My wife and I have always been an unlikely couple and I think that’s why it works so well. We met in Palm Beach, became best friends, and eventually fell in love. We moved away and followed my career path which eventually led us back to Palm Beach. We had our ups and downs over the years, mostly to do with me working too much and traveling for long periods of time. I made a career change to travel less and spend more quality time with my wife and was lucky enough to find an amazing company in Palm Beach that made all the executives do a personal goal each week and report on if they accomplished it. I chose “Date night with my wife” since my career change was to spend more time with her. This was the best thing that ever happened, it made me accountable at work to do something for my personal life. And so, began “Date night with my wife”.
We quickly realized that there were several things that made a wonderful date night and strengthened our relationship. The first thig was making it special. To us that meant a date night car, good food and a great atmosphere. Sounds easy right? Well, it’s tougher than we thought. No matter what you consider good food there are plenty of options in Palm Beach County so we thought we would share our adventures in date night and rate the different places we go. My wife is a wonderful cook 6 days a week and apparently, I can be “a little picky” about our special night out.
We are happy to share our experiences and hope you find a way to make it special for your family.
We are always looking for fun things to do for our dates that might include something more than just a great meal. We love the dining and entertainment aspects of cruising and love finding things that give us the same kind of whimsical joy that you experience when on vacation, even if its just for one night.
Sometimes we have things all planned out and sometimes its just living in the moment. So, when my friend and CEO told me that he and the family were going to the Wick theatre for the grand reopening I quickly said “that’s cool”, we have never been but have been wanting to go. He made a phone call to see if there were still tickets available and luckily there were.
We ate dinner at home (my wife is actually a great cook) and headed to the theatre only because we were unaware that they offer dinner and a show. The Wick theatre is also home to a costume museum and tavern where you can book tours including luncheon and cabaret. They have the original wardrobes from over 35 Broadway productions and revivals. They also have a gourmet tavern with lavish decor inspired by the famed Tavern on the Green, and featuring one of its original chandelier’s.
When we arrived the unassuming building (that I have driven by so many times on Federal Highway) seemed to open up and was much larger than I had previously thought. They had a very nice valet service area and a pretty grand looking entrance. I was pleasantly surprised by how well it was done. This is not your average local theatre as I had expected.
When we went into the ticket area I was struck by the beautiful theatre costumes in the lobby and paused to admire them and couldn’t help but think how I had underestimated this wonderful local gem of a theatre. It turns out that the founder of the Wick Theatre Marilynn A. Wick, is also the Founder & CEO of Costume World, and has devoted her life to amassing the nation’s largest collection of original Broadway wardrobes.
We were escorted to our seats in the theatre area which also surprised me as it is full blown theatre seating nicer than some of the venues on Broadway that I have been to. We sat down and noticed they had done a very nice job of social distancing in the seating area as well as taken into account all the recommended safety measures needed during COVID and felt very comfortable. We spent the next couple hours enjoying the John Denver tribute by Tom Becker and band. The show was wonderful and the band seemed to genuinely enjoy playing and asked if they could sing one more to which they received rousing applause from the audience and ended up playing two more. I especially enjoyed that they gave insight into John Denver’s past as well as their own lives and my wife really enjoyed Tom’s wife who she says “stole the show”.
After the show we all gathered (with social distancing) in the tavern area where there was another amazingly talented singer doing a rendition of “Rocket Man” for desserts and champagne. Overall it was an excellent experience and we enjoyed the décor, the talented singers, and the wonderful people. This is what living and enjoying life is all about and we will be returning to the Wick for many more shows and dinner. We also have plans to visit the museum on a weekend afternoon to experience that as well.
My wife and I used to joke that we would go on dates to Lowes when remodeling our past houses. That is to say that a “date” does not have to always be a special or expensive restaurant to make it amazing. In fact, some of my fondest memories over the years with my wonderful wife have been the simplest of dates.
This weekend we decided that after a year of Covid and other 2020 craziness we could really use some holiday spirit. And what better way to do that than some old-fashioned holiday decorating. You know, the kind you see in a Hallmark movie where they end up throwing snowballs and drinking hot cocoa while they magically decorate the tree with 100 year old family heirlooms and top off with the angel where there happens to be a perfectly cut branch so it just pops right on, LOL, it’s never as easy as they make it look but it is just as fun.
We started out with sleeping in (until at least 8am…. I know, we’re hardcore 😊) before getting our holiday totes out of the garage and then off to an easy lunch at California pizza kitchen attached to the mall where we ordered some white corn guacamole and chips to start with a Bloody Mary and Sangria (yep, totally necessary for the holidays). Then we ordered my favorite pizza, the California Club with applewood smoked bacon, avocado, and grilled chicken (mmmm).
After the nice lunch we decided we needed to do some Christmas shopping at the local Wellington mall. My family jokes when they open something from me with “glad you like it” suggesting that I don’t even know what I got them because secretly (or not so secretly) my wonderful wife actually does all the shopping and puts my name on it. The truth is that each year I insist on going around and shopping with my wife where we find maybe 10% of all the gifts and then I get to claim that I did the shopping too. This apparently drives my wife crazy…. Love you hunny. So, with all the holiday shopping done (he he) we headed home to start decorating.
Our previous home was difficult to put up all the exterior holiday lights and decorations and would take several days to complete. Fortunately, our current home is a piece of cake and we have all the exterior lights done in about an hour (and that includes the back yard)! Then for the easy part, right? The interior always goes pretty smoothly. Well, almost always……
We realized pretty quickly that our beautiful artificial tree has some issues this year. We purchased it at Walmart of all places about 7 years ago and have never found one as nice since. Although we prefer natural trees its just not practical with our pets who prefer to drink the water out of the base. This tree has the most realistic branching and natural look (including little pinecones) we have ever seen. Last year we had issues with power surges and a bad breaker so roughly a third of the integrated lights were burned out and would not light even after we changed out many of the bulbs. We decided instead to replace all the lights with more modern variable color LED (how hard could that be…. Ha-ha). So, after 4 hours of cutting and removing all the old lights we bought 8 sets of LEDs and started stringing. OK, so it was 2 days instead of the 1 we expected but turned out beautiful.
Once we had all the lights on, we put on some holiday music and made some hot cocoa (see, Hallmark movie) and started decorating. This takes a while and there is something special about doing it together. We always get glitter everywhere and end up having a great time. The new star we chose was about an inch too tall so I had to do some customization (see, I told you its never like what you see on TV) but it turned out great. We then spent some time doing some wrapping of the gifts. I still can’t do less than 4 pieces of tape but I hope to someday make it to “3 bits of sticky tape” like Bryony from one of our favorite Christmas movies “Arthur Christmas” (highly recommend). And finished off our holiday date with filing out cards for friends, family, and coworkers.
Although it sometimes gets a little crazy during the experience, I really love doing it and spending time with my wife. Its also nice to come home to a beautifully decorated home that makes me smile every night. Now, for a month of enjoyment, happy music, happy people, and holiday movies.
Finally, an authentic and fun experience! Grab a nice glass of wine and join us.
You know when you see a true restaurant experience in the movies and think “Someone should open a restaurant like that near me”? Good news, someone has. Cucina Cabana meaning Cabana Kitchen in Italian reminds me of something you would see in Little Italy (or a sopranos movie) all the way down to the atmosphere and attitude of the staff. It’s like stepping back in time to when restaurants were doing more than just turning over tables, they were creating a dining experience. And WOW, what an experience this was. We immediately fell in love with the staff!
My CEO gave me a gift card that he had received at an event because he knows we write a date night blog and told me to let him know what we thought. Well, Ken, it was amazing. I had never heard of Cucina Cabana before, so we were not sure what to make of it. We looked at the website and discovered that they have a very nice dining room or, and here’s a pro tip for those of you that like a good time and dancing, the supper club piano bar and lounge (which requires you calling ahead and requesting this space), or the outside patio Cabana.
We pulled up on a Saturday night and unfortunately it was raining (actually pouring) so no Ferrari tonight and the first thing you notice is the complementary valet next to the outdoor Cabana where (literally) they roll out the red carpet for you. No, really, there is a red carpet leading to the entrance! I couldn’t help but smile as it appears that you are a 5 star guest. The valet was excellent and quickly opened my wife’s door (many places open the drivers side door rather than the passenger) which tells me that they really think of the total romantic dating experience.
When we came through the front door we were immediately greeted by the lovely and smiling hostess who invited us in and said my wife’s name without us giving it (both girls laughed and the hostess said I remember you from when you called and made the reservation). There was a (very tall) staff member coming through the door at the same time who barreled his way through with his hands full and with a low gruff tone said “watch it” with a big smile then as he passed he offered a Covid elbow bump and followed up with “welcome” and a wink. I couldn’t help but laugh and think to myself “Its literally like being in a sopranos movie” but there was nothing fake about it. The hostess laughed it off and said “move or get run over” with a big grin. She could tell that I thought it was hilarious and we were going to fit right in (if you’re a stuck up or grumpy person go somewhere else). I was impressed with the team in the first 3 minutes and they showed us to our table.
We had requested a table in the Cabana Room because we wanted to enjoy the entertainment and were led into a retro modern styled piano bar space with famous faces like Sinatra and Ricky Ricardo on the back and a Miami like style in the back complete with white painted palm fronds and disco balls (absolutely awesome!). In the space next door, it appears that they also have a cigar experience (and while I don’t smoke I couldn’t help but think my brother would really enjoy that). I took a peek into the main dining room and was shocked to find a very classy and modern style with the complete opposite vibe and couldn’t help but think that they have something for everyone’s style. The entertainment was a solo crooner named “Johnny T.” wearing a black sequined jacket and singing famous songs from the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s to include Sinatra and many others. He was great fun and kept the audience engaged throughout the evening. We realized why its so hard to get a reservation, apparently, the table is yours all night no matter which show you choose to show up for so prepare to have a beautiful bottle of wine, cocktail snacks, antipasti, insalata selections, while you relax and enjoy the company and atmosphere.
One of the servers came by and recommended a couple different bottles of wine as well as some starters and we were surprised how reasonable the pricing was for all of it. We ordered a bottle she had recommended and took a few minutes to discuss the incredibly diverse menu. Normally we are reduced to only a few things that we like so its easy but here everything we saw sounded delicious and we had trouble reducing it to only four appetizers and a main course 😊. Then our waitress came by and introduced herself as well as her backup staff and laughed when she took our order. The wine was fantastic (Austin Hope cabernet) and they opened it with the full 5 star service. We relaxed and enjoyed the bread (the cheese bread was excellent) and oil selection while the entertainment began to get going. The hostess came back to check on us with a big smile and said, “this is your first time here right”? I began to get the feeling that the service here was much more than typical and we really felt like special guests.
And then the food came….., what is the Italian translation of good food, good wine, good friends?
We ordered the Marinated olives and artichokes (maybe the best I have ever had), the Salumi e Formaggi board (a wonderful selection of cured meats and cheeses), Polpette del Casa (house special meatballs, ricotta and tomato sauce), and the Lobster & Burrata (Not your typical burrata and heavenly). It became instantly obvious that the quality of ingredients was world class, and this is one place that does not skimp on anything. Our main course was the Chicken Parmigiana and it was as big as the plate. Clearly, we were not going to be able to eat all this food and the staff was already packing our leftovers in a bag for us. I was blown away with the high quality and care they take to make sure the food is nothing short of outstanding! Unreal and highly unusual even in the best of restaurants.
The entertainer kept the great atmosphere going and several people got up to dance (yes, they cleared tables out of the way to make a dance floor in the middle of the room). This is much more than a high-quality restaurant and show, it’s a fully interactive experience. The manager came by to check on us (dressed to the 9’s in a three-piece suit) and we asked about the Halloween night party knowing that they were probably completely booked. He said he would see what he could do and would come back and let us know. He was a man of his word and returned in a few minutes but rather than just saying there was nothing he could do he said “I’m sorry, we are fully reserved, but if you would like we can make sure you get a table outside where it will still be a great experience”. We agreed as we were not expecting anything and thanked him for being genuine and honest with us. The truth is based on our first experience we are really looking forward to it. The waitress came back with some complimentary limoncello which I thought was a really nice and authentic touch. Then she returned with some amazing desserts and when we laughed because of all the food we had ordered she suggested taking it to go and enjoying later. Its like she knows us…. 😊. We agreed and took home a fabulous mixed berries pie on what we think was creme brulee.
When all was done, and we were preparing to leave everyone was coming over to say goodbye and genuinely ask if we had a great experience (It felt very special and even the performer gave me a fist bump while he was walking by). I should point out that we do not get paid to do this and do not tell the staff that we write a blog so as not to spoil the true experience. This was all just genuinely how they treat guests (literally like family) and its amazing. The manager caught me on the way out and took a moment to introduce me to the owner who was very gracious and also dressed to the 9’s with a full 4 piece and a fedora as I thanked him for the experience and complimented his staff. He and I had caught eyes earlier in the night and just gave each other a nod. Very cool.
Many places talk about a special experience, but Cucina Cabana delivers it in spades. I now have a new favorite restaurant and can’t wait to bring my friends and family along to share in this experience with us. Next time I will wear my dancing shoes……
My wonderful and beautiful daughter sent us a gift card for RH as an anniversary present. It was a very thoughtful gift because she knew that we write a date night blog and found a special rooftop experience near us to enjoy (thank you kiddo). Now, on to the experience.
Well, I think I found my limit of Boujee (slang for something “luxurious in lifestyle yet humble in character,”) and this was it. Only, I would describe it as missing the humble part. The funny part is we pulled up in a Ferrari and I still felt out of place here. My good friend Jason laughed when I told him about the experience and said, “you can buy the clothes but that doesn’t mean you will feel comfortable or fit in”. He was totally right.
Located in downtown West Palm Beach the RH building is 4 stories of retail, design and restaurant. They offer valet service, and the entrance is quite beautiful with a large water feature, big glass windows and oversized crystal chandeliers. The entrance is quite something and leaves a grand impression. I will admit that the building itself with an amazing aviary glass ceiling at the top is quite impressive.
We arrived early to walk through the design showrooms. They have everything organized by room design and inspiration. It occurred to me pretty quickly that everything seems to be duplicated side to side apparently to maintain balance and symmetry (I actually found it off putting, as if we are so simple minded that we cant handle an entire room design). While we did find some beautiful things, we also noticed that the prices were nothing short of outrageous (we noticed our master bedroom bedspread only it was RH brand and 10x the price we paid at Macy’s). We also noticed that this was a pattern for everything and seeing knock off designer brands (especially the lighting) with the RH brand (white label directly from China) with huge markups made me wonder why anyone would purchase anything here. As we were walking around, I noticed that many of the patrons were dressed in high style (as if this were a nightclub or somewhere to “show off” your designer clothes).
The check in area for the restaurant is on the fourth floor and is quite impressive. The main area has trees with chandeliers in them and a huge oversized chandelier hanging from the glass top ceiling. There are different styles for different sections of the restaurant, and we were seated in what seemed to be the wine cellar area. I get that they were going for romantic and comfortable but the lighting was so dim and the menu’s text was so small that I couldn’t read anything (It felt like it was a 5 font). They sat us in a small section with 4 other sets of customers and I immediately felt crowded and even though I am not overly concerned about Covid safety in most restaurants, this one made me uncomfortable. The seating (which was apparently intended to be more of a casual experience with couches and chairs you would put in a sitting area) was clearly more about look and design than comfort. I sat on the couch and my knees felt like they were in my chest because it was awkwardly short, the table was too small (like 24” round) and great for drinks but inappropriate for eating dinner, and all the seating was far too close together. I was immediately uncomfortable and confused and couldn’t understand why they would seat us in a crowded area when the main dining hall had many seats open (I got the feeling that they had judged us and sat us in the back corner). Overall, it was a very uncomfortable experience and I couldn’t hide my reaction and disappointment.
The waiter came over to make recommendations and get our drink order but I had difficulty hearing him because the overhead music was too loud and when I responded he apparently had the same problem and asked me to repeat myself (I found myself almost yelling at him). My wife noticed how uncomfortable I was and asked if I wanted to leave. My wonderful daughter set up this experience and I was determined to see it through. Hopefully, the food will make up for the rest…… Nope.
We ordered our drinks and quite frankly I don’t even remember what it was. We ordered Delice De Bourgogne cheese plate with strawberry preserve (which was good, albeit simple with one cheese and strawberry preserve, and probably the only thing I liked here) and the burrata. The cheese and tomatoes in the burrata were good (but that’s pretty hard to mess up) but the bread seemed to be more like toasted Wonder bread with a fake smokey flavor and left us confused. We also ordered the Lobster roll and had trouble fitting everything on the table. The lobster roll was good, not great, and I couldn’t understand why all the lobster was literally on top of the bread and almost none inside. And then I realized that they are more concerned about how something looks than how it tastes, overpriced mediocre products, food, and service, and that pretty much sums up our entire experience.
By now I was super uncomfortable and wanted to run out screaming. I clearly don’t belong here and am not nearly cool enough to find this a pleasant experience (my wife is a bit more boujee and cooler than me thought it was ok). Perhaps if I didn’t care about enjoying our experience, eating good food, or even sitting in a reasonably comfortable chair while not feeling underdressed or judged, I could have appreciated this experience.
Overall, it was a not so great and overpriced experience. We would suggest that you spend your precious time and money at one of the other great restaurants in the area.
Sometimes our “dates” are things we do together locally. My wife and I appreciate gardens and the work it takes to keep them beautiful (she has quite the green thumb and a good amount of experience with Florida gardens). We had an acre on the water in Deland with 23 or so fruit trees, butterfly garden, rose garden, cutting garden (for vase flowers), and a vegetable garden. She had everything mapped out with well over 200 flowers, plants, trees, etc. and it was beautiful and peaceful. So, we always love going to zoos and gardens. It makes for a great afternoon date together enjoying the magic of nature.
The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens is a center for Japanese arts and culture located west of Delray Beach in Palm Beach County. The 16-acre authentic Japanese gardens were opened in 1977 when one of the original colony settlers donated his land to Palm Beach County with the wish for it to become a park to preserve the memory of the Yamato Colony. In the early 1900s, a group of young Japanese farmers arrived in Boca Raton and formed an agricultural colony they called “Yamato”, an ancient name for Japan. Unfortunately, the farming proved to be unsustainable and almost all of the original settlers returned to Japan. Today, visitors enjoy the Roji-en gardens, museum art and galleries, an authentic tea house, and year-round cultural events and festivals.
We waited out front to purchase tickets while they observed social distancing and greeted each visitor while providing great information to give you the best possible experience. Each adult was $15, or you could purchase a membership. Since it was $30 for one day and $95 for a dual membership (which includes free admission for a year, Members-only priority access to the Lantern Festival, Exclusive invitations to members-only receptions and events, and discounts at the museum gift shop and café. We opted for the membership and were guided to the cashier where we also purchased a couple bags of fish and turtle food (for only $1 each).
Upon entering the gardens you are suddenly aware of how large it really is. There is a large pond/lake area in front of you and the trails that circle it. On the right is a small café with excellent views and a good Japanese based menu. We decided to walk around the Roji-en: Garden of the Drops of Dew. There is a free self-tour app you can download and get insider information about the tea house and galleries, images, and audio content about the 25 different points to observe and enjoy on the map. There is a beautiful bridge that marks the entrance to the gardens, and we made our way around the paths in a slow and enjoyable way. I especially liked the bamboo grove and the sounds of the stalks as they knock against each other in the breeze. My wife appreciated the serenity of the lake and water features (including a couple of nice, and relatively large waterfalls).
We quickly discovered that wearing the ever-popular flip flops (basic Florida weekend gear) was a poor choice for a long walk on a pebble path and we would recommend wearing comfortable closed toe shoes. We also really enjoyed the brightly colored Koi and turtles in the lake. There are plenty of great spots to feed them and see them come relatively close but fair warning about the fish food as it smells really bad and will make your hands smell bad also (still worth it).
We circled back to the café for lunch. I ordered the crab cakes and crispy shrimp appetizer (basically fried food) and the chicken gyoza (pan fried dumplings). My wife ordered the classic bento box (which was quite large) and truthfully, we could have probably shared just that. We found a nice spot in the café seating with a nice breeze and relaxed while we enjoyed our day together. The walk around the paths are incredible and there are many things to see and learn about. Unfortunately, due to Covid there are restricted activities going on right now, so we are looking forward to several trips over the next year to do and see everything.
If you are looking for a peaceful afternoon date this should be on your list. As the Japanese believe, “Kachou Fuugestu” meaning “find yourself in nature”.
This has to be one of the coolest places to eat in Key West. It overlooks Key West Harbor and Sunset Pier and has spectacular views, especially if you go there in the evening when the entire pier lights up and is alive with people and music. The styling is Island whimsy and has a very interesting entrance and staircase. We had difficulty with the GPS finding the place as it is tucked around the corner close to the pier entrance. We had to go into the hotel (Ocean Key Resort and Spa) and ask where it was. Before we opened our mouths, they greeted us and said “looking for Hot Tin Roof” (so it must happen frequently).
We were running late this evening, so I had called ahead and let them know. They were very accommodating and let us know it was not a problem but there was another reservation for the same table an hour later and asked if that would be enough time. I appreciated that they were willing to be pleasant and straight forward, so we respected the timeline and kept within it.
We were seated outside on the balcony overlooking the pier and, if you can, we would recommend you request it as it has to be one of the most romantic spots in all of key west. The interior was full of wild sculptures and painted murals on the ceiling and gave that Island feeling of eclectic styling.
The service was impeccable and pleasant. They have a nice selection of interesting and unique crafted cocktails, so I ordered the “Hot tin tini” which was a chilled pineapple vodka infusion (and very good) and my wife ordered the Kim Crawford sauvignon blanc. We already knew what we wanted to eat so we ordered immediately (and we wanted to make sure we didn’t take too much time, it turned out that the service was so good it didn’t matter) and relaxed with our drinks and enjoyed the views and live music coming from the pier (with the exception of the occasional rum party boat passing by, which we always smile at because that’s just not our idea of fun but to each their own…).
For appetizers we ordered the Burrata Salad with cucumber which was incredible, and we could have just eaten that and been happy. We then ordered the Lobster Mac and Cheese and the Beef Short Rib. Both were amazing and we appreciated the hometown comfort food vibe we got from them. Apparently, the menu changes nightly so this restaurant never gets boring and we would have gone back several times if we were staying longer. We wanted to save room for dessert and take them to go so we could enjoy them back at the hotel with the live music there (sadly we found out they were not having live music that night so we should have stayed and eaten our desserts by the pier). We ordered the Pineapple Rum Cake with Tahitian vanilla bean ice cream and the Key Lime Pie with a cashew graham cracker crust.
Overall, this was a great experience that we wish we had taken more time to enjoy and would highly recommend.
Tonight reminds me of something I once heard someone say when giving marital advice, “Marriage is like a bank, you have to put in more than you take out”, and tonight was a romantic evening where we put a little more in the bank.
We arrived at the Southernmost Beach Café after an obligatory photo at the Southernmost Point and a quick walk over. They have a huge Adirondack chair out front that is a bit of an optical illusion, if you take a picture sitting all the way back it appears as if you are really tiny. They have a small beach and some nice places to sit and enjoy the view for a few before dinner. Unlike some of the finer dining places this has a down home and casual feel about it along with extraordinary views. It doesn’t hurt that it is located at the end of Duval so the location is perfect for a stroll either before or after dinner down the famed street.
Parking can be a bit challenging so like we mentioned before, we would recommend leaving your vehicle at the hotel and just hail a Lyft or Uber. You will find this to be an easy and stress free experience. We arrived early and after taking a couple of tourists photos we strolled down Duval and visited several of the many art studios and souvenir shops. There are some incredible art studios down the strip so take your time and marvel at all the beautiful things you cant figure out where you would put in your home (or at least that’s what we do).
We strolled back to the Café and were welcomed at the front with a big smile and immediately seated in a cute outside table just off the sand and looking at the ocean. Actually, pretty much every seat here looks directly at the ocean. The waitress came and took our drink orders (of course we ordered white wine and a dirty martini). I was impressed when, not wanting to keep us waiting, the waitress made the decision to put regular olives instead of the blue cheese stuffed olives (which I love) in my drink so she could get them out. The impressive part is she told us that they couldn’t find the blue cheese olives but she would keep looking and didn’t want to keep us waiting. In a couple minutes she returned with the correct olives and a big smile. I appreciated that she made it a priority even though I had not.
We ordered Eggplant Chips as our appetizer (which were delicious). For the main course we ordered a Tomato Burrata Salad and the Drunken Glazed Scallops with lobster mashed potatoes and glazed baby carrots. I was pleasantly surprised that the flavors and plating were such a high quality and was not expecting that in a casual café. The food was delicious, and the service was wonderful. We really enjoyed the food and the Key West type atmosphere. Sometimes we want good food without all the extra efforts, and this seems like the perfect place for that. Enjoy every moment in life and if you are as lucky as I am to have an amazing spouse, these are the times to appreciate. Wishing you the best.
Yes, that really is the name of a restaurant in Key West. Actually, it is specifically a dessert restaurant. We weren’t sure what to make of this when we first saw it but after seeing their clever menu we decided to give it a shot, and we were glad we did. This is just a fun and romantic experience centered around a total dessert experience.
I don’t know if you have ever attempted to drive in downtown Key West but it is not for the faint of heart. Between the scooters, golf carts, and pedestrians (most of which were less than sober) it can certainly surprise you at any moment. So, we prefer to use Uber or Lyft while in town. It’s very convenient and there are plenty of quality local drivers, so I don’t think we ever waited for more than 2 minutes for a ride anywhere, which was nice. You can walk and explore as much as you like then just hail a Lyft when you are ready.
We took our Lyft from the pier to “Better Than Sex” and found several couples waiting out front (on a Thursday night in the middle of COVID) so we highly recommend reservations. There were several people that were getting desserts to go (which typically means they have excellent food) but the experience is so good you should take your time and do the full sit-down experience. We were greeted immediately and found a seat in the small and slightly crowded waiting area. They called us and we walked through the opening to a dimly lit dining room with separated and cozy individual tables that were more like little private booths. The walls were painted a deep red, the ceiling had tin decorative tiles, the booths each were lit mostly with candlelight, and there was an eclectic collection of different chandeliers everywhere. It was clearly intended to create a cheeky and romantic atmosphere and landed the intended effect.
The server came by our private area and offered us digital menus which I appreciated since I have trouble reading menu’s in dimly lit restaurants (it was also hard to get good pictures). My wife tells me its because I am presbyopic and my eyes cannot flex like….blah, blah, blah. I know its just a nice way of telling me I’m old (specifically because she always gets a sly smile and a twinkle in her eye when she is telling me that, I think she finds it funny) and I think its cute when she teases me. The digital menus are nice and we took a few minutes laughing about the descriptions they use to describe the drinks and desserts (this creates a bit of levity and some fun banter with your date so I don’t want to spoil it for you but take some time and enjoy their creativity and word play).
We ordered our drinks which were decadent and fun. I ordered the “Late night Rendezvous” which is nice coffee with an Amaretto licker and rimmed with your choice of chocolate, and my wife ordered the “French Kiss” which is Ayala Champagne in a caramel covered glass with bruleed sugar. We then ordered the “Between my red velvet sheets” red velvet cheesecake on a cookie dough crust with cream cheese frosting and the “Popcorn Pimp” vanilla bean cheesecake on a sugar cookie crust and a salted popcorn chocolate bark with caramel sauce. I did say decadent right? It was all excellent and I will let you read the real (slightly blush inducing) descriptions on your own…….
Overall, this was an excellent experience with wonderful desserts and a great atmosphere that you can’t help but enjoy. Plan to spend some time here and enjoy! Highly recommended.
Amazing. That is the best way to start a write up on Latitudes, amazing atmosphere, amazing service, amazing food. This might be one of the most romantic restaurants we have ever seen. I will say that getting a reservation can be quite a challenge so the moment you start planning a trip to Key West you should probably book this one. We tried, as usual, to book online with OpenTable but there was nothing available. I did however find success when I picked up the phone and spoke to the staff there directly. I explained that it was my wife’s birthday and they managed to make it work and fit us in. If you are unable to find a dinner reservation it is still worth going if you can get in for lunch.
Our reservation was for 5:15 (which is actually the time you check in for the water taxi not your meal) so we would be there to see the sunset. They will check you in dockside then transport you to Sunset Key (a beautiful private island that has homes owned by superstars like Oprah) just 10 minutes by boat. When you arrive you will immediately see why this is such a coveted reservation and why some people make them a year in advance. The restaurant has a little beach area surrounding it and plenty of outdoor tables with beautifully lit tiki’s like something you would expect to see in Hawaii or in a movie. Once you get off the boat you will pass by the quaint outdoor bar and be checked in then immediately seated. One couple stopped at the bar first and was not checked in which created confusion once they were ready to be seated. We would recommend you just get a drink at your table and enjoy the view.
The staff was impeccable and very professional. Since this is Key West the dress code is relaxed but make no mistake, this is an upscale restaurant so wear something nice. My wife had on a beautiful Lilly dress and pearls and I had on a nice Tommy Bahama shirt and khaki shorts.
They have a very nice drink menu and the very friendly waiter made his recommendations. I had the Key Lime Martini (and later the house special Latitude 24N81W martini) and my wife had the Pomegranate Margarita. All of the drinks were fantastic and they kept a good eye out to make sure they were there when you wanted another or to keep your waterglass full.
For appetizers we had the lobster bisque (which was different because they use local Florida lobster but very good nonetheless) and the artisan cheese plate (perhaps one of the best cheese plates I have ever had, it was incredible). For the main course I had the grilled center cut tenderloin (it was perfectly cooked and the seasoning and blue cheese topping was amazing) and my wife had the butter poached Caribbean lobster tail in a delicate potato fried basket (absolutely beautiful and delicious but different from Maine lobster, if you have never had it you should expect it to be a little less sweet).
By the time we were finishing our meals the sun was setting and the atmosphere was incredibly beautiful. I believe there was another couple that got engaged on the dock just in front of the restaurant and everyone clapped and cheered. The staff was very gracious to take pictures for all the couples that were trying to capture the moment and the entire experience felt like something out of a magazine. We opted not to have dessert as we had other plans for that (which I will do a write up on), not that we could have eaten one more bite. The food was so good you just don’t want to stop eating. We went back to the dock and relaxed while we waited for the next ferry back to Key West (I believe they come every 30 mins). The ride back was nice and the boat ride feels like a bit of a bonus and we really enjoyed every minute of this experience. We would highly recommend you plan a special trip to Latitudes the next time you go down to Key West, we know we will again. Have you ever had your expectations exceeded on every level and somehow the food tastes better, the service seems excellent, and the atmosphere more romantic and a bit magical? Yeah, its like that.
For my wife’s birthday we decided to have a little weekend getaway in famed Key West, Florida. Known for Earnest Hemmingway, Truman’s Little White House, Fantasy Fest and the Southernmost Point of the United States (Stateside, I actually think Hawaii is closer to the equator) and only 90 miles from Cuba (There is a story of the mayor once waterskiing to Cuba to illustrate how close it is).
We made some new friends from Michigan who know way more about food and libations and they recommended we say more about the total experience so here goes.
We booked a room at the Waldorf Astoria’s Casa Marina for 3 days and away we went on a road trip adventure only 4 hours away from the Palm Beaches. We packed up the Ferrari (light packing since there is not much trunk space) and headed out with the top down in the beautiful sunshine. Ok, it was a bit ambitious to drive the whole way with the top down so we put it down once we were off the turnpike, and to be honest we had to put on sunscreen after we realized we were getting sunburns (Not a great way to start out a vacation). But, wow, what a view and beautiful drive! Tip: if your following the GPS you may want to ignore it as you get into Key West and the road forces you to turn left or right. Turn left to take the scenic way around the island and enjoy the view instead of heading through the center of the city residences and crowded streets.
I’ll take a moment to talk about the Casa Marina and what to expect there. They do have valet parking and their team is experienced with supercars so they knew exactly what to do without having to be taught (which we often have to do) but be aware that there is no covered parking and it tends to rain regularly in FL so when we got the car back 4 days later it was the dirtiest I had ever seen it (I am sure my wife was expecting me to freak out but it was fine).
The resort boasts the largest private beachfront in Key West and is a historic building (so don’t be expecting newly renovated, or even the most logical layout in the rooms) and is quite charming even though some of the room bathrooms are quite small. We would recommend you spring for the ocean view with a balcony on the 3rd floor (you can thank us later). The staff is warm and welcoming and if you are looking for a true Waldorf experience have a chat with Vincent out front. The pools (one for families and one adult only) and beach are the reason to head to this resort with an amazing waterfront experience but be careful if you want to go for a swim in the ocean and its probably best if you enter and exit down by the watersports rental area as we found the rocks to be quite tricky (my wife opted just to head to the pool instead).
We found ourselves renting the sundials (partially covered beach daybeds) each day (literally 30 feet from the water) and it really felt like you were in your own private oasis on the beach but with great service. They technically don’t serve food and drinks on the beach but they do at the pools and we found with a smile and a nice tip the staff were very willing to accommodate. We also enjoyed the nightly local bands and entertainment on the beach or around the bar area each evening.
This was a truly amazing experience and I can think of only a few places that offer this type of old school resort style experience (it reminded me of the resort in Dirty Dancing but I don’t think my wife was up to trying the water lift, LOL). If you plan on spending more time at the pool or on the beach then in the room we would recommend it. There is no shortage of things to do in Key West so have fun.
Date Nights Palm Beach 