It's that time of year again. Here is the scoop on the 2023 Key West Lobsterfest. The festival is designed to honor and celebrate the island's most famous crustacean and to kick off lobster season. Lobster season in the Florida Keys begins on August 6th and runs through March 31st.
The weekend festival kicks off Thursday, August 10th with a lavish lobster boil at the famous Caroline's Café. It's in the courtyard of Key West's historic Porter Mansion. Besides lobster, the boil includes local shrimp, corn on the cob and redskin potatoes. Classic.
The main event is an open-air lobster feast on the island's famous Duval Street Saturday. Here, you can sample the sweet meat of the island's famous spiny lobsters in a variety of ways. Purist like them steamed, with drawn butter. However, there are limitless ways to enjoy lobster. The festival will highlight many of them. Think bisque, rolls, pasta, salads and more.
Key West Lobsterfest Street Fair
Best of all, admission to the Lobsterfest Street Fair is free. It stretches between the 100 and 500 blocks of Duval Street. Along the street, restaurants and bars line up to serve up special dishes from appetizers to entrees, where lobster is the star. Lobster may even appear in a few cocktails.
The tender crustaceans are caught by local fishermen. Festivities begin at noon, no one gets up early in Key West. The fun funs through 11pm, and then the party moves to the famous bars that line Duvall.
In addition to the street fair, local restaurants feature all kinds of lobster dishes if sit down dining is what you're looking for. In addition, weekend festivities include a decadent Sunday brunch, pub crawl and lots of live music. The party wraps up on Sunday, August 13th with a pool party and lobster boil at Southernmost Beach Resort from 1-4.. Make plans and reservations for accommodations now.
For more information and tickets to various events, click here.
Highway 17 Diner, A Favorite Florida Pit Stop
This summer, tens of thousands of Southwest Floridians are hitting the road for summer vacation. Being so far south has its challenges. It can take a long time to get out of the state. In addition, driving back into the state you sometimes need to stop and refuel. The kind of refueling I'm talking about is for the body, not the motor vehicle. When you feel the need for a break when driving up the interior state, check out this Highway 17 diner, a favorite Florida Pit Stop. It's Gloria's Restaurant in Bowling Green.
Gloria's sits almost right on the county line separating Polk and Hardee. I had passed by this place for years before finally stopping one day when I was tired and hungry. The parking lot almost always has cars in it, which for some people is a good sign. Just as we walked in, I caught a man taking the first bite of his sandwich. Juice came dripping out all over his plate and I thought, this has GOT to be good.
Food at the Highway 17 diner
Gloria's serves breakfast all day. No frills, just good home cooked food. A chalkboard with the daily specials is at the front of the restaurant. Meatloaf is one special that sells out. There were so many things that looked good. However, we settled on a simple breakfast burrito and a Cuban sandwich.
The burrito was not huge, but rather manageable and hit all the flavor points you would expect. Simple and good. The Cuban had a generous slathering of mustard and mayo on the bread, along with pickles. Fries came with an all-purpose seasoning and the coleslaw had a touch of sweetness. I would definitely stop again.
There is another great place to stop on U.S. 17 just off of I-75 in Punta Gorda. Peace River Seafood is a local crab shack that is a must try. If you have a favorite pit stop, let me know here. In the meantime, here are some photos of this Highway 17 diner, a favorite Florida pit stop. Next time you drive past, give it a try to satisfy your hunger.
Photos From The Highway 17 diner
