Pumpkin and Spice

The Florida Keys are well known for a lot of things- Jimmy Buffet, Ernest Hemingway, drinking, gorgeous weather, drinking, fabulous fresh seafood and of course... Key Lime Pie! Being a sugar-fiend, I was determined to try as much Key Lime Pie as I could!

Just about every restaurant and bakery in the Keys serves Key Lime Pie, and they all claim to have "the best pie in the Keys!" It would be an impossible task to try every pie in the Keys- I mean, even with the help of Mom and Kyle, I only averaged one slice a day... and I always managed to be full whenever we passed a stand that sold chocolate dipped Key Lime Pie on a stick. Oh, well. I'll have to try that next trip!

Here's the skinny (maybe not the right choice of words...) on some of the pies of the Keys...

La Cuccina Italiana!
US 1, Mile marker 105, Key Largo, FL

Okay, so this wasn't technically Key Lime Pie- it was a Key Lime Cannoli. I had really, really high hopes for this one. It sounded so unique, and was very pretty when it came out. It wasn't quite what I was expecting. I thought it would be a cannoli shell, filled with Key Lime Pie filling, but it was a ricotta filling, flavored with lime. The filling was a little gritty and a bit watery, and the lime flavor was... odd. I hate to be negative, but this was not our favorite- in fact, between the three of us, we didn't even finish the dessert. I liked the idea, though, so I may have to play around with it and try to make my own version of it.

The Fish House
US 1, Mile marker 102, Key Largo, FL

I thought for sure I'd figure out which was the "authentic" way to serve Key Lime Pie- meringue or whipped cream? The Fish House's pie featured meringue. Very toasted, kinda weepy meringue. The crust, as you can see, was also a little crumbly. We had a late dinner, and it was a super-busy night, so I'm going to let the slightly dumpy appearance of our pie slice slide... Maybe it's prettier earlier in the night. The texture of the pie was very rich and custardy- almost like the texture of a creme brulee. It was lighly sweet with a just a kiss of lime flavor. It was very delicate, and not at all tart. The meringue was a little darker than I like, but overall, a nice way to end a fabulous meal.

The Island Fish Company
US 1, Mile marker 55, Marathon, FL

This is Key Lime Pie you can get to by land, air or sea! The Island Fish Company has a boat dock, a helipad(!) and of, course, a parking lot. We got there by car, because my helicopter was in the shop, sadly. The Island Fish Co's pie was topped with whipped cream, and was presented very beautifully, with a pretty lime slice on top. The pie's texture was buttery-silky-smooth. The pie was sweet with a bright, fresh lime flavor. I could definately taste lime zest, which gave it a good flavor. The pie was just barely tart, and while I like my pie super tart, I understand that not everyone does, so this was a good balance between sweet and slightly tart. My one complaint was that it was topped with whipped topping instead of real whipped cream- but that's pretty minor.

Blond Giraffe Key Lime Pie Factory
Multiple locations. We went to 802 Duval St., Key West, FL

The Blond Giraffe has been voted "The Best Key Lime Pie in Florida" for 5 years in a row. They offered pies topped with whipped cream or meringue... so I guess I'll never find out what the "authentic" version is. We ordered one of each. Since it's a bakery with a walk-up counter, the pie slices were served in their own little plastic wedge containers, which ensured that they were pretty and perfect-looking. The pie itself was softer than some of the other pies we'd had, and was wonderfully creamy. It was also mouth-puckeringly tart! I looooove the combo of sweet and tart, so this hit the spot for me. Mom thought they were too sour, so if you aren't into tart things, this may not be for you. The whipped cream (yeah- real whipped cream!) was just barely sweetened, which nicely balanced the sweet-tartness of the pie. The meringue (my favorite) was sweet, not at all weepy or sliding off the pie, was perfectly toasted and was topped with a light dusting of lime zest. While I can't say if this is the best Key Lime Pie in all of Florida (I haven't yet eaten all the Key Lime Pie in Florida) it was certainly, in my opinion, the best Key Lime Pie I've eaten! I liked the others, but this one satisfied my craving for creamy, sweet, tartness. Oh! And the good news? The Blond Giraffe ships all over the US, so you don't even have to travel to Key West to get it!