Mike, Beth, Ernie & Noah at Las Ramblas

It has been a while since my last post.  Work and other life distractions have been a bit hectic so our most recent visit to the Happy Island of Aruba was a great escape.  Ernie and I normally travel alone but on this trip, our fifth visit to Aruba, we invited my son Noah, a recent high school graduate, and my longtime friends, Mike and Beth (the Carrolls).  This is the motley crew here at Las Ramblas on our first night.

We typically stay at our timeshare at the Divi Phoenix but with the five of us, we needed more room so I rented a condo just a short distance away at the new Blue Residences.

Divi Phoenix

Blue Residences

It was absolutely fantastic to relax, enjoy the fabulous beaches and show these first-timers some of our favorite shops, beach bars and restaurants.  Our Monday morning flight from Boston arrived in the afternoon so by the time we checked in, unpacked our belongings and picked up breakfast items, snacks and such at the Super Foods, we were ready for some dinner and headed to Las Ramblas.

Not too far from the Blue Residences, Las Ramblas overlooks the beautiful Eagle Beach. Ernie and I had been to Las Ramblas on our prior trip and were extremely impressed with the whole experience.   Red sangria, petite filet, fresh fish, extraordinarily delicious vegetables, top-notch hospitality and of course, pleasant company, contributed to a perfectly delightful evening and we agreed we will be returning to Las Ramblas again on our next trip.

After coffee and a light breakfast on Tuesday morning, we walked Palm Beach to our first stop at the Marriott for $5.00 Bloody Marys (they also have mimosa). Our next stop was the Ritz-Carlton, the last hotel at the end of Palm Beach where only the most fabulous people stay and beach servers deliver guests desires via segway.

We headed back to home base and spent some time in the infinity pool and had a beverage or two in our fabulous condo at the Blue Residences before we headed out for dinner. Tango Argentine Grill where the steaks are delicious, an entertainer serenaded diners in the multi-restaurant courtyard and Juan, our server made sure everything was to our liking with a free dessert to top off the evening.  Ernie and I had been to Tango on a previous trip so we knew it would be another great  place to show our friends and no doubt, we’ll be back again.
Wednesday was another perfectly beautiful day on the happy island and for a good portion of the day we relaxed while simultaneously burning calories (is there such a thing?) as we walked along the velvety sand of Eagle beach.  While we showered and got ready for dinner, we also took plenty of time to sit out on the balcony to feel completely at ease and appreciate the amazing view. The Flying Fishbone was the evening’s dinner destination.  Ernie and I had learned from our last Flying Fishbone visit that it was an extremely popular place so Ernie had made reservations for 6:30 to ensure we would get a great table.  We were promptly seated at our table in the sand and the atmosphere was just serene.  We savored every moment of the incredible ambiance and every bite of the delectable gourmet meal.

La Trattoria El Faro Blanco at the California Lighthouse was a new experience for Ernie and me.  This was our Thursday dinner destination where the food and drinks were very good and I can imagine we will be back during a future trip.  Noah, my 18 year old son, had a little too much alcohol and made it an especially long trip back to the Blue Residences.

Feeling rather tired on Friday, we decided to get take out from Red Fish.  This place is just down the road from the Super Foods.  It is not find dining but the food and service are excellent.

El Gaucho Restaurant

El Gaucho Argentine Grill was another new experience for Ernie and me.  It’s downtown and a bit dark inside but the food and service are very good.  The 3 person mariachi band played some Spanish tunes and then broke out to the tune Sweet Caroline and got the whole restaurant singing.  Super fun!

Everybody goes to Gianni’s Italian restaurant.  This is a really large place in the middle of the activities across from the hotels on Palm Beach.  Lobster ravioli, Caprese salad, whiskey fired pasta for two and cabernet were amazing.  While we were quite full, we could not resist getting some gelato next door at Gelatisimo.  I was pleasantly surprised there was a coffee flavor called nutella.

Clearly, we’re good eaters.  

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How YOU doin’?

It only took 20 minutes to walk to Las Ramblas from our timeshare at the Divi Pheonix.  We walked up the vibrantly decorated stairway entrance and were quickly greeted by a friendly host and seated at a table in the front of the patio.  After being seated, Keith, our waiter, promptly came to our table to introduce himself, explain the menu, offer the evening special and take our drink order. He suggested their signature Sangria made with Grand Marnier, Triple Sec, red wine, apples and oranges.  We arrived just in time for sunset so we were able to watch the bright orange orb sink into the water beyond the beach and palm trees in front of us as Keith returned with our glasses of Sangria and a basket of delicious warm bread and butter.
Ernie ordered the restaurant’s special entree of the evening, a Chilean sea bass on a bed of mashed potatoes, topped with a grilled lobster tail and served with seasonal vegetables.  He raved about each morsel of his meal and offered me a bite of the lobster.  Having spent my entire life in New England, I’m a bit of a lobster snob, so I was pleasantly surprised with the succulent flavor and texture.  My entree was a mouthwatering charcoal grilled tenderloin perfectly cooked to medium with a rather difficult to describe, but tasty, cubed potato cake and a fantastic mix of vegetables.  The mix of seasonal vegetables was savory and delectable consisting of mini squash, asparagus and carrots with fresh herbs.  Ernie and I both agreed they were the best vegetables we ever had on the island.
Ernie completed his dinner with a cappuccino. The fragrant coffee drink came with a dash of nutmeg and he enjoyed it to the last drop. (Side note – the cappuccino at Jack’s Cafe in the Superfoods grocery store is also excellent and costs less than a medium-sized regular coffee from Dunkin Donuts.)

The food was delicious, it was moderately priced, the service was impeccable, the atmosphere was exquisite and I almost forgot to tell you, there was a musical entertainer playing quiet dinner music.  Restaurant Reviews Aruba – Las Ramblas gets two thumbs up. We will definitely be returning when we are back in June.   The Trip Advisor rates Las Ramblas with 4 stars and 846 review and you can learn more about the restaurant here: http://www.lacabanabrc.com/las-ramblas

Until next time!

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We’re really good eaters but dining out every night for an entire week, we’re not able to do our usual three or four courses. I think we will still be able to give you a good idea of whether or not you would enjoy either of these spots.

At the Tango Argentine Grill, Ernie had the Tenderloin Churrasco. This main course was a 10 ounce Argentine style cut of tenderloin superbly cooked to medium-rare on an open flame and served with green beans and the house potatoes (a savory, buttery mashed potato).
I ordered the 8 ounce Filet Mignon, which was a tender cut of beef, grilled perfectly to medium and also served with the house mashed potatoes and fresh green beans.

Of course what else would one possibly order at a restaurant called Fishes & More? Here you can get Grouper, Red Snapper or Mahi Mahi prepared almost any way you would like it. The early bird specials offer approximately 10% off the entree and are available before 6:00 on most days and all day on Tuesdays. Ernie ordered the Grouper which was dredged in a light seasoning and pan-seared; he said it was delicious and would order it again. I ordered pan-seared Mahi Mahi, also just lightly seasoned. It was similar in texture to swordfish but lighter and less dense. Each dish was served with green beans, broccoli and cauliflower.

Tango and Fishes & More were outstanding and we’ll be back to both restaurants when we visit Aruba again in January.

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