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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The day after Ernie’s birthday and 2 days before Valentines Day, Ernie and I had reservations to stay overnight at the Castle Hill Inn in Newport, (a nineteenth-century Victorian mansion off Ocean Drive, overlooking the Atlantic). Even though it was the one day it didn’t snow this winter, it was a 90 minute drive so we decided to leave work a little early.  We arrived at the Inn around half past 6 and here we begin our Restaurant Reviews Rhode Island – Castle Hill Inn.  After a brief check in, we were escorted up the stairs to our room. The young man, whose name I forget, unlocked the door to the room with a real old-fashioned key, not a card, and he briefly pointed out the room’s features.  We were anxious for dinner and headed back downstairs to dine. More about the room later.

Castle Hill Baked Oysters

We were seated in the main dinning room at a perimeter table with an ocean view.  Our server, Carl, welcomed us with a warm, friendly greeting and promptly removed the white napkins from the table.  He had clearly noticed we were were both wearing black pants and placed black napkins on our laps.

I was delightfully surprised to see such an extensive wine list and after studying the four pages of Cabernet Sauvignon, I selected the moderately priced 2010 Louis Martini from Napa Valley.  Ernie ordered a dirty martini with Grey Goose and a bazillion olives; it came with 5.

Baked Oysters Florentine
We started with the Baked Oysters appetizer which was nicely presented with a dozen oysters surrounding a center of seaweed greens. Each oyster was blanketed with garlicky spinach and Gruyere cheese, topped with a sprinkling of buttery bread crumbs and a hint of bacon.  A bit too salty and barely luke warm, the appetizer was just slightly short of excellent.

Duck Confit Ravioli with lobster and pineapple

Duck Confit Ravioli
The Duck Confit Ravioli was the first course of our three-course Prix Fixe.  While the feature of the dish was the handmade pasta filled with tender and richly flavored duck, it was colorfully embellished with lumps of lobster, droplets of concentrated grapefruit, and pieces of grapefruit and grilled pineapple.  Carl set the bowls before us and proceeded to pour the broth over the top.  The duck had a savory taste and the pineapple and grapefruit were a sweet twist.  This dish had a fabulous presentation and some great flavor but the lobster and pasta were both rather firm, suggesting one was slightly undercooked and the other somewhat overcooked.

Smoked Cannelloni
Ernie’s main course was the braised rabbit cannelloni with sweet potato and Brussels sprouts, finished with Tallegio cheese and pomegranate mustard.

Braised Rabbit Cannelloni

Slow Roasted Angus Ribeye

This hearty dish blended sweet and savory elements, and left Ernie wondering if he had enough room dessert.

Slow Roasted Angus Ribeye
I ordered the ribeye, medium rare as Carl suggested, with whole roasted cauliflower, glazed spinach and baby carrots in beef au jus.  The steak was cooked to perfection and each tasty bite melted in my mouth.  The spinach and cauliflower were nice accompaniments to the robust serving of beef but the baby carrots were so small, I think they were just included for color.

Angel Cake with Citrus Mousse

Chocolate Mousse Covered Pretzel

Dessert
The dessert menu offered a variety of unique choices for our third and final course.  I opted for the Angel Cake which was light and airy with citrus mousse and pieces of blood orange.   Ernie ordered a cappuccino and the Chocolate Mousse Covered Pretzel with peanut brittle ice cream and nougat.

Back to the Room
After dessert, Carl cleared our table, sealed the remaining 1/2 bottle of wine with the cork and handed me a fresh wine glass to bring back to the room.  We headed up to the Mrs. Agassiz Room on the second floor.  (I assume that Mrs. Agassiz was the wife of Alexander Agassiz, the Harvard University marine biologist and naturalist that built the place.)

Mrs Agassiz Room at Castle Hill Inn

The Perfect Vantage Point

The room features a super comfortable king size bed with feather pillows, cotton robes, handmade chocolates, bottled water with glasses by the bed and a gas fireplace.  Just as amazing is the large bathroom that has an enormous “two-person” tub, a marble standup shower, luxurious over-sized towels, organic soaps and lotions, and a second fireplace.  Knowing about the amazing tub in advance, I had made sure to pack my bubbles.  As soon as we got back to the room, I poured myself a glass of wine, turned on the bath water and added the bubbles. And there you have it, my story’s featured image. Though not the end of my story.

All overnight visits to the Castle Hill Inn include a full gourmet breakfast and OMG it is AMAZING!  I won’t go into all the details here, just a few. This was a pleasant surprise.  As soon as we were seated in the main dining room, the server brought us a refreshing strawberry, banana smoothie.  Coffee was served in individual French presses, again OMG.  I ordered the vegetable omelet with homemade sausage and 9 grain toast and Ernie had the lobster hash (I guess you can make hash from anything, who knew) with poached eggs.  While we waited for our meals, the server offered us a morsel from a lovely basket of assorted pastries.  We both selected the sweet potato coffee cake which was so heavenly and moist that I can’t stop thinking about it still.  Ernie really seemed to enjoy his lobster hash, he practically licked his plate clean.  My omelet was very good, I particularly enjoyed the spicy homemade sausage.

Immediately following breakfast, we checked out and headed back home…all the while thinking about when we might get back to the Castle Hill Inn.

Another fabulous experience delivered by the Newport Restaurant Group.

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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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Eddy Signature Stuffed Clams

Our appetizer order was the Eddy Signature Stuffed Clams. The clam shells were filled with roasted corn and ground chourico and crumbles topped with a tabasco aioli. 

Ernie also ordered the “Soup of the Moment” as a starter, which was Fish Stew with large chunks of cod fish and potatoes in a light cream broth.

Of course, Ernie ordered The Special for his entree.   The sea bass special was a well-browned, pan-seared fish, oven finished and plated Portuguese style on a tomatoes, onion and summer squash.  I was told that it was delicious.

The best fried scallops on the planet

For my entree, I ordered the Fried New Bedford Sea Scallops with hand-cut french fries and Eddy slaw.  These scallops were the most amazing fried sea scallops that I have ever eaten.  They were so savory and sweet and scallopy.  I know, scallopy isn’t a real word, but imagine the most flavorful scallop on the planet, that is my definition of scallopy.  The accompanying Eddy slaw was finely shredded cabbage and carrots with a subtle dressing.  Old news, I’m a big fan of french fries. So when I say, I was uninspired by the somewhat greasy hand-cut fries, you might take the comment with a grain of salt.

Because Ernie appreciates an after dinner coffee and something sweet, we like at least look at the desserts.  The dessert menu includes a limited assortment of home-style sweets.  He decided to order a rocket fuel coffee and creme brulee, and enjoyed them both.

As we finished up, there was live music playing outside on the dock and we decided to head out to listen for a while. It was a pleasant finish to an enjoyable dinner.  We’ll be back soon Back Eddy.

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Mixed green salad with a uniquely flavored house dressing

Oysters & Shrimp Cocktail

This week’s Restaurant Reviews Rhode Island – Hemenway’s had an extremely attentive waitstaff this evening as the four of us spent 3 hours dining on fabulous food and catching up on life’s events.

I’m here with my friends Beth and Mike and of course, Ernie too. Maura was our server and she was diligent and amazingly patient with us.

To whet our appetites, we shared a dozen oysters and one jumbo shrimp cocktail for each of us.  We ordered two varieties of oysters, six from Onset and and six from Matunuck. The medium sized oysters from Onset had a deeper shell, they were plump and meaty with a sweet and salty seaweed finish.  The Matunuck oysters were petite in size, crisp and briny with a clean, slightly sweet finish; we all seemed to favor these most.

The mixed greens salad was comprised of fresh baby greens, fragrant red onion and lightly seasoned croutons with a unique curry vinaigrette dressing that was light and delicious.

Lazy Man’s Lobster with scallops and shrimp

We were all very tempted to order the Fried Fisherman’s Platter with scallops, shrimp, haddock, my

Creamy Lobster Macaroni & Cheese

favorite whole belly clams.  Beth ordered the Lazy Man’s Lobster which was just an extravagant dish. The 2.5 – 3 lb lobsters shell was stuffed with scallops, shrimp, and of course lobster.  The claws hanging over the shell were just to drool for.

Michael was probably the closest to ordering the Fried seafood platter however, he instead ordered the lobster macaroni and cheese.  This was also served in the lobster shell but didn’t seem as appetizing as it was when it was served to Beth in a medium sized pasta bowl during our last visit.  Despite the presentation, the entree was made with cavatappi pasta and large pieces of lobster in a creamy cheese sauce.

The Seafood Casserole

The Hemenway’s seafood casserole features shrimp, scallops, scrod, lobster, Monterey Jack cheese, sherry cream and seasoned crumbs.  It was perfectly baked with excellent flavor.  A big fan (and shouldn’t be) of french fries, I ordered them for the side.  They were also very good.

Ernie ordered and devoured the chef’s special, a seafood bake with flounder, 3 mussels, 3 littleneck clams, 3 shrimps, fingerling potatoes and corn on the cob.

Hemenway’s seafood bake with flounder with mussels, littleneck clams and shrimp

There was unending conversation and we all savored each morsel during our 5 hour dining adventure.  Yes, 5 hours, that’s not a typo.  Thank you Maura and all of the chef’s and bartenders who took such great care of us this evening!

Always an enjoyable time at Hemenway’s, another tremendous dining experience from Newport Restaurant Group.

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Legal Oysters from Duxbury, Nantucket Sound and British Columbia

We decided to start with oysters.  They had a nice assortment to choose from and we thought we would try a few different varieties.  Our bartender, Jessica, was very knowledgeable and made some oyster recommendations.  We ordered the Merry Duxbury oysters, which we have enjoyed at other local restaurants; they are briny with a full and pleasantly sweet flavor and these were my favorite.  We also ordered Wianno oysters from Nantucket Sound, MA which were also nicely briny with a clean flavor.  The Kusshi from Deep Bay, British Columbia are small and plump in a deep shell and have a mild brine with a very clean, almost lack of, flavor.

A lovely piece of lobster from the Legal Seafood casserole in sherry garlic butter sauce.

For his main dish, Ernie selected the seafood casserole including shrimp scallops, lobster and an undisclosed white fish with sherry garlic butter sauce and Ritz cracker crumb topping.

Legal Surf & Turf

Surf & Turf – 6 oz filet, seared scallops and shrimp. The scallops tasted better tasting than they looked.  The french fries and onion rings were good.  I think shrimp is my least favorite shellfish but it came with the Surf & Turf so I had to try it.  It was a bit overcooked but had a decent flavor. The turf was a quality fillet and flawlessly grilled to medium as requested.  Topped with herbed butter, the steak had a very strong and smokey char-grilled flavor, which I found uncomplimentary but I’m sure there are many who like it that way.

The Cappuccino was delicious, even without sugar, with a smooth texture, a delicate layer of foam and a fragrant dash of cinnamon.

Legal Seafood’s Boston Cream Pie with toffee crunchies.

Cappuccino lightly frothed with a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Not what comes to mind when you think Boston cream pie, but the flavors were all there and gracefully topped with a fudgey chocolate sauce, and delightfully accessorized with toffee almond crunch.

Ernie and I have enjoyed dining at a number of Legal Seafoods restaurants and I think the 30 Forbes Road location in Braintree is my new favorite.

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Entering Trafford

I am inclined to frequent highly satisfying and familiar places and while I did have a hankering for some Lobster Fritters from the Boat House, we decided to head to Warren for this week’s Restaurant Reviews Rhode Island – Trafford was our Sunday summer waterfront dining destination.

Trafford house sangria and Narragansett Del’s Shandy

Nothing too extravagant this week, I ordered a Trafford house red sangria which was refreshing and not too sweet.  Ernie requested a local favorite, Narragansett Del’s Shandy.

Strawberry Spinach Salad & Stuffed Quahogs

To begin our food fiesta, we shared a beautiful summer salad with baby spinach, mozzarella, chopped pecans, blueberries and superbly ripe strawberries, dressed in a poppy seed vinaigrette.  Neither of us are big fans of dressing and we found this one to be an elegant vinaigrette that was delicious and light, and a splendid complement to the amalgamation of flavors already on the dish.  The stuffed quahogs were savory and nicely spiced with red and green peppers, although a little heavy on the bread stuffing and less heavy on quahog.

Amazing Fried Clams

For his entree, Ernie ordered the dish that is always tempting to me, fried clams.  Of course I warned him that I would have to try just one and he professed his “I don’t share” routine.  When our dinners arrived, Ernie offered the first clam off of his dish to me.  Okay, everybody say “aww”.  The batter was delicate and the clams delightfully sweet. The french fries and cole slaw were both good.

Cod stuffed with lobster

Our bartender recommended his favorite dish, the Stuffed Cod with Lobster, and that is exactly what I ordered. The cod was fresh and filled with seafood stuffing and a generous portion of fresh lobster tail and claw.  The drizzle of lobster cream sauce was almost enough.  The fingerling potatoes and fresh green beans were nicely cooked but could have used some additional flavor.

Moving on to dessert, the options were interesting and included one of our dessert standbys, creme brulee.  The one on today’s menu had a twist of caramel and orange, which sounded very intriguing.

We ended up ordering a dessert which was the Trafford recipe of a Hummingbird cake. Part carrot cake, part German chocolate cake, the dessert we selected was not on the standard menu.  It was quite possibly the largest plate of dessert I have ever received and for certain it was way more than two people could possible eat. The cake was full of things like walnut, coconut, carrot, other ingredients that make it a cake and a cream cheese frosting.

Part carrot cake, part German cake with cream cheese frosting & coconut.

We are clearly good eaters and we had a lovely time on the outdoor patio.  I’m sure we will be back to Trafford again soon.

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