I have felt it an obligation on recent early morning forays into the big bad city of Key West to eat some certain breakfast food to write up a couple of breakfast reviews. Recently I had a sandwich at Kim's Kuban on the Boulevard and the other day I had one at Little Jon's on First Street near Flagler.
This is a true hole in the wall operation with a serving window under an awning and a counter with a couple of stools. The coffee was hot and sweet and the sandwich came by a couple of minutes later. "Bacon egg and cheese with a medium con leche with one" (sugar) made up my million calorie order. The thing about Cuban breakfast sandwiches is that proper Cuban bread is made with lard which adds to the caloric effect. 
I only get this stuff as a rare treat and I thoroughly enjoy it when I do but a daily diet of this food will do one no good at all. On the other hand we see people lining up at fast food joints daily so perhaps...but then take a look:
The bread is crusty and flaky on the outside the egg mixture in the middle isn't greasy and the coffee is hot. This is the breakfast of champions, and the presence of the day's newspaper is the icing on the cake. I brought mine from home, celebrating Tom Hambright's quarter century as Monroe County historian.
Hambright is responsible among other things for the Today in History column and photo op on page two of the Citizen. I always read it right after the Voice's anonymous comments on the state of the county. He also provides researchers with historical tools from the library's resources and commentary when called for. That he looks a tad bit like actor Joss Ackland is just a tad bit confusing for me:
In later life Ackland has played a fair few villainous roles which I don't think would be at all suited to the stately Mr Hambright. And then the con leche was gone and it was time to go back to reality.
This is a true hole in the wall operation with a serving window under an awning and a counter with a couple of stools. The coffee was hot and sweet and the sandwich came by a couple of minutes later. "Bacon egg and cheese with a medium con leche with one" (sugar) made up my million calorie order. The thing about Cuban breakfast sandwiches is that proper Cuban bread is made with lard which adds to the caloric effect. I only get this stuff as a rare treat and I thoroughly enjoy it when I do but a daily diet of this food will do one no good at all. On the other hand we see people lining up at fast food joints daily so perhaps...but then take a look:The bread is crusty and flaky on the outside the egg mixture in the middle isn't greasy and the coffee is hot. This is the breakfast of champions, and the presence of the day's newspaper is the icing on the cake. I brought mine from home, celebrating Tom Hambright's quarter century as Monroe County historian.
Hambright is responsible among other things for the Today in History column and photo op on page two of the Citizen. I always read it right after the Voice's anonymous comments on the state of the county. He also provides researchers with historical tools from the library's resources and commentary when called for. That he looks a tad bit like actor Joss Ackland is just a tad bit confusing for me:In later life Ackland has played a fair few villainous roles which I don't think would be at all suited to the stately Mr Hambright. And then the con leche was gone and it was time to go back to reality.
8 comments:
Michael--
You must hit Ana's Cuban Cafe on Simonton St. (at South St.? IIRC?) some time. We love the food.
And yet, if you look at most Cubans, they eat like this every day and are slimmer than us portly 'Mericans. I don't get it, but it must work.
Greg P. In WV...still saving the Plantain Chips my wife bought on Key West last month, just in case...
I'm adding Little Jon's on my list of places to stop for my trip down there next week!
BTW...do you by any chance know what the weather will be?
Hot dry and windy. It seems like it's been this way forever and will continue forever. it is totally weird.Oh and try Kims KUban on the Boulevard at Fifth (Macmillan) while you are about it.
Someone try Anas and put greg out of his misery.
LOL I'll go try both and put my two cents.
I've been watching weather.com trying to see what the weather will be like next week and it didn't look all that great with rain. But then again, it said the same about the current week and looking at your pictures...that was a lie.
I love the egg, ham, and cheese with a colada at El Mucho on SI. I wish you hadn't told me about the lard in the Cuban bread! I have always let the lightness of the bread fool me into believing that it's really not such a bad thing once in while.
Now the weather is total crap with horrid gray overcast, good for Cheyenne who is feeling perky under the overcast but crap for pictures.
I adore el mocho and haven't been there in ages, I did an essay oct 23rd 2008 and I was last there last year so it's time to go back and have crispy bacon and grits and heavily buttered cuban bread. Oh dear.
He reminds me of Uncle Joe on Petticoat Junction.
Bob from wet and rainy Livingston Montana
I'm not in misery, Michael, but I do sense your aversion to Ana's. Fair enough.
This El Mocho places serves bacon with grits?
I'm in.
Greg P. In WV, where shrimp and grits (a little garlic and some cheddar cheese, too) are a weekly staple of our life...
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