Canadian Yachting April 2018 - 23

n a s th a t n e e d u p d a tin g , b u t th is re c e n tly
b u ilt a n d w e ll-m a in ta in e d fa c ility
in c lu d e s th e P e rry H o te l - w ith its re sta u ra n ts, p o o l a n d d o c k sid e b a r, a n d a ll th e
a m e n itie s th a t w o u ld m a k e fo r a n e n jo y a b le sta y - p lu s h o u rly sh u ttle s in to d o w n to w n K e y W e st.
In q u isitiv e n e ss is o n e o f th e m o st
im p o rta n t a ttrib u te s o n e c a n h a v e w h e n
tra v e llin g to n e w lo c a tio n s. N e v e r b e
a fra id to a sk a q u e stio n o r se e k d ire c tio n s.
W e a lw a y s fin d g o o d -n a tu re d p e o p le w h o a re e a g e r to a n sw e r
m o st q u e stio n s. A y o u n g la d y n a m e d N a ta lie (I h o p e th is h e lp s
h e r c a re e r) a t th e E n te rp rise c a r re n ta l in M ia m i, w h e n a sk e d
w h e re to g o in K e y W e st, im m e d ia te ly to o k o u t a p a d o f p a p e r
a n d w ro te d o w n "H o g fish ," a s a m u st-g o p la c e fo r d in n e r.
T h e lo c a l e xp re ssio n g o e s lik e th is: If y o u d o n 't k n o w it e xists,
y o u p ro b a b ly w o n 't fin d it. Y o u w ill o n ly fin d th is h id d e n g e m
w ith a tip fro m a lo c a l. It m a y ta k e a little tim e a n d a G P S to fin d
th e H o g fish B a r a n d G rill, a s it is tu c k e d b a c k in S a fe H a rb o u r
a w a y fro m th e p re te n sio n s a n d th e h y p e o f th e m o re to u risty
a re a s. H ig h ly re c o m m e n d e d a re th e fre sh e st K e y W e st P in k
S h rim p y o u c a n b u y, a s th e sh rim p b o a ts d o c k ju st a d ja c e n t to
th e re sta u ra n t. T h e re la xe d a tm o sp h e re ta k e s y o u b a c k in tim e
to a w o rk in g h a rb o u r b e fo re a ll th e n ig h tlife , c ru ise sh ip s, a n d
c a rn iv a ls to o k o v e r K e y W e st. T h e p a n o ra m ic v ie w s a n d o u td o o r
d in in g a re o ffe re d to th e p a tro n s w h o a re m o stly tru e lo c a ls
e xc e p t fo r a fe w a d v e n tu ro u s o u tsid e rs.
N o w fo r th e sp e c ia lty o f th e h o u se : T h e H o g fish S a n d w ic h .
H o g fish (la c h n o la im u s m a xim u s) is a sp e c ie s o f w ra sse
n a tiv e to th e W e ste rn A tla n tic O c e a n a n d in c lu d in g th e G u lf o f
M e xic o . T h is sp e c ie s c a n b e fo u n d a ro u n d re e fs - a n d th e re a re
p le n ty o f re e fs ju st o ff K e y W e st. T h e H o g fish is c h a ra c te rize d
b y a la rg e , la te ra lly c o m p re sse d b o d y a n d a n e lo n g a te d , p ig -lik e
sn o u t, w h ic h is u se d to se a rc h fo r c ru sta c e a n s b u rie d in th e se d im e n t a n d is h o w th is fish a c q u ire d its n a m e . T h e H o g fish is
v e ry d iffic u lt to c a tc h w ith a h o o k , so a lm o st a ll th e c a tc h in g is

d o n e b y sp e a rin g o r n e ttin g . T o m a in ta in h e a lth y sto c k s, th e
H o g fish a re p ro te c te d b y th e F lo rid a F ish a n d W ild life
C o n se rv a tio n C o m m issio n . A s th e H o g fish a re se a so n a l in
n a tu re a n d c a u g h t o n d e m a n d , th e y 're n o t a lw a y s re a d ily a v a ila b le a t th e re sta u ra n t. A t th e H o g fish R e sta u ra n t th e re a re n o
su b stitu te s - fre sh H o g fish o r n o th in g .
M a k e su re w h e n o rd e rin g to c h o o se "T h e K ille r," a H o g fish
sa n d w ic h w ith a six- to se v e n -o u n c e file t o f te n d e r m o ist w h ite
fish , e ith e r g rille d o r b la c k e n e d , w ith m e lte d S w iss c h e e se , le ttu c e , to m a to , a n d o n io n o n a C u b a n b u n w ith ja la p e n o frie s.
It se e m s stra n g e th a t a fte r a trip to th e so u th e rn m o st tip o f
th e F lo rid a K e y s w e a re still th in k in g a b o u t a H o g fish sa n d w ic h ,
b u t m a y b e th a t's ju st p a rt o f b e in g a G a lle y G u y. W e c a n a lso
ta lk a b o u t th e c o lo u rfu l n a tu re a n d h isto ry o f K e y W e st, th e
a m a zin g su n se ts w e e n jo y e d fro m M a llo ry S q u a re , tip p in g b a c k
m a rg a rita s a t Jim m y B u ffe tt's first M a rg a rita v ille b a r, th e
H e m in g w a y H o u se , a n d th e m o st in te re stin g c o lle c tio n o f in d iv id u a ls w h o c o m e o u t a t n ig h t o n D u v a ll S tre e t.
H o w e v e r, w e 're still d re a m in g a b o u t sa ilin g to C u b a n o w th a t
w e a re b a c k h o m e in H o g to w n . *
T o p : G a lle y G u y s G re g N ic o ll a n d J o h n A rm s tro n g e n jo y in g
th e C la s s ic M a rg a rita a t J im m y B u ffe t's firs t M a rg a rita v ille B a r.
L e ft: G a lle y G u y s G re g N ic o ll a n d J o h n A rm s tro n g g e ttin g
re a d y to d in e o n " T h e K ille r" H o g fis h S a n d w ic h
In s e t A b o v e : K e y W e s t, a ls o re fe rre d to a s th e " C o n c h
R e p u b lic ," h a s a la id -b a c k w a y o f k e e p in g tra c k o f th e w e a th e r.
O p p o s ite P a g e :T h e c ro w d s m e e t e v e ry n ig h t a t M a llo ry
S q u a re to h e a r th e m u s ic , e n jo y th e b u s k e rs a n d c h e e r
th e s u n s e ts .

w w w .c a n a d ia n y a c h t in g .c a

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Canadian Yachting April 2018
