If you’re a local, you’ve definitely had a bloody mary as a liquid breakfast. If you’re reading this as a visitor in town, you need to have one of these tomato-based drinks as a meal replacement at least one morning. It’s a rite of passage. I know just the place.
Okay, hear me out. A slim jim for a straw. Sounds crazy, right? That’s what I first thought when I was browsing the menu at the Hungry Tarpon restaurant, located at MM 77 inside Robbie’s of Islamorada. My curiosity got the better of me and I went through with the order. As soon as it was placed on my table, I realized this “drink” is more solid than liquid.
It’s sporting bleu cheese, pickles, pimento stuffed olives, pickled green beans, celery, a perfectly-cooked bacon strip, plump cocktail shrimp and the part as mentioned, the meat straw. You won’t leave this drink hungry, that’s for sure. The cocktail’s name is just as unique as the presentation, the Trailer Trash Bloody Mary.
Starting my day with this libation gave me enough liquid courage to feed those horse-sized tarpon that call Robbie’s home. It was also the ideal power snack before a kayak trip out to the mangrove trails. I now certainly understand why they call it the breakfast of champions.
I love tomato-based anything but I was never a big bloody mary fan due to my aversion to vodka. One day a bartender blew my mind when he stated the obvious, that he can make it with any spirit. He told me a lot of people actually choose to have their bloody marys prepared with whiskey or bourbon. That’s all it took to get me on board and that’s how I’ve ordered them ever since. The Hungry Tarpon was happy to accommodate my liquor change request.
A tip I’d like to pass on to you which was learned from trial and error, when ordering, please specify the Trailer Trash version of this spectacular drink. If you simply order a “bloody mary,” you will get just that with none of the fixin’s.
If you feel any guilt starting your morning with so much fun, just remember this is one of the healthier drinks out there, right? You can tell yourself that, at least. I once read somewhere “Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad. And philosophy is wondering if a bloody mary counts as a fruit smoothie.” All good things in moderation, people.
