Key West Culinary Tour: Two Weeks' Worth of My Favorite Breakfast Stops

No, this is not my #! place to eat breakfast, but it is my first stop each morning before I go to breakfast. I always begin my day with a stop at Sandy's for a cup of what I consider the best cafe con leche on the island. I recommend that you grab a cup along with an order of cheese toast (1.95) or one of their bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches (7.00) and bike to the end of White Street Pier to enjoy a brilliant sunrise. It is a great start to the day; and if you are with that someone special, it can be just as romantic as that more famous sunset.

Please click the above link to read my full review of Weekend Brunch at Louie's, together with pictures of our wonderful experience dining there.

This is a restaurant where I love to linger as long as possible every time I go. I just find the color scheme, the Reggae music, the comfortable seating and the charming staff very welcoming and relaxing. I also love their sangria. So what better excuse to linger than to order a bottle of Sangria and the Artisan Tamales which have an advertised 30 minute arrival time, since they are made to order. They are worth waiting for. I love this spicy dish accompanied by the best Sangria ever. My only complaint is I find the restaurant a bit pricey
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My recommendation:

Artisan tamales
Wrapped up in banana leaves. Made with yellow cornmeal, vegetables, natural seasonings, pork ribs and chicken 17

Sangria 7/glass 25/pitcher

or if you would prefer a more traditional type breakfast without the wait, try the Delicious
Two scrambled eggs with fresh roasted corn, arepa con queso, yellow potatoes and bacon 12.95

Azur had already been a favorite dinner stop for me, but this time I stopped for breakfast and ordered Hash & Eggs- Shredded beef rib and Yukon gold potatoes topped with two poached eggs and truffle hollandaise 14.75 and two for one mimosas 8

OMG, was this good! This takes hash & eggs to a whole new level.

One of the spokes in the great dining hub of Bahama Village is this wonderful French creperie. I am a big fan of their crepes whether sweet or savory. My savory choice here is the #11 Proscuitto, Egg, Swiss Cheese, and Sauteed Tomatoes in Herbs de Provence and Basil. 10.95 Last year I raved about Le Norvegienne at Banana Cafe, but this is my new favorite crepe. It is AWESOME!

From the sweet side, #43 drew my attention. Red Velvet: homemade raspberry chocolate ganache, fresh strawberries, almonds, English custard ice cream, and raspberry coulis with whipped cream 9.95 WOW!

This restaurant is a definite locals' favorite. For anyone who is looking for some inexpensive diner-type food for breakfast, this is the place. When country fried steak is on the menu, I have trouble resisting it, so the Country Po Boy for $9.25 was my choice here. It is a platter of country fried steak, topped with 2 eggs and sausage gravy. They also have another one of my favorite breakfast choices for only $5.75: a heaping plateful of delicious biscuits and gravy which I enjoyed on my second visit. (Yes, after finding this place I immediately had to return the next day for more.) The food is excellent, the service good and very friendly. You can't leave this place hungry, and your wallet will appreciate your choice as well. Eat here once and you might find yourself hooked and unable to try the other choices on my list. Don't miss it!

I never order directly from the menu here, but rather always choose from their daily specials. My favorite so far has been a three egg Shrimp & Crab Omelet (11.95 ) with blueberry as the bread of the day. Also get a cup (or several) of their delicious Chock-Full-O-Nuts coffee (2.20) and one of their mimosas made with freshly squeezed juice (5.50). Definitely one of the best breakfasts I have enjoyed. The last time we were there my wife and I placed our separate orders and then decided we would share an order of their biscuits and gravy as well. The waitress gave us a questioning look and suggested we should probably make that a half order. Thank goodness! A "half order" here was a huge plateful and still more than we could eat. We could probably have ordered nothing but a half order of biscuits and gravy, split it between us, and not left hungry.There is nothing skimpy about this restaurant's portions!

I love Eggs Benedict and one thing I have learned in Key West is why settle for one Eggs Benedict when you can have three. The Restaurant at La Te Da serves an Eggs Benedict aficionado's dream with their Menage A Trois. (17.75) You can choose a combination of any three of their four Benedicts. My choices were the Eggs Baltimore, the Eggs Blackstone and a Smoked Salmon Benedict. I oohed and ahhed over every bite. It is the ultimate breakfast selection. I also love the atmosphere of La Te Da with its open-air setting.

I know I was probably the only person who ever visited Key West who had eaten both lunch and dinner at Blue Heaven without ever having tried their breakfast, so this trip we finally rectified that. Some people ask why people would stand in line an hour at times to eat here and I think the answer for many would be two words: Lobster Benedict (17.50). What a great dish! When you cut into that yolk and the bright yellow starts running out amidst the lime hollandaise sauce, it is a beautiful sight. And it tastes as good as it looks. The Lobster Benedict is definitely a little piece of heaven.

A well-known favorite for Sunday Brunch for the locals is Martins, most famous for their large selection of Eggs Benedict. I chose the Surf & Turf, accompanied it with a Bellini, and had a wonderful, midday respite in a beautiful patio setting.

Sarabeth's simply looks welcoming to me with its lovely green umbrellaed patio and its pleasant facade. Then as you approach the welcome is extended as you are greeted by the smiling face of owner David Case.

My choice here is their signature omelet:

Goldie Lox 10.25
silky smoked salmon scrambled with
eggs and cream cheese It is served with your choice of sourdough toast,
8-grain toast, or their classic pumpkin muffin or a fresh corn muffin, and Sarabeth's Marmalade

I would also recommend a side ot the fresh chicken apple sausage 4-

And a glass of their refreshing Four Flowers Juice ... especially delicious ... 4.50
... orange and pomegranate juices blended with fresh pineapple and banana

I don't normally eat sweets for breakfast, but this is one place that has a sweet dish I couldn't resist and have craved ever since : Camille's French Toast Special: Godiva white chocolate sauce & fresh strawberries. (8.50)

My latest trip my daughter said she was craving some french toast so I suggested Camilles. She chose the bananas foster french toast and may have even trumped me with her selection. She shared a fantastic bite of hers which will have me torn as to which to order on future visits.

A dear friend of mine and I had planned to spend a day together during our visits this year. There was no question where it would be spent, since we are both "Wharf Rats." I decided to eat breakfast mainly so I could add the SWB Breakfast Club shirt to my wardrobe, in a feeble attempt to keep pace with my friend who is not only a "Wharf Rat" but, in addition, is a "Wharf Rat Fashionista," who can sport a SWB tshirt in every color they ever made. ( I found out this trip that the reason for that isn't a matter of fashion only though. The truth is she hates doing laundry.)

I still didn't really expect to put a place that forced me to eat my Crab Cake Benedict on a paper plate on any favorite breakfast list, but then I didn't expect Roof Top Cafe to take their delicious Chesapeake Bay Eggs off their menu either. But both things have now happened and SWB replaces Roof Top Cafe on my favorites list. Add a bloody mary (the shirt says it has to be a beer, but I am not ready to change my life that much for a shirt) and you are set for a very good breakfast with a view.

New on the scene is Cuban Coffee Queen, a hole in the wall carry-out restaurant at 284 Margaret. They open at 6:30 am, great for us early risers and serve up a breakfast bargain that is hard to top. You get half a Key Wester sandwich (choice of bacon, sausage or ham with scrambled egg on pressed Cuban bread) and a 10 oz. Cafe con Leche for 3.99. An outstanding bargain! My wife also had me pick her up a BLT from there one morning that was loaded with bacon $5. It was so big that she asked me to take half of it. I was happy to oblige:)

A note: I must say despite its name that I am not a big fan of its Cafe con Leche, much preferring Sandy's Cafe there, but the food is good, generous, and inexpensive.