Duval Street is synonymous with Key West in a way, since anything of major interest is either on it, or near it. As you head toward the water, the concentration of people per square foot swells. Proportionately, the aroma of food gets stronger! Upscale shops, bars galore, and restaurants of sufficient variety if you are staying a week or so, though the dominant theme is Cuban. Duval runs about 15 long city blocks; as soon as we turned the corner, I immediately knew it was going to be fabulous. My mind was conjuring up images of downtown Sausalito, the French Quarter in New Orleans, a bit of Old San Juan, and though I had never seen it, Cuba. Hordes of people were out and about, strolling, licking ice cream cones, slurping mocha lattés, or trying to hold on to their children. We
opted for a northerly direction. We had heard that live concerts take place every evening at 7:00PM at Mallory Square, so we took a right at Fleming Street and happened on a sale event at Express. Who could resist? Other than the candy kitchen, nothing really held my interest until we reached Eaton Street. No less than 3 jewelry stores in 1½ blocks.. But here was Fat Tuesday’s claiming to be "direct from New Orleans", with drinks to match. Daiquiri lovers, please go to this page to get $1.00 coupon for your next daiquiri there. By the way, you will also find the Hard Rock Café on this block. .
From Caroline to Green Street, it’s practically all eateries, with names like Papa’s Restaurant Lilly’s Seafood Buffet and Irish Kevins, whose motto is "I came, I drank, I don’t remember". By that time, we had already missed the concert, and we were getting hunger pangs. Across the street, we spotted the Ochi Café and ventured in. It’s a charming, plein air setting, with no room to spare as the tables are close together. Hotel on the premises, too. The service was great, and the food well prepared. Romantic Italian music filled the area, which was an unexpected pleasure. Tried to take some photos, but it was too dark.
We returned to Duval Street several times; there were some art galleries that were a must; one in particular had an unbelievable sale on masks, and a variety of suspended luminaria which created a very festive display. The shop is aptly called Earth Bound Trading Paradise, and you’ll find it between Eaton and Fleming Streets. There’s a Gay and Lesbian Center right next to the First National Bank, and the gay community here is alive and well.