Dining in the Florida Keys

Fine Gourmet Dining on the Water

by Dick Conklin

This week our featured restaurant is not a restaurant at all. It is a gourmet sunset dinner cruise that is unique, and ideal for, the Florida Keys. The setting, the staff, and the food are all first class–for an evening you’ll never forget.
Picture this. You arrive at the dock about an hour and a half before sunset. Captain Alex Aller and Chef Dani Lee welcome you and show you to your table, complete with white linen and sterling silver dinnerware, on the upper deck of a 33-foot Carver Mariner motor yacht. Chef Dani describes the evening’s dinner fare, consisting of her own unique appetizers, salads, sauces, entrees and desserts. Smooth jazz plays in the background. Capt. Alex slowly motors the yacht out onto Florida Bay, near some small offshore islands that block the evening breeze. You and your guests enjoy shrimp served in a hand-carved cucumber boat, crab meat-stuffed portabella mushrooms, and potato-goat cheese tarts, as the sun sets over the bay.

No, you aren’t dreaming. You are onboard Islescapes, a nightly sunset dinner cruise that sails out of Robbie’s Marina in Islamorada.

Although the captain is a gourmet chef in his own right, Chef Dani brings with her 12 years of experience as a personal chef aboard the mega-yachts of the rich and famous. These days she applies her creative touch to each Islescapes cruise, customizing the dinner fare for each new group of passengers. She starts with the three basic food groups of beef, fowl or seafood, and then narrows down the selections to accommodate personal preferences and the availability of freshly caught local fish, such as dolphin, snapper, grouper, or hogfish.

Following our appetizers, we were served a choice of salads–a Rosemary-Mango treat made from baby salad greens, balsamic/honey dressing, and rosemary-marinated mangos topped with toasted pecans and white cheddar cheese. A warm mushroom salad consisted of a warm sherry vinaigrette dressing topped with mushrooms, fresh basil, and Pecorina Romano cheese. If that sounds delicious to you, we can confirm your assessment. Did I mention the fresh-baked cornbread?

Two of us enjoyed grilled steaks, cooked to perfection on the boat’s outdoor grill, served with a tarragon-infused Bearnaise sauce. The rest of us were served snapper topped with the captain’s own Tropical Isle sauce made from passion fruit, white wine and peppers, and a delicious cut of dolphin served in a red pepper curry. But wait–there’s more. Two decadent desserts topped off a spectacular evening; a super-smooth, semi-sweet chocolate mousse; and a crème brûleé, made from a silky egg recipe covered by crunchy, caramelized sugar with a glaze finish complements of the captain’s blowtorch.

More information on Islescapes can be found on their Web site, islescapes.com, by calling (305)923-3319, or emailing the captain at captalex@islescapes.com. The vessel is berthed at Robbie’s Marina, Bayside, just west of the bridge at MM 77.5.

The other day we were waiting for a plane to arrive at Key West International Airport. We were a few minutes early, so we drove a few blocks down to Higgs Beach for lunch at Saluté, a breezy little open air restaurant that not only offers a spectacular view of the beach, it is right on the beach itself. Talk about sand in your shoes!

While waiting for your meal, you may be tempted to join in a volleyball game or offer your services as a judge in a bikini contest. But you won’t want to miss the drinks, from a variety of chilled wines and frosty cold beers, to a full bar of cocktails and frozen concoctions. This is the kind of place that reminds you of why you came to the Keys. If we didn’t have a flight to catch, we could easily hang out here for hours. If a windy day brings you a bit of sand and salt spray, or a brief shower passes by, don’t worry, you can easily move under cover without missing a bite.

It wasn’t very long ago that this eatery was just a simple hot dogs-and-hamburgers beach stand; that was before new owner Francis Gonzon came to town and worked his magic. That included the hiring of chef extraordinaire Eric Catalano—that’s the same guy who owns Eric’s Bottega over on Simonton Street. Saluté specializes in what Catalano calls Mediterranean beachside dining—fresh coastal cuisine in the spirit of the "quayside restaurants of southern Europe, where restaurants are social centers where people meet both by arrangement and by chance, where food is shared and celebrations are improvised."

The ever-changing lunch and dinner offerings include Italian pastas, antipastos, soups and dishes such as lobster ravioli with sweet sage butter and baby greens, and grilled black grouper with curry butter and basmati rice. At lunch there are bruschetta, panini, and mussels and calamari marinara, as well as a fresh fish sandwich. A popular dinner favorite is the Antipasta Platter Dinner for Two. Other specials include the three-cheese lasagna, spaghetti carbonara, and cappellini.

After a delicious light lunch of calamari (very tender, served in a great tomato sauce) and bruschetta (perfect for dipping into that great sauce), we made the short drive back to the airport and met our passenger with time to spare. This sure beats hanging out in an airport waiting room!

Saluté, Higgs Beach near the Martello Museum and White Street Pier, 1000 Atlantic Avenue, Key West, Florida. Phone: (305) 292-1117. Web: salutekw.com. E-mail: salutein@bellsouth.net. Plastic accepted. Open for lunch and dinner (5:30 pm).

When we learned that the newest Keys restaurant was open for business, we didn’t waste any time checking it out. Butterfly Café is located at the Singh Company’s latest creation, Tranquility Bay, in Marathon on the grounds of the old Buccaneer Resort. The restaurant is located in the main building, just off the lobby. Walking out the back door, past the pool and toward the beach you’ll find a large tiki bar where live music is often heard.The restaurant is a classy, white tablecloth eatery that reminded us of some of Key West’s finer establishments. Based on Butterfly Café’s appearance, cuisine and resume, you’d expect to pay much more to dine here. The menu was a pleasant surprise, with reasonably priced specialty drinks, appetizers, desserts and wines, and a selection of impressive entrees in the $20 to low-$30 range.The addition of Food and Beverage Director Stefanie Smith and Executive Chef James "Shadow" Henahan to the resort staff ensures the high level of quality that befits a first class resort.The Caribbean Sweet Potato Bisque was a perfect start for a cool evening, and the Mango Barbeque Quail was a very tasty appetizer.When our Horseradish Crusted Florida Grouper arrived (served with crispy leeks, Fennel mash, and a citrus salsa), something unusual happened. The entrée floated off my plate and remained suspended in mid-air! OK, so maybe I exaggerated just a little. But that’s how light this dish seemed. When I commented to the chef on his entrée’s lighter-than-air characteristics, he said that he trains his cooks to make all his dishes that fresh and airy.We finished the evening by sharing Chef Shadow’s trademark "TDF" (To Die For) Sticky Toffee Pudding, a most enjoyable dessert.Variety is evident at the Café, and the menu and wine list will change seasonally. Seating can be in the elegant dining room or on the outside veranda with a great sunset view. There is a special children’s menu, and more casual dining can be found poolside or at the beachside Tiki Bar. Breakfast is served Monday through Saturday from 7am to 10am, with Sunday Brunch from 10:30am to 2:30pm. Lunch is served daily starting at 11:30am, with dinner from 5pm to 10pm. Reservations are a good idea.
Butterfly Café, Tranquility Bay Beach House Resort, 2600 Overseas Highway, Marathon, FL 33050. Reservations: (305) 289-0888, 866-MID KEYS, Email: info@tranquilitybay.com. Web: tranquilitybay.com/dining.htm.

Picture this. You are about to enjoy a delicious seafood dinner at a table on a broad, white sand beach dotted with coconut palms. Tiki torches are lit as a beautiful sunset reflects on the waters of Florida Bay. Your server checks again to see that everything is perfect, while a guitar player strums island music in the background.

This Hollywood setting is what many Florida Keys restaurants try to achieve, but few do. One that has managed to create a perfect level of tropical ambiance is the Morada Bay Beach Café in Islamorada. Our first visit there was a bit of a surprise; we expected to find a nice restaurant, but this was certainly above par. The restaurant, housed in an elegant old-style Conch beach home, was built just seven years ago.

When we arrived, we paused to look over the dining choices – not the menu selections (which are impressive), but the choice of seating. You can dine inside, outside on the porch, or waterside, out on the sandy beach itself. Since it was just before sunset, we chose the beach.

Before we could decide on what to order, our server brought us a tapenade appetizer, made from black olives in garlic-seasoned olive oil and served with warm, fresh bread. It was a perfect accompaniment to wine or cocktails.

The Tapas menu offered a tempting variety of light seafood, including Spicy Mediterranean Mussels, Crispy Fried Calamari, Ahi Tuna Tatare, Tempura Prawns, Crab Cakes with Sweet Corn, and Thai Style Dolphin Fingers.

The Soups and Salads were just as enticing, offering local favorites such as Morada Bay’s own Conch Chowder (laced with an ample dose of Sherry), Tomato Basil Bisque, and Grouper Ceviche.

The Entrees were even more challenging, but we managed to settle on two popular items: the Herb Crusted Grouper and Pepita Crusted Yellowtail Snapper. Both were light as a feather, perfectly seasoned and delicious. The Grouper was served with a warm orange–coriander seed vinaigrette, oven-roasted potatoes, chilled fennel root, and a Granny Smith apple salad. The Snapper came with a yucca-chipotle mash and roasted chile corn broth.

Afterward, we relaxed in a pair of Adirondack chairs on the beach and listened to the golden sounds of Billy Davidson.

The monthly Full Moon Party is on the calendar of local party goers. On full moon evenings there is dancing under the stars (and the moon) to reggae music, bonfires on the beach, a barbeque grill, and glow sticks for the kids. Unfortunately, like so much of the Florida Keys these days, this unique event now comes with a price tag. The once-free Full Moon Party now costs $10 per person, and the drink prices are stiff.

Pierre’s Restaurant, a required stop on any gourmet’s itinerary, is right next door to the Beach Cafe. Both can be found at 81600 Overseas Highway in Islamorada, mile marker 81.5, bay-side, across from The Moorings. (305)664-0604.

Almost everyone who has been to the Florida Keys has an opinion about the Brass Monkey Lounge. And those opinions vary dramatically between people who have actually been there and those who have just heard about the place. One customer called it "the heart and soul of Marathon". Another said, "If you sit at the Monkey's bar long enough, eventually you'll meet everyone in town". Certainly an interesting variety of people—locals and visitors, famous and infamous—pass through its portals. The legendary watering hole, located just around the corner from K-Mart on Sombrero Beach Road, is also known as the "Funky Monkey", the "Brass Monkey Center for the Performing Arts", the "In Place of the Out Islands" or just the "Monkey".This late-night rock and pool joint attracts a fun-loving, friendly group of regulars. If you like to people-watch, this is the place for you. If you like good, basic, loud, classic rock-n-roll from the 60s, 70s and 80s, Freddie Bye and his band (Scotty on bass, Rich on drums) deliver the Real Thing every Friday and Saturday night. Freddie goes solo on Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday nights, and Rich performs on Tuesday.

If you enjoy the spirit of the holiday season, there's no need to wait until December. The Brass Monkey throws its annual holiday celebrations on consecutive Fridays at the end of July. The Monkey's Christmas in July and New Year's in July parties rival those of the real holiday season, complete with hats, horns, noisemakers, free late night buffet, dance contests, and prizes tossed to the crowd by emcee (and former mayor) John Bartus. Where else but the Keys can you celebrate the holidays in mid-summer, complete with a spirited countdown to welcome in the new year?Lunch is served at the Monkey Monday through Friday from 11am to 2pm, and call-ahead take-out orders are welcome. The daily Happy Hour is 4pm to 8pm, and Happy Hour prices are extended to lunch as well. On Saturdays and Sundays you can get a free hot dog with your drink. The package store is next door, also open 7 days a week.The Monkey is a late-night place, so many of its patrons go there after other bars have closed. If you aren’t accustomed to the late-nightlife scene, here's a tip. First take a nap, with your alarm set for around 11pm. After a cold shower, you'll be refreshed and ready to party until the wee hours. Taxis are always nearby, so you don't have to drive to enjoy the Monkey.Brass Monkey Lounge, mile marker 50, K-Mart Plaza, Marathon. Lounge: (305) 743-4028, package store: (305) 743-5737.