My relationship with Key West began almost five years ago when by chance I met the mayor of Key West, Jimmy Weekly, during my moonlighting gig as a hostess in a DC restaurant. We met up a few weeks later when I was in town for a business conference. Jimmy, as he likes to be called, is a doll! He proudly proclaimed that the local citizens of Key West gave him an honorary drag queen award. Key West transformed me from a high-strung over-achieving type A into a mellow parrot-head. If only for a few days. And so, when it was time for me to walk down the aisle my husband and I picked Key West as our destination and Mayor Weekly as our officiant. We love Key West. It’s not glamorous by any stretch of the imagination, but it is relaxing and that’s just what we need.
A few weeks ago we were back in Key West with the family as our first port of call on our four day cruise. We knew just where to go to eat! First stop: Sandy’s restaurant for the best Cuban mix sandwich in the world! Sandy’s is literally a hole in the wall. It’s a small walk-up connected to a laundry mat in the outskirts of Key West. Their meats are freshly carved, the bread is tasteful and perfectly pressed. It really is a masterpiece of a sandwich. I also ordered some fried plantains which were spectacularly sweet and delicious. To follow it up we picked up some key lime pie from The Blonde Giraffe. This pie is a perfect mix of tart and sweet and the meringue on the top is perfection. If only we had more time I would have taken everyone to Michael’s steakhouse where we had our wedding feast. I realize it’s on an island, but I had the best steak of my life there. (Perhaps tied with HC Monterrey in Playa del Carmen.)
Another highlight was our deep sea fishing trip. Okay, perhaps it wasn’t all sunshine. The waves were extremely choppy, perhaps seven or eight feet high. And we were constantly being thrown around the boat. So a fraction into our trip we had to turn around. It was a vacation after all, no sense in being tortured. Money down the hole, my father and cousin decided to make the best of it and took the fish we caught to a local restaurant where they graciously cooked it up for us! Mahi mahi several ways. What a sight to behold.
You can’t go wrong with Key West. If you’ve worn out that stress ball on your desk take the next plane down, grab a cocktail and a Cuban mix, and let Key West work it’s magic on you.
A lot of people seem to turn their noses up at hot dogs for one reason or another. Not me. I like a good hot dog. Which is why I had to drag foodiehubby and foodiebaby with me to Dogma in Miami. It was on the list of recommended places to go to and I knew I needed to check it out. And oh boy am I glad that I did. Dogma is a high-end foodie hot dog stand. Instead of your traditional plain beef hot dog and soda you can choose from a variety of hot dog types (beef, vegetarian, etc.) and then choose your toppings. I got the LA Chili Dog, complete with chili, mustard, onions and cheese. It wasn’t pretty but boy was it tasty! The meat and toppings were bursting with flavor and the bun was tender and tasty. Their fresh mint lemonade also rocked. The only complaint is that this location was situated too close to its own dumpster which made it less than ideal for dining out front. There are two other locations, so next time I’ll check out one of those. Dogma was hands down the highlight of my cheap eats Miami tour. I will definitely return next time I’m in Miami and highly recommend it.
Upon the recommendation of a few food forum posters, we headed over to Versailles Bakery on Calle Ocho for a few Cuban treats. Like El Rey de las Fritas, the bakery was filled mostly with Spanish-speaking guests. Men in Cuban shirts were standing outside the bakery’s to-go counter, sipping Cuban coffee, basking in their masculinity. It was a hoot. As someone who is a fan of a good pastry I was surprised how many Cuban pastry selections I had never seen before. Particularly their savory selections. We ordered a wide selection of pastries (I think the cashier thought we were crazy) and I got a Cuban coffee. It went quite nicely with the intensity of their Cuban coffee. I think the highlight for me was their bread pudding, which was soaked in some sort of alcohol (a common theme). The quality was good enough not to regret going but I can’t say that it was the best bakery I’ve been to. But it certainly was an authentic experience and I’m glad I went.
I wish that I could say money is no object. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case. And so when I go on vacation I spend a good deal of time trying to find the ultimate bang for my buck. In that spirit, I followed Anthony Bourdain to El Rey de Las Fritas in Miami in hopes that our dear Tony was guiding me towards blissful simplicity. I’m sad to say that not only was I disappointed in the meal itself but I felt let down by Tony, wondering how he could possibly give the frita a big thumbs up?
At the risk of sounding like one big drama queen, I have to say that Anthony Bourdain is one of the few people I am star struck by. And to feel like he either 1) has a poor palate or 2) was lying is a major bummer. Walking into El Rey I was bursting with excitement. It was in a strip mall off of Calle Ocho. Everyone was speaking Spanish. It wasn’t fancy. Oooh baby was I in for one authentic treat. I ordered the frita, essentially a hybrid between a hamburger and a sloppy joe topped with those potato chip slivers and onions. Foodiehubby opted for the traditional Cuban Mix sandwich, complete with pork two ways, pickles, mustard, and pressed Cuban white bread (think panini). To complete the meal we ordered a mango shake and a papaya shake (the highlights of the meal). And, after peaking over at our neighbors dishes we were inspired to order the fried plantains. The frita meat was well-seasoned and quite tasty. I’m not sure that the potato chip slivers added anything but texture. And the bread was so darn bland. And the entire sandwich was no bigger than the palm of my hand (and I’m 5 ft 3, so you figure it out.) The Cuban Mix was average. The plantains were ridiculously bland, I’m guessing it’s raw plantain fried. Not my cup of tea. The shakes were creamy and you could really taste the fruit itself, and not just some “essence of mango.” Overall, I’d give El Rey a 3 out of 5; I wouldn’t avoid the place but I wouldn’t seek it out either.
Which brings me back to Tony. I was wondering how, out of all the places in Miami, he came to pick (and recommend!) El Rey de Las Fritas. Surely, there are other joints with better offerings. But the fact is that Anthony Bourdain isn’t claiming to be a restaurant critic. He is simply offering authentic regional food experiences to his viewers. And , El Rey de las Fritas is just that. It’s a part of the Cuban food culture in Miami. There isn’t a shot in hell it’s going to be nominated for a James Beard award, but that’s okay. Here at Foodie Tours we like to encourage our community to travel the world and use food to learn about other cultures and ways of life. And the reality of it is not everyone is a chef. Not everyone has a fine palate. But everyone does eat. And just sitting in El Rey gave me a glimpse into the life of a Cuban American. Which is what it’s all about. So, for now, I’m giving Anthony Bourdain a break. But I’m also going to remember that on his show, he’s being polite to his hosts. And as such, “mmm that’s tasty!” needs to be taken with a grain of salt.
I’m testing out our new image gallery function. Here are a few photos from my past. We’ve got Standard Bakery in Portland, Maine … which serves absolutely delicious pastry and breads! Definitely not one to miss. Then we’ve got some lobsters that we enjoyed at our cabin in Maine, for about 1/3 the price of what we pay in DC. That’s the best part, of course. And then there’s a shot of a few stellar beers my buddies and I enjoyed in Amsterdam a few years back. And finally, a foodie porn shot of blueberry pancakes at Norma’s at Le Parker Meridian hotel in New York City. Mmm mmm good. Oh, and there’s a view of the lake in Sweden, Maine.
I’ve just returned from my first ever cruise! My generous grandmother took all of my aunts and uncles, their children (us!) and our children on a Royal Caribbean cruise to Key West, Florida and Cozumel, Mexico. What an adventure! I’m quite exhausted at the moment but stay tuned for lots of photos and some tips on cruisin’!
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