HavAnnA Cafe of the Everglades, Chokoloskee/Marco Island, Florida

On our first full day at the fantastic Marriott Crystal Shores in Marco Island, we went to Everglades City, the gateway to the Everglades National Park, for the boat tour of the 10,000 mangrove islands. It’s a grand tour, with opportunities to see lots of wildlife, including frolicking dolphins, and to learn a lot about the history of the area.

One aspect of the history of the area is that many of the islands were created by the indigenous people, not through dredging but by dumping their oyster and other shells in certain areas for a couple of thousand years. The shells compacted and created a base for plants and the accumulation of dirt and sand. The largest of these islands is Chokoloskee, about two miles from Everglades City. The island covers about 150 acres and rises up to 20 feet above sea level. That’s a lot of oysters.

Chokoloskee is home to the HavAnnA Cafe of the Everglades, a wonderful restaurant I’ve written about as the Havana Cafe of the Everglades a couple of times before — see here and here. It recently came under new management, which accounts for the new name and the capitalization, and which occasioned the inevitable fearful fretting that accompanies such changes. The new owners kept the old menu and wisely purchased the recipes, but I thought I’d better check it out for myself.

We arrived and entered the lovely green setting.

If you look closely at the left center of the photo, you’ll see a guitarist, a guitarist who sang popular songs appropriate to the gentle setting, and sang them well. HavAnnA augments the relaxed atmosphere with a bar stocked with beer, wine, and their own sangria.

HavAnnA also has another key element of that Florida Keys atmosphere.

Yes, I will get to the food. Both Michael and I ordered their Cuban sandwich, which came with black beans. We also got a side order of maduros.

The Cuban was a hit, significantly better than it had been before. The pork was fragrant with mojo, and the individual elements were well balanced. The beans, however, were bland. There was no hint of that garlic, onion, or pepper that make Cuban black beans so wonderful. Perhaps they used all the garlic on the mojo. Michael commented on his preference for the Cuban bread in Key West, and I imagine some will say it wasn’t an authentic Cuban because there was no salami, as in Tampa, but the sandwich was delicious, and delicious trumps authentic every time.

Off to the right is the side order of maduros, fried sweet plantains. They were very good, with a nicely caramelized exterior and a soft interior.

Liza ordered a pork sandwich, but hearing the praise of the Cuban, she expressed interest in a bite. Good father that I am, traded half of my Cuban for her pork sandwich. You may suspect I really wanted to try the pork, and you would be right, but that shouldn’t detract from my saintliness in sharing. Should it? Here’s my adjusted plate.

The photo understates the amount of pork on the sandwich. There was a lot, and it was intensely flavored. I loved it.

Nancy, meanwhile, ordered the shrimp criollo.

What a dish! What a sauce! A blend of tomatoes, onions, peppers, and garlic excellent, but this was special, with a rich and wonderful flavor enhanced by the perfectly fresh shrimp and, I’m betting, some shrimp stock.

Ella and Lily split orders of chicken tenders and buttered noodles. The dishes looked a lot like all other chicken tenders and buttered noodles, and they were well received, as were the music and the chicken. And the girls loved seeing an alligator (not at the restaurant– they saw one from the safety of the car a while later).

The Everglades are a must-visit when you’re in the Marco-Naples area and unless the delicacy-rich Everglades Seafood Festival (sponsored by the Florida Stone Crabbers Association) is in full swing, the HavAnnA Cafe is a must-eat. Make sure that someone in your party gets the sandwiches, and for goodness sake be sure to try the shrimp criollo.

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