IN PICTURES: 2022 TASTE OF KEY WEST

Hungry and thirsty crowds pack Truman Waterfront for Taste of Key West. Photos by LARRY BLACKBURN/Keys Weekly

You would have thought people hadn’t eaten in two years, eager as they were to welcome back Taste of Key West after its two-year COVID hiatus.

The popular benefit for AH Monroe packed Key West’s Truman Waterfront on April 25. Dozens of local restaurants and national wine and beer distributors donated food, beverages and staff time to help the organization that helps locals find affordable and accessible housing, health care and HIV services.

Photos by LARRY BLACKBURN/Keys Weekly

Mandy Miles drops stuff, breaks things and falls down more than any adult should. An award-winning writer, reporter and columnist, she's been stringing words together in Key West since 1998. "Local news is crucial," she says. "It informs and connects a community. It prompts conversation. It gets people involved, holds people accountable. The Keys Weekly takes its responsibility seriously. Our owners are raising families in Key West & Marathon. Our writers live in the communities we cover - Key West, Marathon & the Upper Keys. We respect our readers. We question our leaders. We believe in the Florida Keys community. And we like to have a good time." Mandy's married to a saintly — and handy — fishing captain, and can't imagine living anywhere else.