I’ve mentioned Louie’s Backyard before. On our first trip to visit Key West with Liza, Michael, and Ella, and with David and Sue Boyd, our co-grandparents, we all went there to celebrate Michael’s birthday (December 21. I can send you a list of his sizes. And mine, if you’re interested and promise not to tell.) It was terrific, but much too nice for me to take pictures of the food.
We went back for lunch with David and Sue for lunch on our last day in Key West this year, after the young people had left for home. We were seated on the porch overlooking the water. What an idyllic setting! It’s about as far from the madding crowd’s ignoble strife as you can get. It’s hard to think of a nicer place to eat lunch or dinner. That’s a bar down in the lower left. There’s also a dining room inside, where we’d eaten on Michael’s birthday, and another dining room upstairs with a small plates menu.
I ordered a snapper sandwich, which came with some very good cole slaw and house-made potato chips.
I usually prefer bagged to home-made potato chips: they usually are lighter and more crisp. The home-made chips at Louie’s, however, were very good, noticeably thinner than others I’ve tried, and nice and crisp. The snapper was fresh and cooked just through — perfect. It came on a good onion roll and had a well-seasoned remoulade. Great.
David ordered a salad and some charred baby octopus with chorizo and potatoes.
Doesn’t that look good? David graciously gave me a taste, and it was delicious. The octopus was tender and had a lovely caramelization, and it had picked up just the right touch of flavor from the chorizo.
Sue had a Green Goddess salad with some beautiful local shrimp, and Nancy had fish tacos with grilled local snapper. As good as you could want.
Lunch with Sue and David was great, relaxed with good conversation in a nice setting. It was the perfect end to our Key West trip. Nancy and I are blessed to have co-grandparents who are real friends. I know it makes life a lot easier for Liza and Michael, too.
When you go to Key West — you are planning trip to Key West, aren’t you? — make it a point to stop by Louie’s Backyard for at least one meal.
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