Click here to visit Henrietta's site!

Let's keep this real, or as real as it is possible to keep it in Key West! One of the things we looked for in Key West was places that the locals would hang out. That's how we found Lulu's Kiss, and El Siboney, but today we took it to a whole new level -- We had lunch at The Art of Baking by Henrietta found at 316 Petronia Street. This is as real as it gets.

How about parts of the menu hand written on poster board held on the wall with packing tape? How about food all home made by the people who work there? My waitress proudly told me about how her mother hand chopped the conch that went into my conch chowder. How about Miss Henrietta sitting in the corner of the restaurant working on her computer -- fixing new recipes!!!

This place was about as real as it gets -- and it was fabulous!!! I just wish that we had found it several days ago. Joni and Heather both had the fried chicken drummettes. I had the Conch chowder and a cheeseburger. I had to eat the cheeseburger here because it was the actual cheeseburger that Jimmy Buffett wrote the song Cheeseburger in Paridise about.

The picture on the left is of the Tropical LIfe pull out section of the Miami Herald on which Ms. Henrietta is on the cover. The picture on the right is me and Ms. Henrietta in front of the famous lunch counter at which Jimmy Buffett sat consumiing many burgers prior to the days when he would be recognized by site. JB still comes in a couple times a year for a surprise visit and a cheeseburger, after which he stays and plays a few tunes.

Above shows a serious expression on my face! That is because the chowder is that serious!!!

Below is Heather's drummettes and a sign that hangs on the wall. This place is just down to earth good food! It was one of my favorite stops while in Key West.