It has been many weeks since anyone has been able to actually go out to eat with quarantining being imposed on the populace and restaurants being closed for dining in. I do love to cook, but it is nice to be able to get waited on and not mess with any cleanup once in awhile. Plus, the closures have really thrown a wrench into my normal Saturday morning routine; my husband and I meet up with our friends Tommy and Pam every Saturday morning for breakfast out.
This week, some of the local restaurants were allowed to open back up on a limited basis, so our Saturday morning breakfast tradition was able to be reestablished! With the gorgeous weather we were experiencing, we decided eating outside would be awesome, and we went with one of my old favorites, Croissants de France on Duval Street.
Since only 25% of any establishment’s capacity is allowed in at once, we did not expect it to be crowded, but we thought there was a slight chance of a wait at such a popular breakfast spot. However, we walked into a very quiet scene with only two tables seated at 8:30 in the morning when we arrived. But moreover, I think that so many people are suffering financially that they really cannot afford to eat out, even with the 50% off special that Croissants de France was running for Mother’s Day weekend. It is a sad state of affairs on that front, but that is another story…
Since we were eating, we did not need to wear masks at our table. But the staff had to wear masks. And our server also stayed about six feet away from us while we ordered, although that was impossible to do while actually serving us our food. Tables were spread out a bit further than usual here, and they were obviously not seating anyone right next to one another, keeping with social distancing guidelines.
I have to say that while I do feel bad for the locals suffering from the closures and lack of tourists that help to frequent the local businesses, of which we are a part of, we did enjoy the quiet atmosphere and superior service. With a quiet dining area, we were pretty much able to choose our seat and our waitress was extremely attentive during our entire meal, which was delicious per usual.
I went with the bacon eggs Benedict, Steven went with a ham and cheese omelet, Pam with the veggie quiche, and Tommy with the French toast. Plus Pam and I split a crepe with sugar and lemon as dessert. Since we all cleaned our plates, we all obviously enjoyed everything. I have to say that the crepes, something that I do not normally order, were amazing; they were just sweet enough and really refreshing with the hint of lemon.
While we completely enjoyed our first experience eating out in the time of Covid-19, I am fearful that the closures will have long standing effects, even for long established businesses in the area. According to the local Chamber of Commerce, Key West alone has nearly 30 businesses closures already from negative financial impacts. For a city that runs on tourism, a lack of tourists is a truly sad state.
While many places are closing up in Key West, there are still so many options. So, when you are allowed back to our island, be sure to read my Key West restaurant reviews to help determines where you want to eat; and check out our restaurant review section of this blog.
To see what is happening on the island during your visit, check out our Key West Events Calendar to see other upcoming special events.
And for more information about the fun side of Key West… things to do and see in our island city, go to our Key West Web Site.
Feel free to Email Me if you have any questions about Key West!!
