Azur Café at the Eden House: This may be the best we ever had. A must try dinner suggestion would be, one of the fantastic selection of daily soups, Pan seared yellow tail snapper over sauteed swiss chard with jumbo pink shrimp and extra virgin olive oil (to die for), and a lavender infused creme brulee with fresh berries that is tremendous. And it's located right on the property. They are open for breakfast lunch and dinner so come with an appetite.

The Art of Baking by Henrietta - is the best baked goods on the island. Her creations are off the chart. Henrietta has developed the Original Key West Conch Roll, which is an old yeast roll recipe made in the shape of a Conch Shell. It comes with Key Lime, Coconut, and Guava filling; during the holidays, pumpkin is available. Breakfast Conch Rolls will be available in season. If you like coconut, you'll love Henrietta's Original Coconut Strips. They are out of this world. Open 11 AM until 4 PM, closed Sunday and Monday.
(320 Petronia Street between Whitehead and Thomas Streets, just before you get to Blue Heaven) 295-0505 website

B.O.'s Fishwagon - Great fish sandwich and the fries are REAL, get them CRISP! Try the Key Limeade. Head east to the Key West Key Lime Company for your dessert (read on.)
(Corner of William and Caroline) 294-9272

Blond Giraffe - The biggest and the best key lime pie on the Island . They bake their pies like the Conchs did in the old days, and they are made with a dough crust.
(1209 Truman Ave) 1-888-432-mate website

Blue Heaven - Caribbean style café. The food's great and like no place you've ever eaten. Join the chickens for breakfast and cats for dinner. The bakery is great.
(the corner of Thomas and Petronia Streets) 296-8666 website

The Café - Vegetarian place. Very good stuff, and I mean stuff. Bar-B-Q tofus, "veggie" veggie burgers, stir fry, soups, and salads to name a few of the choices. Then wash it all down with an herbal tea, a beer, or chilled Sake. Very good stuff. Open from 11 AM to 10 PM, closed on Sunday. (509 Southard Street) 296-5515 they deliver.

Café Med at the Eden House - Absolutely the best! Island cuisine with a Mediterranean twist. Aziz and Deb have opened Café Med at the Eden House. Great food at reasonable prices. My favorite salad is the Baby Arugula with sweet roasted red beets, creamy gorgonzola cheese, crisp seedless red grapes and mustard red wine vinaigrette. I always get the SOUP. It doesn't matter; I will love one of the two soups of the day. No chicken or meat base - just vegetables. The crème brulee is the best on the island- see for yourself. The sorbet Du Jour is a must. Aziz is Mediterranean and Deb is English. Dinners-seven days a week 6 to 10 pm. Breakfast/Brunch/Lunch coming soon.
(Corner of Fleming & Grinnell St. at the Eden House) 294-1117

Café Sole - John is a wizard when it comes to fish. I highly recommend it and it is right around the corner. The wait staff looks like they are from the movie "Our Man Flint."
(1029 Southard St at Frances St ) 294-0230 website

Chico's Cantina - Mexican Food. Try the portabella mushroom enchilada or the asparagus enchilada with the green chili sauce. Great salsa and Guacamole.
(5230 Highway 1, 2 lights north of Key West on Stock Island) 296-4714 website

Coco Palms - Crab cakes at their best! My favorite is the Seafood Rundown, fish and shrimp simmered in coconut milk and fresh garden herbs. Best plantains on the island hands down. Say "hi" to Chef Warren for me. (300 Front St) 296-0046, Do not order the frozen daquiri!!!

Les Croissants de France (don't let the name scare ya) - An island favorite for years. Mine is the Galette (a paper thin buckwheat crepe) with egg, light swiss and asparagus. It is not on the menu but go ahead and ask for it. Then have one of the Crepes Royales. Yep, a little something for the sweet tooth. Open every day from 7:30 AM until 3 PM.
Bakery is closed on Wednesdays. (816 Duval Street) 294-2624

Flamingo Crossing - Homemade ice cream, yogurt, sorbet, and Italian ices. No additives or preservatives. Get a single scoop in waffle cone with two flavors, but don't even think about a double scoop. (Corner of Duval and Virginia Streets) 296-6124

Finnegan's Wake - one of the best beer on tap selections on the island and the food is DAMN good. My favorite is the pizza, the best on the island (now that Coco 's has closed), have it made your way and get the slightly sweet raspberry tea. Bill's favorite is the Shepard's pie. A very good "low-carb" menu for you baby boomers (like myself) that also includes pizza. Give your waitress a 15-minute lead time for Hot Banana dessert, flambéed banana baked in a puff pastry covered with caramel & cream. Need I say more? Open 7 days a week 11 AM until 3 or 4 AM? (On the corner of Grinnell & James Streets) 293-0222 website

5 Brothers - Where the locals get their cheese toast and con leche in the morning. The Cuban mix is the best on the island. Don't tell me you've never had a mix. (The corner of Southard and Grinnell Streets) 296-5205

Goldman's Bagel Deli - An old friend, Don Sayers (called "down stairs" in school) used to say back in the '70s, "All Key west needs to be perfect, is a Coney island and a Jewish Deli." At lease we got the Jewish Deli, Goldman's. "Boiled & Baked" bagels fresh daily. "Corned beef on rye with Dr. Brown's soda is a must," Ira says. Nancy said, "You can tell a good Jewish deli by it's chopped liver. Goldman's ain't chopped liver." Open 7 days a week. (Overseas market/ 2769 N. Roosevelt Blvd) 294-DELI

Half Shell Raw Bar ­­- I have recently rediscovered the Half Shell Raw Bar. Some of my favorites are grilled tuna caesar salad and shrimp steamed in beer. My daughter thinks the Conch fritters are the best on the island. Great cold beer and plenty of funk. (321 Margaret St) 294-7496 website

Jose's Cantina - Cuban food at its best, and the prices are great, too! Put the entire bowl of black beans over the yellow (saffron) rice. Love that Cuban bread. Get the Flan smothered in coconut. Wow! See for yourself. Jose is always cookin'. So you know it's good. (800 White St) Open 8 AM till 10 PM daily. 296-4366

Key West Key Lime Company - One block east of B.O.'s on the same corner. Get the chocolate covered pie bars. They are to die for, and I have been assured that they are "ONE" calorie. (Corner of Caroline and Elizabeth streets) Weekdays 9 AM to 5 PM, Weekends 10 AM to 5 PM. 294-6567

La Trattoria - One of my favorite Italian Restaurants on the island. The place to take that special someone. To quote Rebecca, "Ohhhh Baaaaaaby." It's all great and don't miss the crème brulee. Carmelo is owner and has been for the past 15 years. Jeff is the main man in the kitchen. Opens at 5:30 PM closes at 10:30 except Fri. & Sat. at 11 PM. (524 Duval St. & Applerouth Lane) 296-1075 website

Lobo's Mixed Grill - Grab a 'WRAP' from Lobo's! (A sandwich wrapped in a large tortilla.) I like the #1, the Monster Veggie, of course. Sasha likes the #11, the Delhi Chicken. Colleen's #27, the Chicken Caesar and Bill's #14, the Thai Tuna. There are a total of 30 wraps in all. Lobo's only uses Romaine and Leaf lettuce (no iceberg) in their wraps and salads. Great food/great value. Have it delivered. 296-5602 website

Martin's Café - Island and German food at it's best. The blackened shrimp and chicken salads are great. The best eggs benedict on this side of the ocean. My favorite dessert is the strawberry crepe. If Martin is not cooking, he'll be at the bar with a mineral water. He's shy, so stop by and tell him Mike says, "howdy." (416 Applerouth lane, between Whitehead an Duval Streets) 296-1183

Michael's - Known for their steaks and the chocolate volcano dessert. I highly recommend the fondue-great price, great fun. If weather permits, sit outside. (532 Margaret Street)
295-1300 website

Monsoon Café - Key West had been hurting for some Indian food for awhile, and then came this place. Their menu is exciting: authentic curries, mouth watering chutneys, spicy poppadum (savory lentil wafers), the freshest of salads. . . And you will not believe the prices you pay for this gem of an Asian experience. The deliver anywhere in Key West . "Just call the Camel!" (Corner of Margaret and Fleming) 29-CAMEL (292-2635)

Origami - The best Japanese food on the island. Sushi, tempura or teriyaki, it's all good. My favorites are the mixed tempura, the vegetable rolls and the seaweed salad. Sit at the bar, the show is worth the price of the admission. (In Duval Square. On South Duval St)
294-0092

Rooftop Café - One of the best Key Lime Pie on the island. At least since Perez's bakery closed. Back in the late 70's you could get an entire Key Lime pie at Perez's for 75 cents or for a buck and a quarter with meringue. (Front St. one block off Duval St) 294-2042 website

Salsa Loca - This is Mexican we go crazy for. Fresh and tasty! We order staff lunch from here frequently, but go have a margarita or sangria on the tropical garden patio out back of their restaurant right on Duval. Their menu is so expansive (awesome vegetarian options), it's pretty hard to decide, but one thing's for sure: even though the portions are large, we never have leftovers. (918 Duval) 292-1865

Sarabeth's - Open faced tuna salad sandwich with chopped tomatoes and homemade french-fries; the fried chicken special on Friday; lemon ricotta pancakes; pumpkin waffles with sour cream, raisins, pumpkin seeds, and honey (but I get the orange apricot marmalade) these are few of the must tries. But an absolute must is the orange-apricot bread pudding. The restaurant-which was the original and only synagogue on the island for half a century-and garden dining make this "neighborhood restaurant" a perfect backdrop for a perfect meal. (530 Simonton Street) 293-8181

Square Grouper - One of our new favorites. It's up the keys on Cudjoe at MM 22.5 (on US 1) So it's good if you're already up there, or on your way. I like the fish dip. The desserts are always good. Maggie likes the bar-b-q bacon wrapped shrimp, steaks, grouper sandwich . . . well, she likes everything , but says the Specials board is always a good guide. Lunch and Dinner-11 AM to 10 PM. Closed Sundays and Mondays. 745-8880 website

Sugar Apple - Vegetarian. My favorite is the FLT (BLT made with tofu instead of bacon) and the organic carrot and orange juice. It's a health food store, too. (Simonton ST. just north of Truman St) open 11 AM to 4 PM- closed Sundays. 292-0043

Waterfront Market - Design your own sandwich. Everything you need for that picnic at Nancy 's Secret Garden. It's all good stuff. (The northern end of William St, behind B.O.'s Fish Wagon) 296-0778