it’s the same ole’ rebellious, slightly irreverent Conch Republic that’s welcomed us snow-weary and routine-ravaged travelers for decades. While the rest of our everyday world flurries around us, we can always escape to Key West and sit on Louie’s Backyard deck with a mojito, and feel timeless… almost!
But here are some new finds that I discovered this spring, that might just make Key West even better! (Is that even possible? )
The Yebo Island Grill
This South-African owned and inspired
food truck on the corner of Angela and Duval Streets took 1 ½ years of wrangling to secure permits in this
restaurant-centric mecca. The big sign
for PeriPeri sauce initially caught my eye – that’s a spicy tomato-based South
Africa sauce in which they stew everything from chicken livers to mopane
worms. But here in Key West, it’s only
on the tacos (see photo, right)! I ordered a quesadilla
which came with their namesake sauce, Yebo, a tangy, peachy colored mayonnaise-based accent. De-licious! And don't worry about the Yebo detracting from sit-down restaurant business. There's no bar at Yebo's and the "dining room" is a gravel lot with wooden benches - perfect for a sidewalk snack or a to-go beach picnic!
This place is so new that Joel (the owner) and Grace (his baby sister) just got up their Facebook page: LIKE it here!
Mikey-Mo’s wearable art
This gallery of Hawaiian inspired colors and
prints, selling everything from silky boxers to beach skirts, is a firm
endorsement of bohemianism at 428 Petronia Street. Mikey's background story involves Who's Line Is It Anyway's star, Wayne Brady (you can read about it here), and many of his products are produced by local seamstresses. Best of all, his passion is bottomless. Meet the proud owner in his Mikey-Mo's boutique:
The Pig at Sunset Celebration:
We’ve known the CatMan for years - our tips
have sent his kids to college! The handpainted
tomato-cans-turned-lumineres are trusted souvenirs, and my own kids watched the sword-swallower, almost 2 decades ago. But this year, I found a new cast member at Mallory
Square: a 50-ish-pound, pale pink and black spotted baby potbelly pig, who dances and even kisses!
Honorable Mention goes to:
Ukelele Night at the Green Parrot! This is not exactly brand new, but this 2-3
year tradition is a great monthly event, typically the second Wednesday of the month at 8pm at 601 Whitehead Street. Bring your own ukelele and strum along from the bar, or just come to watch and sing!
I admit… there were a couple of new things that I did NOT
particularly like in Key West this year, namely the 4-lane megaroad that leads
onto the island and shoots past the once-sleepy yacht basin. I also shook my head at the sadly generic
lemon-colored condos across from Schooner’s Wharf and mourned the long-standing
trailer court and panda colony that used to live there.
Even in Key West, we must treasure today because that's all we really have.
Melanie Tucker, head designer at Tough Love Travel, has been traveling to the Keys for more than 3 decades.
Read her insider's scoop on the Overseas Highway here on her blog,
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