Nine One Five Restaurant and Wine Bar, Key West

If Key West’s chefs have a weak point, it’s cuteness, especially when choosing names and decor. The exterior of this elegant former residence on Duval Street is cheapened by a string of lights, and the name, nine one five (all lower case, of course), is the street address. Once you’re inside, though, things get a lot more original quickly. The menu is inventive, bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with sweet garlic and clams with chorizo, and the beautiful double-decker balcony, wrapped in gingerbread, is the perfect frame to watch Key West amble by on the sidewalk below. We started with chipotle conch chowder, a spicier and smokier version of one of our all-time favorites, and then onto nine one five’s signature tuna dome, a mountain of Dungeness crab meat wrapped in tuna sashimi with a lemon miso dressing. You can fill up on the appetizers or save yourself for more conventional main plates, such as steak frites, roasted organic chicken or even a vegetarian crepe. The unique wine bar upstairs adds character and the service is excellent.

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