F4tF: Key West Eating and Drinking

I built the following burrito: fish (hogfish) with salsa verde, ancho chili relish, cilantro and red onion escabeche (pickled).   I also ordered a hibuscus iced tea (w/ wedge of orange). There was no computer, no Point of Sale system, just a person writing your order on an order pad.  The hibiscus iced tea was served in a glass and the burrito was served with chips and salsa on a dinner plate, not paper or plastic.

The people working there knew mostly everyone walking in and greeted them by first name. It is places like this that prove the notion that if you one thing well, do it right and do it with passion, you can create something real good (which the entire meal and experience was).

When I got back to New York City, I decided to see what the story behind Bad Boy was so I found there website, clicked on the About page and read the following:

Chris and Erin greenlighted me to write the Badboy Burrito “about us” story, but I can only tell you what I know about the restaurant:

Badboy Burrito is the best spot to eat and chill on the island.

When I first stepped in the door, the awesome yet pre-Obama summer 2008, I was like, “WTF?” I mean, there was a refrigerated display full of an incredible assortment of unusual fruits and vegetables (and most from here), a paper mache zebra head on the wall, and the menu was written on chalkboards. Only it wasn’t really a menu, it was more like, “Here are you choices. Burritos. Smoothies. Cafe. Tell us what you want. Most stuff is Organic. We roll fatties.”

At first, I was overwhelmed. I didn’t know how to formulate a burrito (I still don’t; Erin and Chris have just figured out what I like.) Ditto fruit smoothies. I wasn’t used to making my own. Luckily, there were pre-formulated versions of those. I went with the Electric Pink Superhero or something like that.

And it was the best smoothie I have ever had in my life. I mean it. Like, I have been drinking smoothies since 1977. I remember because I had my first one went to see Star Wars (the original) for the second time/without my parents. The smoothie shop had just opened next door to the theatre. So the memory has stuck with me. And yet here in 2008, thirty-one years and thousands of smoothies later, THIS Badboy BURRITO SMOOTHIE WAS THE BEST SMOOTHIE I HAD EVER HAD!!! This was soon followed up by a truly magnificent latte (soy), and the whole entire thing went over the edge with a burrito which pretty much had me thinking about being hungry enough again to go through the whole thing again.

The burritos, you see, are gourmet-style, a mix of all kinds of cultural flavors which you pick, and they are made with basmati rice and rattlesnake beans, with options for strict vegetarians as well as carnivores. (I get the local fish or local shrimp burrito. Everytime.) AND THEY ARE GOOOD!

SO the next day I did go back. The very next day. And then the next. In fact, in the beginning I went everyday for like two weeks. I was afraid they would get sick of me coming in, like “Oh look it’s that tall dorky guy who is way into our food. I guess we’ll have to be nice him again.” But fortunately (for all of us) all my friends showed up, too. And it turned out that my friends were their friends! (whew) So they let me stay. And order more food, and that’s pretty much how it has gone down.

But there is a little more. See, Erin and Chris are dedicated to all the good stuff. They prefer serving you with a for here cup or plate. But if you have to go, then they have that end covered as well with completely biodegradable cups, plates, containers, forks, knives, the works. For me, someone dedicated to the premise that our planet is wicked nasty cool ie one-of-a-kind and worth extra effort on my part including but not limited to recyclables and re-usable and sustainable and organic products, Badboy Burrito is really great. I feel relaxed when I am there. Even when its busy. People there are cool, and I have even made new friends there (which is kind of amazing considering how off-to-the-side and sort-of quiet I am).

Oh yeah. Something else I should mention about Badboy Burrito. Co-owner Chris Otten is some kind of chef god, and has cooked for James Beard in NYC and he is head chef at 915. Or some such. You can read about it on his Facebook page. Also, he has a pretty cool radio station on Pandora. And a really good iPod. Erin’s his girlfriend so obviously the two of them have all kinds of good stuff going on to have picked one another. Ask them about it. They are real, friendly and open.

I don’t know what else to say. If you voted Obama, and you love fresh-cooked food that is inexpensive yet delicious and plentiful and made by very wonderful people dedicated to a better planet, and you happen to find yourself on the island of Key West, than you can no better than Badboy Burrito.

Mike Mongo
Customer

All I can say is that if you find yourself in Key West, find time to make it to BadBoy Burrito, it is worth the trip.

BadBoy Burrito
1220 1/2 Simonton St
Key West, FL 33040-3159
305.292.2697
badboyburrito.com

The other place I visited in Key West is a relatively new craft beer bar – a little more than a month old – called Krawl Off Duval.  If you have ever been to Key West, you know how apropos the name is for a Key West bar.  The brief description on their Facebook page just says “Key West’s newest Craft Beer and Wine Lounge”.

I don’t recall all of the exact beers they had for sale but I remember they had a large selection of tap beer and a smaller selection of bottled beer. Oh wait, there was a white board out front with a few of the beers.

I did order (and enjoy) a Hopsecutioner IPA which is made by Terrapin Beer Co. of Athens Georgia.  Good stuff.  Here is the description of the Hopsecutioner from the Terrapin site.

This Killer IPA earns its name by using six different types of hops while still remaining an aggressive well balanced beer.

ABV: 7.2%
IBU’s: 78
O.G.: 16.3
FG: 3.0
Malt: 2 Row Pale Malt,Munich, Pale Crystal 24L, Victory
Hops:* Warrior, Chinook, Centennial, Simcoe, Amarillo, Cascade (dry hop)

Gold Medal- 2010 Atlantic City Beer Festival (India Pale Ale)

Krawl Off Duval
506 Southard Street
Key West, FL 33040
duvalkrawl.com

That’s all for this week.

I hope to share some for of the eating and drinking destinations from the Florida trip next week.