This is the story:   A long time ago, after a few too many winters at Lake Tahoe, I decided to make a move. I had grown up in sunny California but returning down the mountain just didn’t seem right. After checking out a move to Mexico, I decided to move to the Florida

Keys - site unseen. So a small group of us packed-up and headed east.

That was 30 years ago. Key West back then was very much like Mexico. Hot, sunny, drinking water that made you queazy, full of bandits and lots of bars. For such a little island there were restaurants everywhere. The town was missing one important element :

MEXICAN FOOD.  I vowed when I left the west I would never get involved in another restaurant but no mexican food was tough to take.  At first thought the response was to make it at home, but there were no mexican products in the grocery store.  In the late 70’s Duval Street stretched ocean to ocean but few people dared to walk past the 400 block.  Much of Duval Street was boarded up from the 500 block on.  Always up for an adventure we rented a boarded up building in the 500 block of Duval Street. After several months Gringo’s Cantina

opened. We had a long run - almost 20 years.

Much changed around here during that time.  Much changed for me too. My mom and my sisters joined me in my ventures.  I married

the waiter - followed him off to graduate school - had three great kids.  Thank goodness for my mom and sisters - they held down the fort. 

In the early 90’s we returned to Key West full time. The Keys are a wonderful place to raise kids.  Gringo’s Cantina was well established

as home to “The Best Margarita in Town”.  After a few years passed, the demands of life made the decision to sell Gringo’s Cantina the

right thing to do.

In the late 90s I bought another closed-up restaurant  - this time on Stock Island. This place was more complicated. Docks, fish house,

ice house - and lots of trap storage. After several months we reopened an old locals stomping ground - The Hickory House.

This place had history!  During the early 80’s these were busy docks. Ground zero for a lot of interesting activities.  A few months after

we opened Hurricane George paid us a visit.  Much of the work we had invested into the Hickory House was undone.  Not to be deterred, the Hickory House became a premier venue for Jazz in the Lower Keys. Sunday Brunch became a locals favorite. The hurricanes of 2004 and 2005 taught us many lessons.  We learned quickly how to prepare and recover after a hurricane.  After ten years and five hurricane encounters, it was time to take a break. I sold the Hickory House in late 2006.

Life is full of ups and downs. I decided to take a little down-time.  And here we are!  Right back in the middle of a crazy little project on beautiful Summerland Key.  Previously this was a closed up funky fish shack!  We have a lot going on here with more to come.  This

work has been in progress and will go on for quiet some time.  I’ll update the story when it is all done.   For now I want to THANK YOU for coming here.   Welcome to The Wharf Bar & Grill; please relax and enjoy the peacefulness of Summerland Key.