Mrs. Mac's Kitchen

A drive through the upper Florida Keys, and lunch at Mrs. Mac's on a brisk and bright March Saturday, can have restorative powers after a long work week. It's the cool breeze, and the emerald and turquoise waters that flank Overseas Highway, and the lampshades in the restaurant made of license plates from every corner of the U.S. and beyond. All of it conspires to make it a vibrant day of leisure.
   

     Mrs. Mac's menu is chock full of fresh seafood choices to complement the Florida Keys atmosphere, but they also provide a variety of options not from the sea. With solid homemade chili, churrasco, hot dogs, and a respectable list of burgers, this menu offers something for everyone.
     John ordered a Keybilly Island Ale but found nothing special in its flavor. A Miller Light in a pretty blue can. I saved my beverage calories for the promise of a dessert Key Lime Freeze, which although tasty and generous in size, lacked richness and depth of flavor.
    We both chose Docksider Baskets, John the fresh fish
basket filled with fat strips of tender breaded mahi in a bed of cottage fries. I was feeling adventurous and decided to try the alligator tenders, also with puffy, crispy cottage fries. My take is that alligator tastes a little like chicken, a little like fish. Freshwater chicken, if you will. They're chewy, but not in an off-putting way. I dipped the tenders in blue cheese dressing and tartar sauce, and both blended well with the reptile.

     The coleslaw was a pleasant surprise. Take it from a coleslaw snob- this one was outstanding.
     While I indulged in my Key Lime Freeze, John went for the traditional Key lime pie, touted here as world famous. It was sweet and tart as expected, with a little more bitterness than I would like, but a solid interpretation nonetheless. However, with all due respect to Mrs. Mac, we've had better.
     If you're in the area and want a basket of fresh seafood in a diner-style environment, Mrs. Mac's is your ticket.

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