Marathon Grill & Ale House-A Big Step Up in Dining Fare

AmericanPressTravelNews.com–January 6th,–Marathon, FL.–Bob and Barb “On The Road Again” & “Stopping to Smell the Roses and Seafoods” at the Marathon Grill & Ale House. We stopped for lunch and absolutely loved everything about this great spot, just off the Overseas Highway in Marathon. This fine dining spot has two Happy Hours and no matter who dines and has a brew here will be very happy indeed! Grill is open for lunch, dinner and late night steaks, seafood and pasta. To kick off our lunch we started with a most unusual pear & bleu cheese salad festooned with field greens, walnuts, tomato and onions tossed with sherry vinaigrette topped with bleu cheese glazed walnuts and sliced pears. This was a salad that had pears, but had no peers-unique flavors and would have made a fine, healthful, tasty meal all on its own. But, we were just getting started: We next dove into a platter of shrimp Po Boy’s. The flavors and enhancements to this dish by way of sauces and spicing ‘s was extraordinary. Barb decided on dividing up some baby-back ribs. Again the meat barbeque sauce was just right. We slid slivers of meat off the bone that were cooked just right and tender. The flavor was as good as it gets. We also tried the shrimp and scallop scampi-WOW! Every part of this seafood dish from the Linguine al dente, to scallops that were firm and tasty, as well as shrimp caught out of Key West waters was superb. Sure we took a few boxes of foods we could not fit in our stomachs and for two day after our original feast we had to order for our books pictures, we continued to enjoy all of these dishes. They have a full menu of more than 75-dishes available until 2AM and over 100-craft beers ( I drank Mile Marker 0 beer and loved it) There early bird specials every day from 4-6 pm in the afternoon, offers “buy one entree’ and the other one is “on the house!” They have a kids menu, and every day is a new treat day (call for details 305-743-5888) Oh, I almost forgot we also had Pork Hambies for appetizers and you just have to try these to understand the flavors of this boned meat treat! Dessert, sure! We had Key Lime Pie with blueberries-first time we tried this twice! Beyond luscious! Marathon Grill Ale House is located at MM 50, 5800 Overseas Hwy. Marathon, FL. Gulfside Village Plaza.

Mangrove Mike’s Cafe & Catering in Islamorada, The Sunset Favorite for Decades!

**Key Lime Pie, original recipe, but with lemon meringue “high top.” So good you can finish off a quart of milk with this honey of a pie!**

**This omelette is made with real blue crab an asparagus. Topped with a sauce that came down from heaven! Loved it! Definitely large enough for two!**

**Regular Mango Mike’s Special breakfast that comes with pancakes, two eggs, bacon, grits, sausages and hot Maple Syrup.**

AmericanPresstravelNews-January 5th,–Islamorada, FL., Keys-Bob and Barb, “On the Road Again” and Stopping to Smell the Roses” & Key Lime pie. We love mom and pops breakfast and lunch spots. They have a special kind of character, and they also produce very custom dishes that the big box guys just cannot do based on logistics, and corporate structure. Mangrove Mikes caters, offers “killer” breakfasts and lunches and is a favorite meeting place over coffee and hot cakes, in Islamorada. Over 40-years ago, I had breakfast here with many of the old “salts” and charter captains that fished out of this fishing and diving town. Check out their menu on-line at www.mangrovemikes.com Indoors they have those old fashioned counters, booths and tables too. They also do Island parties out back, on the Gulf of Mex. for from 10-1,000 guests. Weddings, picnics, reunions or whatever kind of group. Mike said “bring it on and we’ll set it up!” Flip flops, no problem, that’s part of their dress code! M.Mikes is next door to the Sunset Inn and Seafood Market, MM 82.2 Bayside, Islamorada phone 305-664-8022

Franks Grill in Marathon-A Terrific Italian American Restaurant

**Barb is in** **her** **element! Great food, great surroundings and of course pretty good company too!**

**Osso Bucco made with pork shanks, and mighty good and plenty! Tastes at Franks remind one of the best meals that momma and papa Leoni used to make in the early days of America.**

**Yellowtail is a very delicate fleshed dish, few chefs get it exactly right. Franks gets it exactly right and then-some!**

**First time I had blueberries embedded in Key Lime Pie. It was very special!**

AmericanPressTravelNews- Marathon, FL. Keys, January 1st,-Bob and Barb “On The Road Again” Stopping to smell the garlic at Franks Grill. For decades, Frank’s Grill has wowed it’s patrons with authentic Italian-American dishes that do a whole lot more than just please the palate, and nose, but also please the eyes, as well. The yellowtail snapper dish was exquisitely prepared. We enjoyed ala Francaise, sauteed with butter , white wine and lemon juice in a light egg wash. The Osso Bucco dish was amazing. A Melanese specialty of cross cut pork shanks with vegetables, white wine and broth done Frank’s high and delicious style. All manner of veal, chicken, duck and spaghetti dishes were on the menu. The desserts such as Key Lime Pie, bulging with fresh blueberries was different and quite a treat as was the New York Cheese Cake, a specialty few restaurants in the Keys serve. The wait staff, excellent! The table and decor were first rate too! Eggplant, shells, Manacotti, linguine, Steak Roma, lamb chops, N.Y. Strip, Ribeye and the entire seafood melange of delicacies. Franks Grill is located at 11400 Overseas Highway 113th street Gulfside in Town Square Mall, Marathon FL. go: FranksGrillMarathon.com 305-289-7772 open Monday thru Friday 10am-3-pm and dinner from 5-pm-9pm on Saturday.

**New York Cheesecake! Yes, even in Marathon.**

Harriette’s Restaurant mm-95.7 Voted Best Breakfast in the Upper Florida Keys

AmericanPressTravelNews-December 26^th, Key largo-heading for Tavernier, Key– Barb and I stopped at Harriett’s for a bit of breakfast and a lunch favorite as well. Frankly, I am a Key Lime connoisseur after having eaten in just about every restaurant along and in the many islands in the stream, and Harriett’s is also the home of the world famous Key Lime Muffins! With 25-different and incredible muffins listed in their menu, a stop here could very well be quite addictive! For close to 40-years, we have visited for breakfast and lunch, at least once or more times per week. There were many places we could have switched off to, but at Harriett’s, she and her staff are like family to so many, for so many years, that Harriett’s has become an iconic food spot on the southern side of US 1, Overseas Hywy. at MM 95.7, just outside of the main business section of Key Largo. All manner of breakfast dishes, omelettes your way, pancakes, eggs over the rainbow spectrum of just how you like em, burgers and chicken dishes, coffee that tastes like coffee and always a friendly smile and chit chat the way you’d like ti too! So after having a Key Lime Muffin and coffee, it was already lunch time, so we brought a half of chicken and the fixings to our table. We tasted it and boxed it and the several cold veggies salads that we tasted as well, for the next day. Breakfast bagels, French toast, liver and onions, tuna salads, among so many other cold salad dishes, the whole seafood brigade the way you like it, and on and on (I counted about 100-different offerings. To sum up what Harriett’s is all about I have to add its Harriett, when you or anyone meets this wonderful lady, she is “real” and honestly friendly and happy to meet you in her wonderful business and comfort zone in life! Come join her “Muffin Club” The more you purchase the more you get free ones too! Barb and I love Harriett’s place and will always go out of our way to dine here. Give a call to 305-852-8689 open 6 AM to 3 PM Daily. MM 95.7 Bayside.