Grand Opening of The Pub at Pointe Orlando

First I have to start by saying; “I am not a beer drinker”. I have never been to World of Beer, I do not WOB. I barely understand this whole “IPA” thing that’s happening everywhere. Guys drinking extra large cans of PBR because it is old school or cool, I just don’t get it.

A few months back, we were leaving the Capital Grille at Pointe Orlando and noticed a new restaurant under construction. The valet said it was going to be The Pub. Normally I would not have known what that was, but this past Thanksgiving, we went to Ohio and during an afternoon of shopping at the Greene, we stopped in to The Pub. We were excited. It seemed like a fun place and to get one here was good to hear. More jobs for our area and Pointe Orlando needs more place to draw in the Tourists and Locals.

I had been looking forward to the Grand Opening; I even tried to win tickets to go to the soft opening on Facebook with no luck. Thursday February 16th was the official opening, and we decided to venture down that way to take a look.

It looks very similar to the one we visited in Ohio except it has a little Florida flair by being open in the front and they have very cute patio with outside tables.

 It has a fun, eclectic “Alice in Wonderland” meets classic British pub vibe. There are some very interesting sitting areas as well as a huge bar. They also have a self service tap area where you scan a gift card and fill your own beer.

Self Service tap area

Patrick was our bartender; he was knowledgeable about the Pub’s extensive beer, scotch and spirit menu. I can’t even being to describe all the various type of beer or scotch they have, you would have to see for yourself. The food menu offers many options, from burgers to fish, as well as many small plates for snacking.

We tried the Ahi Tuna appetizer because we are watching our weight, but the sliders sounded so good. Many of the items we saw come out looked fabulous.

They have a Happy Hour Monday to Thursday that includes food and drinks. Also, there is a Wine Down Wednesday, with half price bottles of wine and on weekends; a build your own Bloody Mary menu.

All of the types of Sctoch

Patrick told us about a program where you get your own mug for beer. Around the perimeter of the bar, if you look up, there are all these “The Pub” mugs with a tag and a number. You buy the number and that becomes your mug and then you are privy to whatever special that day. It’s kind of cool if you’re into the beer thing. I can see that being very popular with the guys that love to try many different types of beer.

Patrick

It is a beautiful restaurant and seems very well run. Everyone working there was excited about the opening and informed on the universe of beer.

You can have your valet ticket validated if you show your receipt to the hostess and have spent $25.

It seems like a great place to enjoy St. Patrick's Day as well.

Day 3 Key West Food and Wine Festival

(1)

On Day 3 of the Food and Wine Festival (Saturday) there were several events scheduled. The weeks leading up to the festival, I wanted to purchase tickets for other events. There were so many and they all sounded fun. With our VIP tickets, we had a couple of things scheduled and I was so excited I wanted to squeeze more in. Everyone kept telling me we had more than enough to do. So I listened, and I was so happy I did.

By day three we were very excited about the events, but at the same time, we were tired. All the events were really fun and we met lots of people. It seemed like there was always something to do.

Our VIP tickets included Coconut Bowling at Blue Heaven and Duval Uncorked. We got up late, and by the time we made it out of the room, we would have been late for Coconut Bowling.



Sign at Blue Heaven (2)




Coconut Bowling Trophy "the Golden Coconut" (3)


We all wanted lunch/breakfast, so off we went eating, drinking, and shopping until Duval Uncorked started at 3:30 p.m.

I had wanted to try to go to the Brunch at Azur, called Bubble & Madness 3. It sounded fabulous; I love Champagne and Eggs Benedict. Also, one of my favorite restaurants, Hogfish Bar & Grill was having a Shrimp Boil.

Hogfish Bar & Grill (4)

 They have the freshest fish and some of the best food. When we stopped by last May, the boat we got married on Schooner Wolf was docked there.

Schooner Wolf on our Wedding Day 5-22-2000

But I guess it was for the best though. By the time 3:30 rolled around, we were anxious to get started with Duval Uncorked. We were told to show up at Fin at 3:30 due to the VIP tickets. There was a little line as all the attendees with VIP were ready to go. We received our lanyard with our wine glass attached that we would use for tasting at all the locations, as well as a list of all the places that were participating.



Fin, picking up our wine glasses

  



Little Tasting Glass with Layard (5)


Fin had a very nice wine and the gentleman pouring was giving out T-Shirts and golf towels. They were gone instantly. Fin had a shrimp dish that was delicious. We sat for a minute to drink our wine and then began our journey.

When the four of us hit the street, it was like watching the Amazing Race. We couldn’t agree on where to go next and we were reading the list backwards! It was funny. We were having a great time. We laughed so much I didn’t think we would finish. I do know that none of us should ever try to go on the Amazing Race!



Getting ready to do our Wine walk down Duval


There were over 40 places to stop and we didn’t make it to all of them. But, there were several that were very memorable. First was Leather Master of Key West. I had seen the place for years but never went in, so this was an experience, especially with my parents. They had a nice wine and were super friendly. We had a great time there.

Leather Master (6)

Key West Olive Oil was another hit. They had a scallop that was amazing. Not sure who cooked or provided the food, we asked, but the Chef did not speak a lot of English. Either way, it was great and we went back the next day to buy some oils.

Olive Oil of Key West (7)

Scallops at Olive Oil of Key West

There were several more stops; Hard Rock, Fast Bucks, Montage, Jack’s, Island Style and 801 Bourbon Street. As we went from place to place, I noticed we were following along and being followed by folks we had been seeing all weekend. Everyone was laughing and having fun; talking about the different food and wine we were all getting to try. It was nice and relaxing.



Hard Rock



Upstairs Bar at Hard Rock

Drag Queens at 801

It was right around our next stop that things changed a bit. We Stopped in DeRubies Gallery, which my husband loves, so getting him out of there is a challenge. But suddenly, our next few stops were with people that were yelling and pushing, running from place to place and causing lines and jam ups everywhere. These were new people to the festival that had not been there all weekend. Their obnoxious actions made it clear that they were in from Miami. It was Saturday and from preivous experiences on trips we noticed on the weekends there is a influx of folks from Miami, that can get very rude and rowdy. (Not that all folks from Miami are rude and rowdy) I still enjoyed some of the places though.

I always thought about staying at Orchid Key Inn since they remodeled it a few years back. So it was terrific to meet the folks that run it and see the bar area. They had some really good wine and were really welcoming.

 Also another great stop was at Tropical Inn. I never even knew that place was there and they had the best cheesecake, from Saroram. It was so good no one could stop talking about it. You should check out her site, you'll be amazed at what she can do with chocolate and cheesecake!

Cheesecake at Tropical Inn

Cheesecake Lollipops (8)

Many people had more than one. Lush Bar at the Green Pineapple was our last stop. We were tired and the other folks (that just joined) on the walk were getting a little rude. Better to end on a good note. Lush was fantastic. They had music and awesome chocolate. Also really interesting and neat items for sale, just a nice shop to check out.

Walking and Wine (9)

That was end of the day for us. It was a great time. I felt bad for the people at the hotels, shops, and restaurants; having all of us troop into their places. But we did go back the next day to buy stuff we saw we wanted from many places we had never been to, or knew existed. Hopefully, the owners got some new business out of us crazy food and wine festers.

(As a footnote I would like to say the pictures with the (numbers) are from the Escape from New York Blog.  I loved there pictures so much I thought you would enjoy them also.)





Day 2 of Key West Food and Wine Festival

With the VIP pass you get to pick from several seminars. We were really excited about these. But we didn’t make to the one we selected. We were so tired, we slept in a little, and by the time we were up and ready to go, we would have been late. I hear they were really fun. Next year we will be more proactive with this.

So we shopped, drank, and ate our way up and down Duval for the afternoon. Even had a Kenny Chesney sighting!

That evening, we went to “Turtles, Sharks, and Mermaids, Oh My! Grand Tasting” at the Key West Aquarium. We probably walked by the Aquarium many times on visits to Key West, but never knew it was there or went in. Inside was a large pool in the middle of the room with real sharks in it and around the border of the pool they had set up many stations with food and/or wines.

We tried many wines, from many distributors, and everyone was very friendly. They had cards with information about the wine you tasted so you could find in the supermarket or Total Wine. All of the wines we tasted were ones you can get at a reasonable price at a supermarket. The food was terrific; Town N Tavern had a braised beef on a plantain with lobster and micro greens. Fin had something so wonderful I can’t describe it; but I took a lot of pictures.

Also I was so excited to meet a fellow food blogger, Prissy in Paradise. I love her site and reviews. So I couldn’t resist saying something and getting my picture taken. Donna and Greg are very lovely people and it was great to meet them.

Outside, the local troop of Burlesque performers were about to start. They are called the Key West Burly Q and I have heard they are really amazing.

We didn’t stay too long as we had already planned to head to the Smokin Tuna Saloon to see Howard Livingston & Mile Marker 24. We love their music, and couldn’t wait to get there to meet him. It was super crowded so we didn’t stay long, but it was a great show and a good time.

Again, we were exhausted from the days adventure. So back to Santa Maria Suites we went.  Hopefully tomorrow we will rest a bit....and have more fun!

3rd Annual Key West Food and Wine Festival ~ Day 1 Thursday

3rd Annual Key West Food and Wine Festival


Day 1 Thursday

We arrived in Key West on Thursday, the first day of the festival. We stopped by the festival headquarters to check in, get our VIP badges, and gifts bags. They had a lovely set up and a ton of information for us regarding the weekend ahead. While we were there, I noticed they had 5 Montage signs made specifically for the festival. We collect Montage signs, so I was excited to be able to buy one of the only 5 made. Mark Certonio and Darren Paugh were really helpful getting us all the items we needed and mapping out what would happen all weekend.

We needed to check in to Santa Maria Suites, the resort we were staying at for the first time. Luckily, we called ahead and they had a room ready for us. What a beautiful resort. We will definitely be back.

Then we had to rush to the airport to pick up my parents who were joining us for the festival.

On the way back to the resort from the airport we made a stop at the Eaton Street Seafood Market for some of their amazingly fabulous Smoked Fish Dip. I bought three tubs of it. On your next visit to Key West you must try it!

Back in the room, we couldn’t wait to have some wine and fish dip while we looked over the items in our VIP gift bags. What terrific things we received; a Banana Republic Food and Wine Festival T Shirt, a Bamboo cutting board from Ron Jon, Bloody Mary mix, postcards, stickers, Smart Water, and plenty of pamphlets for everything on the island.

Not long after that, it was time to get ready for the Barefoot Beach Party at the Southern Most Beach Cafe. It was great weather for a barefoot beach party so we were very excited.

Being a VIP badge holder we were allowed to enter first, which gave us a chance to get a cocktail table. We all mingled throughout the many tables of wine and food. Everything was really delicious and the wine was plentiful. After about an hour, they started walking around with passed hor de vours. I had so many wonderful things; Tuna, Shrimp, Cheeses, Prime Rib Sandwiches, Ceviche, and Hummus. For dessert we had a shot of Barbancourt Rhum with a rum cake. It was a good combination. I usually don’t care for rum but the cake with the shot was fun. We had several wines that were nice. I tried a Yellowtail (I usually don’t care for Yellowtail) Sparkling Chardonnay. I really enjoyed it. It was very good with the seafood we were eating.

I also got to meet Alice Weingarten, local and famous Key West Chef. I had her food many times at La Te Da. I had to get my pictures with her. She is super friendly and I enjoyed meeting her.

Soon they announced it was time to round everyone up to go on one of the strolls. VIP pass holders got to pick one of three strolls. Strolls are tours through a special neighborhood or area having food and wine are several locations; transported from Southernmost Beach Café to the neighborhood by trolley. We picked the Mallory Square stroll. The trolley ride was fun. It was our first time on the Key West trolley. I think it was also a lot of fun because everyone was full or food and wine.

Key West Trolley

Our first stop was at Bagatelle. Not actually in Bagatelle, but across the street at the stand that has fries, conch fritters, and drinks. We were all given an extremely tasty conch fritter with key lime mustard. They were hot and delicious. Next stop was Roof Top Cafe (we had breakfast there once and I had very good eggs benedict). We all trucked up stairs to the very pretty dining room and bar. We were given wine and then a server brought us a crab cake with some sort of truffle butter under it. They were full of crab and shrimp, and didn’t have a lot of filler. I enjoyed them very much.

Bar Inside Roof Top Cafe






Crab Cake at Roof Top Cafe


Then we were off to, Hot Tin Roof at Ocean Key Resort. When we visit Key West in May, we usually stay here. They have the most fabulous pool ever!! So, up to the restaurant we went, it is very tight and warm in there, they had several types of wine and a very elegant and flavorful shrimp dish. Everyone enjoyed it and we were off to the next location. Here at the end it felt like a race. There was another group behind us so at times we had to move on to the next location quickly.

Wine being poured at Hot Tin Roof

Shrimp Dish at Hot Tin Roof

El Meson De Pepe was the next stop. We sat in the garden and they had a very tasty plantain with cilantro and something else. By this time we were tired and full. Also it was very dark in the garden area so it was hard to see what exactly the food consisted of. We had more wine; however, the list said there were cigars at this location, which was one of the reasons we selected it. My Father and Husband love cigars, so they were looking forward to them. Close; but no cigar. I asked, and no one seemed to know what I was talking about. I guess I am the only one that read the description.

Setting up plates at El Meson

Last, was Flip Flops Yacht, this was another reason we selected this stroll. I saw their website before we left and we really wanted to check it out. It was very cool. They had dessert in the galley and we got to walk around and tour the entire yacht. We loved it. I hope we can go back on it in May for an excursion.


We were very tired and full. Time to head back to Santa Maria. Our feet hurt and it was actually warm for January. We had an awesome time. I loved every minute of it, even the racing from place to place. We ate a lot, drank a lot, and laughed the most!