This past June, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill that designated Florida A1A (from Georgia to Key West) as the “Jimmy Buffett Memorial Highway.’’ Near the southern end of that highway – at One Duval Street – is Pier House Resort & Spa, home to Chart Room Bar, the “unofficial’’ headquarters to Buffett, who considered Key West home, as well treasure hunter Mel Fisher. With its 112 rooms and 23 suites, private beach, and Key West’s only full-service spa (don’t pass on the Thai foot massage), Pier House is an ideal headquarters to explore the Conch Republic.
Ernest Hemingway’s home (and museum), for example, is a short walk from Pier House. Yes, the descendants of Papa’s six-toed cats still roam the premises. President Harry Truman’s “Southern White House’’ also a popular attraction. A stroll – day or night – up Duval Street – is 1.25 miles of pure Key West – a combination of decadence and entertainment that can only be found on Florida’s southernmost point.
Pier House Resort & Spa is a luxurious respite from the maddening crowds that make Key West… well, Key West. The resort’s Spa Junior Suites each offer outstanding accommodations, including porches that are perfect for people watching. Want something even more luxurious? Try a Oceanfront Luxury Suite that overlooks the Gulf of Mexico.
At the resort’s center is the aptly named One Duval restaurant, led by Executive Chef Maria Manso. Like most residents of Key West, Manso came from somewhere else. Born in Cuba and raised in Miami, Manso grew up cooking next to her mother.
“In my household, we cooked Spanish food,’’ said Manso, whose culinary career has taken her from Southern California to South Beach and 11 years ago to Key West. “My mother loved to cook. I learned a lot from her, especially about tasting everything. That way, you can find the right balance.
“Cooking always involves finding the right balance of ingredients. Sometimes I’ll taste something and remember cooking it with my mom.’’
Overlooking the water with great views of ships coming in and out of Key West, One Duval serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. It’s a good idea to try at least one of each – if not more – during your stay. A large One Duval breakfast, for example, features coconut pancakes; don’t pass on the fish tacos for lunch; for dinner, Chef Manso’s Blackened Grouper with blue crab and sun-dried tomato cream sauce is a delicious, white and flaky, top seller.
And for those who want beef, don’t pass on the filet mignon with a side of lobster mac and cheese.
“Key West cuisine is kind of like a melting pot of the Caribbean,’’ Manso said. “We have influences from Puerto Rico… the Bahamas… Jamaica. A lot of the ingredients we use are from all the Caribbean.’’
The description sums up Key West, which is a four-to five-hour drive south of Miami on the Overseas HIghway. Along the way, there is plenty to see and do – from snorkeling at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo to visiting the sea turtle hospital in Marathon.
The best, however, is at the end – at One Duval Street – where Pier House Resort & Spa makes a visit to the Conch Republic as easy and flavorful as a piece of Key Lime Pie.
Photo Courtesy of Pier House Resort & Spa
