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.

My Apologies

I've been slacking. How can I come back out of nowhere after three months?

Well, I'm pleased to report that I've been recording things, it's just that I haven't had the time to get on here and post them.

SO, from this point on begins my new posts that I am preparing to share with you. Be excited. Be veerrryyy excited.

Old Town Bakery

I've fallen in love!! I've found the love of my life. Oh man, the butterflies, the giddiness, the excitement!  And sorry, it ain't The Hubs I'm talking about here. It's Old Town Bakery.

Oh sweet, yeasty goodness that falls upon my tongue, caressing my delicate taste buds and making me fall evermore in love with the deliciousness you bring into my life. Sigh.

If ya can't tell by my prose, this is good stuff. This, my friends, is a bakery--like a real bakery. Like a they-bake-their-stuff-fresh-every-day, the-baguettes-are-ready-in-the-morning-at-8:30-bakery.  It's a true treat.

On the corner of Eaton and Grinnell stands Old Town Bakery; a humble-looking building with curious vines wandering along the outside walls. Step inside and you will see a simple shop that sells the most beautiful looking (and tasting, mind you) danishes, croissants, cookies, loaf cakes and more.

When The Hubs and I stepped into the shop, I eyed the Chocolate Croissant. He got the Blueberry Cheese Danish. The Chocolate Croissant was deliciously flaky and layered in a way that I had never experienced a croissant before. The chocolate was chunky and bitter-sweet, matching the already butter-rich croissant.

I took a bite of The Hubs' danish and not only was the danish's freshly baked bread taste delightful, the blueberries on the cheese in the center of the danish were fresh--as in not frozen! Imagine that!


We went to eat lunch, but immediately after, we came right back to Old Town Bakery..........we had to get some for the kids.. ;) I indulged in a few of the other types of danishes they had, and I also got a cappuccino. I know what you're thinking: "They serve coffee too?!" I know, I know, try to keep calm.

Get this: not only do they serve a good cappuccino (the foam was delicious), but it's so affordable that a chain (like Starbucks) would be put to sssoooo much shame. You would think this being a locally run shop in Key West, the prices would be far from modest, but oh no, it's better than I could have imagined--which is why we came back.

But wait, there's even more! Not only do they serve fresh pastries and coffee, they sell their own cheeses, meats and other goodies! Such deliciousness-es as Sun Dried Tomato Pesto and House Marinated Artichoke Heart. They even make their own pickles for goodness sake! Not to mention, you could totally stop here instead of your trip to Publix or Winn Dixie or wherever--because not only will it taste a whole lot better, it'll probably be more affordable too. Ha!

The Hubs even mentioned that it reminded him of the great sweet bread and other pastries they had in Venezuela while growing up. It's simply childhood memory-inducing. I mean, look how many exclamation points I've used in this post!

Ok, ok, let's get to it..

So,
The Bottom Line:
Food: uh-mazing. Just go there.

Price:  Very nicely priced. I know that the (not even) comparable Starbucks further down the road is waayy more expensive--and it surely doesn't taste as good.

Service: Service was great. We asked questions, the young lady answered them no problem and with enthusiasm. We even left a tip.

Overall:  Great experience.  If you love freshness, if you love baked goods, if you just love anything that tastes really good, then go there. Simple as that.

The menu:

Shanna Key Irish Pub

Today for lunch, The Hubs and I decided to try a restaurant that we pass frequently, but have never gone to: Shanna Key Irish Pub & Grill.  It's on the corner of Flagler and Bertha--pretty out of the way of the cruise ship-ers that come in daily.  So, if you are a cruise ship-er you'll likely need a taxi if you want to give this place a try.

This picture provided by Google Maps

You can't miss this big yellow and green building at one of the busiest intersections in KW.  After we parked in the back of the restaurant and started walking towards the building, there are picnic tables lining the wall outside with umbrellas providing ample shade for those who want to eat in the cool heat of the city.

When you walk in, you seat yourself in typical pub/bar fashion.  There is a nice sized bar that displays the completely stocked plethora of all of the liquors, liqueurs and mixers that you could ever need.
The decor is........lacking?  There's typical bar stuff: posters, signs, football (soccer) flags, tv's, etc.  They're a "Steelers Nation" pub, so prepare yourself.  The best part is the big time projector and screen that's there, ready to capture the most riveting sports moments right. there.

But it also leaves a bit to be desired.  It's green. Yes, it's an Irish Pub--I get it. But the carpet is green, the walls are green, the moulding bordering the entire room is green.  The worst part, however, is that there are foiled party streamer shamrocks hanging from the ceiling....sigh.

Enough of decor! This is a food blog!

There's a simple menu.  If you're thinking typical Irish/English pub food, you're spot on:  Shepard's Pie, Fish and Chips, Corned Beef and Cabbage...you get the idea. BUT it is a sports bar too, so wings, burgers and fries with somewhat of an Irish flair are there too.

I ordered the Fresh Fried Wings with the Jalapeno and Garlic sauce. 10 wing for 10 bucks. The Hubs got the Shanna Burger with "L.T.O" and opted for a fried egg in addition to the standard way it is dressed.  Oh, and you can't go to an Irish pub and not get a beer, so we both got Miller Lite on draft. **No Guinness for me. Guinness is for those who have the gonads that I do not.**

These wings. were. huge. And freshly fried they were indeed! Nice and hot, with crispy skin and juicy on the inside.  I enjoyed the wings so much that the lacking jalapeno garlic sauce didn't bother me so much. The sauce just seemed to be crushed jalapeno peppers, butter and garlic powder--nothing spectacular (there are three or four other sauce options too). But, oh, the chicken!

The Hubs was very pleased with the fact that he could get a fried egg on his burger.  He reports that it was "tasty and delicious" and that he would recommend it to someone else. Those were all the words I could muster from him about his food..

I included the menu. Just click on it to make it bigger. 

 

So,
The Bottom Line:
Food:  The food was pretty tasty. Although, we went the typical bar food route instead of taking the Irish experience.

Price:  The prices are pretty legit. They offer a 50 wings for $30 (during games and happy hour). Not typical KW pricey-ness; worth the money. And there is a small local discount.

Service:  The service was pretty good. Greeted when we walked in, served quickly and the food got delivered quickly.

Overall: A good experience. Good music. Seems like an excellent place to be on Sundays and Monday nights, or for any big sports event. Oh, and there's Karaoke on Saturdays :)