My boyfriend and I were in Islamorada for two nights last week, and our second dinner was much better than the first, because we got lucky in choosing Marker 88! It had just finished storming, so we thought we might have to sit inside, but they were kind enough to let us sit out right on the water in a picnic/swing table, where we could watch the sunset. Our table was right next to the outside bar, and the bartender served us. The food was AMAZING. We first started with drinks (wine for me, a great pina colada for him). We had the calamari as an appetizer, and while it wasn't the BEST I've ever had, it was tasty and not too heavily breaded. The entrees were the best part. I had the Key Lime Seafood--a generous mix of Gulf Shrimp, lump crabmeat (which was actually suprisingly fresh, despite not being local), and baby Florida lobster tails, all tossed with penne in a tomato-key lime-garlic sauce. It was FANTASTIC. I almost couldn't finish all the seafood, it was so much. My boyfriend had the snapper, prepared "Martinique" style per the suggestion of the bartender/server. This meant it came out covered in a fantastic tomato-basil sauce, topped with fried bananas and garlic butter. It sounds completely weird, but it was AMAZING--trust me. In between moans about how great out food was, my boyfriend and I enjoyed a typically spectacular Keys sunset over the Florida Bay. The one disappointment came when the blender broke and we couldn't get another pina colada...and had to settle on a key lime martini--a great suggestion from the bartender, and a perfect end to an amazing meal. If we ever make it back to Islamorada, we'll definitely stop at Marker 88!
