Key West, According to DeeDee

You know their politics. But do you know where they prefer to get their coffee?

As Key West casts its final votes, Mayor “DeeDee” Henriquez and Commissioner Sam Kaufman are approaching the point where there are only so many more policies, votes and campaign promises they can explain before the ballots are tallied.

But amid the flurry of campaign events, social-media arguments and controversial mailers, there may still be room to learn something else about the candidates: where they eat, what they recommend, and how they spend their time when they’re not at City Hall.

Palm and Prejudice sent both candidates the same survey of fewer than 20 deliberately nonpolitical questions, asking about their favorite restaurants, festivals, sightseeing spots, local recommendations, and the places they return to.

The idea was simple: get a taste of Key West through two distinct personalities who have spent years serving the community and, along the way, experienced plenty of what the island has to offer.

Mayor Henriquez’s responses, published below in full, reveal a Conch whose affection for Key West remains closely tied to some of the island’s oldest, most familiar and most enduring attractions.

What is your standard coffee order and where do you get it?

Dunkin Donuts. Medium coffee. Three creams. Three sugars.

If a friend is visiting for 24 hours, where are the three places you try to take them?

Mallory Square. Butterfly Conservatory. Southernmost Point.

How do you tip in Key West if you understand how the town really works? What does tipping say about a person here?

I always tip 25% to 30%. Owning a previous business, it matters. During the holidays, I tip extra.

Tell me about the last time you had a truly bad meal here. You can leave the name out or preferably say where were you, did you stay, did you say anything or just paid and left.

I stayed, I just paid for the meal and I always tip.

How do you avoid looking like a tourist here and what is the one mistake that immediately gives someone away?

The one thing that immediately gives someone away is walking around staring at directions on their iPhone while asking where's the Southernmost Buoy.