Good Food, Service Eh!
Key West, Florida, USA
Dined in January 2016
By Sean Overpeck (CFE)
Duval Street from shore to shore stretches 1.25 miles (2.012 Kilometers), and in that small strip there are over 50 restaurants, bars, and cafe’s to choose from. Take your pick between Seafood, American, Cuban, Caribbean, Italian, Japanese, French and others, whatever your in the mood for. About seven blocks west of the southernmost point is a nice Victorian house turned restaurant with patio called Nine One Five where my fiancé and I had our last dinner on Key West before heading home.
Scroll down to read the main review, accolades and wine tasting notes
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That I visited and reviewed on this site…
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Restaurant Owner:
Stuart Kemp
From the restaurants home page:
Nine one five bistro and wine bar is located in a magnificent Victorian house: circa 1850. Since opening in 2002 we have received national & international acclaim with 2 James Beard Foundation invitations. The food is simple fare prepared properly - no fuss just great food with an international wine list to back it up. We look forward to seeing you.
Main review:
My fiancé and I had a fantastic weekend down here on paradise island, enjoying many restaurants, bars, and sightseeing such as the Ernest Hemingway House, President Truman’s Little White House, Mallory Square, the Southernmost Point, and many other things. We came down to participate in the Key West Food and Wine Festival towards the end of January which had 40 separate events over a period of five days. We had purchased tickets for four of these events. One was fantastic, a second was okay, a third one was not worth the money, and the forth was so bad we got our money back.
During the money back event we stopped into a little business called The Cork and Stogie enjoying conversation with the owner Dan, and he mentioned before leaving the island that we needed to have a meal at Nine One Five. We had booked dinner that evening, but Sunday dinner was open, and we wanted to check it out. The restaurant is mainly on the patio with some inside seating as well as a lounge. The building was an old but smaller 1850s Victorian Mansion, kept in excellent condition, with the restaurant seating being on two outside patio levels. One level was on the wrap around porch that the older style Southern houses were known for, and the other was below the porch which had some smaller awnings and little umbrellas covering the table encase it rained. In the building on the second floor was the Point5 Lounge/Bar.
The patio area is a smoking area so be warned of that, and as we didn’t smoke, my fiancé didn’t mind to much, but I’m really not one for enjoying a meal and wine when someone is smoking. The inside lounge was full with over an hour wait, and being that we were a little hungry, I took my chances. There was a table next to us smoking but it wasn’t too bad. When we sat, looked over the menus, we waited for a while but saw that is was busy and knew that a server would come by soon. Eventually our server came over, apologized for the delay and took our drink order. My fiancé
had a glass of Château Miraval rosé, which she had enjoyed the night before at one of the wine tasting events, and I tried the Lange Rosso Nebbiolo Blend (Scroll down below the main review to see wine tasting notes).
As we waited for the drinks we reviewed the menu which was broken down by the following:
- Starters
- Large Plates
- Sides
- Raw
- Home Made Pastas
- Desserts
Some time went by, and we did have some waters, but it took awhile for the drinks we ordered to arrive, but again it looked busy, we have both been and or currently still in the food service industry, so we both knew that it gets hectic when the house is full.
When he did come by we placed our order starting with my fiancé having a wonderfully presented roasted beet salad with watercress lettuce, goat curd, walnut gastrique, and a sherry vinaigrette. Other items on this portion of the menu included aged Vermont cheddar, fried calamari, and a chicken liver terrine Pâté to name a few
I started with a section on the starter menu entitled medium with Burrata cheese which is a blend of cream and mozzarella cheeses served with four sliced blood oranges, a ramekin dish side of coriander seeds, and a lavender oil garnished on the plate, and some cilantro garnish on the cheese ball. They also had grilled octopus, perking duck confit, and seared diver scallops along with about ten other selections to choose from.
By the time we were nearly done with the starters, my fiancé had asked for another glass of wine, and it took a very long time to have it delivered. We also noticed that the smoking table next to ours must have been friends with our server because he was over there a lot, chatting with them, and anytime they needed a drink or anything it was delivered very quickly. I guess we must have had quarantine signs posted on us with a warning not to approach.
We shared the Ossobuco dish from the “large” area of the menu which came with three braised cross-cut veal shanks, served over a saffron rice polenta, garnished with some mixed greens in the center, and topped with a herbed gremolata made with lemon zest, herbs, garlic, and mint. A very classic Milanese dish presented well here at Nine One Five, with wonderful flavors. My wine went very well with this dish.
Other items on the entree or large selections included New York Strip Lollipops, tiger prawns, and home made pasta dishes, followed by classic dishes like center cut filet au poivre, Florida snapper, and wild salmon ravioli.
Their menu has both vegetarian dishes and gluten free for those with that allergen, and to my knowledge they do their staff on allergen identification and they are able to pass that information to the customer unlike Mohammed Khalique Zaman owner of the Indian Garden restaurant in North Yorkshire, United Kingdom who killed a patron who had a nut allergy. Though our server didn’t even ask if we had allergens or not.
A brief look at the wine list:
Nine One Five has a wine list that represents a good portion of the world and scores nice marks for my ratings list with some basic blends from Napa and Sonoma, with a nice addition of Freemark Abby ‘Sycamore’ on their Cabernet list. Their Bordeaux and Rhone blends were common names you see at a lot of places, but if you enjoy those blends then they will pair well with your meal, especially the Grand Cru from Château Smith Haut Lafitte.
From Italy they had some impressive Tuscany and Piemonte selections such as La Massa Giorgio Prima. Spain is also well presented as well as a wine or two from Germany and Gruner Veltliner from Austria. Australia and New Zealand also had one or two on the list.
Wine Tasting Notes:
Wine & Grape:
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Nose (Bouquet):
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Palette Experience:
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Winemaker: A gorgeous pale pink color with soft and shiny reflections. A lovely mineral freshness with delicate aromas of citrus, red fruits and white flowers. Blend of Cinsault, Grenache, Syrah, and Rolle, with wonderful blends of lime and orange with apple and mineral hints |
Winemaker: On the palate the terroir reveals a pretty balanced and elegant volume along with a very nice tension bringing length. The bouquet of aromas is persistent leading to a long lasting fruity finish with an undertone salty character. |
Lange Rosso Nebbiolo Blend
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Winemaker: could not find winery or tasting notes Dominated by licorice/anise and ripe berries and cherries, very fruity with not much complexity |
Winemaker: Taste starts with cherries in a bed of soft tannins, medium body with a mild lasting finish |
So many great wines in this world, here are a few of my favorite tastings:
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Stellenbosch, South Africa
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Napa, California, USA
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Santa Barbara, California, USA
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Franschhoek, South Africa
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Willamette, Oregon
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Yarra Valley, Australia
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Asheville, North Carolina, USA
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Willamette, Oregon
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Alexander Valley, California, USA
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Constantia, South Africa
|
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Yountville, California
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Napa, California, USA
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Dessert:
We both enjoyed the meal, and being in the typical Key West fashion we decided to order their key lime pie for dessert. I also had a glass of Tawny Port 20 years to sip with the dessert.
So, with the meal complete, and our culinary appetites fulfilled, lets see how Nine One Five rates overall shall we….
5 stars
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is Extraordinary
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4 Stars
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is Outstanding
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3 Stars
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Exceeded Expectations
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2 Stars
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is Above the Average
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1 Star
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is an Average Dining Experience
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No Star Rating
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The Restaurant is Basic, Poor, or Appalling
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Rating Breakdown And Analysis:
Professional Restaurant reviewers like the New York Times, Zagat, Chowhound, Gayot, or others base their reviews on either a single experience, and give in their opinion a specific rating to that restaurant. While some return a few times to get a better scope, and provide a fare well rounded review. These reviews and accolades tell the whole story and inform the diner of what to expect. Now social media from Facebook, Yelp, Zomato, and Trip Advisor have started to replace the traditional media, and a large majority of diners will look at these social ratings and write-ups and judge the restaurant on them versus the use of review sites like this one or the others I mentioned above. Social media is now the new make or brake to a Restaurant. Instead of being skeptical to the social review, people will see that others have given low ratings, and they will likely bypass and go to a neighboring restaurant. Whether it is here on Wine, Dine, and Play, or the Elite Traveler’s Guide, the one thing we do is give an unbiased opinion and base our write-ups on what we experienced, giving you the most information we can. The ratings I give on Wine, Dine, and Play are based on the overall experience, so use this review as another source of information to help make your decision. From the tasting of the Chef’s specials to the lists of wines, prices, customer service, the property, setup, flow, and cleanliness; are just a few of the items I look at when giving a rating for a review. Sometimes I visit a place once-or many times-and I base it on the facts, versus a user on social media who writes a bad review because he had a bad day, or has a personnel dislike to an employee. I am one of many thousands of reviewers on this Earth, and my main job is to inform you the diner. I do this for fun as it is something I truly enjoy. You may end up having a completely opposite experience then the ones I write about, but in the end it is all in the eye of the beholder. I’m just giving you more information then what you see or here on social media.
Here on Wine, Dine, and Play, I have an overall star rating scale of six levels with the lowest being a poor or appalling experience with zero stars, up to an extraordinary experience rated at five stars. This rating scale is formulated by braking down the individual experiences such as wine, plate presentation, ambiance, wow factor, plus food quality and combines them on a scale from zero to ten, with ten being the best to give an overall final score. In the next paragraph, I brake down how and why I come to the conclusion of the rating numbers listed in the review chart below.
I have been to Nine One Five once, but not sure if I intend on returning again.
I rate ambiance on several factors from the most important being cleanliness of the dining room and restrooms, to organization and flow. I look at the atmosphere, character, the tones, artwork, and the design styles to see if they match the themes of the food. During the daylight hours natural lighting versus electric is also a strong enhancer of enjoying a meal, and of course the styles of furniture, or if it is inviting and comfortable.
Though I didn’t see the inside lounge, the fact that you could dine on the patio of this old Victorian house was very romantic for my fiancé and I, so that helped raise the ambiance score to 6 out 10.
The quality rating I base by an essential or distinctive characteristics that the food offers, or if I see that it is of a high grade, superiority, or excellence. Also important is the taste. Did the chef pair or match distinctive ingredients together, and did he send my palette on an adventure?
The Ossobuco was delicious, the beets tasted fresh, and the burrata was very filling. The quality rate I would give is at a 6 out of 10 as well.
The plate presentation is also at the midway point. I base this rating on the art of how the food is but together and displayed as it is brought to the table. Does it look unique, or have interesting garnishments, or built right at the table? Does it make you look twice and go “wow”? All of these attributes help add to the rating.
The Presentation of the dishes was a classic yet mildly decorative but nothing that stood out to make it artistic as far as garnish, plate design, or set-up. So a rating here of 5 out of 10 does not take away from how good the food tasted or its quality.
Customer service can make or break a restaurant. You can have the best quality of foods, plate presentations that put Escoffier to shame, the most beautiful of ambiance, and a fantastic wine or bar list. However if you have a service staff that is not attentive to the needs of the guest, or has an unclean uniform, smells like a cigarette after returning from a break, does not act professionally, or lacks knowledge on the menu, food, and restaurant then you have a major problem. On the other hand a great server can bring a customer back over and over again even if the food is mediocre. People go to restaurants for the show of food thinking they are experts because they watched a reality tv show on the Food Network, but what needs to be understood is that as amazing as a kitchen staff and Chef’s may be, the front of house is just as great.
As I mentioned in the first paragraph of the ratings breakdown and analysis, I base my reviews on my experience whereas others use social media. Now when I do research I do look at the social media sites for curiosity to see what others say. On customer service, the social reviews were equal to mine, or worse. Our server was rude, ignored us, and took his time as he talked with friends instead of doing his job bringing the rating here at nine One Five to a 3 out of 10 unfortunately. Again, the server can make or break a restaurant.
The “wow” factor as I like to call it is a quality or feature that is extremely impressive, or it can be something that is seen or done that is funky, surprising, or pleasing. It is something that just makes me go “wow”. This rating is also the hardest to get high marks for. The wow factor is a combination of what ambiance, quality, plate presentation, customer service, and wine or mixology.
The food was good, plates had a nice presentation, and the ambiance was also nice, but nothing really made me go “wow” except for the beauty of the Victorian house itself. Therefor I give a rating of 4 out 10 on the “wow”
The wine selection can vary from restaurant to restaurant, and I base the ratings not just on the quality of the wines offered but also the selections. Wine is grown everywhere around the world these days and the demand for it has increased ten fold. Distributors in every major city whether they work for a large named company like Empire or a small boutique company can provide services to any restaurant if that restaurant wants it. Some restaurants will choose to have very basic wines and that to me will lower a rating faster than a plane nose diving. If they make an effort to have even a small selection with variety such as a wines from Napa California, Willamette Oregon, Bordeaux France, Stellenbosch South Africa, the Yarra Valley near Melbourne Australia, or the Piemonte in Italy, to name a few, then that rating will shoot up higher on my review list.
Nine One Five has a very well rounded wine list covering a few areas in the United States, Europe, and one or two from South American, Australia and New Zealand. They did not however have any representation from South Africa, or the Middle East, and they could have had a few more selections then one or two from Pan-Asia. Otherwise I rate their wine list at a 7 out of 10 with some high end selections, middle of the way, and reasonably priced wines as well.
Overall Star rating by Wine, Dine, & Play:
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1 of 5
An Average dining expereicne
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Ambiance:
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7 of 10
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Quality of the Food:
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7 of 10
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Plate Presentation:
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6 of 10
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Customer Service:
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3 of 10
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Wow Factor:
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5 of 10
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Wine Selection:
(See the full list under the review basics section below)
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7 of 10
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Finally the overall star rating from Wine, Dine, and Play that I give to Nine One five is a one, meaning that it was an average dining experience. I would put them in the classification of nicer or even finer dining as their menu and wine is diverse, but the service issue dragged down their overall rating which was at a two for being above the average. My expectations are set at a high standard compared to others, so a one does not mean that the restaurant is bad, because at a one they score much higher then most chain restaurants out there and a few mom and pops. I came to this conclusion based on all the other factors and how they rated.
The experience at nine One five in relation to food quality and presentation were good, the ambiance was good, just the service was way below par. I would compare my experience that night to other restaurants out there that had all the same high scores, but low service standards such as Table Six in Canton, Ohio and Alioto’s Restaurant in San Francisco.
Other Key West reviews on Wine, Dine, and Play:
Food Prices
(excluding, alcohol, taxes & gratuity)
$£€¥ - Under 50.00
$£€¥ x 2 - 51.00- 99.00
$£€¥ x 3 - Over 100.00
$£€¥ x 4 - Over 200.00
$£€¥ x 5 - Over 400.00
**Currencies chosen reflect the world’s major travelers and restaurant connoisseur’s**
My food bill:
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Currency:
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Price chart:
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$72.00
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United States Dollar (USD)
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$$
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$98.00
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Australian Dollar (AUS)
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$$
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£50.00
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Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)
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££
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$93.00
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Canadian Dollar (CAN)
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$$
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¥468.00
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Chinese Yuan (CNY)
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¥¥¥¥¥
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€63.00
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European Union (EUR)
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€€
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Alcohol Prices:
$52.00
***
Customary starting gratuity for restaurants in the United States begins at 15%
Of your total bill and increases based on the level of service you received.
In Europe, Australia, Africa, and some Asian countries it is not
common to leave any gratuity as it is already included into
the check, but you may feel free to leave extra anyway
***
Review basics:
Wine selections by region:
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7 of 10
Old world:
A). Bordeaux: (Haut Médoc, Cotes de Castillon, Médoc, Pessac Leognan, Sauternes, St. Estèphe, St. Julien, St. Émillion, Pauillac, Pomerol, & Margaux).
B). Bourgogne: (Chablis, Puligny Montrachet, Chassagne Montrachet, Macon Villages, Meursault, Pernand, Pouilly Fuissé, Nuits St. Georges, Gevrey Chambertin, Viré‐Clessé, Vosne‐Romanée & Bonnes).
C). Loire: (Sancerre, & Saumur, Vouvray, & Chinon).
D). Other: Côtes du Rhône, Champagne
New World:
A). Marlborough: (Wairau Valley, Awetere Valley, Waihopi Valley)
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Corkage fee’s:
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The Restaurant does not list any corkage fee’s however, most American restaurants charge $25.00 per bottle
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Restaurant style:
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Casual
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Reservations:
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Recommended
Walk-Ins:
Accepted, but not guaranteed
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Dress code:
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Casual Attire
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Child policy:
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The Restaurants reviewed on this site may have a child’s menu or cater to them; however for full enjoyment of food and wine, it is recommended for children not to be in attendance, unless they have been trained in proper etiquette.
Hire a Babysitter.
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Cuisine style:
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Modern, Seafood, American, & Vegetarian
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Experiences:
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Romantic, Great outdoor dining, Good for special occasions, Rustic, Intimate, Classy, Trendsetting, Tourist grabber, and a Neighborhood gem
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Payments:
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Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express
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Parking:
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Street Parking
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Wifi
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The restaurants reviewed on this site may have Wi-Fi, but do not require you to go online, because the excitement of the food and wine alone will keep you too entertained instead of checking your social media and emails.
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Noise level:
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Medium
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Smoking:
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Nonsmoking restaurant, but a smoking patio
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Patio:
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Yes
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Restaurant address:
915 Duval St
Key West, Florida
33040
GPS Coordinates:
24.551603
-81.799420
Contact Information:
Maître d, Reservations:
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+1 (305) 296-0669
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Restaurant Website:
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Serving Hours:
Eastern Standard Time (GMT - 5:00)
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Mon-Sun 6:00 pm - 11:00 pm |
Email:
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Groupon:
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Social Media
&
Accolades:
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Reviewed by:
Sean Overpeck (CFE)
Picture below was taken south of Cairo, Egypt
during the Bright Star exercise in 1995
About Sean:
I am based out of St. Petersburg, Florida working in the food service industry for the past twenty years, and am currently with the American Embassy as the Executive Chef in Basra, Iraq. Formally I have worked with groups contracting in Afghanistan, Dubai, and Antarctica, also working in restaurants in and around Atlanta prior to the wars. I have also owned a catering company and served proudly in the United States Army Food Service Program. The idea for the Wine, Dine, and Play started in late 2012 after a trip to Jordan, when I was asked by friends to write down the experiences from a few Jordanian restaurants, plus the wine from the region that I tasted, and locations of interest such as Petra, and the culture. Since that time, over 200 articles have been written on restaurants, including fifteen from the worlds top 100 lists of San Pellegrino and the Elite Travelers Guide; exotic world locations such as Dubai, Petra, Victoria Falls, and South African Safari’s; food recipes & Grand Food Dictionaries; country cuisines such as Afghan and Peruvian; and of course wine from vineyards in California, Oregon, the Carolina’s, South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia
Who is John Galt?
“Culinary perfection consists not in doing extraordinary things,
But in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.”
-Angelique Arnauld (1591-1661)
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