ joint a half block off
Duval Street and once you get to Charlie Mac’s consider this warning; you will
order too much food. Yes, the usual, succulent suspects are here, ribs,
brisket, pulled pork, chicken and fish, and you will want to order a little bit
of everything, but hold out for the wings. They were perhaps the best we had ever
eaten and this is coming from chicken wing lovers. Big and meaty and smoked they are finished on a grill. Don’t let them
toss them in a sauce, get them “naked” with the sauces on the side. Enjoy that
smoke before you dip. You can thank me later.
They have
two dozen beers on tap and several more in bottles/cans.
SALSA
LOCA
Taco Party
Our
partners in crime who live in Key West know a lot of little joints to get food and
drink and they brought us to this Mexican restaurant in an alleyway off Angela
Street just around the corner from Duval. Charming and rustic there are a
number of colorful tables in the little court yard and several seats at the
bar. We had margaritas (of course) and an array of tasty tacos with carnitas,
etc. Inexpensive, fun and we would never have found this place without our
guides.
KEY WEST
SOIREES
You may
not be fortunate to have friends to drag you around to carouse on Key West, but
we did and were fortunate enough to be brought to a number of places that would
easily have been overlooked had we not been along for the ride. There’s plenty
of bars in Key West, probably too many, and most of them are not hard to find,
but here’s a couple that we would never have found without our guides.
Gems
Hidden In Plain Sight
 |
| The View at the Sun Sun Bar |
CASA
MARINA
The Casa
Marina is an elegant hotel in old Key West, but because it’s opulent doesn’t
mean it’s off limits to people of our ilk. The hotel first opened in 1920 and
has that older charming feel. Now operated by Waldorf Astoria I expected to be
challenged by security when we locked up our bikes and breezed through the
foyer and onto the grounds where we had a choice of sitting in the adult pool
area, the family pool area or by the ocean’s edge. We took a seat at the Sun
Sun Bar. Overlooking the water, we drank tropical adult libations typically
priced for Key West. It was a pleasant relaxed setting and an eye-opening
experience that we were even allowed on the property. Without our guides we
would never have ventured here.
 |
| THE CHART ROOM KW |
CHART
ROOM
Answered
Prayers
Just at
the end of Duval street there is a hotel complex called the Pierhouse, first
built in 1967 as a 50-room motel that is popular with celebrities and media
personalities. The Chart Room, about the size of a living room with a
nautical theme for decoration, this funky little place is hard to find. When the
Pierhouse sought to expand and add rooms to the complex it was only with the
caveat that the Chart Room would be preserved and so they built around it. Now
buried in the complex it’s hard to find and even our intrepid guides had some
trouble leading us to this lovely little place that still serves up free hot
dogs. Cozy, friendly the Chart Room is a place to visit.
BTW: Turns
out that Truman Capote wrote his book, ANSWERED PRAYERS, while staying here and
Jimmy Buffett played his first gigs in Key West at the Chart Room.
THE GREEN PARROT
Party every night (and day)
We caroused
at this lively, crowded and convivial joint a few times while in Key West.
Generous happy hour prices and bands playing deep into the night. The place should be a stop for you if you are ever on this ribald island. No food, but Charlie Macs is RIGHT NEXT DOOR.
MARY ELLEN'S
Good Vibrations
Just off
Duval this is another lively place. Decorated with Christmas lights and posters
the place hedged on seedy but it was a lot of fun. When we told the bartender
we were in for a quick drink before going to the sing-a-long to Little Shop of
Horrors at the local bijou he broke into “You’ll be a dentist”, Steve Martin’s
song in the movie. While sipping our drinks we were witness to that night’s
Vibrator Races. We did not place a bet.
I had
expressed an interest in going to Sloppy Joe’s, that famous bar that Hemingway
supposedly graced nightly with his larger than life personality. Turns out the
original location was down the street before it moved over a dispute about the
rent in the 1930's. Captain Tony’s had a more down and dirty feel, extremely dark in the deep
recesses of the bar that once served as an ice house and appropriately enough the city morgue. Adorned not only with dollar
bills waving in the breezes, countless bras hung from the rafters. We got house
amber beers in commemorative Captain Tony’s cups that we could take with us. The
revelry spilled onto the street; a common occurrence in Key West. Conversely,
Sloppy Joe’s had a real touristy feel.
 |
| CAPT TONY'S BRA COLLECTION |
DON'S PLACE
A Local's Bar For Tourists
This collection
of alcohol joints had a drive up liquor store, an indoor area and an outdoor
bar that just felt like someone set it up that night. It looked edgy and on our
own we might not have been so adventurous, but it was friendly and fun.
 |
| CAPT TONY'S WISDOM |
OFF KEY
WEST
Believe
it or not there’s a number of great places off Key West. You just have to drive
a lot to get to them.
NO NAME
PUB, Big Pine Key
You found
it
I’ve been
to the keys a couple of times and the No Name Pub is a must for me. It’s
decorated with dollars with different messages written on them the place offers
a limited beer list and wine and great pizza. Janet had suspect fish and chips.
 |
| THE NO NAME PUB |
THE TIKI BAR, Ramrod Key
Taco Tuesdays!
Part of
the Looe Key Dive Resort this massive open bar has lots of room. There’s a
dance floor and a bandstand a large bar and a large number of tables, all covered
by a thatched roof. They offer a number of craft and local beers and a full
bar. Very popular with the locals, especially on Taco Tuesday Night! It was
convenient for us while we stayed at the dive resort. We enjoyed watching a dog trade sips from his master’s beer
while seated at the bar.
JIMMY JOHNSON'S BIG CHILL, Key Largo
Brass
Balls
I’m not a
fan of the Dallas Cowboys but that didn’t enter into our decision to eat at
Jimmy Johnson’s Big Chill, on Key Largo. Johnson led the Cowboys to a Super Bowl
win (probably another too…but who cares). Anyway, his massive complex was a
short walk from Amoray Dive Resort where we stayed our final two days in the Florida
Keys. There is nothing low key about this place, with a hotel and a couple or three
bars and a huge deck with tables.
Good luck with trying to get one a table on Ladies
Night Tuesday, when ladies drink for free. The place was packed, but somehow we were
lucky to get a table on the deck (we DO have certain skills) and were able to leisurely watch the sunset as
the revelry of the place swirled around and around. Our waitress never complained
about the incessant rum drinks Janet ordered. We had decent conch fritters and
massive dinner salads. We tipped her well.
BTW: You
can see facsimiles of the Lombardi Trophies won during Johnson’s coaching stint
with the Cowboys inside a case in one of the bars, and, a set of brass balls
with some type of gibberish about how you need them to win big…..(whatever),
Once the “ladies
night” hour is over, the place clears out, so if you don’t care about trying to
see the sunset go later.
SNAPPER’S
OCEANFRONT RESTAURANT
Piglets
and cracked conch
Went here
for a late lunch and sat outside overlooking the water. This place is casual,
but serves great food. Now often in Florida you encounter wacky things, but we
managed to ignore the guy who came in after us and sat at another table with a
pet piglet on his lap. Instead we busied ourselves with our delicious meal. We started with Blackened Dolphin
Bites and Cracked Conch which was quite different than the ubiquitous fritters
we were eating throughout the keys. Both were absolutely wonderful. We each had
fresh seafood entrees. Snappers offers several variations in preparing. We ordered
Hogfish. Mine was “Dove Creek”, which was encrusted with parmesan cheese and
topped with a roasted red pepper relish. Janet had her Hogfish “Dakota-style”
which was encrusted with almonds and parmesan, baked and finished with a
champagne butter sauce. Pig be damned the food was phenomenal at Snappers.
MRS. MAC'S KITCHEN Key Lago (Original location)
A great
place for breakfast in this funky diner decorated with license plates and a
bellowing jovial waiter. We had a card from Amoray that got us a free Key Lime
Freeze. Boasting a menu for breakfast lunch and dinner that is as long as
Florida itself!
Mrs. Mac’s
II down the highway a bit doesn’t open until 11 am!
SUNRISE CUBAN RESTAURANT AND MARKET
91885 Overseas
Highway, Tavernier, FL 33070
Sunrise may
not win an award for a top 10 restaurants for its atmosphere, but it should for
its food. It may be a hole in the wall but the Cuban food is dead on excellent
served by an effervescent staff who seemed genuinely happy we decided to stop
for lunch. Massively sized Cuban sandwiches! Strong enamel darkening coffee!
And, cigars! Cheap and filling.
ISLAMORADA BEER COMPANY
Trust Me I'm A local
There are
several very nice craft beers to savor in Florida. Cigar City out of Tampa has
some very good beers and they were readily available in the Keys. We didn’t get
to try anything from the Florida Keys Brewing, but their website shows there’s
a fantastic looking beer garden.
I was
drinking a lot of Islamorada Brewing while in the Keys and we happened to see
their taproom directly on Route 1 and stopped in for a couple and to buy a six
pack. The place wasn’t very charming, but it was clean and the beer was good.
We bought a mix and match six pack.
 |
| ALABAMA JACK'S TSHIRT |
ALABAMA JACK'S, Key Largo
Serendipity
and chance
I don’t
know how we find these places, but we are adventurous. This place is way off
the beaten path. We were driving back to the airport, but decided to take a
detour and came across Alabama Jack’s. We sat at the bar near the water and ordered
a couple of craft beers. The bartender playfully groused that he had to carry a
zillion other beers other than the naturals like Bud and Coors for folks like
us. We laughed with him and chatted with a woman who was leaving Islamorada for
good because her home was leveled in the last hurricane and her funding from FEMA ran out. She had stopped here
for one last beer, or two. Though a sobering tale, that is the Florida Keys.
The world may end, but there’s always time for a beer.
ALABAMA JACK'S
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