http://www.chow.com/boards/54 Sun, 01 Nov 2009 22:48:43 GMT Keep track of the lastest threads on Chowhound http://www.chow.com/topics/663935#5161774 Authentic local cuisine would be Antillean food which will be hard to find but possible. Ask your concierge. Foods such as fungi, yambo, tutu, pisca salu..there are many... Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:25:44 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/663935#5161774 http://www.chow.com/topics/663841#5159944 Great. Thanks. We'll be there this weekend. Have heard good things about El Rancho Original, which was the one that Andrew Zimmern went to. May go there, but will report back. Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:16:19 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/663841#5159944 http://www.chow.com/topics/660551#5159215 The Italian restaurant in the Ritz Carlton in Isle Verde was fantastic. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:48:51 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/660551#5159215 http://www.chow.com/topics/661014#5157742 We'll check to see if there's a Perla connection at the hotel. I'll report if we find anything interesting in the area. I'm excited about Marmalade and hope it meets up to all the praise. Thanks again for all your help. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:04:48 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/661014#5157742 http://www.chow.com/topics/663214#5156253 My dream trip is T and T...check out doubles and roti..yummyyyyy Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:38:50 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/663214#5156253 http://www.chow.com/topics/664003#5152469 We'd heard very good things about Sjalotte, but the menu was so full of imported items and seemed very heavy (lots of foie gras). But I am curious if you tried it and, if so, how it was. And Hook's was fine for drinks, and like I said, the setting was nice on a very secluded, and protected, bay. (The tables in the sand went virtually down to the water line.) But it just wasn't very good, and the prices were high to boot. (Not that I would have been OK with crappy food if it was cheap, but it wouldn't have stung as much.) Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:15:00 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/664003#5152469 http://www.chow.com/topics/343468#5150500 There is a Costco in the Carolina area, you should be able to find organic staples there. For produce and meats, check out Plaza del Mercado in Rio Piedras. The market is not "certified" organic, but it is local produce and meat that are organically grown/raised. Hope that helps. Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:21:03 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/343468#5150500 http://www.chow.com/topics/367489#5144664 sigh, I too do not love dinners alone in a romantic place but Bistro Clochard would have worked..next time? Sat, 31 Oct 2009 10:51:44 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/367489#5144664 http://www.chow.com/topics/663601#5144648 Belize City is largely garifuna and I'm sure there is a decent meal for the adventurous, but when I lay over there on my way to Ambergris or Turneffe I hardly want to leave my hotel, what with the open sewage and people with a lot of time on their hands staring at my watch. I would stick with 'ritas at the Radisson Port George. Sat, 31 Oct 2009 09:32:35 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/663601#5144648 http://www.chow.com/topics/642825#5144160 Interested in Curacao local food? Check out http://www.curacao-visitor.com for some tips on restaurants, local food and other cheap eateries. Good luck! Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:20:04 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/642825#5144160 http://www.chow.com/topics/663282#5142234 Great list...I have not been to FF in a few years..I had one great meal there in 97 and one bad a few years back...IMHO that would be a special evening...Do you realize NYE is perhaps the loudest craziest nights in the Dutch islands? Klap/fireworks/veerwerks is legal and everyone spends massive $ to buy goodies. Ask your hotel where the Pagara is New Years Day. If you love fireworks stay near town, if not hide down at Flying Fishbone WAYYYY down in Savaneta.... Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:50:17 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/663282#5142234 http://www.chow.com/topics/662849#5138444 Lunch at Pikayo? Dinner at Dragonfly and dessert and drinks and music at Carli's Cafe? Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:16:30 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/662849#5138444 http://www.chow.com/topics/658401#5138051 Seconding the recommendation for Marmalade! (And for San Juan as a culinary destination.) Just back from a recent trip myself and wanted to chime in on what a treat it was. I'd made reservations for Marmalade for the first night of our trip based on a comment here on CH that the chef (Peter) had prepared a vegetarian tasting menu for a member of a party. Since my partner and I are vegetarian, we thought this would be a good place to try. After the server explained the menu, I mentioned that I'd read there were some off-menu vegetarian dishes. Peter appeared a few minutes later and was super gracious, taking the time to explain the number of dishes he could make. After we scooped our jaws off the floor, we asked if we could do a tasting menu. What followed was incredible. It's super apparent how much he loves what he does, and that made for a delicious and exciting meal. Every dish we had was so creative and worked perfectly. I've never had such a consistent and unique meal. At the end of our meal, he took the time to recommend other restaurants in the area, including Jam Bar, which we tried and also thoroughly enjoyed (excellent mixed drinks there, too). Peter recommended Perla, at La Concha, which has a very different feel. It's a gorgeous space -- designed in the shape of a clam shell and overlooking the beach. Again, the meal was delicious and creative and the service was stellar. I can't comment too much on the menu, since what we had was mostly off-menu (another vegetarian tasting). But again, this was a great experience. Puerto Rico was a beautiful place to visit -- which I expected -- but it was not on my radar as a chow-worthy destination. Silly me. I'd go back for the food alone! Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:08:16 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/658401#5138051 http://www.chow.com/topics/462020#5130088 Metropole (near the Hilton) has great food! Sun, 25 Oct 2009 23:54:01 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/462020#5130088 http://www.chow.com/topics/660109#5125573 For casual, we like Molly Molone's in Red Hook , Wikked which is in Yacht Haven Grande & the Shipwreck, which is across the street from Havensight. Havana Blue at the Marriott at Frenchman's Reef is very good for dinner & a little more upscale. If you do get over to Red Hook, stop in Duffy's Love Shack. It's literally a shack in the middle of a parking lot, but their drinks are great & the food isn't bad. Off the Hook in Red Hook is also good for seafood. Fri, 23 Oct 2009 18:14:18 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/660109#5125573 http://www.chow.com/topics/659624#5125430 Wacky Wahoos Yemanja Madame Janettes Bingo (great burger) Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:22:49 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/659624#5125430 http://www.chow.com/topics/660648#5125047 Was just thinking that too. Go offline, my email is pytw75@yahoo.ca. Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:11:20 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/660648#5125047 http://www.chow.com/topics/659616#5116494 sonic, email me if you need info on AXA. I am running a culinary tour there so know the chow situation well. ann@antiguacaribbean.com Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:44:25 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/659616#5116494 http://www.chow.com/topics/642056#5111783 Island Grille in Islamorada ...very cool area of the Keys Sun, 18 Oct 2009 12:50:45 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/642056#5111783 http://www.chow.com/topics/658803#5107423 Nos Cunucu is very good and very reasonable. The kid's menu is the entire menu, half portion, half price. Most entrees are just over $10, which is a relative bargain on the island. It's Aruban food and is excellent. Cafe Rembrandt has a soup and sandwich lunch special for $10. It may or may not be a chain, but they were friendly, the food was simple and good, and it wasn't too pricey for lunch. Gasparito in my opinion is overpriced and a tad touristy. Nice folk, but the Aruban food at Nos Cunucu is twice as good for less than half the price. (Keshi Yena was $26 at Gasparito and 25 afl at Nos Cunucu, for instance.) Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:51:31 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/658803#5107423 http://www.chow.com/topics/651600#5100744 thanks. we've been back 3 weeks, but I'll check it out for next time. Tue, 13 Oct 2009 22:24:23 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/651600#5100744 http://www.chow.com/topics/652649#5100334 would love to hear where you ended up for your anniversary! Tue, 13 Oct 2009 19:59:48 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/652649#5100334 http://www.chow.com/topics/556050#5096241 Thank you Ewilensky -- yes, I do know about Happy Cow, but their listings can often be out of date. Also, I am interested in restaurants that aren't exclusively vegetarian as well -- recommendations for those with a handful of good, creative veg options are very welcome. Mon, 12 Oct 2009 04:33:51 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/556050#5096241 http://www.chow.com/topics/482212#5092869 Hatch,thanks for the link.I found it very helpful and it gave me an insight before I leave in a couple weeks. Sat, 10 Oct 2009 07:25:07 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/482212#5092869 http://www.chow.com/topics/630375#5086653 I suppose I should report back after starting this thread. The food in Aruba was not the highlight of our trip, each time we ate out we regretted it and towards the last week of our trip we cooked in our room - you'd be suprised what you can make with a little kitchenette toaster oven. Highlights -- BBQ on Saturday at the flea market. Simple BBQ but cooked with finesse. Mostly locals eating at this one. Past downtown heading North to the low-rise hotels on the right hand sign. There's a banner. La Granja (Savaneta) - it's off menu but they make a very good cebiche/cerviche. A bit on the expensive side but EVERYTHING is on the expensive side in Aruba. Chicken and beef is their specialty for good reason. Effe Amders (Savaneta)- Suriname food. HUGE portions for very little money. Menu is in Dutch/Suriname and not really willing to speak English. Nasi, Bami, Roti and Rijst - either with chicken, beef, or vegetarian. This was one of our favorite places. Point and smile. Zeerovers (Savaneta) - Means "pirates" matie. Really a fisherman's bar with snacks. But go for the fresh fish and shrimp. We cooked often in our little toaster oven but one night bought enough to entice a local family to let us cook on their grill at Mangel Halto beach. Best meal there. Nelo's Snack (Savaneta) - again, huge portions at cheap prices. Menu in Papiamento /Dutch. Ordered what I thought was fish. Got ribs. Didn't complain. Looks like a dump from the outside, which is pretty much how it looks on the inside. Good hearty food. Pelican Pier (Palm Beach) - Touristy but one of the better meals we had. Especially the grilled shrimp salad which had a nice curry spice to it. Heavy on the fried foods but some tasty wraps as well. Weakest. Drinks. Ever. Gasparitos - Tried the Keshi Yena. Good but extremely filling. Split with my wife and we ate only half of it and were full for days. Extremely expensive for what it is. Royal Taj - Standard Indian food, actually much better than we expected it to be. A bit more than we're used to paying but this is Aruba. Friendly drug dealers out front trying to sell sub-par weed at extremely high prices. Hey, they need to eat too... Sadly, no luck in finding Rijsttafel although there is rumor that an Indonesian place serves it on Wednesday only. I think we had given up by then. The best culinary find was my reacquaintance with stroopwafels which I had first discovered in Amsterdam. Two thin waffle like cookies with caramel or syrup between them. Great with coffee, especially when you put your cookie over your cup and let the steam warm them for a while. The big yellow "Super Foods" in front of Ling & Sons had by far the best selection. They freeze well. We brought 12 packages home, 11 actually since the customs guy was jokingly giving me a hard time about bringing so many home... A great trip, we actually spent about $50 less per day than we budgeted since we stopped eating out. And we lost weight.... Wed, 07 Oct 2009 22:23:33 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/630375#5086653 http://www.chow.com/topics/657387#5086558 thanks for the link..will get some next time. My cabinet is full of Outerbridges Sherry Peppers. I used to love that stuff. Wed, 07 Oct 2009 21:51:01 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/657387#5086558 http://www.chow.com/topics/488717#5086557 I am a travel agent and know a few that will not accommodate the diet. Let us know where you end up. I have a client who has Celiacs Disease and he travels all over the Caribbean. I believe most items have gluten free items but what is your experience in other travels? Follow my www.anguillabliss.com Wed, 07 Oct 2009 21:49:53 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/488717#5086557 http://www.chow.com/topics/261467#5082006 Great little restraunt called code zero on the beach in Bequia. There is a review of it at http://www.boat4u.com.au Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:22:02 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/261467#5082006 http://www.chow.com/topics/583344#5081845 Excellence Punta Cana. If you read the reviews on it you'll see most visitors had the same reaction as myself. Tue, 06 Oct 2009 06:15:25 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/583344#5081845 http://www.chow.com/topics/613788#5073901 Wow! I guess we must have missed something. We just got back and Cuba has the BLANDEST food I have ever eaten!! Let me preface this by saying, I in NO WAY expected gourmet meals. I was expecting, and looking forward to, rice and beans, a media noche, platanos, yuca, maybe some lechon....and I did get all of those things. The problem was, they were not very good. None of it. We went upscale and downscale (way down). We tried the paladars (casa dining) and the cafeterias. I had some "okay" food, but nothing that I thought was really good. One of the best meals we had was in the airport. That is just sad. On the upside, there is a great history there and there are beautiful beaches, buildings and areas of Cuba that are just stunning. I also did not have one bad cocktail while there. We wanted to go before it opened up and the U.S. influences the culture there. We wanted to experience Cuba before there is a Starbucks or McDonalds on every corner. I have never said this about any country we have ever visited - I embrace every country and it's unique culture- but Cuba is in serious need of some golden arches!!!! Fri, 02 Oct 2009 06:06:34 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/613788#5073901 http://www.chow.com/topics/655598#5066404 One of the most underrated places is Casa Tua (the one in Arawak Garden). We love their thin crust pizza but see people eating everything else as well (it is always busy). It is VERY child friendly. It is outdoors and there are usually tables of young kids with various parents. The one downtown is NOT as good IMHO and is not as child friendly. (We live in Florida but are Sunbirds - we spend most of the year in Aruba) Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:20:52 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/655598#5066404 http://www.chow.com/topics/654083#5063391 Instead of two dinners in one night we could do a tapas crawl - kind of like a pub crawl but with food! Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:14:12 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/654083#5063391 http://www.chow.com/topics/654768#5056289 Hi! My husband and I are returning to Puerto Rico next week and will be staying in Guanica for most of our trip. We haven't really explored this part of the island, but we are looking for recs anywhere in the vicinity (Guanica, Ponce, La Parguera, Cabo Rojo, etc). We already have our favorite places in San Juan and I have family in that area so we really don't need recs there. Thanks in advance! Thu, 24 Sep 2009 22:54:34 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/654768#5056289 http://www.chow.com/topics/618927#5042184 Over the Edge is all about the location. Have a drink here, but eat elsewhere.. tried it several times, the service sucks and the food is just so-so. Sat, 19 Sep 2009 18:20:19 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/618927#5042184 http://www.chow.com/topics/652478#5030942 My husband and I will be taking a quick 3 day weekend to St. Thomas and will be staying at the Ritz Carlton. I would love any suggestions for both dinner and lunch (Casual lunch and more formal dinner) as well as any suggestions for live music and great nightlife. I have never visited the USVI so any additional ideas and thoughts are much appreciated. Thanks in advance Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:00:05 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/652478#5030942 http://www.chow.com/topics/647412#5025959 I dated a Dominican man for quite awhile. His mom mad a lot of rice and beans, fish and chicken. She created some amazing dishes with beans. They loved pork as well which I do not eat. When you get to the DR ask the taxi drivers or staff at the hotel for recommendations. I am sure most do not eat out but might has some tips. Sun, 13 Sep 2009 12:11:43 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/647412#5025959 http://www.chow.com/topics/651077#5016485 Never made it as far as Holguin so I'll just share what I've gotten from my guidebook. There are only two restaurants listed that sound interesting to me. One is called Restaurant 1720, which is described as "Holguin's finest dining" in a restored colonial mansion. It's on Calle Frexes between Manduley and Miro. The other is called Paladar La Ternura (Jose A Cardet No. 293). A paladar is typically a restaurant in a private home and the food is usually plentiful and simple. I would certainly recommend that you explore beyond the resort. It's a whole different world out there and well worth visiting. Cuban meals tend to have fresh seafood (fish, lobster, shrimp) or chicken or pork as a main dish, with rice and beans and salad. Desserts can be odd - like this very strange guava and cheese concoction my husband once ordered - or fresh fruit or custards. Street foods are typically pizza or pork sandwiches - and range from delicious to awful. There's very little in the way of spices used beyond garlic and a bit of oregano. I can't imagine why you wouldn't be allowed to leave the resort. We encountered no travel restrictions anywhere in Cuba - we rented a car and travelled mostly the mid to western part of the island. Some resort areas may have "checkpoints' where you have to show your passport to enter because they restrict Cubans from going into these places unless they work there, but I can't see anyone trying to prevent you from leaving. Do it. Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:31:02 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/651077#5016485 http://www.chow.com/topics/643876#5011515 Some good recommendations by LRS here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/462020 Here are some good eats near tourist areas Old San Juan and Santurce. Non-fancy local: in Old San Juan: El Jibarito - Local fare http://www.eljibaritopr.com/ El Siglo 20 - Traditional spanish-local I have friends who have lunch here everyday. Don Tello - You can take the 75 cents ferry from old San Juan to Cataño, on the other side of the bay and right in front of the ferry terminal you will find it. Try the fried red snapper. http://www.dontellorestaurant.com/http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-2770227-el_siglo_xx_san_juan-i in Santurce/Condado: El pescador - Spanish seafood in the Santurce marketplace. http://www.concierge.com/travelguide/sanjuan/restaurants/30439 Bebo's Cafe - Dominican-local best buy in town, filled everyday with locals, large quick moving. La Tasca de Yiyo - Cuban-local similar to Bebo's, less crowds, a little further down Loiza street. Try arroz con pollo a la chorrera. La Casita Blanca - local traditional, simple and nice. Well into the local area into the "other" side of Santurce. Open during daytime only. http://gopuertorico.about.com/od/purepuertorican/gr/LaCasitaBlanca.htm Mon, 07 Sep 2009 21:10:43 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/643876#5011515 http://www.chow.com/topics/563371#5009187 Oistens Fish Fry, Friday Night.. Sun, 06 Sep 2009 18:07:49 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/563371#5009187 http://www.chow.com/topics/649539#4999602 We are staying at the Breezes resort for 5 nights a very well needed break fro the reality of two kids under 3! It is our first time to the Bahamas, I was wondering about a great place out, not looking to drop $300- on dinner but want something really nice and fun! Any thoughts on the Columbus Tavern? Also something local, not a watered down tourist attraction for great local cuisine! Thanks! Wed, 02 Sep 2009 19:17:36 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/649539#4999602 http://www.chow.com/topics/459659#4996753 Perhaps the cheapest route of all? Bring your food with you from the US. We just did that last week. We brought ribs, steaks and chicken. Enough for three dinners for two families. To surround them, we stopped at local markets and bought what we needed. As for good, we had several terrific dinners including Skinny Legs, Shipwreck, and Sweet Plantains. http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/649113 Tue, 01 Sep 2009 20:35:52 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/459659#4996753 http://www.chow.com/topics/591656#4995343 we ended up at Clay oven 3 times in total. Very consistent. We went back to an old fave, Matisse. While it was very good, it didn't thrill us like before. At Atlantis, I have new found respect for Nobu and Flays Mesa Grill. Both were excellent though of course, exorbitant. Murrays was pretty good to for "inexpensive". Bahamian Kitchen in ton is also very good and reasonable place where the locals have lunch. Tue, 01 Sep 2009 13:57:10 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/591656#4995343 http://www.chow.com/topics/649113#4995111 Greetings all. Just returned from my first vacation to St John in the US Virgin islands. What a beautiful place. Sun, sand, snorkeling, sailing, and swimming. Perfect weather. And mostly unspoiled island beauty. I am happy to say we had a lot of good chow while there. Some we brought with us from New Jersey and prepared our own grilled meals three nights of our weeklong stay. But we also sampled the island's restaurants, including the funky Skinny Legs, a waterside bar with great burgers, and Shipwreck Landing. The standout, however, was Sweet Plantains (http://www.sweetplantains-stjohn.com/) which celebrates the food of the Caribbean. And what a celebration. The place, sitting next to a harbor on the east side of the island, has open doors and windows to let in the sea breezes and the glorious views of sloops at anchor. On Friday night, Prince and Chef Rose Adams, the husband and wife team that owns and operates Sweet Plantains, served up Indo-Caribbean fare, East Indian influenced West Indian cuisine. For starters, I had West Indian Saltfish Cakes. For main course, I had the pork loin with yuca root fries with cilantro mojo sauce. For dessert, coconut flan. Lastly, the owner treated us to a chilled mango rum. If I ever return to St John, I will be sure to dine at Sweet Plantains. Tue, 01 Sep 2009 11:55:15 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/649113#4995111 http://www.chow.com/topics/648913#4993049 So I've gotten around to checking out Opus Lounge post renovations. If you haven't made it there yet, they took over the dry cleaning space next door and ordered in new wicker furniture for outside, which is now more comfortable than the low slung wooden stuff they had before. Scott, the manager from Fresco's, has also moved over here so it's nice to know someone is trying really hard to make it a good experience. They now have a tapas menus which I've perused a couple of times. The first outing had the cold veggie crudite (hooray for healthy options!) and the chicken satay. The presentation of the veggies was cute, being cut match stick size and served upright in an espresso cup with the ranch dressing at the bottom of the cup. The satay was decent, not too dry (which is always a problem) and the flavours were nice, nothing spectacular and even my DP enjoyed it (she being of South Asian descent and knowing all too much about satay). The second round, had the cheesy garlic bread, chicken empanada and tapenade. The cheesy garlic bread was tasty but I suspect that they cheat a bit as it really reminded me of Pepperidge Farms' frozen garlic bread but with cheese melted on top. And I do notice that the "kitchen" seems rather small so would not surprise me at all. The chicken empanada was unlike any empanada I've had. I usually associate empanadas as being like a meat turnover. This one came in layers of phyllo (I think) with a layer of chicken in between the layers. I'd say I was disappointed in the dish, the flavours didn't really stand out to me. The tapenade came with 3 different dips (black olive, green olive and sundried tomato) served with panini pressed and warmed up slices of baguette. Again, the baguette reminded me of Pepperidge Farm as the slices were so uniform in size and I have used the product before. I very much enjoy the slow (ha ha ha) movement of the dining scene in Bermuda to adopt the tapas trend. I think it's a good move given how much the after work cocktail scene is so predominant and it's nice to have something to nibble on while you socialize/unwind with a drink. However, I find that the food is better at other places, Ten and Harry's (although not really tapas at Harry's, more like bar food given the larger portions). Mon, 31 Aug 2009 18:05:49 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/648913#4993049 http://www.chow.com/topics/634467#4991088 I second Marmalade. We just returned from San Juan yesterday and our meal at Marmalade was the highlight of our trip. Also the chef's presence in the restaurant's kitchen showed dedication to a unique dining experience. It was the only restaurant wherein the chef himself greeted his diners (as with the excellent Michelin starred restaurants we went to elsewhere). He is also very worldly and plays on different flavors. Excellent meal and would definitely return. Sun, 30 Aug 2009 23:44:13 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/634467#4991088 http://www.chow.com/topics/502678#4986357 We had a very similar experience. Lots of disorganization and very steep prices for what was very good food, but not good enough to match the price. I thought decor was exciting and modern and the environment warmed up about an hour in to service when more people showed up; we were the first ones there, and the only ones for about a half hour. Overall we had a decent meal, but were let down because of the high prices and poor service. Fri, 28 Aug 2009 18:56:15 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/502678#4986357 http://www.chow.com/topics/647044#4976918 I second Anne's suggestion as to Blackbeard's for dinner. The sunset is spectacular out there and the food is decent. I'd suggest heading out to St.George's during the day, catch a ferry or bus up there and spend the afternoon at the beach or sightseeing and then dinner at Blackbeard's, catch a cab back to the hotel. Shae...I think it is closed during the winter unfortunately. Dining at the Southampton, options are Waterlot which is a steakhouse, Bacci's which is Italian and Ocean Club which is fusion seafood. Ocean Club has the best views being down by the waterside but for that, I'd actually wander next door to the Reefs hotel and go to Coconuts (?) which has way better views of the beach. Options in Hamilton...do you have any preference on types of food & a budget? I ask ahead of time as Bermuda dining prices tend to give even the most seasoned traveller sticker shock. If you're around on Friday evening, happy hour crowds make it a very lively atmosphere. The Fairmont Hamilton Princess, Lemon Tree (in Hamilton) and Newstead Hotel do outdoor happy hours, good for basics like beer, wine and highballs. For cocktails, check out Harry's in town (next to Miles Market) for wonderful cocktails. Their bar menu is quite good as well for a lighter meal that won't kill the pocket book. Tue, 25 Aug 2009 20:30:07 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/647044#4976918 http://www.chow.com/topics/604113#4975754 A quick note on the food we ate on Provodenciales. Best meals were at Smokey's on Da Bay and Lemon Cafe. Smokeys is out in Blue Hill. Totally local scene but bad decor. We went Wednesday for their fish fry. DH had grilled lobster & I had a grouper fillet. They were both amazingly light & flavorful. The sides of cole slaw, corn, fries & bread fit the bill. Also, Smokeys was the least expensive meal we had on the whole island (lunches included!). Lemon Cafe is Moroccan/Med food. The owners are from Montreal. Chef, too. Lovely little free-standing restaurant in Grace Bay Village. He took such care with the decor & mood. Service was great and we really enjoyed our meal. Had lunch at Bernie's Cafe. Not sure why all the fuss. I thought $16 for four friend shrimp and some fries was overpriced. My caesar salad dressing tasted like flavored mayo:( Lunch at Pizza Pizza in Grace Bay was fine but no great shakes. They make the kind of pizza where everything just slides off the crust when you pick it up. Not my favorite. We had lunch one day at Plunge at the Regent Palms hotel. It was good and probably a safe bet especially if you are staying there or close by. We recommend the open-faced crab sandwich and the sweet potato fries. Was pleasantly surprised by the the options for buying food. Graceway IGA and the Gourmet Food Market in Grace Bay were both gorgeous and offered great stuff. Caicos Cafe was highly recommended to us by some long term vacationers. We went and were disappointed. The conch fritter was nice and we liked the dipping sauce but our main courses tasted very Holiday Inn/industrial. Somehwere on the Beach is a great casual spot. Our dinner of quesadillas, fajitas and happy hour Red Stripes and Turks Head beers hit the spot. Wandered over another day after snorkeling and enjoyed bloody mary's on the deck. Tue, 25 Aug 2009 15:38:42 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/604113#4975754 http://www.chow.com/topics/644121#4963949 I cannot understand how you can try and compare Miami Beach resorts with the Caribbean-they share nothing in common. Do you want to go to an island and experience a different culture and mood or do you want a big US city with sand? IMHO, forget both Ritz properties. St. Thomas and Puerto Rico offer all of the worst of the Caribbean at once. Crowded, touristy, dirty, and full of cruise ships. Anguilla is a very special island and has some incredible chow worthy options. Could not be more different from Miami Beach or St. Thomas. For the best of food, service, island culture, and exclusivity, I would strongly recommend St. Barth's. There are several great choices of resorts, just depends on your budget. On the highest end you cannot go wrong at either Le Toiney or Hotel Ile de France. Thu, 20 Aug 2009 23:51:31 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/644121#4963949 http://www.chow.com/topics/592593#4955621 Mesa Grill is excellent. I've never enjoyed a lay place in NYC, but this was tops. Tue, 18 Aug 2009 14:59:14 GMT http://www.chow.com/topics/592593#4955621