Aruba is blessed with a number of GreatRestaurants, and my wife and I have had the privilege of dining at several of them this past week, including Ike's Bistro.
Ike's Bistro is a casual restaurant with white tablecloth food and service. Their Chef is talented, the food is outstanding, and the presentation is as well. On top of great food, the staff is friendly, attentive, and above all, professional.
My wife and I dined together at Ike's Bistro last night and returned tonight with our son and four of his friends who we brought to Aruba for their last high school spring break. The staff treated our larger group as special as they had treated just the two of us last night.
There are several dishes worth mentioning, among the are three appetizers, the Ceviche and Avocado, the Osso Bucco Ravioli, and the Shrimp Casserole. Entrees we really enjoyed included the Red Snapper, Shrimp Pasta, Mushroom Ravioli, and the Filet Mignon.
From the Chef and kitchen staff, to our waiters both nights, to the delightful gentleman who delivered our food from the kitchen, including the maitre de who seated us and stayed on top of everything going on, and the restaurant manager who was very gracious, they all did an outstanding job!
Ike's Bistro is a GreatRestaurant!
Thursday, March 16, 2017
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
The Kitchen Table by White in Aruba
The Kitchen Table is a GreatRestaurant!
As my wife and I arrived, we met a very nice couple from Boston that we had seen leaving our hotel at the same time as us, none of us having any way to know we were all going to end up dining together. The four of us were warmly greeted and introduced to a couple from Rhode Island and their impressive daughter.
As other guests arrived, we were introduced to each other. There was a cute younger couple from the Netherlands, a wonderful couple from Ohio, two guys traveling together who it turned out knew a coworker of the guy from Boston, and another nice couple that I really didn't get to visit with very much. The fifteen of us would be dining companions for the evening.
A very nice sparkling wine was served as we were introduced. As we began to get to know one another, we watched the sun set from a comfortable rooftop terrace. After having time to visit, we moved downstairs into the room where we would dine. It was a comfortable room, tastefully decorated, with chairs in a horseshoe configuration facing a large open work space.
We were introduced to the Chef and staff, and then we were told about the menu and philosophy behind the Kitchen Table and offered the option for a wine pairing with dinner. The dinner was seven courses of small plates that were all incredibly delicious.
The Chef and staff crafted each plate with a mouthwatering assortment of primarily local ingredients combined into each impressive and beautiful dish. Included among the seven courses were dishes centered around the following ingredients: tuna, octopus, shrimp, wahoo, beef, lamb and then dessert.
With each course the Chef gave a brief explanation of what he was serving. Each course was a melody of tastes that were amazing, and with each course a wonderful wine was presented to those who had selected the wine pairing.
Each plate was arranged with an artistic flair so that the presentation was as attractive as the food was delicious. This dinner was among the best I have ever been blessed to enjoy.
The Chef and staff deserve the highest compliments for an outstanding job, they are truly talented.
The Kitchen Table by White is so much more than a restaurant, it is a GreatRestaurant!
As my wife and I arrived, we met a very nice couple from Boston that we had seen leaving our hotel at the same time as us, none of us having any way to know we were all going to end up dining together. The four of us were warmly greeted and introduced to a couple from Rhode Island and their impressive daughter.
As other guests arrived, we were introduced to each other. There was a cute younger couple from the Netherlands, a wonderful couple from Ohio, two guys traveling together who it turned out knew a coworker of the guy from Boston, and another nice couple that I really didn't get to visit with very much. The fifteen of us would be dining companions for the evening.
A very nice sparkling wine was served as we were introduced. As we began to get to know one another, we watched the sun set from a comfortable rooftop terrace. After having time to visit, we moved downstairs into the room where we would dine. It was a comfortable room, tastefully decorated, with chairs in a horseshoe configuration facing a large open work space.
We were introduced to the Chef and staff, and then we were told about the menu and philosophy behind the Kitchen Table and offered the option for a wine pairing with dinner. The dinner was seven courses of small plates that were all incredibly delicious.
The Chef and staff crafted each plate with a mouthwatering assortment of primarily local ingredients combined into each impressive and beautiful dish. Included among the seven courses were dishes centered around the following ingredients: tuna, octopus, shrimp, wahoo, beef, lamb and then dessert.
With each course the Chef gave a brief explanation of what he was serving. Each course was a melody of tastes that were amazing, and with each course a wonderful wine was presented to those who had selected the wine pairing.
Each plate was arranged with an artistic flair so that the presentation was as attractive as the food was delicious. This dinner was among the best I have ever been blessed to enjoy.
The Chef and staff deserve the highest compliments for an outstanding job, they are truly talented.
The Kitchen Table by White is so much more than a restaurant, it is a GreatRestaurant!
Monday, March 13, 2017
Wilhelmina Restauant
A GreatRestaurant located in Oranjestad, Aruba.
Wilhelmina Restaurant is everything a GreatRestaurant should be! The food is creative and delicious without being pretentious.
Our dinner began with two very tasty treats. There was a taste of pumpkin soup which was amoung the best that I have ever had, and an incredibly tasty bite that I believe they called Dutch finger food. This was a fantastic indicator of what was to come.
We selected a bottle of red Zinfandel from a well thought out wine list and then my wife and I shared their Wilhelmina's Ravioli (filled with tender braised beef short rib, foie gras & mushroom)for an appetizer, it was delicious.
For our dinner, my wife selected the Mahi Mahi which was fresh and done very creatively, she definitely enjoyed it. I was tempted to order the Indonesian Roasted Pork which looked very interesting and came highly recommended. Courious about the "traditional Indonesian sauce", I requested a taste of it and they graciously provided me one. It was very interesting, it had a hint of anise which many people love but which I don't care for, so I passed on the pork and went with their Filet au Poivre.
Yes, I know, boring, but I have found that a simple filet is often a good indicator of a restaurant's quality. The steak was cooked exactly as I requested it and served with au Poivre and hollandaise sauce which was a great complement to the filet. It was delicious.
We are not generally dessert people but we decided to try their Chocolate dessert, it went very well with the big red Zinfandel we were drinking.
The staff was wonderful, they were friendly, helpful and attentive without being intrusive and we ended up meeting the Chef at the end of the night. It was nice to be able to complement him and his staff and let him know how much we enjoyed our dinner.
Wilhelmina Restaurant is a GreatRestaurant and we will return to enjoy their wonderful food and service again.
Wilhelmina Restaurant is everything a GreatRestaurant should be! The food is creative and delicious without being pretentious.
Our dinner began with two very tasty treats. There was a taste of pumpkin soup which was amoung the best that I have ever had, and an incredibly tasty bite that I believe they called Dutch finger food. This was a fantastic indicator of what was to come.
We selected a bottle of red Zinfandel from a well thought out wine list and then my wife and I shared their Wilhelmina's Ravioli (filled with tender braised beef short rib, foie gras & mushroom)for an appetizer, it was delicious.
For our dinner, my wife selected the Mahi Mahi which was fresh and done very creatively, she definitely enjoyed it. I was tempted to order the Indonesian Roasted Pork which looked very interesting and came highly recommended. Courious about the "traditional Indonesian sauce", I requested a taste of it and they graciously provided me one. It was very interesting, it had a hint of anise which many people love but which I don't care for, so I passed on the pork and went with their Filet au Poivre.
Yes, I know, boring, but I have found that a simple filet is often a good indicator of a restaurant's quality. The steak was cooked exactly as I requested it and served with au Poivre and hollandaise sauce which was a great complement to the filet. It was delicious.
We are not generally dessert people but we decided to try their Chocolate dessert, it went very well with the big red Zinfandel we were drinking.
The staff was wonderful, they were friendly, helpful and attentive without being intrusive and we ended up meeting the Chef at the end of the night. It was nice to be able to complement him and his staff and let him know how much we enjoyed our dinner.
Wilhelmina Restaurant is a GreatRestaurant and we will return to enjoy their wonderful food and service again.
Saturday, March 11, 2017
Hadicurari Restaurant in Aruba
Hadicurari Restaurant is a GreatRestaurant!
My wife and I wandered into Hadicurari today for lunch and had a delicious meal.
The grouper sandwich my wife had was fresh and she enjoyed it. I had the spicy shrimp sandwich and it was outstanding!! The shrimp were cooked to the correct firmness without being over cooked. The sauce was sublime and the French bread on which it was served was fresh and just slightly crusty as good French bread should be.
Add all this to a nice beachside location, and friendly attentive service, and you have a GreatRestaurant worth recommending to your friends. Not to mention, a place worth returning to for dinner!
Oh, and it's in Aruba, up north, between the Marriott and the Holiday Inn, and, did I say earlier, on the beach!
My wife and I wandered into Hadicurari today for lunch and had a delicious meal.
The grouper sandwich my wife had was fresh and she enjoyed it. I had the spicy shrimp sandwich and it was outstanding!! The shrimp were cooked to the correct firmness without being over cooked. The sauce was sublime and the French bread on which it was served was fresh and just slightly crusty as good French bread should be.
Add all this to a nice beachside location, and friendly attentive service, and you have a GreatRestaurant worth recommending to your friends. Not to mention, a place worth returning to for dinner!
Oh, and it's in Aruba, up north, between the Marriott and the Holiday Inn, and, did I say earlier, on the beach!
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