A beautiful day in Aruba. It doesn’t get better than this.

We missed our timeshare week last year so it has been nearly a year and a half since we were here in Aruba last.

Our flight was a little late so by the time we landed, grabbed our rental car and picked up a few groceries at the IGA, it was already dinner time. In the mood for fish, we thought we would try a seafood restaurant that we have walked by at least a dozen times on prior trips during our daily strolls.  Hadicurari is located right on Palm Beach near the Marriott.  We started the meal with a ceviche appetizer of fresh fish marinaded with key lime, onions, cilantro and peppers.

Ernie ordered the 4oz filet mignon of beef tenderloin, mahi mahi and shrimp.  I had the Tuna special, medium rare with mashed potatoes; it was well prepared and a very large portion.  The service and food were both very good and we will be returning on a future visit.

Some of Ernie’s longtime friends from childhood happened to be vacationing in Aruba during the same week so we made a few dates to connect during the trip.  John, Joyce and Jill are the longtime friends.  John and Joyce have been married many years and have an 18 year old daughter Jamie, who brought along her boyfriend Adam.

Moomba beach bar – dancing with John, Joyce and Jill

We met up at the Moomba bar after Ernie and I had dinner at the Hadicurari on Saturday.   It was a really fun time, we drank beer, did tequila shots and danced for much of the evening to a really good local band.

Tango Argentine Grill

On Sunday, Ernie and I had dinner at Tango Argentine Grille.  It is located in the mini plaza with Salt & Pepper but the Burger King that used to be next door is now gone. We have been to Tango on at least 3 other occasions during prior trips and usually eat outside. This time however, the weather has been a bit unusual with brief bouts of rain each day so we decided to eat indoors.  Our very attentive server was Chriselda.  Chriselda told us that Juan (our server from past visits) left Tango for a new place down the street called Chicken and Lobster (Not an especially creative name but we’ll have to check it out.) Ernie had a surf and turf with shrimp and fillet mignon. My meal was a selection from the hot appetizers section, a gigantic grilled portobello mushroom stuffed with spinach and Gouda cheese.  It was outstanding and I will definitely order it when we return next year.

Monday evening we had reservations for the seven of us at the Flying Fishbone.  I think this was the fourth trip to this restaurant for Ernie and me.  It is located in Savaneta, approximately a 30 – 40 minute drive from the high rise area and well worth the trip.  It is a beautiful location to stick your feet in the sand under a star-filled sky while enjoying gourmet fare.  Ernie order shrimp cocktail appetizer which includes 6 jumbo shrimp and 2 dipping sauces.

Ernie had a fish special, Joyce and I had the Salmon (excellent) with creamy mashed potatoes, summer squash and a rich lemongrass sauce, Jamie had a salad and calamari, Jill had skewered black tiger shrimp with herb risotto, mixed vegetables and lemon garlic butter sauce, John had a Caesar salad and the catch of the day, mahi mahi with mashed potato and vegetables.

Beautiful ambiance at Amuse Sunset Restaurant

A new experience for Ernie and me this trip was Amuse Sunset Restaurant.  Amuse was amazing.  Excellent hospitality, ambiance, food and service!

Shrimp and Short Ribs – to die for!

French inspired cuisine with fresh ingredients and an Aruban flair. We started with a lobster bisque and some escargots.  I’m not really a fan of snail drenched in butter and garlic but it’s a French restaurant and I just like to say the word “escargot”.  I had the most amazingly fabulous shrimp and short ribs dish with mashed potatoes and Ernie’s entree was similar except instead of shrimp, he had lobster.  The flavor was excellent and the meal was cooked to perfection.  Our server was great and this is a place we will be returning to next year.

A dining must in Aruba, is Las Ramblas at the La Cabana Resort across from Eagle Beach.

Ernie’s Land & Sea Special at Las Ramblas

John made reservations for the seven us for 7:30 on Wednesday evening.  I would recommend reservations here at 6 or 6:30 the latest if you would like to enjoy the beautiful beach sunset.  Ernie and I have been to Las Ramblas many times and have always received excellent service, savory meals and the freshest vegetables we have found anywhere so far on the island.  We started dinner with a bottle of Wente Cabernet and a couple of Ahi Tuna appetizers.  Ernie had a Land & Sea special consisting of a petite filet and grilled half Caribbean rock lobster tail.  Joyce had the Surf & Turf with shrimp and petite fillet.  John had the Ahi tuna appetizer and a salad for his entree.

Spinach and feta stuffed chicken breast – YUM

I am usually one to order seafood or a steak at any restaurant but for some reason, the spinach and feta stuffed chicken breast was calling my name.  It seemed to also call out to Jill and Jamie as they ordered it as well.  Adam ordered a strip steak perfectly charred atop asparagus and mashed potatoes.  Las Ramblas hit the mark, our meals were superb and the service was outstanding.

So many restaurants, too little time.  Join us next January 2018 (or maybe October 2017) for Dining in Aruba.

John & Joyce at Las Ramblas..lovely couple, Jamie’s parents.

This is Jill at Las Ramblas. Joyce’s longtime pal. Isn’t she pretty?

A-DOR-A-BLE! Jamie is the daughter of Joyce & John and Adam is Jamie’s boyfriend.

Where not to dine in Aruba:

Pure Ocean at the Divi Phoenix.  Unfortunately, the beautiful beach location has overpriced and just really awful food.

The Aqua Grill seems to get good reviews on Trip Advisor but our experience last year was subpar at best.  The service was terrible and the food was mediocre.   This is the only choice for tourists without a car or not wanting to take a taxi and if they decreased the prices and renamed it Red Lobster, they might be onto something.

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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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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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Open windows let in the fresh ocean breeze, no AC needed

Jo & Ernie’s Restaurant Reviews Rhode Island  – Sunday Afternoon at Boat House

One of our favorite Sunday afternoon dining places in the summer is the Boat House Restaurant in Tiverton, RI.  Overlooking the Mount Hope Bay, the Boat House dining rooms and patios allow guests to comfortably watch the boats pass by while enjoying fabulous dishes with boat people, hill people and just random people, (more about the people later).

We begin the experience finding a spot at the bar and taking a look around to see if there are any “regulars” or people that we might recognize.  As we relax into the space we have designated as ours for the next two hours, we look out the open windows at the picturesque and tranquil backdrop.

Grey Goose Martini with 5 Olives – is there another way?

Bloody Mary with cucumbery flavor

Ernie often enjoys a micro-brew from the tap but today ordered a Grey Goose dirty martini with 5 olives (Clearly, he really likes olives).

I ordered a Bloody Mary that also came with an olive which I quickly removed as not contaminate my beverage. Ernie got that olive too.  The Bloody Mary had an unusual flavor; it was light and rather cucumbery, with less tomato flavor than you might typically expect.

Little necks with chourico..tasty

For the first course, we often choose raw shellfish, either oysters, shrimp, clams or a combination.  Always has the shellfish been clean, crisp and cool for a light and delectable beginning.  Today however, we decided to go with the little neck clams steamed with chourico, onions, garlic, tomato, and wine. The combinations of flavors was fragrant and spicy and a great start to a great meal.  Of course, my white dress was a magnet for the spicy red broth.

Second course is always a tough choice but the Mixed Field Greens is one of my favorites.  We often share this simple s alad of greens, pecans, goat cheese, radish, onion, tomato, cucumber, Champagne-honey dressing. We opted for the Lobster Fritters this time however.  Fried cakes with corn, small pieces (really small) of lobster and large on flavor, the Lobster Fritters are extremely tasty and very filling.

Lobster Fritters with Chipotle Aioli

The fish is good with a beer batter crust, the chips are the best fries on the planet and the coleslaw could use a bit more flavor.

Fish & Chips with Vegetable Slaw

Ernie got the oh my God this is so fabulous, I can die now, burger which also happens to come with the best fries on the planet.  This could quite possibly be the best dish on the menu.  Looking forward to Jo & Ernie’s next restaurant review Rhode Island at the Boat House.

Fabulous best ever burger and fries

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