AmericanPressTravelNews–Jan. 21st, Key Largo-Bob and Barb “Stopping to Smell the Roses, Flowers and great foods at Sharkey”s. We first visited the downstairs pub section of active conviviality on the canal, had a beer, chatted with a a few visitors who were on vacation and deeply involved in all things, diving. Heading upstairs overlooking a variety of sailing and power craft in the channel coming and going and moored as well, we ordered a few things from Sharkey’s voluminous menu. All manner of different ethnic dishes as well as the ubiquitous burgers, wings, seafood’s beside the large number of salads, there were chicken enchiladas, seered fishes, tuna items, mahi, and the shrimp-WOW, Sharkey’s knows how to prepare them any way imaginable. To say we liked Sharkey’s would be a large understatement! We loved Sharkey’s!
Shrimp fritters, moist and extremely tasty. The Cracked Conch-a favorite of mine and about a million other Keys visitors!
AmericanPressTravelNews-Sat January 14th, Islamorada, FL. Bob and Barb just invaded the Shrimp Shack for their seafood fixes.
Nautical all the way! Comfort food, and beverages that will please any palate!Shrimp and Grits was so tasty, we are spoiled again! The sauce is king with this dish-combined with the correct grit flavors and consistency, as well as, naturally super-fresh shrimp and voila!Chicken loaded with an incredible sauce and veggie melange! Called the Continental Chicken dish!
I love Conch, no not just the Conch Republic, but the big Sea Cow browser called the Conch, a gentle delicious snail that lives in a mini palace people from around the world collect at shell shops, and road-side gift displays, to sit on their do-dad tables. At the Shrimp Shack the critter is fried and served with a pungent sauce that is about the best slice of seafood possible. The Shrimp Shack is a family owned business that opened in Dec. 2011. Since that time they have been serving delicious food to their customers and have become a “go-to-place” for Islamorada, FL. Keys locals. The restaurant is run by the mother, daughter team of Jill and Morgan who bring out their family recipes from their kitchen and onto the plate. They were discovered by Guy Fieri and were featured on Diners Drive-in’s and Dives! Guy who has eaten his way across America loved the shrimp Fritters as we did and the “Senator” style local catch of the day. The episode is named “Smoke and Seafood.” They are closed Wednesday’s and are located at 81901 Overseas Highway, Islamorada, FL just down from The Guy Harvey Outpost Resort. Phone: 305-664-8443 email: [email protected]
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.
Barb meets Captain Hook! The restaurants greeter-few words, mighty message!
AmericanPressTravelNews-December 17th, Key Largo, FL.-Bob and Barb, “On The Road Again.” In our very difficult work of dining our way down the Keys for our updated book: “Best Restaurants in the Florida Keys” we would have been quite remiss in not including The Fish House Restaurant & Seafood Market. After meeting our hosts, owner C.J. Berwick and Manager Michelle Kosiek we settled in to share and taste their excellent cuisine. We began with one of their house specialties; Matecumbe Yellowtail Snapper in a terrific sauce of capers and herbed rice. Absolutely superb fish dish! We then dove into a Shrimp & Scallops Key Lime with rice. Problem we had was not over-eating, so some of it came home for next days luncheon-great the first day, superb even the second as juices marinated in. Samuel Ornelas, their chef for the past 27-years flashed a couple of fillets at us to remind us how fresh and firm all the fish, just out of the ocean looked after filleting. We had a Pina Colada and a Margarita, with our meals and then finished everything off with homemade coconut ice cream served in what else, but a coconut half. This is a place in time and space in the Keys you just have to try yourself. So many dishes, so little time. It would take a year of eating every day to exhaust the menu and possible specials they will offer you. Check them out at MM102.4 Oceanside 102401 Overseas Highway, Key Largo, FL www.fishhouse.com— they are open 7-days per week from 11:30 am for lunch and and at 4:00 pm on for dinner. Give a call too if you like at 305-451-HOOK (4665) You can also email them at the [email protected]
Sammie and filets of snapper and grouper. Everything was spotless here!Fresh and fresher snapper, stone crabs, lobster, grouper and hog snapper too!Left to Rt.: Michelle, owner, CJ and Barb getting ready to dig in!Luscious seafood Key Lime Shrimp & Scallops–WOW!Yellowtail Matecumbe was best fish dish ever!!Everything balanced to a supreme flavor experience.Coconut ice cream in a coconut half. Super ending to a superb meal!We really put on the feed bag at the Fish House.
