Dining in Key West (Oct. 2014)

OK, folks; first thing to keep in mind: This past visit to Key West was our fifth visit in eight years.

Am I (are we) Key West "experts?" Yeah... pretty much.

For what it's worth, I'm ALWAYS willing to share insights into... (well, anything, quite frankly)... travel destinations. Scrolling through the archives of Usually Right you'll find various travelogues (some unfinished, unfortunately - at least as of yet) including detailed reviews of restaurants, lodgings, and the general "vibe" of places around the globe.

Anyway... back to Key West and its restaurants...

As you can imagine, Key West has a myriad of fine restaurants and... er... "watering holes." We've been to most of 'em! Right now, for purposes of this post, I'm gonna focus on "new" restaurants we visited this trip - "new" in the sense of OUR first visit.

Our number one "new" restaurant... Azur.

Here's all you need to know: EVERYTHING was outstanding. EVERYTHING!

I'm not going to go into details (because it would take all day to describe each individual meal and do "complete" restaurant reviews), but suffice it to say that based upon our experience, Azur deserves every single accolade awarded it... and if you Google "Azur Key West" (after checking out the restaurant's own website) you'll get an idea of the esteem in which this establishment is held.

Azur has long been on "the list." I'm thankful we finally made it to Azur this year! This year... dinner; next time around... we'll try breakfast, brunch, or lunch there!

Let's see... for the most romantic fine dining in Key West... the award goes to La Te Da!

The setting... to die for! The mood... atmosphere... service... DIVINE!

The food...? Mine was EXCELLENT! Mary's... a bit of a disappointment. (We went on Prime Rib night... Mary succumbed to the $19.99 special and while her cut wasn't terrible... it wasn't an example of the best their kitchen could evidently dish out as evidenced by the high quality of my meal on all fronts.)

(Service was phenomenal as well!) 

In any case... we actually ended up closing the restaurant. And here's the bonus: Starting at 9:30 p.m. (while we were still outside enjoying our meal) the live entertainment took to the stage inside the exceedingly attractive (and air conditioned) bar. Three young... er... ladies... (female impersonators) made up for and singing "girl group" hits of the 50's and 60's! 

They were fantastic! We enjoyed the music alone for awhile (the bar actually kept the side door open for us so we could clearly hear the music) but following dessert we headed into the bar where we sat and enjoyed the rest of the group's first set before retiring back to Marrero's.

Next... (in no particular order)... allow me to give a shout-out to Antonia's. For "high end" Italian in Key West, Antonia's is one of your two choices - them and La Trattoria (which we're yet to try).

Folks... this is what it means to be Bill. (Or more specifically... "Vacation Bill.) Each day and nigh filled with decadent gluttony. (Only the best!)

And speaking of the best...

One planned and executed day stop of ours was to McDuffy's - Key West's premier (and only) authentic Hawaiian Shaved Ice truck!

Oh... my... friggin'... GOD...

Folks... if you've never had Hawaiian Shaved Ice... seek it out... fly to Key West (or Hawaii) if necessary... but seek it out and TRY IT...!!!

('Nough said...)

Also... a repeat stop but well worth it... Shanna Key Irish Pub and Grill! Great burgers! Friendly barmen/maids! And... of course... they pour an OUTSTANDING pint 'o plain! (Meaning Guinness, by the way.)

(*HUGE FRIGGIN' GRIN*)

No, folks; while it's ALL "fine dining" in the sense of "the best of the best," not all "fine dining" need break the bank nor even require the wearing of a collared shirt!

(*WINK*)

OK... back up the scale... we finally made it to Cafe Marquesa.

Not to be rude or nasty... but they can stuff their "Zagat's Highest Rated Restaurant in Key West" brag up their arses! (Obviously a bunch of RUBES are rating Key West restaurants for Zagat's!)

Was the food BAD...? NO! Was the setting gorgeous... simply stunning, to be truthful...? YES! But did the food knock my socks off...?!?! NO...! Definitely not! (La Te Da kicks the $hit out them, quite frankly!)

The service was... uppity. The maitre d' was fine... but our waitress... if I weren't the kind, compassionate old softie I am... I would have summoned the maitre d' over to loudly suggest he clean house of any staffers who had the misplaced perception that their jobs didn't absolutely hinge upon making each and every customer feel welcome and valued based upon reacting specifically to the vibe put out be each individual diner!

I smile. YOU smile. I grin. YOU grin. I laugh. YOU laugh. Again... a good waiter/waitress works off the vibe of the customer... not by attempting to force the vibe of the restaurant down the custom's throat.

Folks... as you know... there's a FINE line between playful, friendly Bill and... er... displeased Bill. Cafe Marquesa displeased your beloved blog host! It could have been better. It should have been better. Cafe Marquesa aspires to the very highest level... and doesn't quite make it. Laying aside the problems with the service, the food was less than perfect. At that level... if you're the real deal... every bite... every mouthful... should elicit a sigh of joy from the diner. That's what separates a true world-class restaurant from a poseur.

Continuing...

Ah... Blue Heaven! They've been "on the list" since the beginning, folks; it's just that before this last trip we'd never been able to fit it in! This year we rectified that unfortunate lapse!

First... the "bad." (Not really "bad," but you'll get the point in a moment!)

MY meal DIDN'T knock my socks off. (It wasn't bad... it just didn't knock my socks off!) But that was my fault! I picked the wrong menu items! I was greedy... saw several "specials" I wanted... tried to "have it all" by ordering two appetizers as my entree... and while the appetizers (one scallops, the other, shrimp) were "ok," frankly they were both a little over-cooked and neither blew me away (in a good sense).

On the other hand... Mary's entree was AWESOME - as was my soup! And the atmosphere... the service... the whole vibe of the place... WONDERFUL...!!! (They even have a ping-pong table! We played prior to dinner! Oh... and live music provided by very talented young lady throughout the evening!)

Like Azur (and many other of the fine dining establishments in Key West), Blue Heaven also serves breakfast, daily lunch, and Sunday brunch. (We'll definitely hit one of those next time we're down; and as for dinner... next time I'll order their signature Yellow Tail Snapper dish!)

Another "return" was to Pepe's for lunch. (Friday is Mac & Cheese Day!)

Folks... Pepe's Mac & Cheese... fresh made... served only at Friday lunch... IS... TO... DIE... FOR...!!!

Pepe's Steak & Cheese is awesome as well... as is all the "comfort food" quite frankly... but Pepe's for Friday lunch is an institution for us! (One year we arrived late... were told they were all out... and I literally started to tear up; our waitress actually "saved" my dignity by soothing me with the offer to give me HER set-aside portion that she'd had put aside for her earlier that day!)

Pepe's is also the home of "Steak Smothered in Pork Chops." (Yes, folks... you read that right.)

Let's see... what else...? Hmm... happy hours!

La Concha...

The Hyatt Key West at 601 Front Street...

Oh... almost forgot... a nice midday stop for lunch... or perhaps just a snack... or even just drinks and a swim... The Pier House Resort & Spa! (What I like... beyond the pool and small beach... is that they have live music at the Beach Bar seven days a week between noon and 3:00 p.m. I was even doin' a bit of singing!)

Oh... back to upscale happy hours... can't forget to give a shout-out to the bar at the Key West Marriott's Tavern & Town Restaurant!

At this point, dear readers, you may be asking yourselves "When, where, and how did Bill and Mary find time to do anything beyond eating and drinking in Key West?" Au contraire, mon freres! For your enlightenment, Key West isn't JUST drunkenness, debauchery, and gluttony! Actually, Key West is drunkenness, debauchery, and gluttony PLUS...

Pool hopping! (Yep. We often take midday rides to various hotels and resorts so as to enjoy their larger, more elaborate swimming and other recreation facilities!)

Going out on the water! (This year we utilized Clearly Unique Charters to take us out sea kayaking amongst the mangroves and then snorkeling off the near reefs!)

(Usually when we're with Drunken Ted and Drunken Mary we simply hire a boat and captain. This time - since it was just Mary and I - we went "retail." It was good though! With tip... $170 for the TWO of us!)

I've already filled you in on the Inghram...

Past Key West travelogues found in the Usually Right archives give a fairly all-inclusive picture on what Key West is all about...

My buddy "He Whose Name Dare Not Be Mentioned" once asked me WHAT is is about Key West that's so great. I'll tell you all what I told him: Key West is whatever you want it... need it... to be at any one moment in time.

Key West is drinking... dancing... singing...

Key West is snoozing on a hammock.

Key West is trolling the bars...

Key West is browsing the galleries.

Key West is the gutter to the Penthouse!

Key West is Martin's - a high end restaurant on the south end of Duval (which I failed to mention up above but am mentioning now) which serves one of the best brunches in Key West (which we partook of on our last visit with Drunken Ted and Drunken Mary) and also one of the best dinners in Key West (which Mary and I enjoyed this time around; sitting inside at a back table and noticing the bar crowd was a crowd we'll join next time we visit)!

Key West is also El Siboney - a family owned "hole-in-the-wall" just a bit off the beaten track where "rich" tourists and "poor" locals go for perhaps the best Cuban "home-cooking" short of Abula's house! (The home-made Sangria is to DIE for...!!! As is the food...!!!)

Gay... straight... boozer... pothead... native born Floridian... New Jersey transplant... Leftist... Libertarian...

Key West is... KEY WEST! It really is that simple!

Anyway... I've been home since Wednesday night. Time to get back to politics and social issues. My newsbite fans tell me they miss me!

(*GRIN*)

(And THANKS for that!)

So... this should do it for Key West posts. 

As always... questions and comments are welcome!