Ah, Cedar
Key, a lovely vacation spot off the beaten path, with plenty of old Florida
charm. Water surrounds you, and you can
get anywhere you need to with a golf cart, or your own well-shoed feet.
As we drove into Cedar Key, we passed Kona
Joe’s Coffee Shop and Annie’s Café. So I
knew where we’d be getting breakfast and coffee. We checked into our room which was more like
a one-bedroom condo with a balcony over-looking the beach area and marina. Really, we couldn’t have asked for a better
view! We walked around, stepping into
some of the art galleries, then we surveyed the boardwalk area on our first
afternoon there, and I stepped into the Pickled Pelican. I was just there to see their menu, but they
were very friendly and I knew we’d have to go back and eat there at some point.
We ended up changing clothes and going to
Seabreeze on the boardwalk for our first dinner in Cedar Key. It had been suggested, so I tried the Heart
of Palm salad, which was more like a dessert!
It had pineapple, peaches, and was covered in pistachio nut ice
cream. I had to skim off some ice cream,
but it was otherwise quite interesting.
I had started with the crab bisque, so it was just enough for
dinner. Kenny had blackened flounder,
and of course he let me try some! It was
great! The dining room was surrounded by
glass windows, giving a great view of all of the water. Toward the end of dinner, we could see dark
clouds come rolling in. It wasn’t long
before it started raining and we rushed to the room, but once there, it was a
great show on the balcony watching everyone rush madly from boats or boardwalk
to their cars or rooms.
Friday morning we ate at Annie’s
Café. The food was excellent, the
service was just okay. They also did
not take credit cards, so it seems more of a place for locals. I enjoyed the breakfast though. I am just glad it wasn’t busier. It appears they have to cool off with fans;
there didn’t seem to be any air conditioning.
Lunch on Friday was at Tony’s, home of the
award winning clam chowder! Yes, it was
that good! I’d heard mixed reviews about
the service, but our server was just fine.
Mind you, we were there during off-season, and had no wait at all for a
table, which put us in a great mood for lunch.
I would definitely go back again for their chowder. Let’s not think about the sodium content, I
just want to remember that creamy chowder with tender, tasty morsels of
clam. It went down really quickly!
That afternoon we laid out and swam in the
beach despite a slight drizzle and the in and out appearance of sunshine. Well, I didn’t swim; the rains had brought a
lot of seaweed to the shore, but Kenny’s tells me the water was a really nice
temperature.
Friday night we hit the Pickled
Pelican. I had blackened Mahi and it was
awesome! A huge party came in,
threatening our peace and quiet, so, we decided to visit Black Dog bar and
tables. (Offering “Adult Daycare,” or so
the sign says. I wouldn’t mind staying
there for daycareJ) I had red
sangria. Ummm, tasty! This place has various games, and people can
smoke cigars but not cigarettes (Bonus)!
There is funky art on the walls and they have games, including corn
hole, chess, and Dominoes. I sat in one
of the barber chairs. The young
bartender was also very nice, suggesting where we could go for a great glimpse
of the sunset on the west coast of Florida.
We found a great place though, and though we didn’t see the sun set, we
saw the colors changing as it slipped lower into some clouds. This was just further along the
boardwalk. It was beautiful.
On the way out of Cedar Key, we stopped at
Kona Joe’s so I could get some good coffee.
They had quiche, but I had already had breakfast. The coffee was iced, flavored, sweet. We sat on the deck, in cushioned lounge
chairs, looking out at the water. Dogs are
allowed there, and one couple had a cute dalmation. The owner is an older man who looks like he’s
also on vacation, serving up coffee and breakfast in a tie-dye shirt. For the
off-season, this place still was hopping, though Kenny pointed out that some
restaurants were currently closed. But I
think, if you get even more vacationers and restaurants open, this place would
still be a booming business.
Now I know that our visit to Cedar Key was in
the off-season, and it’s too hot to enjoy all this place has to offer, but I
hated seeing a number of shops/restaurants in Cedar Key that are closed down,
be it just temporarily or for good. Perhaps
my next stay will be in a cooler, calmer season. I will
definitely go back and try to keep this place a thriving center for tourism!
