Hemingway’s Key West
Allapattah art, La Concha Key West, Old Cutler Inn, The Golden Rule Seafood, Islamorada’s Wide World Sportsman, MORE
WORK • Thursday Routine
Conservation minded
ERIC EIKENBERG • CEO • The Everglades Foundation
Neighborhood you work in: Palmetto Bay
It’s Thursday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
The Everglades Foundation offices are located off Old Cutler Road in Palmetto Bay, so every morning, I’m greeted by the beautiful turquoise colors of Biscayne Bay. Most Thursday mornings, our offices are buzzing with scientists, educators, and policy experts all working toward one goal: restoring America’s Everglades. The view outside motivates us to fight to protect this national treasure right here in our backyard.
What’s on the agenda for today?
No two days are ever the same — that’s what I love about my job. I just got back from Washington, D.C., where my colleagues and I met with White House officials in support of a massive reservoir being built south of Lake Okeechobee. This project is the reconnection of freshwater from the lake down to the Florida Keys. Political support is strong, and the economic benefits will be monumental for South Florida once the reservoir is constructed by 2029.
Today, I’m heading across the state to meet with business leaders in Naples and Sanibel about the economic value of clean water. The Everglades is, after all, a trillion-dollar asset for Florida. Later this week, our science team will lead a tour of key restoration projects for state legislators, and we’ll also host a group of grad students whose Everglades research we fund. In the afternoon, our education team will present new Everglades lessons being rolled out in the 31 school districts across Florida where our education program has been implemented. It’s all part of keeping the momentum going for the world’s largest ecosystem restoration project.
Any bar or restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
I finally made it to the new Old Cutler Inn in Palmetto Bay, and it absolutely lived up to the hype. Good food, great energy, and all local faces. But when the weather’s nice, you’ll probably find me grabbing a classic fish sandwich at The Golden Rule Seafood. It’s one of those timeless Miami-Dade County spots that just feels right.
How about a little leisure or culture?
With four kids, a lot of my downtime is spent at Coral Reef Park, which is one of the best parks in Miami-Dade. My kids grew up playing sports there, and it’s still my go-to spot for a shaded run or brisk walk. As a sports family, we enjoy catching the occasional Marlins, Heat, or Panthers game.
Any weekend getaways?
Islamorada, hands down. It’s hard to beat — just 90 minutes from Miami and suddenly you’re in the fishing capital of the world. We’ll stop at The Fish House in Key Largo for lunch, then head out on a boat from Angler House to explore Florida Bay. It’s impossible not to fall in love with that place: dolphins, tarpon, the endless sky, and the most beautiful, crystal-clear water. It’s also where you really see the impact of Everglades restoration. That freshwater flowing into Florida Bay keeps this ecosystem — and Florida’s economy — alive. Before leaving the Village of Islands, we visit Wide World Sportsman and support the conservation work of my friend, Johnny Morris.
Where are you donating your time or money?
In my spare time, when I’m not watching one of my kids on the baseball, soccer, or track fields, I’ve been honored to volunteer on a few boards, specifically the conservation work at Zoo Miami Foundation. In addition, I was privileged to serve on the FIU Presidential Search Committee and the Miami-Dade Charter Review Task Force as the Mayor’s appointee. Closer to home, my family supports Together We Shall Love Florida, a nonprofit my kids and their friends started to help children in foster care. My wife and I became certified foster parents a few years back, and we love bringing foster children into our home.
MIAMI RESTAURANT LINKS: Stephen Starr’s new steakhouse Slim’s opens in Bal Harbour in former Makoto space • In Sunset Harbour, Paya has shuttered • Fried chicken renaissance: Kung Fu Chicken opening Miami Beach outpost tomorrow.
ASK FOUND
Three PROMPTS for which we seek your immediate attention:
What’s your favorite place in Miami for oysters?
What’s your go-to spot for jewelry repair?
What was your Keys or Caribbean getaway hotel of choice this winter?
Got answers or more questions? Hit reply or email found@itsfoundmiami.com.
GETAWAYS • Key West
Conch centennial
In an early scene in the only novel Ernest Hemingway set in the US, his tragic hero Harry Morgan approaches Key West at night by sea and describes the scenery: “Then we came to the edge of the stream and the water quit being blue and was light and greenish and inside I could see the stakes on the Eastern and the Western Dry Rocks and the wireless masts at Key West and the La Concha hotel up high out of all the low houses…”
Remarkably, that passage of To Have and Have Not was published in 1937, yet still perfectly captures the island’s geography and landscape today. La Concha opened in 1926 as the tallest building on the island at six stories — a century later, it still holds that distinction. Set in the center of Duval Street, its pink stucco façade is an enduring symbol of Key West. In preparation of its centennial, the hotel completed a $35 million renovation in 2024 with a modern refresh worthy of its heritage and joined Marriott’s Autograph Collection.