you’d expect from a high-end resort and the hotel’s signature restaurant, SHOR American Bar and Grill (www.shorgrill.com), offers sensational, waterfront dining with a daily catch direct from the docks! Across the water from the Hyatt at beautiful Sunset Key, Latitudes (www.westinsunsetkeycottages.com/ latitudes; 305.292.5300) has unveiled the results of a protracted facelift, revealing a new, sleek, modern edge that spills onto Sunset’s downy sands, doling out even more of the delicious local seafood dishes that originally made this beachfront gem famous. Though the abundance of fresh seafood keeps the island’s top chefs at the top of their game, there’s definitely more than just amazing fruits of the sea to be had around the island. La Creperie (www. lacreperiekeywest.com; 305.517.6799) serves authentic northwestern French delicacies and crepe creations for both breakfast and lunch. Smack in the heart of Fleming Street’s “guesthouse row,” Azur (www.azurkeywest.com; 305.292.2987) has expanded its already vast, mouth-watering Mediterranean menu to include homemade gnocchi, tapas and more Greek-influenced dishes. The perfectly executed “toasted gnocchi with
pine nuts, arugula and truffle oil,” and the divine “charred octopus marinated with garlic, lemon zest and Italian parsley” showcase the diverse gastronomic talents and evolution of chefs Michael Mosi and Drew Wenzel. After dinner, Front Street teems with partygoers and inebriation opportunities, with essentially four main bars and clubs to seek a night of promiscuous fun. Divas rule at Aqua Nightclub (711 Duval Street, (305) 294-0555, aquakeywest.com), where the city’s renowned drag queens take center stage, attracting straights and gays alike. Come 11 PM, most gay life has converged at the riotous and frisky Bourbon Street Pub (724 Duval Street, (305) 296-1992, burbonstreetpub.com), spread between the two bars in the front and the poolside bar in the back. Saloon 1 (801 Duval Street, (305) 2944737), Key West’s only Levi, leather and uniform bar, regularly hosts a weekend contest awarding a prize to the biggest or most attractive shlong in the house. Now, I’ll toast to that!
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