Food: Pierre's

Pierre's Restaurant **** (Islamorada, FL) - I want to meet Pierre.  What Edith's Restaurant is to Cabo, Pierre's is to Islamorada and possibly all of Key West.  This was memorable from beginning to end.  Shall I walk you through it?  I turn into the parking lot and am greeted there by a pretty girl in a yellow dress, showing me where to park.  I see the place is filling with a large group of people who all appear to know one another - a wedding party? a rehearsal dinner? did the wedding already happen? - I can't really tell.  I opt for the bar.  Online, they had a separate bar menu.  There, in person, I have an augmented selection: bar menu and regular menu.  I decide to order from the regular menu.  Because of that, they relocate me; they figure I'll be more comfortable at one of the nice tables by the window.  I sit on a sofa.  They bring out my appetizer: House-Made Lamb Ravioli with Brunoise Vegetables, Wilted Brussel Leaves, and Creamy Lamb Jus.  Superb.  With each bite, I feel my eyes roll into the back of my head; I savor every flavor of every bite.  Next, my entree: Pan Seared Sea Scallops with Wild Mushroom Orzo and Haricot Vert with Roasted Onion & Bacon Emulsion.  Again, superb.  The first bite of scallop instantaneously reminds me of the scallops at Canoe, my favorite restaurant in Atlanta.  To think, the bacon is the least delicious item on that plate (but yes, it is still delicious).  It becomes a fine line between devouring and enjoying.  They ask me if I want anything else.  I tell them I want a mango mojito and ask if I can read my book outside on their porch and watch the sunset.  They oblige.  (How often can you even make such a request?!)  I exit, turn left, and find a comfortable lounge chair on the porch, with a view of the beach, palm trees, and the bay.  The sun starts its descent.  It is 7:15 PM.  Next door, at a bar under the same ownership as Pierre's, an acoustic guitar player sings "Sweet Baby James."  Pierre's continues to fill.  A wedding party, for sure.  Next a birthday party.  Everyone takes pictures.  I don't mind, not at all.  This is special.  I feel like I'm at someone's summer home, celebrating.  I finish my book, finish my mojito.  I watch the sunset.  The clouds shatter the light and make a beautiful sunset even more dramatic.  I take a short stroll in the sand.  I go back inside to settle my tab.  The bartender asks me how my night was.  I think about what the girl who sat next to me outside on the porch said, a total stranger, only fifteen minutes before: "Can you ask for anything more?"  Nope, I certainly can't.

Sunset from the porch at Pierre's