Half Shell Raw Bar and

Half Shell Raw Bar is a favorite of locals and tourists alike. Ray and I have spent many an afternoon eating oysters and socializing with people from all over the world. With a tag line of "East it Raw," doesn't it make sense to see what it's all about?  It's fun, it's casual and it's conveniently located on the Waterfront in Key West. There is plenty of paid parking nearby. There is a fish market on the premises - see below. Be sure to bring a license plate to tack on the wall for posterity.

From their website: Half Shell Fish Market is a neighborhood seafood market in Old Town Key West, located inside the Half Shell Raw Bar, at the foot of Margaret Street, along the Historic Seaport.

Half Shell Fish Market
(Located inside Half Shell Raw Bar)
(305) 294-7496
231 Margaret Street
Key West, Florida 33040
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Half Shell Fish Market Now Open

While Half Shell Fish Market is now open to everyone, we were born out of necessity. There was a need for a centralized source of outstanding Key West seafood for the five restaurants within the Pat Croce & Co. family. Half Shell Fish Market makes sure that items like Rum Barrel’s Yellow Tail Snapper Rubens, Island Dogs’ fish tacos, Turtle Kraals’ ceviche, and, of course, your favorites at Half Shell Raw Bar, are the freshest around and are provided at a great value. We do this by cultivating long-standing partnerships with local commercial fishing captains. You are invited to step in to Half Shell Fish Market any day between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. so we can introduce ourselves and meet you while you’re picking out your favorite daily and seasonal specials like snapper, stone crab, Key West pink shrimp, lobster, hogfish and more. www.halfshellrawbar.com

All Keys Gas

Update: January 2016 - All Keys Gas moved to Key West. That's a shame, because it was very convenient to get our propane tanks refilled at a place that was close by.

If you're like us, we rent a house for several months on Ramrod Key. It's like our second home so we like to cook on the grill a lot! Most rentals supply grills and gas for grills, but if you need propane I recommend getting refills from All Keys Gas located at 30046 Overseas Highway in Big Pine Key. Last time we bought propane was January 3, 2015; a 20 lb. refill was $21.00. Seems reasonable. They also sell grills if you happen to need one - AND, they come already assembled! 305.745-1122.

Ambrosia Sushi Restaurant and Sake Bar

What a treat it was to dine at Ambrosia Sushi Restaurant and Sake Bar located at 1401 Simonton St., in Key West, Fl. Established in 1998, Ambrosia offered a strikingly elegant ambience and wonderful full-flavored food. I ordered their Miso soup - it was truly outstanding. Featuring two kinds of mushrooms - cremini and shiitake - the soup had a creamy, smokey flavor that was probably the best I've ever eaten.

There were four of us in our party so we did a lot of sharing. Ray, who isn't a huge fan of sushi, ordered the Beef Negimaki and liked the flavor very much. The dish consisted of thinly sliced beef wrapped around scallions and sautéed in teriyaki sauce. If I remember correctly it came with some kind of potato, but I'm not 100% sure. We also had Dragon Balls, Duck Tatki and something call Stingy Women's Purse which consisted of several crispy shrimp dumplings - yummy, really! Then our friend ordered a plethora of sushi items - all delicious and satisfying. We all walked away sated and more than full.

Ambrosia serves only Asian beers, Sake and wine. They are open for lunch and dinner. Reservations are recommended. 305.293.0304; www.ambrosiasushi.com. If you type Ambrosia Key West into your URL the first thing that comes up is Ambrosia, a Bed and Breakfast. Look a little further down the page for the restaurant. Dining there was a wonderful experience. You won't be disappointed.