Restaurant

Fun Music and good food too! ~ Cravings

September 30, 2014 by Candi Licence Leave a Comment

Ali and the Katz 2014 09 25 - 0157 — 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 — 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', at Cravings — 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! — 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.

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.

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.

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

_MS42023 — 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.

Welcome to the New York Pasta Garden — 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.

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.

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! — 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 — Michael’s Shrimp Olivia

My Shrimp and Scallop ala Carino — 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

Square Grouper 2014 07 09 - 0021 — 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.

Square Grouper 2014 07 09 - 0004 — 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.

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 — 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 — 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.