We had a neighbor at Fiesta Key we called, “Guy in the Swing”. He was a guy that relaxed in a full-sized patio glider/swing. How on earth he transported the thing we haven’t a clue, but he sure looked comfy. We passed by him on our way to swim, sit in the spa, or go to Lobster Crawl. Names were never exchanged, but he sure was friendly. He’d been going to Fiesta Key for years and years, and was more than happy to offer suggestions.
Guy in the Swing told us about more than a few places to enjoy a meal, and we tried three during our week in the Middle Keys. Lazy Days in Islamorada was the first we tried. A nicer, bit pricier (appropriately priced for what you’re getting) place for lunch, with great views, good service, and fantastic seafood. There are other items on the menu besides seafood, but I’m in the Keys, and I’ll eat most anything that swims or crawls in the ocean, so seafood it is for me. We went upstairs and sat outside to take in the view.
Lazy Days as seen from the parking lot.
Our view from upstairs. Wow. Just. Wow.
It was a bit too breezy, so we didn’t sit against the railing, and were just fine. There’s no way we were sitting indoors with a view like this.
In keeping with the slightly more upscale character of the place, we were handed not only their regular menu, but a “Today’s Chef’s Selections” menu for the day of our visit. Fancy. Both of us ordered off the daily specials menu, a sandwich for Steve, a fish filet for me, and both of us had our fish “Lazy Days Style”. If you ever have the good fortune to eat here, please, I insist, get your fish prepared this way. This place has ‘lightly crusted’ perfected, with a delicate crunch, allowing the fish to be the star. Add a sauce of tart Key lime, white wine, and velvety butter, top with diced tomatoes, sliced scallions, and salty shredded parmesan, and you have yourself a memorable meal, my friend.
Hogfish Cheddar Encrusted Sandwich, Lazy Days Style.
Hogfish, Lazy Days Style.
The chef was a bit heavy-handed with the parmesan for my taste, and I was thinking I’d need extra sauce when I removed some of the cheese, but I didn’t. The fish itself was sauced first, then the toppings, then more sauce, so there was plenty. Just looking at this photo makes me crave this dish big time. I’ll bet the Key lime butter sauce would make cardboard taste good. I’ve never seen hogfish at the market in San Diego, so I hope I can find it at one of our coastal fish markets. It’s a meaty, mild white fish, with a scallop-like flavor, and it is out of this world. I don’t see us getting back to the Keys any time soon, so I hope to re-create this dish at home.
On another day we went to Keys Fisheries in Marathon for lunch. The Guy on the Swing was 1 for 1, and we hoped for 2 for 2. Ladies and gents, we have another winner!
Fish market and restaurant, with a side of tongue-in-cheeck humor.
To spare you from looking like a clueless rookie, like we did, before you order look at the “clue of the day” board. What ever it says, for example on the day we visited it said, “TV Show”, that’s the name you’re giving for your order. If you pick a lame, or too long name, you’re going to get a number. You don’t want to be that guy. If the clue of the day is “TV Show”, pick something easy, like, “Blindspot”. When your food is ready you’ll hear, “Blindspot! Order ready for Blindspot!”. We didn’t know what we were doing, so what we heard was, “7! Order ready for number 7!”. In a sea of, “Dr. Who!”, “Happy Days!”, and “Blacklist!” you do not want to be, “Number 7!”
She’s used to dealing with salty sea dogs, don’t waste her time with too long answers to the clue of the day.
’nuff said.
There’s plenty of seating downstairs to the side of the restaurant, but do yourself a favor and take it upstairs to the bar for the view. If you’re with kids, you’ll need to stay downstairs.
The marina view from the bar.
Seen at the bar: A whole bunch of bumper stickers, and the one that cracked me up was, “Do you know the difference between trash and girls from the Jersey Shore? Trash gets picked up”. Yikes! Sorry, girls from New Jersey, you can insert another city.
My conch fritters were overcooked to the point that I thought there were shell fragments in them. The bisque was a flour paste, way too salty mess. The lobster po’boy was delish.
We’d been chatting with someone sitting next to us at the bar, and he asked how we were enjoying our meal. I let him know the conch fritters, while the flavor might be there, were so overcooked it hurt my mouth to bite into them. Come to find out, he was the General Manager, and he insisted on making it right. We didn’t want to take the time for them to make another order, yet he wanted to ensure our experience was the best it could be. I didn’t even bring up the bisque, but surely he could see I wasn’t going to eat it. Against my protest, he brought up a slice of home made Key lime pie. Well, I was hungry… I started with “just one bite”, and before I knew it, the entire slice was gone. The GM’s efforts, the po’boy, and the stone crab claws we enjoyed back at camp later in the day more than made up for fritters that were forgotten in the fryer, and should never have been served. We still count this place as a win.
Remembering Steve’s Dad, and our Thanksgiving stone crab claw feasts he provided every year.
Keys Fisheries only serves stone crab claws harvested on the same day. What’s left at the end of the first day gets shipped to local restaurants. We requested our stone crab claws remain uncracked to keep them fresher until our late afternoon feast. A quick whack with the dull side of a butter knife opens them right up. MMMmmm!
On another day we went to The Stuffed Pig in Marathon for breakfast. The Guy on the Swing was 2 for 2, and we hoped for 3 for 3.
Cozy dozy, with little piggies everywhere.
There’s a tiki patio out back where we should have eaten, but we didn’t check it out until after breakfast. No worries, though, sitting inside was just like being at Grandma’s house. That is, of course, if Grandma was obsessed with collecting pigs.
Not to be outdone by them thar fancier places, this chef had his/her own daily suggestions in addition to the regular menu:
These are in addition to the regular menu! Soooo many choices.
If there’s a special Benedict or hash on a restaurant’s breakfast menu, I’ll most likely order it. I must say, though, this time I was intrigued by the pineapple pancakes with a ham steak. Sure sounded interesting. But not quite enough to steer me away from the seafood Benedict.
Shrimp, and crab, and lobster, OH MY!
Steve’s most likely to order some kind of omelette, so, no surprises here.
Home made sausage, crispy potatoes, and a generous, not too cheesy omelette.
Well folks, Guy in the Swing is batting 1,000!
One day he (GitS) and I were chatting about the books we’re reading, and he told me about Ernest Hemingway’s boat on display nearby, in a Bass Pro Shop store called World Wide Sportsman, no less. Really?! This I had to see for myself.
Steve was looking for a particular part for the outdoor grill, so he joined me.
There is a bit of debate as to the authenticity of this boat. As it’s told, Hemingway fished on this boat, then ordered one of his own to catch the big game fish. He named his boat Pilar as well, not only after the character in his book, “For Whom the Bell Tolls”, but also because it was a secret nickname for his wife, Pauline. This boat on display was restored, with Hemingway’s belongings brought aboard to increase the appeal. There’s an interesting article detailing this boat’s past, you can read it here. I’m going to ignore the naysayers and believe that this truly is the sister ship to Hemingway’s boat, Pilar. What’s the harm? So, I boarded, I admired Mr. Hemingway’s things, and it was a ten minutes of my life spent imagining myself in his presence. It’s all good.
What may seem odd at first, Bass Pro Shops are known for their over-the-top installations.
I have placed my hands on Ernest Hemingway’s typewriter. Chills.
A few articles and artifacts on board.
One can almost imagine Mr. Hemingway reeling in dinner.
Kind of a moment for me. I love literature, and connecting with history through actual things from the past. If I can touch it? I melt.
The lines in the parking lot made me smile.
So, there you have it. The extent of our explorations while at Fiesta Key. The rest of our time was spent taking in the view at our campsite, attempting to stay cool, and just taking life one moment at a time.