“Eat Local” ~ John’s Oceanview Restaurant

February 11, 2015 by Candi Licence 1 Comment

“Hi John, it’s Candi. We’re coming to eat lunch on Saturday. How do we get to your place?”

“Turn right at the Laura Spice sign, make another right and then a left and go up.”

“OK, so after I take the right at Laura Spice, I take the next right ….”

“No, there’s a left first – call again on Saturday and I’ll give you better directions. Oh, and look for a bridge and a rum shop.”

Ah, yes, getting directions in Grenada is an adventure. Very few roads have any signage and each local person has very different definition of distance, what is considered a “turn”, or what constitutes a landmark, (not to mention what constitutes a road) but we are not worried. We no longer get lost, it’s just that sometimes it takes us longer than expected and we have to turn around a bunch of times … but we definitely are not lost.

I used to get stressed if we couldn’t find a place easily, now it happens less because we know the island so much better after coming for 25 years, but also I realize that getting there is part of the adventure and know to keep my eyes open along the way ~ for whatever.

This is John. He is always smiling and ready to make sure you have a good time.

John, a server at La Sagesse Restaurant, told us he has a side business cooking local foods in a shop at his home every Saturday and suggests that we stop by for lunch. So off we go, trying to find his house in the country. I know the sign for Laura Spice so we drive there, turn right and then I call John for the next steps. He says good, now turn right after Laura Spice and I realize, once again, how imprecise language can be. We’ve turned at the sign and now we come to another right turn to get to Laura Spice. John said turn right after Laura Spice – does this mean we should turn here, pass Laura Spice and then take another right OR does he mean we pass this right turn to Laura Spice and take the next right? You get the idea.

Of course we choose the wrong route. We turn right and head down a road that gets smaller and smaller. It’s not paved but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything. I fondly remember a magazine ad years ago for Land Rover or Range Rover that had a full page photo that showed their vehicle wading through a mucky road and small stream with the caption “In some parts of the world, this is not considered off road driving”. I love this ad and had it hanging in my office for years. We get to Laura Spice and see a man walking. He doesn’t know John (a definite clue we are not in the right place, because in Grenada everybody knows everybody who lives close by) and he says there is only one more house on the road, so back we go to the “main” road and continue on our way.

“Hi John, It’s Candi. We’ve passed the second turn for Laura Spice, now what?”

“Make a left turn, go over a bridge and look for a rum shop.”

We don’t see any left turns that I can identify but come to a small bridge so I mentally check off that landmark and start to look for a rum shop. A couple of miles in, there it is. We stop and I jump out of the car. Before I say hello, the owner says …. “John called, you are doing fine, just head up and to the left”. In Grenada, up means UP. We are headed deeper into the mountainous interior. We come to a shop that is cooking local food.

“Is this John’s,” I ask?

“Nope, keep going up and he’s on the left. Can’t miss him.

“Hmmmm……”

Actually he’s right. We go a bit more and there’s John waving us into his driveway. He’s got a lovely spot, high on a hill, beautiful view (and breezes) for his house and a small rum shop and restaurant. A bunch of local guys are “liming” (relaxing) in the shop and having a drink. Music is blaring (as it is in all Rum shops) and the guys are singing along. Fun! As we sit down at one of the two tables and order lunch, Michael takes pictures of the men who are hanging out and having fun. The Grenadian people are handsome (or beautiful) and always have a sweet smile on their face.

Nadica and me, at John’s restaurant. One of the local guys is waving in the background.

“We” consists of Nadica (our very good Grenadian friend whom we’ve known since she was about 10 years old, now almost 29); her eight year old daughter, Mikiah (my Goddaughter); Michael and me. Nadica and Mikiah are coming to our house to spend the weekend and we’ve picked them up on our way to John’s so we can share lunch together.

Goat curry, Turkey and Manicou. Plus salad, rice and peas and local veggies.

Lunch today is curried Goat, Turkey and Possum. The Grenadian name for Possum is Manicou or Manicoo~ (I’m not really sure of the spelling). I love curried Goat and John’s recipe is delicious. The turkey is good, but I don’t particularly like the Manicou. I’m an adventurous eater so that’s not the problem, I just didn’t think it had a great taste, not bad though either – just not a favorite. (I’ve eaten Iguana here and that is very good.) John offers Michael a Carib, the great local beer, I’m having water, Nadica’s having Orange Juice and Mikiah is having an Arizona Watermelon drink. As with most Grenadian meals there’s fresh salad, pigeon peas with rice and wonderful local veggies on the plate. Garlic bread tops off the meal.

The lovely view from John’s restaurant, high up in the mountains looking towards the Atlantic Ocean

It’s fun seeing John’s place and having lunch here. I love the Grenadian entrepreneurial spirit. John has taken a nice piece of land with a beautiful view and in addition to building his house, he’s created this bar and small restaurant. It’s obviously a gathering place for locals and John is enticing the more adventurous tourists to take a walk on the wild side by driving deep into the country for a totally enjoyable, local food experience. I love Grenada – beautiful country, great food, wonderful people and always fun adventures that turn into unforgettable memories.

You can reach John at 473-406-6273 or Johng0067@gmail.com

Gourmet Grenadian ~ Boots Cuisine

February 5, 2015 by Candi Licence 4 Comments

Boots Cuisine serves gourmet Grenadian food and is a delightful restaurant in so many ways.

Michael and I love Grenadian food and like to try restaurants that specialize in local food. Last year, we discovered Boots Cuisine. I know I’ve written about how wonderful the Grenadian people are and Boots and his wife Ruby are fabulous examples of Grenadian graciousness. We were heading back from a photo shoot around 8:30 PM and were looking for a place to eat dinner. I called Boots Cuisine semi-expecting that a 9 PM arrival would be too late to be served and Ruby confirmed that yes it would be hard to give us a great meal so late and I said I’d call again. We called again on Sunday night and Boots answered the phone. When we asked if we could come to dinner, he said he was closed on Sundays but he would feed us if we were hungry and needed a place to eat. We laughed and said no, we would come back sometime when they were open. This is so typical of Grenadians – friendly, accommodating and sweet!

Boots and Ruby are the perfect restaurant couple. Boots is the chef extraordinaire and Ruby does all the behind the scenes work and is the hostess with the mostest!

Boots wielding his chef’s knife for the camera.

At the time, I didn’t realize that Boots is a master chef and prepares not just local food but gourmet local food so, of course he would need advance notice that we were coming. We made a reservation calling mid-afternoon and drove over for a fabulous dinner. If you are lucky, you might be the only guests there and have an unforgettable experience of a private dinner. Boots serves a five course dinner for 95 EC (Eastern Caribbean) dollars which is equivalent to about $35 per person. Dinner consists of a soup, a salad, an appetizer, homemade bread, 3 choices of entrees with lots of local vegetables and starches plus a desert. Boots serves some of the best local food on the island.

Lovely Ruby is the perfect server and does all the behind the scenes work so Boots can focus on his fabulous cooking. They are a great team.

Lovely Ruby is the perfect server and does all the behind the scenes work. She makes everything look easy.

We’ve been back to Boots Cuisine twice already this year and have plans for 2 or 3 more visits. We love to bring Grenadians to local restaurants that they haven’t dined at before and have some local friends we would like to delight. We will also have 2 or 3 sets of visitors coming on island and Boots Cuisine will be a must-do excursion. In many respects, Boots has a perfect restaurant. It is a small, intimate setting, set outside on a covered veranda with flowers all around, softly lit, has exceptional food (by Boots), beautiful presentation and gracious service (by Ruby). Boots and Ruby are so welcoming and fun to talk with, plus getting hugs when we arrive and leave (now that we are friends after being there once) is the proverbial icing on the cake that makes each visit special.

For our most recent visit, Boots served Callaloo Soup as a starter. Callaloo is somewhat similar to Spinach but shouldn’t be eaten raw. Cooked either as a vegetable or soup, it is wonderful ~ thick, creamy and delicious. Boots adds a little salt fish which adds a great seafood flavor. I’ve also had it spiced with Nutmeg and Butter which is also wonderful. After the soup, Ruby served Tettrie Fritters. Tettrie is a teeny, tiny fish that is eaten whole. Boots fries these up in a lovely batter and makes a wonderful dipping sauce. I’ve had these twice and have really loved them. After the fritters, Ruby serves a nice, fresh salad of local lettuces, sweet tomatoes, cucumbers and a homemade dressing. Grenadian tomatoes taste like how I remember sun ripened tomatoes tasting when I was growing up (before all the modifications to help them ship better, have longer shelf life but also less tasty and more mushy). They are small, sweet, firm and very flavorful. YUM!

The simple but delightful salad.

The Tettrie fritters and special sauce were fabulous.

The delicious Callaloo soup – a personal favorite

This is the Lobster entrée with Garlic Lime sauce ~ Fantastic!

All of Boots’ entrées sound fabulous. Here are some examples – Grilled Marlin, Garlic Lambi (Conch), Curried Chicken, Goat stew, Fried Fish in herb sauce, Boiled Lobster with Garlic Lime sauce. He offers three choices each evening and it is usually hard to decide which one to try because they all sound so great. The first visit this year, I had the Marlin and Michael had the Lambi ~ both were delicious. The second time we dined, we both had the Lobster and it was fabulous. Each entrée comes with a wide variety of small tastes of local vegetables and starches. Tastes may include Pumpkin (a local squash that is different from our Pumpkin), Dasheen, Coucou (similar to Polenta), Christophene (another squash that is great and a local favorite), Breadfruit, Plantain, Cassava, Pigeon Peas, etc. I love trying a taste of all these foods and seeing how Boots prepares them.

Our most recent dessert of Chocolate Mousse with fruit sauces and a sweet Pumpkin bread. Very decadent and good for you, I'm sure.

Our most recent dessert of Chocolate Mousse with fruit sauces and a sweet Pumpkin bread. Very decadent and good for you too, I’m sure.

Dessert is usually a sampler of 2 or 3 sweet things – could be a local ice cream, a sweet bread like Pumpkin bread or a Chocolate Mousse. As you should guess, each was delicious.

Oh, and I forgot their great Rum Punch. Ruby checked to see who was driving and said that person (me) could have two and Michael could have three. The drinks came in short glasses and I was thinking, only 2?, but after savoring both drinks, I realized Ruby was right. They packed a punch and I’m glad I didn’t have third. BUT, I may ask Michael to drive the next time ’cause they were so yummy!

Ruby loves orchids and grows a lovely selection of them and then makes beautiful centerpieces with them.

Ruby loves orchids, grows a lovely selection of them and then makes beautiful centerpieces with flowers from her garden.

Boots Cuisine is the kind of place I love to go with Michael alone for a wonderful, private dinner; to bring Grenadians who haven’t eaten there, to expose them to his great food and to bring our visitors so they can have a taste of Gourmet Grenadian food and experience first-hand the warmth of Boots and Ruby, unofficial ambassadors for the Grenadian people.

Dinner on a Sandbar ~ Blue Moon Beach Grill

November 26, 2014 by Candi Licence Leave a Comment

Insider tip: Eat at the Blue Moon Beach Grill in Nags Head. A couple of locals told us we had to eat at the Blue Moon Beach Grill so one Friday night we headed south for dinner. Like so many places here, they don’t take reservations but we thought we wouldn’t have too long a wait since it was off-season. We arrived around 7:30 and all the tables were filled but the hostess thought it would only be about a 15 minute wait. There was room at the bar so we ordered some wine and started taking in the sights.

As expected from the name, this is a beachy bar and grill. Lots of beach art on the walls, an open kitchen and inviting bar for drinking, eating dinner or waiting for a table. We didn’t have to wait for long for a table to open up.

The bar area

The open kitchen and beach art

I love the concept that all of the Outer Banks are essentially sandbars

We really liked our server who was friendly and efficient. Michael started off with a Caesar Salad that was nothing like we’ve ever had before. It was Chopped Romaine tossed in a homemade Caesar dressing with applewood smoked bacon, fresh tomatoes, caramelized Vidalia onion, grilled lemon, and shaved parmesan. Very different, OK, but I wouldn’t get it again. We prefer a traditional Caesar salad.

For entrees, Michael got their “Angel’s Delight” which was Shrimp and Blue Crab, sautéed in a light white wine sauce, with tomatoes, green onion, roasted red peppers, garlic, and basil and served over angel hair pasta. His dish was fabulous. I had their Ahi Tuna Special with Asparagus and a thick Tamari sauce. I love rare tuna and really enjoyed this entrée. Michael and I split a lovely cheesecake that was light and tasty.

I LOVED my Ahi Tuna special

a light, heavenly cheesecake

Michael's Angel's Delight - a perfect name for this wonderful entree

Michael’s Angel’s Delight – a perfect name for this wonderful entrée

The surprising Caesar Salad with Tomatoes and caramelized Onion

Blue Moon Beach Grill is an unpretentious restaurant that has a good atmosphere, great wait staff and wonderful food ~ AND you get to eat on a Sandbar. YUM!

Whirlwind Tour ~ Showcasing the Essence of the Outer Banks

November 5, 2014 by Candi Licence 6 Comments

How to experience the magic, fun and specialness of the Outer Banks in 2.25 days without going into serious overload was the challenge.

Michael’s Aunt, Anne, was planning a short visit from the Washington D.C area. Anne has done a good bit of traveling but has never been to the Outer Banks. Because the Outer Banks is only about 5-6 hours from DC, she has heard tons about it from friends and we wanted to give her a feel for its specialness without spending hours in a car.

Anne planned to arrive around 5 PM on Friday and stay though the weekend, leaving Monday morning. We made reservations to go to The Paper Canoe for dinner for 7:30, thinking this would give us time to catch up and watch the sunset before heading out for a leisurely dinner. The Paper Canoe is our favorite OBX restaurant and was closing for the season on Saturday. We wanted to be sure to have one more dinner there and thought Saturday night might be a madhouse, or even worse, they might run out of favorite dishes.

Anne called about 5:15 and said she was 12 miles away – however, she was still on the other side of the bridge and traffic was completely stopped due to an accident. Two+ HOURS later, she pulled into our driveway at 7:25. UGH! I had already called the restaurant and moved our reservation to 8:00, the latest they would serve us at this time of the year (off-season). So, Michael and I watched the spectacular sunset while Anne sat in traffic (and missed it), we all had a quick drink to give Anne a car break and then we headed 10 minutes down the road to dinner.

This was the sunset we wanted Anne to see ….

The Paper Canoe always has exceptional food and thankfully, they were at their best so Anne’s weekend got off to a fabulous start. We shared two appetizers – Mussels in Garlic sauce and fried Wontons in a Tamari sauce. Both were excellent. For entrées, Michael and I shared grilled Shrimp with Gouda grits and spinach in a delightful sauce and Scallops with Crabmeat and Carrots in a different, yummy sauce. Anne also had the Grilled Shrimp. The entrées were outstanding and made you want to lick the plates clean! It was a perfect last meal at this wonderful restaurant and we were so happy to share this special place with Anne.

This is one of two beautiful tea cups that Anne handmade for Michael and me

On Saturday morning, Michael set up an informal photography shoot. Anne is a Potter and she submits her creations to competitions and shows via photographs. She wasn’t thrilled with the quality of her photos and was asking for some pointers. Michael showed her ways to make great looking pictures using indirect light which would reduce the potential glare off the glaze and eliminate harsh shadows while highlighting the beautiful details in her work. Anna had brought us two of her hand thrown tea cups as a gift. We love pottery so they were a perfect present and will be a great reminder of a fun weekend with Anne.

Later on Saturday, we headed over to Corolla to a place called Whalehead which is a restored hunting estate that is on the Currituck Sound and has a mansion/hunting lodge, a romantic wooden bridge and is next to the Currituck lighthouse. The park like grounds are made for strolling and the bridge, boathouse and harbor area are delightful. After that, we headed over to the Atlantic Ocean to see the Corolla beaches which are wide and have a gradual slope into the sea. We laughed, watching some poor workmen trying to get a huge garden arch onto the beach for a late afternoon wedding. They were triumphant when the finally got their vehicle over the sand dune leading to the beach and could off-load the arch.

The majestic Whalehead Mansion/ Hunting Lodge

Michael then dropped Anne and me off in downtown Duck and we headed out for a little retail therapy, browsing our way through the delightful shops. Anne is an excellent Potter so we started with Greenleaf Gallery, a fabulous gallery that specializes in Pottery, Glass and Jewelry. Anne and I spent so much time examining their collection that the owner came over and asked which one of us was the Potter!

We continued on and I showed Anne that Duck had constructed a boardwalk that extends the length of the downtown area along the Sound which gets people off the road and into nature between clusters of shops. The boardwalk views are breathtaking. We strolled along, popping into a few more shops and then came to the end just before sunset. I called Michael and invited him for a drink on the deck of the Blue Point Bar and Grill. Anne and I grabbed a waterside table, we ordered drinks and the toasted a great day and a beautiful sunset with Michael. The sky was crystal clear, the setting sun was golden and then the sky turned from purple to deep red with a sliver moon above. It was so lovely. We headed home and Michael made a delicious dinner of steak, rice and veggies. It was a great meal with lots of great conversation.

On Sunday, Michael made a breakfast feast of bacon and cornmeal waffles with fresh berries, whipped cream plus a delicious syrup which was a combination of maple syrup and Grenadian Nutmeg syrup. What a way to start the day. We headed down to Hatteras island and on the way I pointed out Kitty Hawk, the Wright Brothers memorial, Kill Devil Hills (rumored to be named that because of the deadly Rum that was distilled there), and Nags Head. We drove to Bodie Island so Anne could see the lighthouse and the beautiful marshes that surround it. Then we drove over to the Atlantic side to see Coquina Beach, the first Hatteras beach. There are beautiful dunes, a spectacular beach and the surf was calm with small rolling waves. It was a perfect day and there was hardly anyone on the beach. Michael and Mick explored and took pictures while Anne and I walked the shoreline looking for unusual shell pieces that had been weathered by the water and sand. Anne headed back with heavy pockets of treasures that may show up as decorations on future pottery.

I tried to be very clever and take Anne to the Silver Bonsai Gallery in Manteo since we were only 10 minutes away, but it’s off-season and they were closed which was too bad because they also have wonderful pottery, jewelry and spectacular inlaid wood framed mirrors. I was really disappointed because I know she would have loved it and it would be too far out of her way to detour for a visit on her way home.

The beautiful dunes at Jockey’s Ridge State Park

Jockey’s Ridge butts up against the gorgeous Currituck Sound

We still had some lovely afternoon sun so we stopped by Jockey’s Ridge State Park on the way home. Jockey’s Ridge has the highest sand dunes on the east coast, some towering 120 feet high. This is a large park that looks like a small desert in places and also has lovely wooded trails that lead to the Currituck Sound. This is also a very popular area for people to hang glide, catching the prevailing winds that rush over the dunes. We took Anne to the sound beach which, like so many places here, is incredibly beautiful. It has a submerged sandbar peninsula that juts out into the sound. At low tide, you can walk way out into the sound and be surrounded by water which is really cool.

The in-progress necklace creation I'm making for Anne

The in-progress necklace creation that I am making for Anne

We finally headed back home with the plan for drinks on the deck and sunset watching. I showed Anne some of the jewelry I’ve made and we went through my bead stock. We picked out some cool shell pieces, pearls and silver beads so I could make her a custom necklace. I tried to complete it before she left but because of the unusual and dissimilar shapes of the shells it’s like an intricate puzzle and putting the right shapes together so they hang nicely is time-consuming. We got the general idea right and the necklace was about half way finished when we realized we were missing the sunset! Horrors! Drinks in hand we watched the sun just sink below the horizon and then the beautiful evening colors in the water and sky emerged and entertained us for another 30 minutes or so.

Michael cooked a feast of Salmon and vegetables with vermicelli noodles in a chicken stock with all kinds of spices plus lemon grass, ginger, scallions and peppers. It was a take-off on the fish in a clay pot recipe he’s perfected and was great. We had more good conversation and a lively discussion of all the wonderful snippets of fun that we had over the weekend. I think we did a good job showing Anne the good food and good shopping that can be had here as well as the variety of beaches and the ‘in your face’ extraordinary nature that surrounds everything. What fun we had, sharing this special place.

An Unexpected Gourmet Delight ~ Mike Dianna’s Grillroom

October 12, 2014 by Candi Licence 1 Comment

Mike Dianna’s Grillroom in Corolla

As part of the process of lightening our load, Michael has placed a number of ad’s on Craig’s List to sell off items have been traveling with us. These are in good condition and have value but we’ve decided they are too heavy or too much to continue to lug from place to place (for example, Panini maker, pasta maker, blender, juicer, fishing poles, extra luggage bags, etc..) One person who responded to the ad, Amy, happened to be a server at Mike Dianna’s Grillroom and said it was unpretentious but had great food, so we decided to check it out.

The bar area at Mike Dianna’s Grill Room

Based on her comment about it being unpretentious, I misinterpreted that to mean a beachy place maybe with picnic tables so I was pleasantly surprised that it was a lovely, nicely decorated restaurant. We were hoping to have Amy as our server, but it was a slow evening for the restaurant and she had left early.

The entranceway to the restaurant

The menu looked great. Michael ordered a salad that was absolutely fabulous. Restaurants seem to be doing a much better job now making fabulous salads as opposed to just a few years ago. I had a she crab chowder that was excellent. Everywhere we have eaten, here and in the Keys, has had different but consistently excellent chowder. I couldn’t be more pleased as I love chowder, but I think I’m going to be very spoiled by the time we leave here.

She crab chowder – YUM!

Michael’s fabulous salad

Michael’s wonderful pasta special

Both the seafood and the steak entrees sounded delicious. Our server spoke extensively about the quality and excellence of their steaks. I had been planning on getting grilled tuna but was really swayed by his steak descriptions so when he said the tuna had sold out, I ordered the “measly” 6 ounce filet mignon. Lots of their steaks were huge portions, from 12 ounces all the way up to 30 ounces! Michael ordered the pasta special which had shrimp and clams. His sauce was so good it make you want to lick the plate.

My "measly" 6 oz. Filet Mignon was out of this world good

My “measly” 6 oz. Filet Mignon was the best!

I can’t even begin to describe how good the steak was. I’ve eaten at a lot of steak houses – Capital Grille, Ruth’s Chris, Peter Luger’s, and Morton’s as examples and only Peter Luger’s compares with Mike Dianna’s steakhouse. My filet didn’t look extraordinary (I think it was because it had a dry rub on it) so I wasn’t expecting the incredible burst of flavor that I experienced. After I stopped moaning in pleasure, I gave Michael a bite and he agreed that the taste was exceptional. I immediately regretted ordering the 6 oz. steak and wished that I had ordered the 8 oz. portion.

We passed on dessert but will definitely be back to eat here again. I’m hoping they sell the rub they put on the steak, I’d love to buy some for home. And I’m not planning on even looking at the fish entrees – No way, it will be steak again. I’m crossing my fingers that it will live up to my memories of my first dinner.

The Outer Banks has an amazing display of Mustang horses throughout the towns. This one is in front of Mike Dianna's

The Outer Banks has an amazing display of decorated Mustang horses throughout the towns. This beauty is in front of Mike Dianna’s

Fun Music and good food too! ~ Cravings

September 30, 2014 by Candi Licence Leave a Comment

Rick acted as the band’s MC. Here he is serenading the crowd

Rick, the manager at the gym where we work out, is a musician and encouraged us to come hear one of the bands he plays with at a local restaurant, Cravings. On season, they play two nights a week, out on the patio, to keep people entertained while they wait for tables to eat dinner. He was so enthusiastic about the ability of the musicians, we just had to go and I’m really glad we did.

Cravings is a local’s favorite restaurant that is attached to a gas station – I’ve heard of other really good restaurants also in gas stations so this must be some kind of a trend down here. Anyway, Rick said the food was great and they have a good rating on Trip Advisor so we decided to try them out on a night when we could also listen to some great music. Cravings has also been featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.

Greg could make his guitar sound like steel drums and a fiddle and he could morph his voice into everyone from Willie Nelson to Johnny Cash. Fantastic!

Greg could make his guitar sound like steel drums or a fiddle and he could morph his voice to sound like everyone from Willie Nelson to Johnny Cash. Fantastic!

We arrived around 7:00 PM and were able to get one of the last outside tables right away which was wonderful. Rick was acting as MC for the band and welcomed us – I LOVE feeling like a local and ‘in the know’! The band, Ali & The Katz, play a fun mixture of music with songs from Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Jimmy Buffett, Johnny Winter, Buffalo Springfield, and others. Each musician was good in their own right and they really played well together. It was a wide variety of easy listening, good tunes.

The fabulous Scallops in Lobster sauce, YUM!

Michael’s delightful Mediterranean Shrimp with Sausage, feta and great veggies

The food was also excellent. I had a really nice tossed salad as an appetizer, Michael had a Caesar salad – no appetizer pictures so you could see more musician pictures. For an entrée I had fabulous scallops which were seared and had a yummy lobster sauce – excellent. It was served with a great zucchini and roasted peppers side. Michael had the Mediterranean Shrimp with Jumbo Shrimp, Sausage, Feta, Spinach, Garlic, Tomatoes, Artichokes and Olives with Saffron Potatoes that was also really, really good.

The outrageously great bass player and vocalist was having a terrific time. What a smile!

Ali, playing the drums, keeping the rhythm and singing beautifully

It was a slightly cool evening (we’re just starting to get into lovely fall weather) and it was delightful sitting outside enjoying the music and food. Because there were only about 10 tables outside, it felt like a very intimate venue to experience the music and the band really liked that Michael was taking pictures. I’m guessing we will be back before we leave to hear another great evening of music and great food.

Ali and the Katz, ‘making music’, at Cravings Restaurant

Beautiful Birthday Memories ~ Dinner at Cafe Marquesa

August 4, 2014 by Candi Licence 2 Comments

Lucious, lovely jewelry that has found a good home – Mine!

This may the year for extreme spoiling. If you have been following this blog, you know Michael bought me some magnificent jewelry a few weeks ago for an early birthday present and then we had the loveliest birthday dinner celebration at Cafe Marquesa. We’ve both worked really hard and long hours for most of our lives and it is such a treat to slow down and have so much fun together.

It was a beautiful Key West summer evening and we walked a few blocks to the restaurant just enjoying looking at the pretty houses and beautiful foliage. We discovered a small, intimate park that is part of the Key West library. It was lush and had a number of benches under the trees. It looked like a perfect place to pull out a favorite book and read ~ another time ~ we were on our way to a highly anticipated dinner experience.

A lovely, intimate eatery

Cafe Marquesa is a small restaurant with maybe 13 tables. I had called early for reservations and they saved the best table in the restaurant for us. It was tucked diagonally into a corner with a great window view as well as a view of the rest of the restaurant.

Our table was beautifully decorated for my birthday

The table was prettily decorated with tasteful streamers in the wine glasses and glitter on the table. It was so romantic and fun ~ and it set the stage for a lovely evening.

My sweet place setting

Cafe Marquesa is one of a few Fodors Choice restaurants in the Keys, is Zagat’s highest rated restaurant in Key West and has won numerous other awards and accolades for its fabulous food. We came with very high expectations and were not disappointed. We started off with cocktails while we waited for our appetizers; a Bombay Sapphire Gin and Tonic for Michael (his favorite) and a homemade Margarita for me. My drink was excellent with a tasty and silky smooth flavor and you never can go wrong with a Sapphire G&T. I only had one because I knew we would have wine with dinner but it would have been easy to drink more, it was soooo good. For appetizers, Michael ordered a Caprese salad that was excellent and I ordered a Tomato and Dill Bisque soup topped with grilled Shrimp.

My Scallops with Saffron Risotto

Michael’s Filet Mignon with Blue Cheese Crust and Boursin potatoes

For a main course, I had Porcini dusted Diver Sea Scallops with Truffle butter, Saffron Risotto and Swiss Chard. (I’m getting hungry again just writing this.) Do I need to say it was divine? Michael ordered the Grilled Black Angus Filet Mignon with a Blue Cheese crust, Asparagus, Brandy Peppercorn sauce and Boursin mashed potatoes. He graciously let me sample some of his dinner and it was rich and luscious.

There were a number of lovely items on the dessert menu but nothing jumped out at us so we decided to have dessert elsewhere. I called Better than Sex, Key West’s famous dessert restaurant but at 10 PM they had a minimum 90 minute wait for a table! We headed over to see John at The New York Pasta Garden and sampled his handmade Cannolis.

Sitting under the stars was a delightful ending to an unforgettable birthday.

A perfect birthday with my most special man

“A Key West Locals Secret” ~ New York Pasta Garden

July 29, 2014 by Candi Licence 6 Comments

Welcome to the New York Pasta Garden

Why would I want to go to a restaurant named The New York Pasta Garden when I’m in Key West? HINT: Maybe because their food is fabulous? Michael and I grew up in New York and have always had access to wonderful food and really enjoy a great meal. Somehow, throughout our research and speaking with lots of people, we never heard about this restaurant. And to be honest, I’m not sure I would have put it on the top of our list. However, when we met Philip and Conchita at the dog park, “locals” who split their time between Key West and Saint Augustine and they raved about the New York Pasta Garden, we knew we had to try it. They even asked us to call them after we went there to give a rating. We had tickets to see a play that night and planned to stop in for a late dinner.

A lovely setting for luscious food

New York Pasta Garden is located in Duval Square and is tucked between Duval and Simonton Avenue. We parked in a large lot off Simonton ad walked towards a ton of fairy lights, right in the middle of a very commercial space,

John Gadonniex, the owner of the New York Pasta Garden

John, the owner, has created an intimate garden ~ trees, lots of lush plants, fountains and fairy lights. It’s a beautiful outdoor space. (They actually have about 20 tables inside as well, but everyone was eating out in the garden). They welcomed me by name (not a lot of reservations for 10:30 PM, I’m guessing). We asked the greeter to point out John (the owner) because we wanted to introduce ourselves at some point but before we got to the table, John came over to shake our hands. Philip had called to say we were coming so we got a very warm welcome.

Jeannette, our server extraordinaire

Our server, Jeannette, also welcomed us and told us she would take great care of us. I love when restaurant staff go out of their way to make you feel like family and that was the impression I got even though the restaurant was very busy and John apologized that he wouldn’t be able to spend more time with us because he was short two people.

It was lovely sitting outside and I thought I heard birds talking. (This was before we started drinking, thank you). I started looking around and saw a beautiful Macaw parrot in a nearby tree. John has four tame parrots (2 African Greys and 2 Macaws) that sit in the trees, yammer away and provide entertainment. They are beautifully colored and quite showy. At the end of the night, they climb down out of the trees into cages and are wheeled into the restaurant to sleep. What fun.

John and one of his parrots, "hanging out" at the bar

John and friend, “hanging out” at the bar

OK, the atmosphere is lovely, the staff is great, I love the parrots ~ now how about the food? The Key West Pasta Garden’s menu is pretty extensive and there were a lot of dishes that looked appealing. We split a Caprese salad because Philip said it was so wonderful and it lived up to his hype.

The delicious Caprese Salad

John made us a complimentary Artichoke Franchaise appetizer made of breaded artichokes with a luscious lemon, tarragon, white wine and garlic butter sauce.

John’s complimentary Artichoke appetizer – he made it himself, and I felt honored.

It was scrumptious. We also had garlic rolls that were very tasty. Michael had a cup of homemade Clam Chowder and it might be the best we’ve ever eaten.

For entrees, Michael ordered Shrimp Olivia, which is the chef’s signature dish prepared with roasted red peppers, Kalamata olives and artichokes in a basil and garlic sauce.

Michael’s Shrimp Olivia

My Shrimp and Scallop Franchaise

I had Shrimp and Scallops ala Carino which was prepared with shallots, garlic and spinach with a delicious sherry crème sauce. No calories in this dinner! The portions were very generous and we took home part of each entrée and some of the salad which made a surprisingly good leftover meal the next night.

The meal was so good that I really wanted to try their Tiramisu for dessert but this will have to wait for another visit. Michael and I used to have the best Tiramisu at one of our favorite restaurants in Provincetown, Massachusetts and it was so good, I almost never order it anywhere else because it is such a disappointment. I think if anyone can give them competition it will be The New York Pasta Garden.

Michael did call Conchita the next day to rave about the food and thank them for recommending the restaurant. This is someplace I would frequent often if I lived here full-time. We plan to go back before we leave and I think we’ll give Philip and Conchita a call to see if they would like to join us for another wonderful meal ~ with dessert!

The Square Grouper ~ And Other Fish Tails

July 26, 2014 by Candi Licence Leave a Comment

The Square Grouper Logo, tagline ” my favorite joint”

The Square Grouper – highly desirable in some circles, very profitable and oops, illegal. A Square Grouper is a tongue-in-check name for the bales of marijuana that sometimes wash up on shore in the Keys after they have been dumped off drug running boats when authorities get too close. It is also the name of a lower keys restaurant and long time institution.

We were ready for a road trip and had heard about a great restaurant on Cudjoe Key, Mile 22.5 Oceanside, so one fine day we jumped in the car for a ride. Most Keys locations don’t have a regular address, they give their mile marker number as their address. Mile 100 is in Key Largo, the first key from the mainland and Mile 0 is in Key West. Since most keys are so skinny, getting the mile marker number and then “Oceanside” or “Bay/Gulf” side is enough description to find almost any place. It’s also a very convenient way to know how far away places are.

We pulled into a pretty non descript building and I was surprised when we got inside. People had touted The Square Grouper Bar and Grill as having an old keys feeling so I was expecting a somewhat run down or ramshackle type setting. Instead, the interior was sleek and modern. Maybe they were talking about the menu? Nope, delicious looking but trendy. Prices could be old keys – very reasonable for great food.

The industrial exterior conceals a surprisingly upscale and attractive interior

We were there for lunch and it was hard to decide what to order ~ so many dishes looked great, so we decided to only purchase appetizers so we could sample more options. We started off with Yellowfin Tuna and Avocado Eggrolls with a great dipping sauce. These were crispy and wonderful. We also scarfed down some yummy flash fried conch with a Ponzu sauce drizzled with wasabi. These were followed by Island Shrimp Cakes with a Banana Pepper Aioli sauce which were also fabulous.

Island Shrimp Cakes, Yellowfin Tuna and Avocado Eggrolls and flash fried Conch on right

White chocolate, toasted coconut, almond cheesecake, Oh My!

But the best part was dessert. They were serving a white chocolate, toasted coconut, almond cheese cake. I generally would never get dessert for lunch, I don’t even usually get dessert with dinner and I’ll almost never order cheesecake after growing up in New York where, in my opinion, they make the best cheesecake in the world. This looked to wonderful too pass up and boy am I glad I didn’t. Michael and I split a piece and it was dense and creamy like New York cheesecake plus it had all the wonderful additional flavors that blended really well. I’m still thinking about it days later …..

Just down the road, we stopped at Low Keys Fisheries, a seafood retail store, that was recommended to us. One of the surprises about Key West is how hard it is to buy fresh fish. All the restaurants have it, of course, but the grocery stores’ fish look pretty poor and so do the seafood markets. All I can figure is that so many people have boats and they catch fish for themselves so there isn’t a big market to purchase fresh fish. We asked around the charter boats but they don’t sell the fish they catch. Mr. Chapman’s brother, Eugene, catches a lot of fish and will sell his extra which is wonderful, but he mostly catches snapper so not much variety.

A good variety of great looking fish

Low Key Fisheries is an exception (as long as you want to travel 20 miles to buy fish). The store had a nice variety of fish and everything looked great. We bought some Key West Pinks (shrimp) and some lovely looking Salmon. Chef Michael did his fish magic the next two nights and prepared feasts. I love having a personal chef!

Tantalizing Tapas ~ Santiago’s Bodega

July 21, 2014 by Candi Licence 2 Comments

Until this dinner, we haven’t been overly impressed with the food in Key West. I think Michael and I both came down with the expectation of finding lots of restaurants with fabulous food. We have eaten good food here but we have spent a fair amount of money in some places and didn’t think the quality of the food justified the high price. Santiago’s Bodega, a tapas style restaurant, exceeded all our expectations and can be rated a solid 10.

The beautiful full moon outside Santiago’s Bodega

Santiago’s Bodega is off the main drag, on Petronia Street, just past Mr. Chapman’s house. We had reservations for 9:30 PM because we were dining after our full moon sunset cruise. The restaurant was still hopping. As we were shown to our table, I could see great meals being delivered left and right. We had a lovely table in the corner so it was quite intimate and we could still see the bustle of the rest of the restaurant. Michael ordered a lovely bottle of wine and it was fairly priced for a change. Wine in Key West restaurants generally is very expensive. I know you will always pay more but often it’s 4 times what you could buy on your own which means you are paying $80 for a $20 bottle of wine!

The lovely interior of Santiago’s Beodega

Alan, our server, was personable and guided us through the extensive menu. We decide on 6 dishes to share – Beef Tenderloin, mini rack of Lamb (encrusted with mustard, thyme and pecans), Shrimp and Chorizo, Spanakopita (Spinach, Feta and onion in Phyllo), a Scallop special and beef short ribs with a cherry hoisin glaze. EVERYTHING was wonderful and we had a hard time deciding what we liked best. Michael voted for the short ribs, I honestly couldn’t decide, I could just narrow it down to 4 items. I love that problem. Lighting in the restaurant was fairly dark so Michael was not able to snap any pictures of the food but, believe me, the plates looked as good as they tasted.

I’d love to go back to this restaurant again before we leave and the big question will be – should we try the other mouth watering items on the menu or enjoy the great dished we have already tasted? We’ll have to see …… I’m sure the short ribs at least, as we both loved them.

Candi and Michael ~ On The Move

Tales from Grenada and Beyond