City Guide: Key West

Ever since I went to Key West a few years ago, I've been dreaming about going back. My mom and I decided to spend the past weekend there to celebrate her birthday and we had a blast! Here's what we did:

We got there Saturday morning and headed straight to grab some brunch. We went to Croissants de France on busy Duval St. I had scrambled eggs on a croissant with potatoes and an amazing mustard sauce. Coffee was good and the beignets were amazing. Didn't have time to snap a picture because I ate it all in 2 seconds.

At Croissants de France,

After that we settled in our little hotel room and decided to go for a walk around town. Key West is a sight for the eyes, with its adorable conch houses in pastel colors.

Colors of Key West.

Color inspiration everywhere,

We got thirsty and decided to stop for a drink at Sloppy Joes, an iconic bar where Ernest Hemingway used to hang out. We had beers and mojitos while listening to live music.





After that, we decided to check out Ernest Hemingway home and we took a interesting guided tour.







After some more walking, we had an early dinner at Mangia Mangia in its charming patio. We both had spaghetti with clams (so good!), wine and key lime pie.

At Mangia Mangia.

Key lime pie & espresso.

Then, we hurried to Mallory Square to catch the sunset, and it was breathtaking. Definitely one for the books.

A sunset to remember.

Next morning, I woke up early to swim in the hotel pool and then we had a yummy breakfast at Camille's. I had eggs Benedict and my mom had pancakes. Also, coffee (obviously).

I told you Key West is a color fest.

We decided to check out the Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory and I was blown away. You walk into this greenhouse and hundreds of butterflies fly around you. It truly was magical.

This is me being in awe at the butterflies.

There were also flamingos!

We took a cute little trolley around town and it was a nice break from all the walking. On Sunday the weather was perfect, sunny with a nice breeze.

We stopped for a drink at Captain Tony's Saloon, another old bar with a lot of history, and we played foosball while sipping beers.

Before heading back home, we grabbed a light lunch at Conch Republic Seafood Compnmy, overlooking the marina. I had conch fritters and a key lime mojito. I was a happy camper.

The ride back home was awesome, since we had the chance to catch one of those dreamy Florida sunsets. It was so nice to take a weekend off and relax for a bit. As you know, I'm all for breaking the routine, and this trip certainly did.

Daydreaming about this very same idea.

On my soon-to-happen trips? Snorkeling in Islamorada and visiting St. Agustine, the oldest city in the U.S.

My Favorite South Beach Eateries

I'm finally back from a week in South Beach! I can't believe that only a few days ago I was swimming in the ocean and drinking mojitos under the sun. But it feels good to be back home, that's for sure.

And what did I do? Well,  I spent my days swimming, sun bathing and eating. Well, I did more eating than anything else, really.  I want to share my favorite South Beach eateries, so here they are:

The Chalan on the Beach: a modest, but delicious and inexpensive Peruvian restaurant. When I lived in South Beach this was my place to go for a quick and affordable bite. Every time I go I have the same: any soup of the day and a mango shake. While they're preparing your meal, they give you bread and spicy green sauce, it's to die for!

Mango Shake and bread at the Chalan.

Pizza Rustica: my favorite pizzeria in the world. They serve gourmet pizzas with the freshest ingredients and homemade dough prepared daily. The prosciutto and hard boiled egg pizza is seriously outstanding. Also good here: the salads!

Prosciutto & Egg Pizza in Pizza Rustica.

Quattro Restaurant: an upscale Italian restaurant on Lincoln Road. Pasta Carbonara and Pasta alle Vongole (with clams) are beyond delicious. Also, you must try the tiramisu. Like any other restaurant on Lincoln Road, you can sit outside for people-watching, but for a real treat, sit inside. It's quiet and intimate and the mirrored bar is spectacular.

The  mirrored bar in Quattro.

Rosa Mexicano:  This is not your typical Mexican restaurant, it's modern and upscale, with a very chic atmosphere. A great place to go for drinks and appetizers. I had the crab empanadas and the pomegranate margarita, amazing!

Puerto Sagua: This is the best Cuban restaurant I've ever been to. I went crazy for the fried yuca, the ropa vieja (shredded flank steak on a tomato sauce) and the cortadito (espresso with steamed milk). I love this place so much that I went 2 days in a row. ( I had Spanish codfish the second day, also excellent).

Ropa Vieja, Rice & Black Beans.

Enjoying the best coffee in the world.

Joe's Stone Crab: This place is a legend and a must if you visit South Beach. They've been on the same location since 1913. I had crab cakes and it was the best meal of my entire life. For dessert I had key lime pie, which was pretty amazing, too.


Also, I spent a wonderful day in Key West, but I will tell you about it tomorrow!*

*Read about my day trip to Key West!

Images: Monica Aguiñaga for Hola!Design, except Quattro's mirrored bar picture from Quattro.

R & R

I'll be taking a much needed vacation next week (I'm heading down to Florida to hang out with friends). I've scheduled a few posts to go live, if you'd like to pop by!
See you Monday 23th! I'll miss you all.

Miami : An explosion of color

I daydream about going to South Beach, lay on the beach and drink colorful cocktails. And I want to wear this while I do that.

From top to bottom:

Blue Sandals by Cynthia Vincent.

Mark Davis blue bangle.

Goldfish charm by Linda Lee Johnson.

Juicy Couture Blue Ruffled cover up.

Forever 21 yellow bikini.

Michael Kors blue watch.

Crochet cowboy hat by Shopbop.

Pink beach bag by LeSportsac.

Background image by Bo61.