The Green Turtle Inn

 

The multitude swarms around every corner of retail space in the city in a mad pursuit of perceived savings on this Black Friday, but a small group of us decided to escape into a bubble of cool sea breezes, sixty-degree temperature under Tiffany-blue skies. To complete the color palate, the narrow road to Long Key is flanked by the emerald bay on one side and the teal blue Atlantic on the other.

     Following a lively after-Thanksgiving celebration, our Saturday morning was begging for a hearty breakfast and this establishment, just a short drive into Islamorada from our hideout in Long Key, came highly recommended.
     We entered the cozy yet elegant dining room and immediately my friend DJ did a double-take when she spotted the monumental sticky buns that were being distributed to every populated table. But we'll talk about those later. Fortunately for me, our party of five picked a good sampling of menu items.

Frances ordered the shrimp and grits, one of her usuals, with a side of collard greens; DJ chose the Eggs Benedict with a side of hash brown casserole; Mario and I went for The Sid, a mushroom, peppers and cheddar omelette, except I replaced the cheddar with Boursin cheese and skipped the peppers. He also opted for the hash brown casserole and I decided on the grits. And my hubby was feeling their Bimini Waffle which can be infused with your choice of fruit or chocolate chips. The Purist had it plain, or 'classic' as he calls it, with a side of bacon.

     I tasted the collard greens and found them tangy and refreshing. I also sampled the hash brown casserole and loved the 'mac and cheese' texture. Great alternative to the ordinary dry shaved version so ubiquitous in breakfast dishes. My cup o' grits was warm and satisfying, as expected.
     By most people's standards, the omelette was very good. It had plenty of mushrooms, it was fluffy but substantial at the same time. That said, why is it so hard for me to find flavor in restaurant omelettes and scrambled eggs? They always seem on the edge of bland. I feel as if one forgotten pinch of salt or a teaspoon more of butter in the pan could make the difference, but instead I must rely on add-ons to capture the flavor. And speaking of add-ons, if I may pat myself on the back for a second, the Boursin cheese decision was a stroke of genius. I positively recommend it. The silken cream got along famously with my omelette and made up for any flavor shortcomings I may have detected.
   

     Now for the sticky buns: They were massive, doughy, wallowing in cascades of viscous syrup and crowned with chewy pecans. We ordered one for the table and everyone was more than satisfied with their portion, not to mention it served us well as DJ's improvised birthday cake. The syrup was so thick, it was a bit hard to navigate. I still think the sticky buns at Knaus Berry Farm are the ones to beat, but this was a gratifying way to end a pleasant and comforting brunch.
     The Green Turtle Inn is definitely not a one-bite stand!

 

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