First order of business in Key West was acclimating ourselves to our new surroundings. This began by going to the fuel dock instead of the marina by mistake and ended up chit chatting with a local fishing guide, named Lucas. We told him about our one and only catch and he said that Cero is the best eating of all the mackerels. Apparently, you can eat Cero raw, sashimi style with a little soy sauce. I told him that we ate it with homemade green curry and he told me where I can get wild grown lemon grass; where he gets lemongrass when he makes his green curry.
Lucas shared some of his knowledge with us on the local fish, describing the four-foot tarpons swimming all around as common as racoons. We were in front of a restaurant/bar called Thai Island. Apparently in Florida, all Thai food restaurants also serve sushi, which I find very confusing. Lucas said that the food is good but the first floor, Buddha Bar, can have some scallywags that hang around. Good to know.
We made our way to the correct place to get our dinghy permit and key cards then scouted out the facilities. The dinghy dock was packed but we were able to squeeze in. It’s a shame that there are so many deflated, dilapidated dinghies just taking up space. About a mile from here were restaurants, stores, and then BAM, a street full of people on Duval Street, the main tourist drag in Key West. I felt instantly overwhelmed. Keep in mind, we have not been around groups of people in almost a week.
We decided to duck into a used bookstore off Fleming Street, because who reads books in Key West? We bought a couple of cookbooks, one on a million ways to cook Lionfish and another on different ways to cook different kinds of fish. It was 4:00pm, we were hungry, and the restaurant next door, Thirsty Mermaid, was next to empty and just started happy hour. By happy hour, I don’t mean drinks, though it’s included, but we are on a budget and happy hour means reduced prices on food in Key West, typically from 4pm-6pm. I think this was the best happy hour in town because of the quality of the food. Blake had a $2 pint of Mermaid Lager and we shared oven roasted chicken wings, ceviche and the best steamed mussels in a lime, white wine, lemongrass broth. Absolutely to die for and all for under $20.
I could see us making this work for the next week and half. The next day, Todd and Susan piled into our dinghy and the plan was making a stop at West Marine to pick up our new stand up paddleboard (SUP) that Santa got us, eat lunch, then restock on provisions. Looking back we should have not done these two things in the same day. Blake carried that 30 pound SUP on his back all day, despite offers to relieve him. Needless to say his lunch was well deserved. We went to Harpoon Harrys and he ordered the key lime french toast which was two pieces of french toast with a slice of key lime pie in the middle. From here we walked two miles to the grocery store and walked a mile back with our groceries and the SUP. And this is how we spent our Christmas Eve.
On Christmas Day, we somehow had it in us to walk into town and just see the beautiful historic homes and anything else Key West had to offer, thinking everything would be closed. That was not the case, Christmas Day did not deter tourists. That evening we made plans to have Christmas dinner with Susan and Todd on their boat. I made a broccoli salad and Todd made a carrot ginger and sweet potato soup with a side of polenta. Blake brought over his guitar and he sang some holiday music like Robert Earl Keen’s “Merry Christmas from the Family,” and a fan favorite, “Wagon Wheel,” by Old Crow Medicine Show. I felt a sadness not being with family but this was exactly what was needed. Such a sweet way to spend Christmas with our friends in the same boat; pun totally intended.
After several days of walking 15k-20k steps a day, we decided to treat ourselves and rent a scooter for 24 hours with some of the Christmas money we received. We knew we didn’t want to walk to grocery store anymore so we did more provisioning and bought the heaviest groceries, like milk, potatoes, etc. while we had wheels. Then the day belonged to us. In the Dry Tortugas, we met a couple from Key West, Ben and Jade who told us that we needed to go to Stock Island and eat at a restaurant called Hogfish. Side note, Ben is originally from Alaska and Jade is originally from New Zealand. Ben sailed to Tonga and that’s where he met Jade, a marine biologist who taught people how to dive and swim with humpback whales. How amazing is that?
Since Stock Island was further away, we thought this would be the place to go on the scooter. I had done some research and found a food truck I wanted to try that made Puerto Rican food. We went to the address and there was not an operating food truck there. Instead, we stumbled upon an Absinthe House. A middle-aged shirtless man named Denny was outside and told us that the current food truck here is the Shrimp Shack, which he runs, and it will be up and running in a few days. He invited us into the Absinthe House, he walked behind the counter and transformed into a shirtless bartender well versed in the history of Absinthe; that it was Ernest Hemingway’s drink of choice.
The Absinthe House is owned by Smuggler Jim, who created Key West Trading Co., a line of spirits to include Absinthe. We got to meet him and it turns out he lived in Granbury, TX for 14 years…small world! Denny gave us a sample of the Absinthe, called “Death in the Afternoon,” named after a Hemingway novel. It tasted like licorice. It took me back to my days at Texas State when I used to drink Jagermeister like it was juice. I’m glad those days are behind me and I know my liver is too. I digress, anyway they would be hosting the first NYE drop on Stock Island where a mermaid would be dropped onto a lobster at midnight…or something like that.
After this brief and unplanned detour, we hopped back on the scooter to Hogfish Restaurant where we ate, you guessed it, hogfish that was cooked to perfection. We ordered a conch ceviche but it didn’t measure up to John’s homemade conch ceviche in St. Pete; at this point I don’t think any conch ever will. It’s like chasing the dragon. John if you’re reading this, please send your recipe. After we were full of hogfish, we spent the rest of the day blasting around town on the scooter.
I think my favorite day was when we dinghied to Mud Key, a recommendation from Lucas who we ran into at the Buddha Bar when we all decided to be skallywags that afternoon. Mud Key is a series of mangrove islands creating small canals winding in and out. Think of a corn maze but with vibrant green leaves of mangroves instead of corn and clear turquoise water instead of dirt. We saw sting rays and fish that seemed curious instead of scared. While I was on the paddleboard, a group of dolphins swam by. We overheard a charter guide saying that she’s never seen dolphins come up so close before. It was mind blowing!
The next day was New Years Eve and we decided to keep in low key since we would be heading to Marathon the next day. Instead of trying to burn the midnight oil, we filled up our water jugs, provisioned, and treated ourselves to sushi feast at Misohappy Sushi and were asleep before 8:30pm. Happy New Year…onward and upward!
