Last year when we visited Key West in January we experienced a very cold stretch of weather which became known as the Arctic Blast. I thought that maybe if I changed our trip to a week later, we would have a better chance of warmer weather. So I went ahead and secured our 37th stay reservation at the Gardens Hotel along with our airfare to Key West for the last week in January. After I had everything booked, I realized that we were going to be there the same time as the Mile 0 Festival. I didn’t think it would really impede on anything we normally due while in Key West. Plus I thought with the Smokin’ Tuna closed, maybe it would be an opportunity to catch some live music. 

About a couple weeks out from our return to Key West, I started to check the weather. I wanted to start and plan on what to pack. So far it looked like it was going to be a week of mid to upper 70s during the day and mid 60s at night. I thought how perfect it sounded. Then as the days leading up, everything changed. I thought to myself not again. It looked like it was going to start out beautiful and warm, but then after that Monday, the temperatures were going to drop by a lot. I had a feeling that was going to happen, because the forecast for New Jersey was showing a major drop in temperatures as well mid week after the snowstorm. It was just like the year before (besides getting any extra day of warm weather). That really took the excitement of returning to Key West out of me, but then I kept hearing about this potential major snow storm that was headed our way. Ironically I used to book our January trips with having us leave on Sunday and then return on a Saturday. This time, I figured that we would leave on a Saturday and return on a Friday, giving us two days to get back into the swing of things before returning to work.

It turned out that the major snow storm was going to hit New Jersey the day after we were leaving – talk about perfect timing. I was worried about our cat sitter getting to our house, but since the storm was forecasted to be a big one, she offered to stay through weekend. That was a huge relief knowing that our cat would have someone at our house (even though he hides from anyone besides my husband and I). 

So after packing our clothes and then unpacking them and then repacking them, (it was so hard to figure out what to pack with the up and down temperatures), I was ready to get back to my happy place regardless of the weather forecast. 

You can read my full review of the Gardens Hotel right here:

Gardens Hotel – The Best Part of Key West https://www.gardenshotel.com

Since first stepping onto the Gardens Hotel property back in 2003, I immediately was taken back as to how beautiful it was. After 37 times staying at the Gardens Hotel, you would think that my husband and I would want to try a new place to stay. However, that isn’t the case. Each and every time we arrive at the Gardens, it is truly a magical place. The location is so convenient to every walkable location in Key West. Whether you decide to stroll down Duval St. or change it up and walk down Simonton St., either way you can get to wherever you want to go with ease. The grounds are filled with lush tropical plants and palm trees which makes you feel like you are miles away from the excitement of tourists walking down Duval St. Each morning, the Gardens offers a full breakfast included with your stay. We generally go out for breakfast, but if we decide to take a leisurely start to our day, it is the perfect spot to have a delicious hot meal while taking in the beauty of the grounds. The Gardens has a pool that is quite a decent size to enjoy a swim to cool off after a day walking around Key West in the hot sun. The rooms are equipped with lovely unique furnishings that make you feel like you are royalty. We always have a great time enjoying an afternoon cocktail along the pool at the Pool Bar sharing our stories with other guests and the friendly bartenders. People say why don’t you ever try another place to stay, but I say if a place makes you truly happy with the welcoming staff and the wonderful guests, why would you want to stay anywhere else? Staying at the Gardens hotel, is the best part of Key West.

Saturday, January 24th – Arrival Day

Our flight was scheduled to leave around 9:30am so I had our usual car service and friend pick us up at 6:00am. I looked at my phone and saw that it was 6 degrees out. Yikes and there was an alert about the snowstorm. It was forecasted to dump between 12 and 18 inches the next day. I made sure I left out everything for our cat sitter, including a couple of flashlights just in case we lost power. It was a bit nerve racking leaving knowing that the storm was coming but at that point all you can do is hope that it won’t be that bad as they said. We said our good byes to our cat Kobe and as usual hoped he would remember us when we returned by the end of the week. 

With our bags in tow, we walked out of our house and climbed into our friends pickup truck. The morning was very cold, but the sky was beautiful. The sun was rising and it was so clear. As they say, it is always calm before the storm. 

We arrived at the airport and breezed through TSA. Since we had some time before going to the gate, we headed to the United Club Lounge. 

When we arrived at the lounge, it was packed. I had never seen it that way before. It was most likely due to people that changed their flights from Sunday to Saturday.

Somehow we were able to get two open seats at the bar. First order of business was to order a couple of screwdrivers. We made it to the airport and cheered our drinks. I always feel like the vacation starts once we get to the airport. 

About an hour or so passed and it was getting closer to our boarding time. I like to give ourselves at least 15 minutes before our flight is scheduled to board. Good thing I did, because for some reason, our Gate was a bit challenging to find. We were in Terminal A at Newark Airport which is generally easily mapped out with the Gate numbers, but our Gate was around a corner. Luckily we found it just in time. By the time we got there, there was a line already formed for Boarding Group 1, which was what we were. 

All well at least we found the Gate. While we stood there, an announcement was made that our flight was delayed. At first I wasn’t sure why, but then the gentleman in front of us told us it was due to one of the arm rests. Arm rest? Really?? After a few minutes (which felt like an eternity) we were given the update that they would begin the boarding process.

Once everyone was situated, our captain told us that we would be quite far back in line as far as take off. Eventually it was our turn and we were on our way, finally, to Key West. The flight was uneventful which is always a positive. When I noticed the coast of Florida come into view and the Gulf, I knew we were getting closer and the excitement returned. I always love seeing the Keys below as we approach Key West. 

When we landed I noticed that we didn’t loose too much time all and all – maybe 20-30 minutes? Regardless, we were back. I was so ready to deplane, but we had to wait due to another flight that was headed onto the runway for its departure. It felt like we were never going to get off the plane. Then the plane was able to get to the gate. My husband and I grabbed our luggage and we were the first ones off the plane. In fact when we reached the door to the Gate, we had to wait for someone to open it. When we walked into the airport I could see all the people waiting to return to Newark. I felt a bit guilty knowing that they were in store for quite a storm the next day. 

We quickly walked through the airport and down the escalator out through to the taxi stop. The air was warm and humid – it felt terrific. Immediately we were greeted by a gentleman and he pointed us to the first taxi waiting in line. Soon we were on our way to the Gardens Hotel. I always love the drive down A1A into town. 

The weather was beautiful and I was taking in all the colors of the bougainvillea and the green palm trees. Unfortunately just when we were about to get to the Gardens, part of Simonton St. was closed for some sort of construction. 

We were so close, but our driver had to turn around and head onto Duval St. Duval was packed with traffic and we were barely moving. At that point I almost wanted to get out of the taxi and walk to the Gardens. We were that close. I kept thinking to myself we are never going to get there, but we finally did.

Once we got out of the taxi we walked into the Gardens Hotel. Rhoda was behind the desk and as usual welcomed us back. After 37 times, the check in process is always brief which I love. 

Our room was ready so we grabbed the keys and headed out towards the pool area where our friends Brent and Julie were waiting for us.

It was great to seem them again. It had been about 6 months or so since we saw them. We were going to unpack our things, but the first order of business was to have a cold beer that the bartender Phil had already waiting for us. We chatted for a bit and eventually pulled ourselves away, briefly to unpack.

After all our things were put away in their appropriate places, we met Brent and Julie again at the pool bar. While we were talking, Rhoda came out with a bag of gourmet popcorn. 

She said that our friends from Long Island, Lynn and Al felt bad that they couldn’t join us this trip but wanted to send something down to us. I thought it was so sweet that I went ahead and took a picture. Just as I was about to send it to Lynn thanking her, I turned around and there they were! They had it all planned to surprise my husband and I. Brent and Julie knew and so did the Gardens Hotel staff. It was so much fun to see them again.

About a month prior, I reached out to Julie and suggested that we could have dinner our first night at Lola’s. It so conveniently located right behind the Gardens. I figured after a day of travel, why not go somewhere close by. Another part of the surprise was that Julie booked Lola’s but for 6 all of us. I thought how much fun it will be all going to Lola’s together. Our reservation was for the 6pm seating, so we had some time to freshen up. I wasn’t going to bother to take a shower, but I was so glad I did. Feeling rejuvenated, we all met back at the pool bar. I had shipped down our toiletries ahead of time, like I always do, but this time I packed several small bottles of wine that was part of my Christmas present from my husband. It was an avent calendar from the wine club my husband belongs to. I figured they would be perfect to bring along to Lola’s. I had shipped 6 down, 4 red and 2 white. If we didn’t finish them I would save them in our room for another evening. 

We made the short walk down to Lola’s. They were already calling people in to the restaurant when we arrived. Almost immediately we heard Julie’s name. I didn’t realize we were cutting it so close. We walked in and were seated at a table right next to Chef Richard’s cooking station. Front row I thought to myself. I could see all the amuse-bouche plates ready for service. 

It smelled wonderful in there and I was starting to get really hungry. Once everyone was settled in their seats, the server stood in the middle of the dining room and announced the menu options for that evening. I felt like I was in the movie the Menu. 

They had 5 appetizer options and 5 main course options. My husband and 2 others in our party ordered the lobster tempura appetizer to start. I went ahead and ordered the braised artichoke hearts. Then for the main course, I ordered the hogfish and so did my husband. There were also other seafood options as well. They even offered to put together a vegan pasta dish for our friend Al who has a strict diet. 

Everyone went ahead and poured themselves a glass of wine from the bottles that we brought. I think we had more then enough bottles of wine. Soon our amuse-bouche was brought out to us. I don’t think it has ever changed, but it is a tasty bite to start consisting of sauteed white beans, roasted tomato, mozzarella on a crostini. 

Then it was time for our appetizers. When I saw the lobster tempura dish, I wished I had ordered it. It looked so good. My husband offered a taste and it was delicious. 

My braised artichoke hearts were tasty as well but I should have ordered the lobster. 

Since Brent and Julie dine at Lola’s frequently, Chef Richard put together a plate of their well known scallop appetizer for all of us to share. Between my appetizer, some lobster and the scallops I was getting quite full.

However, when our main courses were served, the hogfish looked and smelled wonderful. I took the first bite and it was delicious. The garlic sauce was on point and not too strong. It was served with a side of ravioli which I feel is a bit much with the fish. I would prefer some sort of sauteed vegetables like spinach for example. Nevertheless the meal was great and everyone loved what they ordered – even Al said his vegan pasta dish was on wonderful.

Sometimes we do order dessert after dinner, but everyone was so stuffed that we just asked for the check when we were done. It was already after 8pm and when we left we could see the next seating of people outside waiting. I felt bad that it was after 8pm, but Julie mentioned they changed the second seating from 8pm to 8:30pm. 

You can read my full review of Lola’s here:

Lola’s – Pricey, but worth it https://www.facebook.com/lolasbistrokeywest/

I tend to make it a point not to do Lola’s every time we visit Key West since it is quite pricey. However, if you want a special meal that is prepared right in front of your eyes, then check out Lola’s. Yes there is no menu and cash is only accepted. However, if you know what to expect, you will have a delightful evening. Lola’s only has two seatings per night – 6pm and 8:30pm (it used to be 8:00pm but I believe they made the second seating later to 8:30pm). When you walk in, you will notice that the Chef of Lola’s, Richard cooks behind a completely open kitchen with all his ingredients of what he is going to cook that evening surrounding his cooking station. The ambiance is on the dark side, but that is to capture the lights of all the little candles scattered along the walls. There is no liquor license so be sure to bring a bottle of your favorite wine. Once everyone is seated, the server will announce the menu line up for that evenings – 5 appetizers and 5 entrees. They are known for their scallop appetizer which is always a tasty choice. I decided to have the roasted artichoke hearts to start and the hogfish entree. My husband ordered the tempura batter and  braised lobster tail. A couple of others in are party choose that as well. He also went with the hogfish. When the appetizers arrived I saw the lobster tail. It looked amazing and I had to try a taste and it was. My artichoke hearts were tender and full of flavor. When our hogfish arrived (usually there is a bit of a wait between the appetizers and main course), it was piping hot. The fish was accompanied with ravioli in a garlic wine sauce. Nothing was left on our plates, so there was no room for dessert, but if you do have room, I highly recommend the pecan pie if it is on the dessert menu. As I mentioned it is quite pricey, so be prepared for an expensive meal, but you won’t go home hungry. 

It was a short walk back to the Gardens where we all took a seat at the gazebo to have a night cap before retiring for the evening. It was a great ending to our first day back in Key West.

Sunday, January 25th – La Te Da, Sunset Tiki Bar, The Bali Bar, Jazz at the Gardens, Kaya Island Eats

When I woke up I went and checked my phone. I reached out to our cat sitter to see how everything was going. She mentioned me that the snow had started and that our cat was of course hiding, but overall all everything was status quo. I asked her to keep me posted, which she usually does.

After my husband and I freshened up, we walked down to Cuban Coffee Queen for a hot cup of coffee. I felt guilty about how beautiful the weather was and that back home was about to get pummeled with a major snow storm.

Our first breakfast in Key West usually is La Te Da, if the weather cooperates. It was a perfect morning that there was no hesitation as to where we were going to have breakfast. So we agreed with Brent and Julie to meet up at La Te Da. 

We grabbed our coffee at Cuban Coffee Queen and then made a leisurely stroll down Duval to La Te Da. Several months ago, Julie hurt her knee so she couldn’t walk very far, so they wound up taking an Uber. 

We arrived first and I was happy to see our two favorite tables to sit at were open. https://www.lateda.com/restaurant

Once we sat down, the bartender came over to take our drink order. We also mentioned to him that we were waiting for our friends. When Brent and Julie arrived, the bartender returned to take their drink order.

As usual my husband went ahead and ordered the Eggs Blackstone for breakfast while I ordered a couple of eggs over medium with a side or sausage. Brent and Julie opted for scrambled eggs with bacon. While we waited for breakfast I checked my phone. It was snowing back home and they already canceled school for Monday. I was so glad that we made it out just in time. We waited for a bit for our breakfast, but when it arrived, there were no complaints. My eggs were cooked perfectly. It was a nice way to start our day.

When everyone was finished, we walked back towards the Gardens. Along the way I noticed that there was a new restaurant getting ready to open in the old Croissants De France location called Conchiglia. I believe it is going to be an Italian Restaurant. Maybe high end?

We also walked by the old Little Jazz Room location which is now Milagro new home. Brent and Julie recently dined at the new location and they thoroughly enjoyed it. We were going to check it out, but unfortunately we didn’t get a chance to this time.

As we neared the Gardens, Brent and Julie decided to head back and relax for a bit and check on family who was also experiencing a winter storm of their own, back in Nashville. Since it was our first full day back in Key West we wanted to walked around. We told them that we would most likely wind up at some point at the Sunset Tiki bar at the Galleon.  So tentatively we planned on meeting up them at the Tiki Bar.

Again the weather was perfect – actually a little warm walking around in the sunshine but I didn’t mind a single bit. It felt so good to feel the warmth of the sun again. Back in New Jersey, our winter started earlier then expected. We had been experiencing very cold weather and snow since the end of November, beginning of December. The past several years we had been quite lucky with next to no snow and mild temperatures. This time though mother nature decided to make up for lost time.

Eventually we made it to the Sunset Tiki Bar. 

We were hoping to see our friend Ramsey behind the bar, but to our surprise there was a gentleman behind the bar. Our usual seats facing the water were taken so we sat across the way. We got in touch with Brent and Julie and they were on their way via an Uber ride. 

 It didn’t take them long to arrive and we all ordered Deep Eddie Sweet Tea Vodka with water and a lemon. It tasted perfect. We talked for a bit and not before long we saw the owner Phil. He welcomed us back as usual and had a few stories to share. It was nice to see him again. 

Our next stop wound up being the Bali Bar. 

Along the way we walked by Sloppy Joe’s and heard a familiar voice singing. I popped in and it was John LaMere

I waved hello and popped back out.

We probably could have stopped in for a drink, but my husband and I are not a fan of Sloppy Joe’s. It just feels so crowded and hectic in there. I don’t know maybe it’s just us but not our cup of tea.

We made to the entrance to the Bali Bar and walked down the alley way. There were only a couple of people there so we sat on the other side of the bar. I felt pretty good at that point so I figured I should order something a little bit lighter then a mixed drink. I saw that they had Surfside so I went ahead and ordered that. My husband and Brent ordered vodka and soda while Julie just had some water. 

The tvs were on and I totally forgot that the Patriots and Broncos playoff game was about to start. We didn’t have plans that evening for dinner besides catching some of the Jazz at the Gardens, but we were thinking about going to Kaya since it is a good spot to watch the playoffs. Jack Flat’s is also a great spot, but we knew it would be crowded.

After catching the first quarter of the game, we walked back down Duval to the Gardens. 

When we returned, the staff was already setting up for Jazz. Luckily they didn’t move the chairs next to the bar so we were able to secure them for a good view and out of the way.

Since we decided to go to Kaya that night, it wasn’t necessary to change.

More and more people started to arrive and soon the entertainment began. 

Then I noticed the owner of the Gardens, Kate Miano was seated at her reserved table along with her friends. I walked on over to say hello. She is always so nice and welcomed us back once again.

Lynn and Al joined us as well. They spend the day at Fort Zachary and mentioned that the water was too cold, but they enjoyed relaxing in the sunshine.

As jazz was nearing the end, we headed out and made the short walk over to Kaya Island Eats. https://www.empouriumkeywest.com/kayaislandeats

We walked in and the place was jamming. Everyone had the same idea as us I guess. We wound up finding a couple of seats at the bar towards the back of the place.

Julie and I went ahead and ordered their signature mai tai. While we were looking over the menu we saw the highlights from the first playoff game. I couldn’t believe which started like any other game, turned into a snow game. I was kind of disappointed that we missed it, I love watching football played in the snow. Then it was time to catch part of the second playoff game, the Seahawks vs. the Rams. I really didn’t have a team to route for after the Broncos lost, but as long as it was a good game.

When the bartender came back with our drinks, we placed our orders. Julie and I both ordered the fried mahi fish sandwich. To start we shared the coconut shrimp. My husband ordered a burger and the buffalo cauliflower to start. We figured we could share the appetizers. When our appetizers arrived, I was so hungry. It didn’t take me very long to finish my share of the shrimp which were delicious. 

I even sampled a few of my husband’s cauliflower bites. Then our entrees arrived. I looked at the fish sandwich and it looked delicious. However, when I took a bite, the texture was off. I don’t know maybe it was freezer burned? I was so disappointed. Even Julie thought the same thing. At least the fries filled me up. My husband enjoyed his burger and I think Brent had the fish tacos and he had no complaints. Maybe because it was so busy that they were a little off that night? I hope that was the case, because normally Kaya is one of our go to places.

After our meals we walked back to the Gardens and enjoyed a night cap in the gazebo. I checked my phone and saw that the Seahawks beat the Rams. Then I saw a message from our cat sitter. She told me that the storm was slowing down and we wound up getting 16 inches of snow. I couldn’t believe it. Luckily before we left, my husband got in touch with our neighbor who has a plow. We left our vehicles at the end of the driveway just in case. I was glad we did, but felt bad for our cat sitter. She had to dig her way out to get to her car. Thankfully though we didn’t lose power. It was getting late and we had reservations for Latitudes the following morning. It was time to get some sleep.

Monday, January 26th – Latitude’s, Hogsbreath, The Tree Bar, A&B Lobster House

Right before we left I saw that the temperatures were going to drop after Monday. Julie had originally booked Latitudes for that Wednesday morning, but I knew it would be too cold. So I went ahead and booked us a table at 9:45am that Monday. When I woke up I thought to myself, this is the last day of warm weather so we better enjoy it. 

I checked my phone and saw that our cat sitter was finally able to shovel her way out of the driveway. She was having a hard time with all the snow at the end left by the plows. The concerning thing though was how it was going to get extremely cold for the remainder of the week, meaning the snow wasn’t going to go anywhere anytime soon, but that’s a problem for when we return home.

All showered and ready to go, my husband and I first made the short walk over to Cuban Coffee Queen. Meanwhile, Brent and Julie were going to take an Uber over and meet us at the Opal Resort. The morning was so beautiful that I was thinking to myself how I can’t believe it is going to get so cold, but then again not as cold as back home.

We took a leisurely walk all the way down Duval to the Opal Resort. Thankfully there were no cruise ships docked so we were able to take in the views of the water and out towards Sunset Key.

Not before long, Brent and Julie arrived. It was almost time to catch the water taxi, so we walked on over to the pier. https://www.opalcollection.com/sunset-key-cottages/restaurants/latitudes/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=listing&utm_campaign=opal+sunset+key+cottages+latitudes

Once the water taxi arrived, we headed on board. It is sort of funny how every time we take the water taxi over to Latitudes, we somehow always get the same seats. The ride on over was short and sweet. We were one of the first passengers off the boat, so I wound up leading the way to the restaurant.

When we walked in, I gave the hostess my name. She walked us through the restaurant and outside. I saw there was quite a large table large enough for 6 people right in the middle. I was surprised when she directed us to the table. There were other tables of 4, but I wasn’t going to complain, we had plenty of room. The only downside was that the table sat pretty high. So when we sat down in our seats, it felt like we needed taller chairs.

I was a surprised we had to wait a little bit before our server came over for our drink order. There weren’t many occupied tables. Maybe they were short staffed that morning.

Eventually our server came over and we placed our drink order. I wanted to also get in our breakfast order but he told us he would  be right back. He lied – he wasn’t.

Finally when he returned with our drinks we placed our order. I didn’t order anything fancy, just the regular two eggs over medium. I did notice however, they had updated the breakfast menu. They still have the same menu for dinner, but they definitely updated the breakfast.

Thankfully we had a gorgeous backdrop to take in while we waited for our meal to arrive. Usually we don’t experience a long wait – especially for breakfast. By the time our breakfast was served, I was hungry. 

Everything was tasty and enjoyed by all of us. We did speculate about the breakfast potatoes. They were prepared roasted and then fried, I think – but they were served whole. We joked saying if we could, we would take the leftover potatoes with us and make a side dish later. 

Once we were done, it wound up being only a few minutes before catching the water taxi back. My husband was able to get the attention of our server so that he could bring us the check. After we settled the bill, we walked back to the dock and sure enough the water taxi was just about ready to arrive.

As we waited for everyone to exit, we saw the same guests that took the same water taxi as us, joining us on our return. We got the go ahead and loaded back in to the boat and again we wound up with the same exact seats.

It was a nice trip back and it felt like the temperature was getting warmer – and if I dare say hot. 

We made it back and walked through the Opal onto Front St. Brent and Julie had a few calls to make back home to check on the family and then relax at the Gardens. We told them we would hook up with them later on. After they hopped in their Uber, we headed down towards the Sunset Tiki Bar. 

Being that we were earlier then the day before, we were able to get our preferred seats. 

We only stayed for one since our next stop on the to-do list was to check out Zack Seemiller who was playing his usual time at Hogsbreath. When we were done with our drinks we made the short walk to Hogsbreath. Being that there wasn’t any cruise ships in town, we were able to get two seats at the end of the bar near where the entertainment was. 

We said hello to Zack and ordered a couple of beers. While we were listening to him play, we saw a familiar face. It was Jacin who is also a musician and bar tends at the Bali Bar. We gave him hugs and asked him what he was up to and just like us, he was stopping by to check out Zack play. Just before we saw him, we were getting ready to leave, but then we decided to stay for a bit longer. That’s how it goes in Key West. It’s better not to have any plans.

Once Zack was done with his set, he came over and we chatted for a few before heading out to our next stop. Jacin mentioned that he was playing the following night at the Bali Bar. We told him we would stop by. Then we headed back down Duval and we noticed how they were getting ready for the Mile 0 Fest that was starting the next day with all the street barricades propped up along Duval. 

Our next stop was the Tree Bar to see Terri behind the bar. There were two stools open and that’s where we sat. I always like stopping by at the Tree Bar. You get to see all the people go by and sometimes catch a little island gossip. Terri welcomed us back and poured us a couple drinks. 

While we were talking to her, it seemed as though someone turned off the lights. I looked up at the sky and suddenly the sun disappeared. The clouds were rolling in, just as the winds were. Every once in a while you could feel the cold breeze come through. Oh no here it comes I thought to myself – the cold arctic blast that is affecting practically the entire country.

It was getting to be that time to head back to the Gardens and meet up with Brent and Julie. We said our goodbyes to Terri and walked down Duval. As we neared the infamous wind tunnel, aka the La Concha Hotel, I couldn’t believe how cold it turned.

We took the short cut through Cuban Coffee Queen and onto Angela St. When we walked back in to the Gardens, we ran into Lynn and Al. Again they spent the majority of the day at Fort Zachary, but wound up leaving once the weather turned.

They already had dinner plans so we still had to figure out where we were going to go that evening. When Brent and Julie joined us at the Pool Bar we talked about different options.

The one thing that kept coming up was that it should be somewhere inside. I agreed a hundred percent. Then my husband brought up Berlins. We used to go there for dinner when we didn’t have reservations at A&B Lobster House. It is such a cool place where you could eat at the bar with the old retro vibe with leather furniture and what not and it is the same menu as A&B.

So it was agreed we would go to Berlin’s. Why not? My husband and I quickly freshened up before meeting Brent and Julie back at the pool bar. This time we were all going to take an Uber. The winds were picking up and I knew it would not be an enjoyable walk.

I plugged in our coordinates right outside of the Gardens and within a couple minutes our Uber appeared. We all climbed in to the car. My husband road shotgun while I squeezed in the middle between Brent and Julie. I didn’t want Julie have to maneuver too much with her bad knee. The ride was quick, like mostly everywhere you go in Key West while taking an Uber. We walked down Front St. to the entrance to Berlin’s. Brent and Julie had never been there so it was kind of exciting showing them a new place. They only have gone to A&B Lobster House. Obviously it is the same menu but the ambiance is completely different. 

We walked up the stairway and into Berlins. https://berlinskeywest.com

When we walked in, it was packed. My husband and I were caught off guard. I couldn’t believe how many people were there. I did see that they had a live singer performing, so maybe that was part of it? Or maybe just because it was getting so cold out, that’s where a lot of people prefer to go for a cocktail. 

We managed to find a small table off to the side of the bar. I really wanted to see if some people would leave the bar so that we could get a seat there and have dinner. While we waited for seats to open up, my husband walked on over to order us drinks. 

I kept looking over and the bartenders were so crazy taking drink orders that my husband had to wait and wait. Then I noticed the one bartender was placing cloth napkins along the bar which meant dinner service. The patrons at the bar were not going anywhere anytime soon. We had a table, but isn’t wasn’t for dining. I looked on over to Julie and we both realized that it wasn’t going to work out. She went on her phone and somehow was able to get us a reservation within the next 15 minutes right next door at A&B. I told her to reserve the table and by the time my husband returned with our drinks we told him. He reiterated to us how busy the bar area was and that it was a good call to reserve a table, because no one was leaving anytime soon.

So after a few sips of our drinks, we walked on over through the door to A&B. When we entered the restaurant, it wasn’t nearly as crowded as Berlin’s. 

The hostess walked us over to a nice table and we settled in. Our server came over and told us that the catch of the day was black grouper. I came to the conclusion that it must be black grouper season, because every place we dined at had black grouper as the special and that’s pretty much what I ordered every night.

To start I ordered the caesar salad while my husband ordered the lobster bisque – which I thought was a great call. Julie ordered the shrimp cocktail to share with Brent. Of course I went and ordered the black grouper for my main meal while everyone else ordered one of the lobster options that A&B offers. I knew it was going to be an indulgent night both cost wise and flavor wise, but it was worth it.

Our first course came out and the caesar salad looked like the type of salad you would have at a high end steak house. The anchovies were delicious. 

My husband enjoyed his lobster bisque and I took a small sample. It was absolutely wonderful. Next our main courses arrived and I was so happy what I ordered. The grouper was cooked perfectly. The rest of the party enjoyed their lobster dishes. 

Everyone was quite satisfied when we finished our meals that we just asked for the check. 

You can read my full review of A&B Lobster House here:

A&B Lobster House – Classic Key West Experience https://aandblobsterhouse.com

While A&B Lobster House isn’t the most reasonable place to dine at, it is well worth the splurge. The menu consists of old classics such as jumbo shrimp cocktail, lobster bisque, oysters rockefeller, lobster thermidor. You can’t go wrong if you order the caesar salad which is prepared with a delicious garlic dressing and loaded with fresh shaved parmesan and anchovies. If you are craving soup, you cannot go wrong with the lobster bisque which is both delicious and decadent. A&B is known for their lobster dishes, but don’t rule out their catch of the day. When my husband and I dined at A&B recently, I went with the black grouper special. The fish was cooked perfectly and tasted amazing. They even bring out bread and butter while you wait for your dinner which has become a distant memory for so many places, unless you order it off the menu (bread service). All and all whether you go with one of the old classic dishes such as lobster thermidor or the catch of the day, you won’t be disappointed. 

We walked back outside and boy it was cold. The winds were picking up and it didn’t feel at all pleasant. Instead of taking the walk back down Duval, we all decided to take the easy way out and get an Uber. 

We made it back to the Gardens and headed in to warm up and get some sleep.

Tuesday, January 27th – Cold Weather Sets In, Start of Mile 0 Festival

That morning, I woke up I could see the sun shining through the shades. It looked like a beautiful day but when my husband opened up the door, there was a chill.

When we walked outside of our room, at first it didn’t seem so bad, but then when that wind blew…..it was cold. We walked over to Cuban Coffee Queen and I looked up and saw how the sky was a brilliant blue. When we returned to the Gardens, Brent and Julie were waiting for us. We had planned the night before to have breakfast at Bagatelle. Unlike last year though, we agreed without hesitation to take an Uber over. (Last year we walked down Duval all the way to Bagatelle and it was one of the coldest walks ever.) Let’s just say it wasn’t anywhere near enjoyable.

I quickly set up the Uber request and without fail, the car showed up within minutes. The driver headed down Simonton, but ran into a predicament when we got to Duval. The street was closed off for the Mile 0 Festival. There was a street concert scheduled later that evening. So our Uber driver had to turn around and take us down to Front St. where we got out of the car on the corner of Duval. It wasn’t an issue since Bagatelle was literally right down the street.

We walked up to Bagatelle and as to be expected, all the window tarps were down to shield patrons from the wind. No one was seated outside though. When we approached the hostess, she didn’t even have to ask us if we wanted to dine inside or out. We followed her up the stairs to a nice table. Our server came over to take our drink order. I went ahead and chose the red sangria while my husband ordered a vodka and orange juice, however she could not understand what my husband was trying to say. Her first reaction was “no”. We all looked at each other, but then when my husband tried a different approach and said screwdriver she understood. 

When our server returned with our drinks, we all placed our order. I was in the mood to try the chorizo omelet so that’s what I went with. Julie also ordered the glazed bacon for all of us to share. 

We didn’t have to wait long for our breakfast to be brought out. When I was served my omelet it looked perfect. I took a bite and noticed that there was a piece of shrimp in it. 

That’s odd I didn’t think that the chorizo omelet came with shrimp. As I took another bite I realized that I had the wrong item. It was the seafood omelet not chorizo. Maybe our server didn’t hear me say chorizo clear enough or not but I was a bit disappointed. While it did taste okay, I wasn’t in the mood for it. I did manage to eat most of it though.

After our breakfast, we decided to walk to the Sunset Tiki Bar. We were already almost at Front St. so it was a short walk. We battling the winds along the pier on the way to the Tiki Bar. When we arrived, most of the tarps were down thank goodness and Candence was bar tending. She gave us all warm hugs and welcomed us back. Even though the tarps were down, it was still a bit chilly. Plus drinking a cold drink didn’t help. We weathered through it with good company and great conversation.

If you walked out into the sun out of the wind, it didn’t feel bad. Even the iguanas were keeping warm in the sun. 

We had a couple of drinks and then it was time for us to motivate. Brent and Julie told us that they were going to take an Uber back to the Gardens, so we headed back down Front St. 

We walked around and past Captain Tony’s to see who was playing. We didn’t recognize the singer so we kept going. As we passed the old Tiki House location, I saw that they were doing some sort of construction. I think I remember hearing that they are going to somehow expand the Rick’s / Durty Harry’s location of some sort.  

When we got to Duval, you could see the stage set for the Mile 0 Festival. I kind of felt bad, how all the people that were coming in for the Festival were going to experience a cold week. Lucky for us, at least we had almost 3 full days of warm beautiful weather. 

Since we were right there, we walked down to the Tree Bar. Terri was behind the bar again. We ordered a couple of drinks and chatted for a few while they started to do sound check. https://youtu.be/KHR9mktACDA

Our friends Lynn and Al were leaving the next day to visit some friends in Miami. It was our last night of all of us together. Normally we go to La Trattoria for dinner, but the last time we went I felt underwhelmed with what I ordered. I know that Lynn and Al like italian cuisine so I thought about making a reservation for the 6 of us at Bel Mare. My husband and I only dined there once when it first opened up several years and thoroughly enjoyed it. So the night before I made a reservation on my phone for the 6 of us at 6:30 requesting the best table in the place with a happy face emoji. 

So when I got a call from Bel Mare reconfirming our reservation, she expressed how everyone got a kick out of the happy face emoji next to the request. (Note to self: do not make restaurant reservations after a day out and about in Key West.) I was glad too that they called to reconfirm, because I never received an email letting me know what time. I couldn’t remember if it was 6:30 or 6:45pm.

When we were done with our drinks, we made our way back to the Gardens to freshen up and grab warmer jackets. We met up with everyone at the Gardens Pool Bar. It seemed as though the winds were picking up even more so then earlier. We were so cold. And it was too cold to walk to Bel Mare, so like we did for breakfast, we all decided to take an Uber. Since there were 6 of us, we had to split up in two cars. It felt so comfortable to get into the heated car. I almost was wishing the ride over was going to be a bit longer.

It was a short ride and we reconvened at the end of Front St. The pier was a lit up and so were the boats. Even though it was cold, it did look pretty. 

We made it up the stairs and into the restaurant. 

I gave the hostess my name and she lead us to a gorgeous table in the corner surrounded by the large windows.

I looked out and saw outdoor seating. The tables weren’t set up due to the weather, but I didn’t realize they had outdoor dining. 

Our server walked on over to tell us the specials that evening. The fish for the piccata entry was…. drum roll… yes black grouper. I was on a roll so I thought to myself, I can see how their black grouper preparation is. Plus I love anything piccata. Everyone placed their wine order while we perused the menu. I noticed something intriguing that caught my eye. It was oysters rockefeller with bone marrow. Normally I don’t order something so decadent, but I felt like it. So when everyone placed their order that’s what I started with followed by the black grouper piccata.

Our server came back with our drink order along with the bread service. We talked about our day and how it was so cold, but we were enjoying being together. 

Soon our first course arrived. I looked down and couldn’t believe I ordered what I did. I took one bite of the oysters rockefeller, while a little on the smaller side, they tasted so good. 

The bone marrow definitely needed to be accompanied with some bread because to me it was a bit on the underdone side. I did manage to get through it but would probably stick to a caesar salad to start the next time. Then our main course arrived and it the fish piccata did not disappoint. It was a perfect blend of garlic, capers, olives, and lemon. 

I must mention how attentive our server was without being overbearing. Great quality service has become not the norm most recently while we have been dining out.  When everyone was done with their meals, we asked for the check. Once we figured out who owes what, just dividing it into thirds was the easiest way, we headed on out.

You can read my full review of Bel Mare here:

Bel Mare – Great Service and Delicious Upscale Italian Food https://belmarerestaurant.com

So glad my husband and I revisited this restaurant. Several years ago we dined at Bel Mare right after it opened. I was looking for an italian restaurant to take our friends before they left the following day. Usually we go to La Trattoria, while the food is good, I always find it underwhelming. I went ahead and booked us a table and when we arrived we were seated in the corner. The sun had already set so it was dark to see all the boats in the dock below. The server told us the specials, including the fish of the day for the piccata entree – black grouper. To start I decided to be a bit daring and ordered the bone marrow and oysters. For my main entree I went ahead with the grouper piccata. My husband ordered the beef carpaccio followed by the lobster ravioli. Our friends ordered several appetizers and different pasta dishes for their main courses. Everything we had was delicious and full of flavor. The service was impeccable. Our server was very attentive and yet didn’t hover over us. I was quite happy with my decision booking a reservation at Bel Mare. It tends not be as popular as the other restaurants in Key West but it should be. If you are looking for high end italian cuisine, book a table at Bel Mare.

The gang hopped in an Uber back to the Gardens. Brent and Julie were in for the night, but Lynn and Al wanted to go to La Te Da for their last night. We said good night and told them we would catch them in the morning. My husband and I wanted to check out Jacin at the Bali Bar. It was so cold and would had rather joined Brent and Julie, but we did tell him we would stop by.

So we walked down to Duval and made it to where the stage was set up. It was packed with wall to wall people and there was a band performing. https://youtu.be/Tcs86M1JB3o

Somehow we made it through the crowds and down to the Bali Bar. I was thinking it was going to be so cold there sitting at the bar. However, when we got to the Bali Bar, we sat down on the side of the bar and it was out of the wind. It actually wasn’t bad. 

We waved across the way to Jacin as he was playing a few covers of my favorite band, Pearl Jam. It was a fun way to end the evening. When Jacin was done with his set, we said our goodbyes.

Then it was the dreaded walk back to the Gardens. The winds were blowing fiercely – especially by La Concha. We did make it back to the Gardens and I couldn’t wait to get in to our room and warm up. 

Wednesday, January 28th – Breakfast Club Too, Surly Siren, The Bali Bar, Blackfin Bistro

Throughout the night you could hear the wind blow outside almost making it seem like it was raining. We were in no hurry to get up early knowing that the weather wasn’t going to be the greatest. Eventually we freshened up and when I opened the door it was overcast and windy. My phone said 60 degrees but real feel of 49. So much for trying a different week in January. It didn’t matter – the same thing happened. It started off perfectly with sunshine and warm sun, and then the winds and cold air. 

 Thank goodness I packed several warm layers for myself. Unfortunately I didn’t do as well for my husband. I did pack several gym pants, but they were not warm enough. I did pack a pair of pants for him that were thicker so he wound up wearing them for a couple days straight. While I was finishing up getting ready, my husband walked on over to Cuban Coffee Queen to pick us up some coffee. Usually I enjoy the walk on over, but I had no issues with him going there to get our coffee. When he returned, we ran into Lynn and Al. They were on the way out to catch their flight to Miami. I was so glad that we were able to say goodbye before they left. While we were saying our goodbyes Brent and Julie appeared. After we wished them well, we talked about where we should go for breakfast. Obviously somewhere indoors was a necessity. I suggested Breakfast Club Too, but my husband mentioned that it would probably be very busy since it is one of the more popular places. So our game plan was to try Breakfast Club Too first and if it was too long of a wait we would try Harpoon Harry’s. Julie went ahead and set up the Uber for us and within minutes there was our driver.

The Mile 0 Fest block party was over so there were no more closures on Duval. We made it to Breakfast Club Too and we saw several people waiting outside. When we walked in, the hostess said that we could have a table right away outside or wait. https://www.thebctoo.com

Without hesitation we said we would wait. It wasn’t too long however, maybe 10 – 15 minutes, but waiting outside wasn’t fun when that wind came ripping through.

When our name was called, we walked back in to Breakfast Club Too and it was filled to the nines. The hostess walked us to a back table and ironically it was the same table we dined at the last time we were there. What are the odds? I peeled off my layers and settled into my chair. It was warm inside and I was ready for a hot meal. The server came over and took our orders. I went ahead and ordered one of my favorites there – the rösti. I usually order the chorizo version, but this time I felt like the pulled pork. They both were similar, prepared with poblano peppers.

My husband played it safe and ordered a couple of eggs. Brent and Julie went ahead and ordered omelets. I knew most likely I wasn’t going to finish my meal, but I figured with the cold weather I needed something substantial to get me through the day.

Since the weather was not ideal for any outdoor activities, we didn’t really have any plans. We just figured that we would see how it goes more or less. Soon our orders arrived and I couldn’t have been happier. The rösti was bubbling hot and hit the spot. That’s the one thing I have to commend Breakfast Club Too. No matter how busy they are, you don’t have to wait long for your order. It really amazes me. They must have a good system in the kitchen.

With our bellies stuffed, we walked back out to the street. And there was that wind again. We weren’t too far away from the Sunset Tiki Bar, so of course that was our next course of action. Once again, Candace was behind the bar trying to stay warm. This time all the tarps were down surrounding the area. It definitely helped with the wind, but it was still cold. She served us our go-to drinks – Deep Eddy Sweet Tea with water and lemon. It was tasty but didn’t exactly help warm us up. 

We talked for a few before making our way out. Candace mentioned that she was working the next day, so that we would make sure to stop by again before we left on Friday. We said our goodbyes and made it back to Front St. It was still so cold. Brent and Julie had enough of battling the winds so they told us that they would see us back at the Gardens. Once they hopped into their Uber we walked down towards Duval. Where to go next? 

We wound up walking around the Mallory Square Shops to see if there was anything that caught our eye. It is always the same stuff, but it is still entertaining to look around at all the different souvenirs they have. Obviously front in center of every store were $5 sweatshirts. Since we were right on Front St. we walked up the stairs to the Surly Siren. 

We walked in and there were several people sitting at the bar. Two seats were open so we sat down. The bartender asked us what we wanted and we both ordered the Megadeth Margarita. You gotta love the names of their drinks. I have had it before. Yes it is spicy but in a good way. It will definitely get you going. 

The bartender went ahead and made us the two drinks and served them. I love how they don’t use any of the margarita mix. When I took a sip it was just what I expected – full of flavor with a kick. I did see some people having food at a couple of tables and it looked like decent bar food. There wasn’t any entertainment so we just watched the tvs up above. I still miss, however the old Roof Top Bar. We used to love it when it was open. Yes the Surly Siren is fun, but I don’t know the atmosphere to me just seems dark and uninviting even with all those windows. The staff though is really nice so I do hope they continue to do well. 

When we were done with our margaritas, you can only have one of those – unless you want heartburn, we walked down the stairs and past the old Key Ceviche building. We noticed that there were a bunch of people bringing equipment in the building. Could it be that the Smokin’ Tuna will be resurrected in that location? Then my husband and I realized that most likely it was something to do with the Mile 0 Festival. 

We passed by General Horseplay. I remembered seeing that Marshall Morlock Band was playing there that night and planned on going to see them. Last year we saw them there, again when it was really cold. And we never did make it – too cold. We wound up making it back to the Bali Bar. 

Jacin was working behind the bar this time so we chatted for a bit. We also talked to a couple that was sitting there who were down for the Mile 0 Festival. They told us that the show at the amphitheater the previous night was so cold that they didn’t even stay for the entire show. While we were finishing up with our drinks, I saw that they had some sweatshirts hanging. I didn’t pack a lot of warm tops for my husband so I went ahead and asked Jacin if they had a XL for him. He went in the back and brought out the shirt. I also asked for a t-shirt for myself. I wouldn’t be wearing it anytime soon, but I liked the look of it. 

Then it was that time to make our way back to the Gardens. We paid our bill and walked back down Duval. It is always so strange to see people walking in Key West all bundled up in sweatshirts and whatnot. It isn’t right. When we made it back to the Gardens Brent and Julie were there at the Pool Bar all bundled up. I thought about stopping by Willie T’s to see Zack, but I just pictured ourselves sitting on those stools freezing. Maybe we could try the next day I thought.

The next course of action was to figure out where to go for dinner. I was thinking about Old Towne Mexican but that is outdoors. We could try the Square Grouper, but if you have to wait outside, it’s not going to be very enjoyable. Then my husband and I thought of the Blackfin Bistro. I went ahead and called the restaurant and the person on the phone was really nice. He said that he could accommodate us if we would come by within a half hour. He had 4 seats available at the bar. I told him to put my name down and we would head on over. Brent and Julie had never been to the Blackfin Bistro before so they were quite excited to try it.

We quickly went back to the room to freshen up and then met back up with Brent and Julie. The Blackfin Bistro isn’t far, but we were on a time crunch. So we wound up taking another Uber. We made it within minutes. When we walked in the Blackfin I saw the 4 empty seats at the bar. The place is small so it doesn’t take too many people to make it feel that way. There is also an outdoor dining area, but obviously that wasn’t being used.

We sat down at the bar and I began to warm up. The Blackfin Bistro is known for their burgers and wine. When the bartender came over, we all ordered a glass of red wine. My husband and I decided to go with the Malbec. Once our wine was poured, the bartender told us the specials. 

And yes, again, the fish of the day was black grouper. To start I ordered the escargot and my husband ordered the calamari sauté. Then for my main meal, if course, I ordered the black grouper special. Both my husband and Julie ordered the wagu beef burger, which the bartender pointed out is their signature burger. Brent followed my lead and also ordered the black grouper.

It didn’t take too long for our appetizers to arrive. The escargot were delicious. You can never have enough garlic. I tried my husband’s calamari and they were super tender. 

Then it was time for our entrees. Wow the burger my husband ordered looked amazing. He took a bite and said it was as advertised. 

When took a taste of my grouper, I was happy. Plus I am a happy camper when the restaurant serves potatoes with fish as opposed to just plain white rice. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their meal. Brent and Julie enjoyed it so much that Julie went ahead and made a reservation for that Sunday, after we leave for the two of them. With a very satisfied meal, we made the cold walk down Duval back to the Gardens. We tried to have a nightcap at the gazebo, but we didn’t stay out long, it was too cold. With that, we all headed in for the night.

You can read my full review of the Blackfin Bistro here:

Black Fin Bistro – Small Place but Big on Flavor https://blackfinbistro.com

My husband and I have had the opportunity to dine at Black Fin several times. It had a been a couple of years, but when the notion of where to have dinner that evening came up with our friends, we suggested Black Fin Bistro. The place is small so they recommend reservations. I was able to get a last minute reservation for 4 at the bar. Black Fin is know for their wagu beef burger, so my husband ordered it for his main dish, same with one of our friends in our party. To start I ordered the escargot which is served in a wonderful garlic sauce. If you are a garlic lover like myself, this is the dish to order. My husband went with the sauteed calamari which is equally delicious. The catch of the day was black grouper and since it is one of my favorites I ordered it. My fish arrived piping hot and seasoned perfectly. My husband’s burger looked like it should be on the cover of a magazine. I tried a few french fries and they were tasty. Everyone finished their meals and had no complaints. For being such a small place, the Black Fin serves up some big flavor. 

Thursday, January 29th – Azur, The Bight, The Bali Bar, Red Shoe Bistro 

We woke up to the sun returning. I thought maybe it was warmer? Well when my husband opened the door it was still chilly out. However, it seemed that the winds had died down quite a bit. While I was getting ready, my husband went back to Cuban Coffee Queen to grab ourselves some coffee. By the time he came back, I was all set. We reached out to Brent and Julie and agreed to go to Azur for breakfast. Ever since the last time we were there and I ordered their version of a roesti, my husband wanted to try it. It is basically a large potato pancake topped with arugula, prosciutto and brie. Then the final touch is a poached egg with a drizzle of hollandaise sauce. It was really good.

When we met up with Brent and Julie at the pool area of the Gardens, the sun was shining and it didn’t feel too bad out. We decided to that we could walk to Azur. It isn’t that far of a walk. We made our turn on to Simonton and took it to Fleming St. 

Fleming is such a pretty road to walk along. As we neared Grinnell St. I could see the restaurant. We crossed the street and walked in. 

It seemed pretty quiet when we entered. I asked if we could be seated inside. The outside area didn’t appear to be too cold. There was even a table of 4 seated out there, but everyone wanted to stay inside. https://azurkeywest.com

We were seated in the small dining area. I did remember that the service tends to be a on the slower side at Azur. So if you are on a time crunch I would save it for when you don’t have any plans, like us. Our server came over and I ordered a cup or coffee. Brent and Julie ordered cappuccinos while my husband ordered a screwdriver. When he returned, I ordered a couple of eggs over medium and of course my husband ordered the roesti. Brent ordered the gnocchi frittata while Julie ordered the panko crusted fish sandwich. She wanted redemption from the not so great fried fish sandwich we experienced at Kaya.

While we waited we talked about our week. It always goes by so fast. We used to return on a Saturday, but now I book our trips from a Saturday to a Friday. This way we have a couple of days to get back into the swing of things. Plus with Key West being so expensive now, eliminating just one night saves a lot of money.

Eventually our meals were served. I looked over at another table that was also being served and the eggs benedict plate was insane. Funny because I almost ordered it. Azur uses ciabatta bread for most of their brunch items and the poached eggs are presented on top of this HUGE piece of bread. I would need a nap after that. Everyone was happy with what they ordered, especially my husband. He loved the roesti and Julie had high praise for the fish sandwich. Another reason why I like Azur. If you feel like a fish sandwich or even a burger for breakfast it is on their brunch menu – similar to Bagatelle.

Once we were all set, we walked back on to Grinnell and we took made our way towards the Bight.

It was kind of comical to walk by the Half Shell since we just saw on social media that they were looking for locals to be cast in the second season of Bad Monkey with Vince Vaughn. 

 We walked along the Bight, Even the pelicans looked cold:

And without any surprise we made it to the Sunset Tiki Bar.

We said hello to Candace as she made us our drinks. I joked and said each day was like a rinse and repeat. We are definitely creatures of habit and tend to go to the same places each time. After a couple of rounds, we said goodbye to Candace. Brent and Julie wound up taking an Uber back to the Gardens. Being that we were leaving the next day, we wanted to walk around one last time. 

Keeping with the rinse and repeat theme, we wound up back at the Tree Bar for one last time.

We only stayed for one and thanked Terri. Then we were nearing Charles St. (where the Smokin’ Tuna used to be) I made a sad face to my husband and then we thought why don’t we check it out? I saw that Just George was playing and we hadn’t seen him in a while so why not. Plus I did some design work for him, including his banner that he displays during his set.

We walked in and it felt so wrong. This should be the Smokin’ Tuna we both said quietly. We found a couple of seats at the bar. 

The bartender was very nice and we just ordered a couple of Miller Lite’s. George recognized us and said hello. We stayed for a couple of songs before heading back out. I still can’t believe that the Smokin’ Tuna is gone. That was our all things Key West place to go to. As they always say, good things come to an end.

After our little stint at the Alamo, our next stop was the Bali Bar. We walked in and Jacin was working again. We said hello and took our seats. He and some of the Bali Bar staff were help setting up for a singer named Josh Kiser. 

We hadn’t seen much live music this time so we decided to stay and check him out. While he was getting ready, we talked to the owner of the Bali Bar. He told us how Mac McAnally booked a room at the Key West Hotel (which the Bali Bar is part of) in the not so far off future. I thought that was pretty cool.

Josh Kiser was all set up and he started to sing. He was quite good. We were impressed so we wound up staying for a few more songs. https://youtu.be/gwji2BUqkpQ

Before we knew it, it was time to head back to the Gardens. I had made dinner reservations before arriving in Key West at the Red Shoe Bistro for the first seating at 6pm. We said our goodbyes and booked it back to the Gardens.

Brent was at the bar and told us that Julie was finishing up getting ready. Not wanting to create more laundry right before our return home, I decided to just wear what I was already in. We wound up going back to our room anyway, to pack our things. The laundry we had the Gardens send out for us had returned that afternoon so it was the perfect opportunity to put our clean clothes back into our luggage. Once that was accomplished we walked back to the pool bar area where Brent and Julie were waiting for us.

The Red Shoe isn’t very far from the Gardens, but we were running late, so we wound up taking an Uber. When we arrived, they just started letting people into the restaurant. https://www.facebook.com/redshoeislandbistro/

We were seated in the room where the bar is located in a corner. I went ahead and selected a bottle of red wine for the table. Our server told us the specials and to keep the streak going, I wound up getting the black grouper. 

My husband went with his go to at Red Shoe, the beef stroganoff. Brent and Julie decided on the yellowtail snapper. To start I ordered the baked Key West Shrimp stuffed with lobster. My husband and Brent and Julie ordered the deviled eggs with scallops.  

The place was packed, that’s why I would recommend reservations otherwise good luck getting a table. I remember one time however, they accommodated us when it was just my husband and I and we sat at the bar. Our appetizers arrived and the baked shrimp were tasty. There wasn’t a lot of lobster stuffing per say, but it was good. Everyone else liked the eggs and scallops. I was going to have one, but wanted to save my appetite for the black grouper.

While we were waiting for our entrees, I thought about where we could have breakfast the next morning before we head out to the airport. Then I suggested Cafe Marquesa. Julie took a peak at the menu and thought that we should give it a try. So I went ahead and made us a reservation for the following morning at 9:30am.

Our main course soon was served. The black grouper looked amazing and it was. The sherry wine sauce was so good, however when I tried the broccolini, there was nothing on them. Maybe one of the cooks forgot to toss them in olive oil? There wasn’t even any salt or pepper. It was like they were blanched in water and put on the plate. Again, the place was really busy so maybe it was just something that was overlooked. We have never had a bad meal there – ever. So with that I did still enjoy everything else. 

My husband thoroughly enjoyed the beef stroganoff. We were debating about ordering dessert, but no one had room. We asked for the check and headed back to the Gardens.

My husband had bought cigars earlier that day, to surprise Brent. So when we went to the gazebo for our last night cap of the trip, my husband busted out the cigars. 

I was getting tired so I headed to the room to get some sleep. Plus it we were heading home the next day.

Friday, January 30th – Heading Home to the Frigid Weather 

When I woke up, I checked to make sure my phone was charged. Then I noticed a message on my phone. It was from my twin sister letting me know that it was going to be 5 degrees by the time we land back at Newark Airport. Great I thought to myself. Not that it was exactly balmy in Key West.

I also noticed that it was raining outside. It never rains on our last day in Key West. Usually it is beautiful. It didn’t last long though. It was just a passing shower.

My husband and I both freshened up and I went to make sure we weren’t leaving anything behind. Also since I ship a box of toiletries to the Gardens each and every time – and we do carry on, I have to unfortunately throw out any liquid items. It turned out though, Julie and Brent ran out of shampoo and conditioner. So it was perfect to let them have ours.

With everything ready to go, we met back up with Brent and Julie. It was still chilly out, but not as windy. and walked down Simonton to Cafe Marquesa. 

We walked on in and we were seated at a nice table. When we were sitting down my husband and I noticed the owner of the Bali Bar was finishing up his breakfast. It was pretty funny, plus my husband was wearing the Bali Bar sweatshirt.

While we were looking over the menu, I looked around and it was really nice. They had a little bar area if you so choose to sit there. 

 It is the same room as where you have dinner. My husband and I only had dinner there once, but after being sticker shocked with the bill, we tend to go to other places for dinner. 

Then I noticed one of the servers looked familiar, she was from La Te Da. The other server came up to our table and took our drink order. My husband and I ordered coffee while Brent and Julie ordered their usual cappuccino. When our server brought out the coffee, I took a taste. It was quite good. She then asked us for our order. I decided on the vegetable omelet and so did Brent. My husband ordered a couples over medium and Julie did as well, but scrambled.

It wasn’t too long before our orders were served. Maybe a little bit of a wait – but not as long as Azur. When I looked down at my omelet, it looked so good. It was filled with exotic mushrooms and array of other fresh vegetables. I couldn’t believe how tasty it was. Everyone else thought the same thing. The food was surprisingly very good and pretty much the same price point as everywhere else for breakfast (well besides places like Harpoon Harry’s or Pepe’s). I guess I can say similar in cost as more of the higher end breakfast places – Latitudes, Sarabeth’s, etc.

You can read my full review of Cafe Marquesa here:

Cafe Marquesa – Wonderful Way to Start the Day https://marquesa.com/cafe-marquesa/?utm_source=gmb-restaurant&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=gmb

I never thought about trying Cafe Marquesa for breakfast, but after looking over the menu, I thought it may be worth checking out. You can make reservations if you like to, which I did. Breakfast is served in the same dining room which dinner is served. The atmosphere is very elegant and yet comforting. My husband and I had coffee to start. The server left a small little carafe of coffee after she poured us a couple of cups which was nice to have. The menu offerings are similar to other restaurants but with a little twist. I went ahead and ordered the garden omelet and my husband had the regular two eggs any style (scrambled). While we waited for our breakfast I could see the food being served to other diners and the portions were enormous – especially the breakfast sandwich. When our breakfast arrived I couldn’t wait to dig in. The omelet was light and fluffy with a nice variety of vegetables. My husband enjoyed his breakfast as well. I particularly enjoyed having a little salad along with the potatoes that accompanied my omelet. Overall I was quite impressed how much we enjoyed Cafe Marquesa for breakfast. If you are looking for a relaxing way to start your day, stop in Cafe Marquesa for an elegant breakfast without the high cost of dinner. 

It was nearing the time we needed to check out of our room, so when everyone was done, we walked back to the Gardens. We grabbed our things and sat at the table near the pool bar area. I went inside to return our keys and let them know that our room was empty. Rhoda said that the next guests weren’t arriving until later so we could keep the key, but we really didn’t need the room anymore. 

This is the part I hate. Just waiting… Our flight was schedule for 2:30pm and at that point it was on time. We figured that a good time to head to the airport would be around noon. It was probably too much time, but I rather not cut it close.

We talked for a bit and then it was about that time. I hate goodbyes. We hugged Brent and Julie goodbye and with that we rolled our luggage to Angela St. I plugged in the info for an Uber pick up. Within minutes there was our driver. 

We made it to the airport in about 10 minutes give or take. When we went through the doors, I immediately went towards the left to the TSA lines. Then we realized that where the old Conch Flyer restaurant was, is the entrance to TSA. That was a change for sure. 

We were about to go in the TSA pre line when an older couple beat us to it. It was fine. We weren’t in any rush. 

When we made it through to put our luggage on the security belt, the older gentleman ahead of us couldn’t get through security. Every time he stepped through the x-ray machine, it would beep. I think we stood there for a good solid 5 minutes at least. This is what you get when you cut in front of people I thought to myself. The TSA agent was getting aggravated and finally directed him to another agent to deal with whatever he had on him that kept setting off the machine.

After that it was breeze going through the security check line. We walked down towards the United Gate which is always down at the end. We didn’t mind though because now there’s the relocated Conch Flyer restaurant right next to it. Perfect. We walked in the bar area and there weren’t any 2 open seats together, but then this kind lady at the end offered to move over. So we were able to sit at the bar and it was kind of cool how they designed the bar seats. They were designed so you can put your carry on luggage right in between legs of the stool, so they’re not stowed in the way by your seat.

We went ahead and ordered something to drink. I wasn’t hungry, so my husband wound up ordering the conch fritters, knowing I am allergic to conch and wouldn’t want any regardless.

While we were waiting for his appetizer, I got an alert on my phone that our flight was delayed until 3:05pm. Here we go I thought. Then I could hear one of the United agents at the counter announce on the intercom, that our flight from Newark was delayed – typical. I texted our car driver to let him know that we would be arriving later then expected. 

Then finally I could see the United plane come in to land. It was a huge relief. My husband went ahead and paid our tab and we walked on over to get ready to board.

Once everyone was off the plane from Newark, we were given the okay to start boarding. 

So by the time we took off we were probably about 45 minutes behind schedule. The flight overall wasn’t too turbulent. I thought maybe as we got further north it would be with the cold air, but it wasn’t. As we neared closer to Newark, I looked down and Icould see all the snow below. It looked like we were returning to Antarctica or something. 

Once we landed, we had nowhere to go. Due to the fact our flight was late, we had to wait for an open gate to arrive at. Finally we were cleared and made it to an open gate in Terminal A. When they opened up the door, you could immediately feel the cold air. When we walked off the plane it felt like a shock to the system. I was dreading going outside to meet up with our car driver.

We made it outside and it was just as cold as I feared. At least our driver was right there and we hopped in his truck. Since it was a Friday evening, we did hit some rush hour traffic (one of the downsides of returning on a Friday vs. a Saturday). Eventually we made it home around 6:45pm. It was a bit of struggle to get to the back door of our house with all of the snow. At least our cat sitter shoveled a small pathway on our deck so I was able to get in. I quickly opened the door and went to the front door to let my husband in with the luggage. Then the next course of action was where was our cat? Of course he was hiding somewhere. When we went upstairs, there he was, our Kobe. After a few minutes of reassuring him it was us and having him smell our hands, he remembered us.

Then we checked our washing machine. Sometimes when it gets really really cold like below zero, the water will freeze so we can’t do any laundry (we do have heater tape on it). My husband pressed the button and it worked! So I was able to put our clothes in the wash – not that we had much since we had most of laundry already cleaned. And just like that it felt like we never left.

Even though the weather wasn’t ideal for much of our trip, we still loved spending time with friends and soaking in the beauty of Key West. Ironically, this was the second January in a row that we ran into a major Arctic blast, which makes me a little hesitant to plan another visit that time of year. Then again, I have to wonder—would I rather be back in New Jersey dealing with 16 inches of snow and subzero wind chills, or down south simply trying to dodge a stubborn wind? That’s a decision for another day.

No matter the forecast, we always look forward to returning because of the friendships we’ve built over the years. It’s my happy place—not just for the great food, music, and places to stay, but for that unmistakable feeling when familiar faces welcome you back like you never left. That sense of connection brings a smile to my face every time and is what makes each visit so special.

Thank you again for taking the time to read my blog. As always I truly appreciate it. 

Until next time….