I’ve long had an interest in the Florida Keys, the idea of a series of islands connected by a highway has intrigued me. I didn’t know much about the Florida Keys in advance of going, other than three basic concepts: 1, it’s where the Netflix drama “Bloodline” is set; 2, it’s where a former in-law’s former spouse lives and works, performing his music in Key West; and 3, one can drive over this dramatic highway from Miami to Key West to experience all of the Florida Keys. Even though one can fly into Key West, I really wanted the experience of the drive, so my girlfriend and I flew into Miami, rented a Mustang convertible, and made the drive.
Our first stop was still on the mainland, a visit to “Robert Is Here,” an interesting fruit and vegetable market, zoo, and little restaurant that also included live music, located in Homestead. The first thing I saw, after parking and getting out of my car, was this small shed with a mural, topped by a huge iguana.
Upon entering the front of the market, I saw this large sculpture of Robert, which also made me realize that the namesake himself was behind the cash register helping customers. From what I understand, the origin story of this market dates back in 1959, when a 6 year old boy named Robert decided to set up a fruit stand to help his father sell produce from the family farm. To get the attention of folks passing by, Robert’s dad made signs saying “Robert Is Here” to help draw attention to the table filled with fruits and vegetables.
My girlfriend was the one who suggested this market as a destination, as she was aware of their selections including unusual fruits and vegetables, and sure enough, they had some things that one would never see at home in the northeast. For example, below left is a look at “Black Sapote,” a fruit that “… tastes like chocolate pudding.” What?!? It’s a tropical fruit from the persimmon family and is typically found in Mexico, Central America, and Colombia. And below right is a view of some “Cherimoya,” which is typically found in tropical and subtropical regions such as Central America, South America, Southern California, South Asia, Australia, the Mediterranean region, and North Africa … and of course here in a bin at a market in south Florida.
As you can see, between iguanas and rare fruits, it was already something different than just a roadside fruit market.
More on the Robert Is Here market and my Florida Keys trip coming soon …