Dining out...the sequel

We recently posted the first of our reviews of the places we have found worth going back to. They are not necessarily fancy or high end and for the most part not tourist destinations. They are restaurants who have earned our business by putting good food on the table for a fair price.

Blue Heaven...

Truly a destination restaurant. We arrived at 11:00 on New Years Day and were seated at our table at 1:30 but it was worth the wait. I won't judge the wait time as this was one of the Key's biggest eating out days. Upon arrival they seated us in the outdoor lounge (the entire dining room is outside in a high walled courtyard under the spread of overhanging tree limbs and vines) where our group of six began to drain the bar's supply of Bloody Mary's. There was live music so the wait was not a burden. Their brunch is outstanding; we had omelets, benedicts and breakfast tortillas and everyone went away full and content.

We had dinner here when last in Key West so we can give the dinner the same high grade. You will find Blue Heaven on Pretronia at Thomas, just two blocks south of Duval. Parking is a bear however; we paid $20 to park three blocks away.

Blue Heaven has the honor of being the topic of a Jimmy Buffett song entitled "Blue Heaven Rendezvous" on the Barometer Soup album.

7 Fish

Located at Elizabeth and Olive this very small restaurant is big on delivering great food at fair prices. Nothing is cheap here so you can't flinch at entree's in the mid $20's if you want quality. I had the sushi roll appetizer which was warm grouper and avocado roll followed by a Caesar salad with a crab cake made from crab, conch and crayfish While I found the Caesar dressing a bit vinegary the crab cake made up for any disappointment. It was large enough to last the entire salad. The very attentive server warned before hand not to expect a Maryland style crab cake and she was right to do so but I found the texture and blending of flavors to excel beyond a typical crab cake. Each of the four diners agreed their meal to be an A+. We topped off the meal with three shared deserts. It is a shame that 7 Fish does not open before 6:00 as I could make lunch off of the brownie and ice cream and their refreshing blended ice tea. I am a fanatic about ice tea and this is the best we have had in a long time.

Hogfish Bar & Grill

We are tied up in the Safe Harbour Marina which is certainly a throwback to the old Key West. It is a collection of house barges and sailboats that haven't left the dock in years. Everyone in the marina is a live aboard so the place has a very quaint feel. At the head of the dock is a tiki hut styled restaurant called the Hogfish which is a local grouper. You can eat out on the dock at a picnic table or eat inside at a picnic table. That is as fancy as it gets but the food is very good. Burgers, fish sandwiches, nachos, gumbo, fish and steaks make for a fully found menu with a special's chalk board walked around the restaurant for the new arrivals to view. The local to tourist ratio is high here as it is not on Key West proper but up on Stock Island next to the shrimp boat and lobster boat docks. You venture past the trailer park and the city dump to get here (6810 Front St, Stock Island) so it is mostly a "locals only" hangout. Good live music is played in the main dining room with Thursday night being a pick up band night. The local musicians who drop in to play make the visit even more enjoyable. This is a definite stop for those who want to have eaten in the best hangouts the lowers Keys have to offer.