Key West, Part 1

It was already 75 degrees in Key West at 9 in the morning. The sky was clear. We set out early from Mallory Square to spend the day walking around the island. 

The wife and I decided to do our own impromptu pub crawl, but first I wanted to get some food. We stopped to eat at a place called "Island Dogs." Only a few scattered people were sitting around inside. There was an old sea dog, looking burly and unkempt, seated at the bar. He had matted white hair and a yellow beard and mustache. He wasn't playing around; at 10 A.M. he was already three-sheets-to-the-wind and spent. 

 

I had a glass of water, three cups of coffee, eggs, potatoes, a mojito, and a Cuban sandwich, just to try one. My wife had a drink, too. Everything was satisfactory. My kid ran up on a small stage and started spinning knobs on the soundboard. 

"Get down from there!" I told her. She came down and sat at the table, staring outside at a black Labrador that was relaxing on the front porch. We finished our drinks, and when we left, we came back down Front Street, and headed over to Hogs Breath Saloon. We came back up Green to Duval and made stops at Rick's and Irish Kevin's. 

As we headed south on Duval, We came across a place we had seen on Food Network's "Diners Drive-in's & Dives."  DJ's Clam Shack had a small front, a counter, and a little bit of picket fence. There were a few places to sit out front, more seating in the back. We had heard good things about the lobster rolls so we ordered a few and drinks. The rolls looked interesting from what I could see: something like Texas toast, serrated half-way, then stuffed with lobster. 

Walking around to the seating area, I looked inside the kitchen. The "kitchen" was the small space behind the register. Two tattooed homeboys were in there stuffing rolls, fast and furious. We sat down with the food, I tasted my cold Stella Artois. 

I couldn't get enough of the sandwich. It was a lobster-lover's dream. If I hadn't been stuffed to the gills I would've eaten two. It was packed with a heaping pile of chunky, fresh lobster. There was nothing fancy; no sauces you couldn't pronounce or prices based on the "market." And there was nothing fanciful about the lobster's preparation that took away from all that beautiful texture: buttery meat, toasted bread, rich, creamy mayo; a simple sandwich of fine ingredients. It was a hit. But these bad boys were expensive: $18 each, or $33 for "overstuffed". 

We decided to head back north, not wanting to be too far from the port and our ship: the Disney Magic.