Wing Masters

I'm getting really excited because this is one of my favorite places to eat here: Wing Masters!

On Truman Avenue, across form the Island Bicycles shop is a wonderful place that serves wings, pizza, burgers, nachos, quesadillas and more. But most importantly--WINGS!!
Are you getting your wings from Pizza Hut or Dominos or wherever? STOP it. Now. And go here instead.

Garlic Parmesan

Half Jamaican Jerk, half Lemon Pepper

Why are the wings so good? They drop them straight into nice, hot grease that crispifies the skin and gives it amazing crunch. It also locks in the juices of the wings. Not only is the meat good itself, the variety of sauces the wings can come in is rreeeaaalllyyy good.

Garlic Parmesan, Lemon Pepper, Sweet Fire Chipotle, Wasabi and Sriracha are some that I truly enjoy. But I've tried more and they're honestly all good.

Let's see, what else was on the list? Quesadillas..

Southwestern Chicken Quesadilla

I've tried the Chipotle Cheese Steak quesadilla as well as this one above. Packed with black beans, corn and chicken breast between two flour tortillas--its good. And really filling.

Pizza

Large pizza with pepperoni and sausage

Large Pizza, half cheese-half pepperoni

With the pizza I have a love-hate relationship. I love it because my kids like it and it's a part of the $19.95 meal deal (large pizza, 10 wings and a 2 liter). BUT the only part I actually like is the crust. It has good chew and pull--sorta New York style.  The part that I hate (dislike--hate is such a strong word) are the toppings. There's a pretty good selection of toppings, but they're.....low quality? I don't know what it is but the toppings are lacking in taste and don't make the pizza pop like it should. But the crust is good...that's why I still get it (and my kids like it).

Their cheese steaks are pretty good. The beef Nachos Grande Supreme could have been better, but was worth the money--twas an entire small pizza box of tortilla chips, beef, lettuce, cheese, onions and more.

Another plus is you can dine-in or have it delivered.

There's outdoor and indoor seating, which, I think, really captures the classic Key West laid back atmosphere. You can usually just stroll up and there'll be one person working the front.  There's an inside "bar" where you can order and eat too. Parking is an issue in this area, so it may be better to walk, or at least be prepared to walk after parking.

The best part??....aside from tasty wings?

There are Meal Deals!! Three of them. It's a combination of either wings, pizza, cheese steaks, and a 2 liter of your choice. Their menu is online (I'm trying not to post restaurant's own websites), just Google (or Bing) it!

The Bottom Line:

Food: Wings? reeeaaalllyyy GOOD! Quesadillas are good too. The pizzas, cheese steaks and nachos, etc. are okay...but hey, it's WING Masters

Price: The prices really aren't that bad. They have meal deals which I really like and save you some money on the things that you're more likely to get.

Service: The service is good. They are very prompt and polite. There is usually only one person working in the front, so they may be busy getting other orders and such ready. Don't forget they deliver!

Overall: A good place to get food on a Friday night....or any other night for that matter.hehe. Me and my co-workers would order for lunch quite a few times. If you're craving some wings this is THE place to go. There are also other things to eat that may appease that strange person who for some reason doesn't want wings.hehehe

Better Than Sex

I figured I'd return with a BANG and share the deliciousness that is Better Than Sex. What's better than sex? Some could argue very few things, but this dessert haven is making that claim and doing a preTTy good job at supporting it.

The Hubs and I went to this dessert restaurant for our anniversary. And I must say, there is a rather...sensual theme throughout the restaurant.

 Dark, deep reds, pinks and browns scream romance.  So many textures, and suggestive pictures in the decor create a rustic feel which makes it more comfortable...more sexy getaway-like, instead of hot and sweaty walk around Key West feel.  It's dark and intimate--fittingly so.

Okay, lets start out with drinks:
Since everything on the menu is so....sexual, there is a creation called the "Rim Job." It involves a wine of your choice served in a glass dipped in a chocolate that complements the wine.  If you're not into wine, they have rim jobs for your beer too (The Hubs got a chocolate beer in a rim jobbed beer mug called "The Gyration")!
If this wasn't what you were expecting, you may get a slight something out of it as you watch the person across from you lick the outside of their wine glass like a lollipop to get the last bit of chocolate off..

Carly's Button....partially consumed

I completely enjoyed my rim job. I was amazed at how the sparkling wine and chocolate paired together so well--what's even better is that the madame head chef creates the mixture of chocolate herself so that it is purely unique to this wine (and every other wine) and this restaurant!

Now, dessert!

The dirty talk doesn't stop with drinks. With some desserts titled "Team Cream," "Cookie Nookie Pie" and "Peanut Butter Perversion," I think you can start to see that a naughty vibe is produced and expected inside this venue. The wonderful part is that you can't help but join in.

We told them it was our anniversary and they planned accordingly (with no extra charge), to deliver to us our order on pleasantly decorated plates and a candle for the occasion!

The "Missionary Crisp" - a delicious skin-on apple crisp

I had the Missionary Crisp with "Vanilla Bean Balls" "on top." It was wonderfully buttery and rich for an apple crisp.  The only thing that I did not enjoy was that the skins were left on the apples. It does indeed say skins are left on in the description, but I thought it would not have been as noticeable--alas, it was.

The Hubs got the Banana Bazooka

The Bottom Line:

Food: The food is lovely and decadent. There's a broad array of desserts too. Sorbet, chocolates, crisps, dessert wines and beers. It's a real sultry treat.

Price: Prices are pretty middle of the road. It is a restaurant solely dedicated to desserts, so spending $9-$12 per dessert is rightly worth it.

Service: The service is pretty good. Servers base their service off of your needs. If it's your anniversary, they're congratulatory and leave you space to kanoodle. If you're there under a more jovial nature, they giggle with you at the names of the items too.

Overall: A really good dessert spot. I really like the decor, and playfulness of the menu that plays into the "Better Than Sex" mantra. The desserts are definitely delicious, the rim jobs are surprisingly good and its a good place for either an anniversary, bad day at work, or good day just for fun! So, IS it better than sex? Let's just say, if all you've been rocking is the plain old missionary, maybe the missionary crisp with Vanilla Bean Balls on top will set you right.

Need Not Worry

Need not worry, ladies and gents. I know you thought I forgot about you, but rest assured that I've been thinking of you all along.  The pictures and experiences are here with me, they just need to be posted to share with you. In due time--actually very soon.

Incas Restaurant

Being 90 miles from Cuba, Key West is practically synonymous with Cuban food: cuban bread, cafe con leche, black beans with yellow rice..............
Yeah, it tastes good as I wrote about in my post about Sandy's Cafe, but there's another country's cuisine that is very present here in Key West: PERU!

Incas Restaurant, located on White Street, close to Eaton.

Because of it's location in South America, Peru is known for its fresh seafood, so many dishes contain octopus, squid, shrimp, and fish. Like cuisine in its neighboring countries Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil and Bolivia, Peruvian food has rice, yucca, pan-fried/sauteed meats with onions, limey-vinegary and unfamiliar (to Americans) yet delicious sauces.

Enough of the set up and lets talk dishes, and deliciousness! I've been there quite a few times and I love it!! As soon as you walk in you are greeted by the owner who is a wonderful, gregarious woman who makes you feel like you belong there.

The first two times I went, I got Jalea de Mariscos:

What is it, you ask? "It's delightful!" is my response. It consists of fried shrimp, fish, octopus and squid covered with a healthy sized mound of lightly sauteed onions sprinkled with cilantro.  There are also lime wedges to squeeze on top for an extra zip of flavor and deep fried yucca, acting sort of as french fries.  Sure, it looks simple: fried seafood with onions on top--big deal, right? NOT. It's scrumptious. It's the fact that it's so simple that makes it so good! See that little ramekin filled with a white sauce? It's tartar sauce and they make it fresh and delicious. Between that sauce, the onions and lime, the flavors are bountiful and work VERY well together.

Of course, The Hubs started eating a little bit before I snapped the picture, but this is the Ceviche Mixto. It's fish, octopus, and shrimp marinated in lime juice. There are sides of sweet potatoes and corn kernels prepared in two different ways.

What's there to drink?? Well there's the typical Coke, Sprite, Fantas, and cafe con leche.  But there's also other delicious drinks with passion fruit, there's sangria, and there is also a delicious drink called Chicha Morada (pictured below). Also there's a selection of Peruvian Beer and some other cervezas that you're likely more familiar with.

Here are some more dishes that we've enjoyed:

Arroz de Mariscos - this dish is SO SO good!

Tacu-Tacu con lomo Saltado

I feel as though I have this need to tell you about the side sauces at this restaurant!  There is this spicy sauce that is not only spicy but has such good flavor. It's not vinegary like any Texas or Louisiana hot sauce, it has it's own sabor, but provides the extra heat and flavor to just about any dish--just ask for the "salsa picante." The sauces with the yucca frita, and jalea de mariscos are also very, very tasty.

"But, Hailey.." you may be asking yourself, "what about the children?" They have by no means left them out. There's this wonderful dish called Salchipapas. Its basically grilled sliced hot dogs and french fries. We get one order for the boys to share and it's more than plenty.

Salchipapas

Just like it's owners, the decor is inviting and it makes you feel like you've been going to the restaurant for years--or maybe it's just their aura.

Sooooo....

The Bottom Line:

Food: The food is simply amazing. Full of flavor and very, very authentic.  These dishes haven't been changed to suit what Americans think Peruvian food should taste like--it's the real deal.

Price: The price is moderate. It's definitely not inexpensive for a family of four, but a full plate of delicious food is well worth the price.

Service: The service is unlike anything you'll experience, I promise you. It's a family run restaurant and you can feel the love and attention as soon as you step foot through the door.

Overall:  This is just a great place to go all the way around. It's a good place to bring kids, its a good place to catch up with old friends, or just grab a bite to eat. I do highly recommend you go here no matter how long you're visiting--and if you live here, why haven't you been yet??

Sandy's Cafe

There's a place that aaaalllll the locals know about, and the very privileged tourists know about. There is tasty Cuban food at this spot and it's pretty unique. What place is this, you say? Why, it's Sandy's Cafe.

As you can see from the picture above, Sandy's Cafe is a humble place.  There are only about 5 places to sit right outside of the building. Actually, this is the new and updated Sandy's Cafe. About four or five months ago, they shut down to remodel--now everything is shiny and brand new.

You can walk up to this place and take a good few minute to decide what you want--there's all kinds of decisions. There's breakfast items like cheese bread (cuban bread with cheese), cafe con leche, and even a southern classic, grits. There's typical Cuban/Hispanic grub like black beans and yellow rice, picadillo, and maduros (ripe grilled plantains). 

Yummy Cuban style black beans to go with all that yellow rice that goes with your meal.

Oh, but it doesn't stop there: Cuban sandwiches (the Cuban Mix is GOOD), fish sandwiches, pork, ham and cheese, vegetarian, the list goes on and on and on--and that's just sandwiches. There's a lovely choice of soups, Mexican burritos, tacos and quesadillas. There's wraps with roast pork, stead, buffalo chicken. Breakfast wraps with steak and eggs and cheese, bacon, turkey, ham. There's omelets! There's the Dinner Plates which are the bestest like Grilled Pork Chops, Palomilla Steak, and Shrimp in Garlic Sauce.

Palomilla Steak with yellow rice and maduros
(black beans comes with the meal, but aren't pictured)

But, I don't want to just list these things like they're nothing--I want you to understand that all of this is GOOD.  I've eaten here so many times that I don't even have that many pictures to post, because I'm so distracted by the food, and I don't remember to take pictures until I've eaten half of it already :-/

Things that I have eaten and can personally attest to their deliciousness on their menu: Cuban Mix sandwich, Fish Sandwich, Cheese Toast, Plantains, Rice and beans, Buchi (Espresso), Cafe con Leche, Shrimp in Garlic Sauce, Picadillo dinner, Palomilla dinner, Grilled pork chops dinner, and sides of plantains and bacon (really thick and crispy).

Oh, and when we're talking about cafe con leche, if you're not from the area (or if you really like cafe con leche already), you HAVE to try it. It's espresso and hot milk. Wait, espresso and milk?...that's a latte, right? No--it's cafe con leche. I know..big woop, right? NOT! We order cafe con leche and cheese bread at work every Wednesday. Why? Because it's good. Just order it.

Oh, and to make this better for you if you're in town doing the tourist thing: They deliver (as long as the order is $10 or over) all over the island, aaaaannnndd they're open 24 hours a day! But, check this out--they take cash only. So, when you prepare your taste buds for this good food, don't arrive with your credit card--you'll be politely told "we only take cash."

For Key West, the prices are very nice. And even better is that you get a lot of food.

For example, to order a side of plantains costs $3.95. Not shabby, right? But look how much you get in the order:

Side order of Plantains

That's about 10 hunkin pieces of marvelously caramelized ripe plantains you're looking at there. Plantains come with the dinners, but I always get extra.hehe. Or scroll back up and look at the Palomilla steak dinner--that huge steak, black beans, rice and maduros all for 11 bucks?? I'll take it! And you should too.

Located on White Street, it's sort of far from the downtown tourist area on Duval Street (I say sort of far because the island itself is barely 3 miles long), but its worth the trip if you want some really good food at a really fair price.

The service? Really good. The people are always friendly and I've noticed they don't get upset when you arrive and you have no idea what you want. I like that, in particular, about Sandy's.

SSoooo....

The Bottom Line

Food:  The food's really good and has lots of flavor. The new grill is getting seasoned, so it's getting even better!

Price:  Nicely priced. There's lots of food for the money. So, really you could get a meal an split it, making it even more economical.

Service:  Cool people work there. They're patient with you and do their best to get your food right.

Overall:  Umm....if ya haven't gotten the message by now, you should go there. Tasty, economical, and definitely a part of the Key West local scene. On o a scale of 1 to 10; 1 being horrible, 10 being amazing, I'd give it a solid 7.9...they still need to let that brand new grill get seasoned like it was.

Eaton Street Seafood Market, Part 2

Along with the seafood at the Eaton Street Seafood Market is their own special menu. There's some attention grabbing features on this menu.  The one that caught my eye? The Lobster Roll.

And while I couldn't bring myself to spend $15 on one "sandwich" when I first discovered the menu, the thought of a classic lobster roll flooded my mind: fresh, delicious lump lobster tail and claw meat mixed in a light mayo-lemon dressing, seasoned very simply with salt and maybe some other herb, like dill or thyme for a pop of flavor. The thought of the classic lobster roll (maybe with an unexpected key west twist) lived in my mind until I could wait no longer to taste it.

After scraping up enough pennies, getting over mommy-guilt and rationalizing getting only one lobster roll for me (instead of me and my two little ones--after all, that'd be 30 bucks...if they shared one roll), I made my way to the market and got it!!
I walk in. Order. They ask if I want it toasted, I say yes (how could it not be toasted, right?). And I wait about 5 minutes while they prepare the lobster roll that I have had many a succulent fantasy for. The guy behind the counter returns with a white styrofoam box, places it inside of a plastic bag and hands it to me. I pay, and head out of the market to the car.

As soon as I sit in the driver's seat, I open my box and find:

My long-awaited lobster roll, halved. And a small bag of fried plantains chips.

Okay, I'm gonna be honest: I was thinking the lobster meat was going to be more lump-tious, but it looked like it was chopped or really hard to get out of the shell. But, hey, its still a good amount of lobster in there.

I'm not sure what type of bread it was...maybe a potato roll/bread? I'm not sure, but it apparently was toasted well and was still warm when I unwrapped it.
At this point, the kids in the back seat are hearing paper and wrappers crinkle and rustle and are interested in what they're missing out on...so I hand over the bag of fried plantain chips. Then I dive in!
The lobster is sweet, as it should be. The dressing is thinned nicely and doesn't over-power the delicate-ness of the lobster. It aaaalllllllmmmoosstt needs more salt, but that would compromise the sweetness of the lobster meat. There is also a hint of butter--I can't tell if it is with the lobster and mayo, but my guess is that it's from the toasted bread. The lobster and dressing are really good. The roll, however....

As you can see from my partially bitten lobster roll (apologies for that), the roll is definitely toasted--in fact, it is toasted too much for this particular type of sandwich. If I wanted toast to put jelly on, or peanut butter, or even for a grilled cheese sandwich, this is what I would want it to look and taste like. However, those same charred bits that complement a grilled cheese sandwich don't fit the delicate flavors of a lobster roll, and over-powers the sweet  flavor of the lobster on the inside. Actually, that strong flavor made me only eat the lobster inside of the final bites of the second half of the roll.
I reflect for a moment and remembered the first time I went there, a gentleman ordered a lobster roll (which is partially what brought my attention to it in the first place), but he did request for it to be lightly toasted.  Of course, I recall him saying that after I took the first few bites, then I understood why.
Part of me gets somewhat defensive says that the guy shouldn't have to ask for the roll to be lightly toasted--after all, it's supposed to be lightly toasted in the first place.

The Bottom Line:
Food: PreTTy good! The charr on the outside of the bun sorta ruined it for me, but I know that if i get it lightly toasted, it'd be a nice treat.

Price: Prices range from $10 - $15, so really not that bad..think of it as going to a restaurant for a burger, but not having to leave a tip. Perhaps not family-budget friendly, though since everyone will want their own sandwich.

Service: Again, Okay. Not overly friendly, but I was accommodated appropriately.

Overall: All of the items on the menu seem tasty..I mean, who doesn't like lobster, crab cakes or shrimp? I say definitely give a try..just ask for things lightly toasted.

Eaton Street Seafood Market

When trying to fulfill their hankerings for seafood, I've found out that conchs (conch = Key West native) go to Publix or Winn Dixie.  I'm sorry, but I find this nuts! As much seafood, and as many fishing boats and access to seafood as there is on this island, I'm surprised that there aren't a slew of local seafood markets.

I digress...
Though there may be some fresh seafood in the local grocery markets, I have found only one seafood market on the island (again, please update me if I'm wrong, so I can check them out too ;) ) and that market is Eaton Street Seafood Market.

This is a nicely sized building, but the actual market is rather humble in size, compared to the entire size of the big white building. The picture on the right is a picture of the right side of the building, and the picture on the left, is the left side of the building. When you open the door, this is what you walk into:

Scallops! Salmon! Tuna! Black Grouper! Clams! Mussels! Seafood salads! Stone Claw Crab! Lobster tails! An abundance of fresh seafood!  It looks rather enticing. You see the vibrant, clear color of the meat of the fresh fish. Then you remember how murky and dull the seafood looks at the supermarket, in comparison--and you can't help but to buy some

However, all of this delicious, fresh seafood comes at the cost of a pretty penny. If you can't make out the costs of each type of fish and crusteacean in the picture let me list it here for you:

Salmon - $16.98 per pound

Ahi (Yellowfin) Tuna - $22.95 per pound

Scallops - $19.95 per pound

Yellowtail Snapper - $17.95 per pound

Black Grouper - $20.95 per pound

Lobster tails - $24.95 per tail

Pink Shrimp - $17.95 per pound

Large Stone Crab claws - $32.95 per pound

Medium Stone Crab claws - $21.95 per pound

After the sticker shock set in a little bit, I decided to give one of these fresh staples of Key West a shot. My choice? The Salmon. It was soo pretty! I got an 8. something ounce piece, so with tax and everything for the one piece of salmon, the price was $10.91. I figured it wasn't too shabby of a price. When I had my 8. something ounce salmon steak in my hand as I was walking out of the door to see my husband and kids waiting in the car for me, I realized: 8. something ounces of salmon is not enough for everyone. It's barely enough for me and The Hubs.

The next day, when I cooked the salmon (salt, pepper and lemon juice, 7 min in the oven at 450 degrees), it was AMAZING! And I'm not tooting my own cooking skills here. That REAL fresh-never-frozen quality made a pronounced difference not only in the flavor of the salmon I prepared, but in the texture and color of the final product as well. So, despite my $11 splurge for 8 ounces of salmon, I was rather pleased with the outcome--even if it only fed me and The Hubs.

Allow me to continue with the tour of what's available here:

Not a wide selection of produce, but definitely things that would complement the seafood being cooked: bell peppers, lemons, limes, pomegranates, and a few other fresh salad greens.

There are three drink refrigerator cases immediately to the right when you walk into the store. Two of them hold drinks, but one case holds house made items such as goat cheese, spinach and artichoke dip and smoked fish dip.

The Bottom Line:

Food: The salmon I had was really good--fresh taste.

Price: High---BUT if you catch it at the right moment, it's the freshest.

Service: Okay. People aren't overly friendly, but will accommodate you.

Overall:  Not bad, but Publix or Winn Dixie might have better prices for same quality depending on when you catch the freshness of the seafood.

The 8th Annual Florida Keys Seafood Festival

When me and my friend arrived at the festival with our kids, we loaded up our strollers and rolled out to get an eye-full of the big-deal seafood festival here in seafood-y Key West.

The festival is held in a grassy park. There were maaany, many booths set up, selling all sorts of things from bouy wall decorations to tiki candle holders to pocket books for both women and men. There's a tall white stage where the bands were performing towards the front--which were pretty entertaining (there was a crazy guy playing guitar and doing beats off of big silver pots--it was pretty wild). And as you make your way behind the audience, you'll find all of the food booths!!

I hopped in the Conch Fritters line right away, while my friend, Alise, stood in the line for Lobster, Fish and Combo Plates.

The lines were long to say the least. BUT the booths were very efficient, the line moved right along with no problems. They definitely prepped well.

Conch Fritters with Cocktail Sauce

Okay, so these are the conch fritters. Conch is a sea snail..it's meat in a shell from the ocean--it's SEAFOOD. When I see "Conch Fritters" I'm thinking there's going to be some battered, fried conch. But for some reason, whenever I've seen this term and ordered it, I get some kind of hush puppy with itty bitty teeny pieces of "conch" inside. It really makes me wonder what's going on. This is what I'm talking about:

Do you see any conch?? Anywhere? Maayyybbee a little piece to the left, there..maybe. But $6 for fritters at a festival nonetheless was still pretty good. They tasted good. They were freshly fried and crispy. I like the flavor and little kick of the black pepper--but still, where's the conch??

So I meet up with Alise who has been waiting in line and she got me the "Combination" plate which consisted of half a grilled lobster, fried fish (though, I'm not sure what type of fish), yellow rice and black beans and coleslaw:

I must say, being from south Louisiana, I was surprised that the fried fish was as flavorful as it was. It was moist and crispy and seasoned very well. The lobster was perhaps a bit overcooked, but had a nice jous inside the head from the mixing of fat and butter :). Black beans and rice are always good. I'm not a fan of cole slaw, but Alise said it was good, and it made her reconsider not eating cole slaw for the past few years. Perhaps the only drawback was the price. $18 for this one plate. 

There was also the Lobster plate which was just 2 lobsters (as the one seen) and the same sides for $20, Just a fish plate for $19. There were also fried clams--that is, from this one particular booth.

BUT the food doesn't stop there. There were the Key West "pinks" (which are the pink shrimp caught here in the keys), more lobster, cuban coffee and bread, conch salad, conch chowder, and I heard that there were conch sausage/hot dogs. We also got ice cream from a Wisconsin ice cream joint. I'm so sorry I can't remember the name or even got a picture of it--but that was really good. A real treat!

So, where, you ask, do all of these people with all of these plates who need both hands to snack on their delectables eat? I'll show you:

There were about 3 of the above long tables where people line up to peel their shrimp and peel lobsters out of their shells. The below stations were in two separate sections of the park, and allowed you to be closer to the bands and eat at the same time. The decor is so fitting--lobster/crab traps!

Oh yes!! I can't forget! There was BEER! You could buy it in pint size in a yellow translucent beer mug (you can see people holding them on the left in the picture), then get reduced priced refills as many times as you like! There was also wine. It was Barefoot wine, and $6 or $7 per glass

Last, but certainly not least, we cannot forget the kids. The kids have their own separate land here with several bouncy houses, rock climbing wall, water play, and the jumpers with the cables.

But, of course, it all comes at a price:

Let's get to it..

The Bottom Line:

Food: Pretty good! The food was a lot more flavorful that I thought it would have been.

Price: Sorta pricey--but it's a festival...and a seafood festival at that.

Service: Very good! The people at the booths were very organized and kept the long lines moving really quickly. 

Overall: It was a fun day. It's nice to have something to do and get out of the house and enjoy the food of Key West locals.