This is SO delayed...but here's another post on our fantastic food-filled honeymoon in Anguilla!
As part of our gourmet package at CuisinArt, we got to take a cooking class with Executive Chef Daniel Le Guenan. We had already gotten to interact with him a bit at the Chef's Table two nights before, but this was a much more one-on-one setting. Of course, I have no pictures because my stupid camera stopped working days earlier.
It was just me, Steve, another woman from the resort and Chef. I was actually really surprised that no one else was taking advantage of this great opportunity but was happy that we got him (almost) all to ourselves!
We started out with a quick explanation of what we were going to do - chop veggies, stuff chicken breasts, make a vegetable stock and a green pea soup, and end with a banana bread.
With the hydroponic farm just a quick walk across the resort driveway, we each had a huge bowl of fresh vegetables at our stations. Eggplants, plantains, red bell peppers, onions, garlic...yum. Beautiful beautiful veggies. More on the hydroponic farm in a future post (that will not take two months to produce, promise!).
So we chopped our veggies how Chef Daniel instructed us to - taking care to not cut the peppers the way most people do. According to Chef Daniel, you lose too much pepper by slicing the pepper in half and then popping the stem out. All you have to do is slice the pepper down the side as close to the stem as possible - then you get the most pepper.
After that, we combined our veggies and let them simmer for about half an hour with plenty of water and garlic on the stove. After about 30 minutes, he brought the stock to a boil.
While the stock was simmering, we sliced up our plantains into slender spears about 2-3 inches long. Chef Daniel showed us how to butterfly the chicken breasts we had in order to stuff them with the plantains. According to Chef Daniel, the best way to butterfly the chicken is to slice the breast vertically down the center about half an inch deep and then slowly peel back the layer of chicken, working your way to the left and then to the right. Although our knives weren't the sharpest (probably because they don't want to give super sharp knives to potentially inexperienced tourists), we made quick work of the chicken.
The most interesting part was cooking the chicken. We stuffed the chicken breasts with the plantain spears and then - surprisingly - rolled them using saran wrap. I had NO idea it was ok to use plastic wrap to cook the chicken, but it turned out really well! By the time we had finished stuffing and rolling the chicken in saran wrap, the vegetable stock was finishing its simmer. Once it was boiling, we dropped the little chicken rolls into the stock and put the lid on the pot.
(Note: Steve and I liked this idea so much that we tried it ourselves, making feta and basil-stuffed chicken breasts for lunch one day. Turned out great! Only difficult part is making sure the chicken is cooked, because once you unroll it, there's no way to return it to the pot for more time in the pot.)
Since the chicken needed to cook for a bit, we strolled over to the hydroponic garden and Chef Daniel gave us a rundown on how he worked with the farm's produce every morning to figure out a menu. Combined with fresh-from-the-boat seafood, he said the hydroponic farm was the most consistent and best produce on the island. Surprisingly, Anguilla is dry and not conducive to farming, so hydroponic farming is the best bet for fresh produce.
When we got back, we pulled the chicken out, skimmed off the veggies and then dumped fresh peas into the pot to simmer for the pea soup. After that, we whipped together some banana bread (probably the least exciting bit of the class - banana bread is not difficult!).
Once everything was all ready, Chef Daniel booted us out of the kitchen with one last question - scallops or foie gras? He would put the finishing touches on the meal and then send it out to us at our table on the patio.
Steve and I, being the foie gras gluttons that we are, both jumped at the chance to indulge in rich, delicious liver. YUM.
Chef Daniel did not disappoint. We started with the pea soup, topped with a light creme fraiche and herbs (that, of course, two months later - I don't remember which ones). It was a tad bit bland and could have used a bit more flavor, but it was still yummy. Steve and I both agreed that the addition of ham or prosciutto or something savory would have kicked it up to being a really flavorful, excellent dish. However, it WAS served with a generous portion of seared foie gras, so I couldn't really complain THAT much.
For the main course, the chef sent out our plantain-stuffed chicken three ways - plain with microgreens, with vegetable stock and with a red pepper puree. I think the chicken itself needed more spice and flavor, but it was an overall good entree.
It was followed by our banana bread, topped with vanilla bean ice cream. Not terribly exciting or amazing, but it was a nice way to finish off our meal.
The cooking lesson was a great addition to our honeymoon and capped off our three days of true gluttony (with the chef's table two days prior and the tasting menu the day before). Chef Daniel was animated and very easy to talk with about cooking, different techniques, ideas and, much like my favorite French chef, had a great French accent.
I highly recommend the cooking class if anyone makes the jaunt down to Anguilla - even if you don't stay at CuisinArt! It was a lot of fun and great way to stay out of the blistering winds on the beach.
Showing posts with label honeymoon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label honeymoon. Show all posts
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Honeymoon Gluttony: The Tasting Menu
After our chef's table experience, we were looking forward to trying some of the resort's other dishes. So we were excited about our reservation for the tasting menu (just one day after the chef's table - we were still full). After the chef's table experience the night before, Steve and I both felt like this:
Let's just say that I'm REALLY sad that we didn't have a working camera at this point because the pictures would seriously speak louder than anything I can say.
The tasting menu was huge. HUGE. The three-course tasting menu turned into five courses of the biggest platters of food I've ever seen.
We started, so naively, with bread and olive oil with fresh basil from the hydroponic farm. The butter served with it was seriously salted...and heavenly. The kitchen also sent out a complimentary basket of fry bread with carrot and pumpkin dip. The dip was okay - a little too sweet for me though. Since we were hungry at that point, we gave in to snacking on that. We should have waited.
Course 1 looked innocent enough when we were presented with it. The server came out with a bowl of pumpkin soup for each of us. The soup had the most amazing goat cheese ravioli at the bottom of the bowl - I could have eaten a plate full of that. The goat cheese was creamy and sharp and the ravioli was perfectly cooked. Definitely adding goat cheese ravioli and pumpkin soup to my list of things to make.
Then they set the tray down in front of us and we realized that the soup wasn't the first course. It was one of FIVE small plates that comprised the first course. The other plates were as follows:
- Crayfish with a fresh salad and vegetables.
- Chicken dumpling with a mango sauce.
- Seared scallops with sweet potato mash.
- Tuna tartare wrapped in seaweed and rice tempura with a watermelon sauce.
Of all of them, I think the scallops, tuna tartare and pumpkin soup were our favorites. The chicken dumpling seemed a little out of place and the crayfish, while good, didn't beat out the others. The tuna tartare was fantastic - you could taste how fresh the fish was. And the tempura added that extra little crunch. The scallops, of course, were delicious. They were seared in butter (what could be better?) and had this beautiful golden glaze on them. While I don't normally go for mashed sweet potatoes, these accompanied the scallops perfectly - a bit of sweet flavor to go with the fat, tender scallops.
Our next course was sage sorbet made with sage grown in the hydroponic farm. Again, it was strong and I couldn't finish it (like the ice and armangac at the chef's table). But it was still good.
Course 3 was like the first one - five small plates as follows:
- Pea and mushroom risotto.
- Rack of lamb with gnocchi.
- Beef with bearnaise and French potatoes.
- Tuna with a stir fry and sweet pepper puree.
- Mahi mahi with a sesame crust and braised sweet potatoes.
Of all of these, we both really liked the risotto. Steve really liked the lamb and I agreed - it was seasoned and grilled perfectly - nice and tender, very flavorful and not overcooked. Overcooked lamb is the worst. Everything else tasted good and cooked well, but nothing really captured us.
At this point, we were so far beyond full. Stuffed. Wanted to lay down for awhile. I was eyeing the lounge chairs over by the pool and starting to feel like Violet Beauregarde again.
But we thought dessert would probably be just one or two things, so we finished course 3 and moved on to course 4.
Wrong again! Course 4 was just like the rest. A bunch of smaller dessert-type items.
- Creme brulee
- Raspberry hibiscus sorbet
- Strawberry macarons
- Mint and ginger sorbet
- Madeleines
- Strawberry sorbet with some sort of jelly
- Gazpacho of basil
- Mango puree
I was so full that I tried a couple bites of things (the creme brulee, the mango puree, the sorbets) and that was it for me. I was dunzo. Could. Not. Eat. Any. More. Which was SO disappointing because the dessert tray was really really beautiful.
So when they brought out yet another plate of desserts (a small plate), I was really surprised. It was just a couple small bites - chocolate malted balls on a strip of chocolate, etc. I can't even remember what else was on the plate (which is horrible!). I was in a food coma.
All in all, the food was good. A few standouts that we want to try to make at home. I don't mean to paint the tasting menu in a negative light at ALL. We were just stuffed! Again!
More to come on our cooking class with Chef Daniel and our trip to Sandy Ground...
(Photo from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory)
Let's just say that I'm REALLY sad that we didn't have a working camera at this point because the pictures would seriously speak louder than anything I can say.
The tasting menu was huge. HUGE. The three-course tasting menu turned into five courses of the biggest platters of food I've ever seen.
We started, so naively, with bread and olive oil with fresh basil from the hydroponic farm. The butter served with it was seriously salted...and heavenly. The kitchen also sent out a complimentary basket of fry bread with carrot and pumpkin dip. The dip was okay - a little too sweet for me though. Since we were hungry at that point, we gave in to snacking on that. We should have waited.
Course 1 looked innocent enough when we were presented with it. The server came out with a bowl of pumpkin soup for each of us. The soup had the most amazing goat cheese ravioli at the bottom of the bowl - I could have eaten a plate full of that. The goat cheese was creamy and sharp and the ravioli was perfectly cooked. Definitely adding goat cheese ravioli and pumpkin soup to my list of things to make.
Then they set the tray down in front of us and we realized that the soup wasn't the first course. It was one of FIVE small plates that comprised the first course. The other plates were as follows:
- Crayfish with a fresh salad and vegetables.
- Chicken dumpling with a mango sauce.
- Seared scallops with sweet potato mash.
- Tuna tartare wrapped in seaweed and rice tempura with a watermelon sauce.
Of all of them, I think the scallops, tuna tartare and pumpkin soup were our favorites. The chicken dumpling seemed a little out of place and the crayfish, while good, didn't beat out the others. The tuna tartare was fantastic - you could taste how fresh the fish was. And the tempura added that extra little crunch. The scallops, of course, were delicious. They were seared in butter (what could be better?) and had this beautiful golden glaze on them. While I don't normally go for mashed sweet potatoes, these accompanied the scallops perfectly - a bit of sweet flavor to go with the fat, tender scallops.
Our next course was sage sorbet made with sage grown in the hydroponic farm. Again, it was strong and I couldn't finish it (like the ice and armangac at the chef's table). But it was still good.
Course 3 was like the first one - five small plates as follows:
- Pea and mushroom risotto.
- Rack of lamb with gnocchi.
- Beef with bearnaise and French potatoes.
- Tuna with a stir fry and sweet pepper puree.
- Mahi mahi with a sesame crust and braised sweet potatoes.
Of all of these, we both really liked the risotto. Steve really liked the lamb and I agreed - it was seasoned and grilled perfectly - nice and tender, very flavorful and not overcooked. Overcooked lamb is the worst. Everything else tasted good and cooked well, but nothing really captured us.
At this point, we were so far beyond full. Stuffed. Wanted to lay down for awhile. I was eyeing the lounge chairs over by the pool and starting to feel like Violet Beauregarde again.
But we thought dessert would probably be just one or two things, so we finished course 3 and moved on to course 4.
Wrong again! Course 4 was just like the rest. A bunch of smaller dessert-type items.
- Creme brulee
- Raspberry hibiscus sorbet
- Strawberry macarons
- Mint and ginger sorbet
- Madeleines
- Strawberry sorbet with some sort of jelly
- Gazpacho of basil
- Mango puree
I was so full that I tried a couple bites of things (the creme brulee, the mango puree, the sorbets) and that was it for me. I was dunzo. Could. Not. Eat. Any. More. Which was SO disappointing because the dessert tray was really really beautiful.
So when they brought out yet another plate of desserts (a small plate), I was really surprised. It was just a couple small bites - chocolate malted balls on a strip of chocolate, etc. I can't even remember what else was on the plate (which is horrible!). I was in a food coma.
All in all, the food was good. A few standouts that we want to try to make at home. I don't mean to paint the tasting menu in a negative light at ALL. We were just stuffed! Again!
More to come on our cooking class with Chef Daniel and our trip to Sandy Ground...
Friday, June 4, 2010
Honeymoon Gluttony: The Sunset Catamaran Cruise and The Chef's Table
Since Steve and I booked our honeymoon with the "gourmet" package at CuisinArt, our trip came with a really yummy continental breakfast (delivered to the room every morning!), a reservation at the chef's table, a reservation for the chef's tasting menu at one of the resort's restaurants, a cooking lesson with the head chef and a sunset catamaran cruise.
Well, the catamaran cruise and the chef's table were only scheduled one day a week and they happened to be on the same day. So we readied ourselves for the busiest day of the trip so far (because it required us to actually go somewhere besides the beach and look presentable).
The wind had really picked up on our side of the island late Tuesday, so the waves in the bay were looking a little more, um, menacing than usual on Wednesday. We found out later that the resort had actually cancelled the cruise but then decided to give it a go anyway (bad decision, concierge!). I don't want to go into too much detail, but needless to say - 42-foot catamaran + 12-foot waves = feeling like I was going to die. We likened it to waves from The Perfect Storm. You could see them coming but there wasn't anything you could do to avoid them.
Ok, so it wasn't really that bad. But it was still really choppy, and I was shaking by the end of it and I'm pretty sure I was on the verge of breaking Steve's hand. Thankfully once we turned back toward the resort it was smooth...which led to 3 of the 6 of us feeling seasick and wanting to hurry along home. No one ate the appetizers or drank the champagne, wine or beer that the resort had put on board for us. Sad.
So Steve and I were worried at that point about whether we'd be ready to eat and drink at the chef's table 30 minutes after getting off the boat ride from hell. Since we had gotten drenched on the boat, we had to race back to the hotel room and shower (for that whole looking presentable thing). Felt much better after that.
Good thing. Because what was supposed to just be a six-course meal turned into an eight-course meal. Usually when you have multi-course meals, the courses tend to be smaller. Not on Anguilla, apparently. Three of the courses the chef served were normal entree size. And the wine pairings? Not smaller pours. Full glasses of wine.
Course 1 was a Spiced Ginger Rum and Blood Orange Martini. Not my favorite - they lined the rim of the glass with cinnamon and sugar and it evoked memories of pumpkin pie. And I wasn't crazy either - another girl said that too. Steve liked his though.
Course 2 was a small serving (thank goodness) of creamy potato puree topped with caviar and fresh microgreens. Really really yummy. Steve thought the puree should have been creamier and not quite as lumpy, but I thought it was delicious. The puree was a perfect bed for the very slight salty flavor of the caviar.
Course 3 was a roasted sea scallop salad with vegetables and tomato sauce and ohmygosh was this amazing. This was the first of the entree-sized portions and I would have been so happy if that had been it. The scallops were beautifully golden and plump and the vegetables (being from the hydroponic farm) were so fresh and delicious. The sommelier paired this course with a sauvignon blanc - one that Steve and I had already had on several occasions at the hotel bar. Nice and crisp and perfect for serving with seafood.
Course 4 was a palate cleanser - ice and armagnac. I thought it was waaaaay too heavy on the armagnac, but most of the other people loved it. Steve ate all of his. Mine melted in its little bowl. At this point, although, I was already starting to feel slightly full.
Course 5 was by far the best. It was Anguillian-style roasted whole snapper on a bed of risotto with cherry tomatoes. This one was the most universal crowd pleaser and multiple people kept wanting to ask for the recipe (I was lucky enough to get it at our cooking lesson two days later). The snapper was so tender and delicious. It was basted in its own juices and fish stock and roasted with vegetables. Home freaking run. And the risotto was made with the leftover juices and stock. Amazing. This course was paired with a white rioja - a little on the heavier side, perfect for the heavier dish.
Side note: Everyone was pretty much stuffed and getting slightly tipsy at this point. Did that stop anyone? Of course not.
Course 6 was a duck breast pot au feu served with szechuan pepper and vegetable tempura. The duck was my least favorite thing of the evening - there just wasn't anything special about it. The broth, however, was like nectar from the gods. It had little szechuan flowers that many people, including Steve, ate and then regretted later - lots of stinging lips at the table. This one came with a gigondas red wine - really delicious. The broth and the wine battled it out for my favorite part of the course.
Course 7 was a dark chocolate coconut bar served with a mango puree and chopped pistachios. At this point, I was beyond stuffed. So I only tried the chocolate coconut bar. The coconut-chocolate pairing was a good balance, but it had some ice cream in it and that was the killer for me. Too heavy. Steve devoured his though, and he's not even a big coconut person.
Course 8 was the dessert that was actually listed on the menu. Because no, the coconut bar was NOT on the menu. It was one of the extra courses. But course 8 was a strawberry tiramisu and it was ENORMOUS. It was served with an espuma of red berries, which was almost like a berry foam around the tiramisu. The dessert was good and tasted REALLY fresh, but at that point most people were really slowing down. On top of that, the wine paired with this course was a sauternes - dessert wine (obviously). I'm not a dessert wine person, so I handed mine over to Steve. Plus at that point I was fairly tipsy from all the other wine.
As we were finishing dessert, Chef Daniel sat down at the table with us and chatted, which was fun. Got to ask him all sorts of questions about cooking and his past and all that. I was at the other end of the table, so I didn't get to hear everything that went on. Plus I was in a food coma.
Overall, an awesome experience. Food was delicious and I can't wait to try making the snapper and risotto. More on that recipe later!
Well, the catamaran cruise and the chef's table were only scheduled one day a week and they happened to be on the same day. So we readied ourselves for the busiest day of the trip so far (because it required us to actually go somewhere besides the beach and look presentable).
The wind had really picked up on our side of the island late Tuesday, so the waves in the bay were looking a little more, um, menacing than usual on Wednesday. We found out later that the resort had actually cancelled the cruise but then decided to give it a go anyway (bad decision, concierge!). I don't want to go into too much detail, but needless to say - 42-foot catamaran + 12-foot waves = feeling like I was going to die. We likened it to waves from The Perfect Storm. You could see them coming but there wasn't anything you could do to avoid them.
(Image from The Perfect Storm)
Ok, so it wasn't really that bad. But it was still really choppy, and I was shaking by the end of it and I'm pretty sure I was on the verge of breaking Steve's hand. Thankfully once we turned back toward the resort it was smooth...which led to 3 of the 6 of us feeling seasick and wanting to hurry along home. No one ate the appetizers or drank the champagne, wine or beer that the resort had put on board for us. Sad.
So Steve and I were worried at that point about whether we'd be ready to eat and drink at the chef's table 30 minutes after getting off the boat ride from hell. Since we had gotten drenched on the boat, we had to race back to the hotel room and shower (for that whole looking presentable thing). Felt much better after that.
Good thing. Because what was supposed to just be a six-course meal turned into an eight-course meal. Usually when you have multi-course meals, the courses tend to be smaller. Not on Anguilla, apparently. Three of the courses the chef served were normal entree size. And the wine pairings? Not smaller pours. Full glasses of wine.
Course 1 was a Spiced Ginger Rum and Blood Orange Martini. Not my favorite - they lined the rim of the glass with cinnamon and sugar and it evoked memories of pumpkin pie. And I wasn't crazy either - another girl said that too. Steve liked his though.
Course 2 was a small serving (thank goodness) of creamy potato puree topped with caviar and fresh microgreens. Really really yummy. Steve thought the puree should have been creamier and not quite as lumpy, but I thought it was delicious. The puree was a perfect bed for the very slight salty flavor of the caviar.
Course 3 was a roasted sea scallop salad with vegetables and tomato sauce and ohmygosh was this amazing. This was the first of the entree-sized portions and I would have been so happy if that had been it. The scallops were beautifully golden and plump and the vegetables (being from the hydroponic farm) were so fresh and delicious. The sommelier paired this course with a sauvignon blanc - one that Steve and I had already had on several occasions at the hotel bar. Nice and crisp and perfect for serving with seafood.
Course 4 was a palate cleanser - ice and armagnac. I thought it was waaaaay too heavy on the armagnac, but most of the other people loved it. Steve ate all of his. Mine melted in its little bowl. At this point, although, I was already starting to feel slightly full.
Course 5 was by far the best. It was Anguillian-style roasted whole snapper on a bed of risotto with cherry tomatoes. This one was the most universal crowd pleaser and multiple people kept wanting to ask for the recipe (I was lucky enough to get it at our cooking lesson two days later). The snapper was so tender and delicious. It was basted in its own juices and fish stock and roasted with vegetables. Home freaking run. And the risotto was made with the leftover juices and stock. Amazing. This course was paired with a white rioja - a little on the heavier side, perfect for the heavier dish.
Side note: Everyone was pretty much stuffed and getting slightly tipsy at this point. Did that stop anyone? Of course not.
Course 6 was a duck breast pot au feu served with szechuan pepper and vegetable tempura. The duck was my least favorite thing of the evening - there just wasn't anything special about it. The broth, however, was like nectar from the gods. It had little szechuan flowers that many people, including Steve, ate and then regretted later - lots of stinging lips at the table. This one came with a gigondas red wine - really delicious. The broth and the wine battled it out for my favorite part of the course.
Course 7 was a dark chocolate coconut bar served with a mango puree and chopped pistachios. At this point, I was beyond stuffed. So I only tried the chocolate coconut bar. The coconut-chocolate pairing was a good balance, but it had some ice cream in it and that was the killer for me. Too heavy. Steve devoured his though, and he's not even a big coconut person.
Course 8 was the dessert that was actually listed on the menu. Because no, the coconut bar was NOT on the menu. It was one of the extra courses. But course 8 was a strawberry tiramisu and it was ENORMOUS. It was served with an espuma of red berries, which was almost like a berry foam around the tiramisu. The dessert was good and tasted REALLY fresh, but at that point most people were really slowing down. On top of that, the wine paired with this course was a sauternes - dessert wine (obviously). I'm not a dessert wine person, so I handed mine over to Steve. Plus at that point I was fairly tipsy from all the other wine.
As we were finishing dessert, Chef Daniel sat down at the table with us and chatted, which was fun. Got to ask him all sorts of questions about cooking and his past and all that. I was at the other end of the table, so I didn't get to hear everything that went on. Plus I was in a food coma.
Overall, an awesome experience. Food was delicious and I can't wait to try making the snapper and risotto. More on that recipe later!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Honeymoon Gluttony: The beach bar
For our honeymoon, Steve picked the CuisinArt Resort and Spa on the island of Anguilla.
Anguilla is a gorgeous, teeny tiny island that thankfully hasn't been overdeveloped or taken over by the big names (Westin, Ritz, etc.). In fact, a new resort just opened up on the island - Viceroy - and the locals were commenting that it was "too fancy" for Anguilla. I'm sure it's beautiful though. I certainly wouldn't turn it down.
The island is REALLY laid back. Even at the nicer restaurants, you can wear jeans. And NO ONE pays attention to time, which was nice (even though it would come back to bite us. More on that later.).
Anyway, back to the food.
For the first few days, we were total beach bums. Laid out on the beach, walked on the beach, ate at the beach and drank at the beach. The beach bar is a little round bar - wait for it - on the beach. It has a little deck with tables set up and a grill where the chef prepares the food for the bar.
Since we wanted to take advantage of the local food, we ate there almost exclusively for the first four days of the trip. The beach bar's specialty was skewers that were grilled (right in front of you) and served with a fresh salad. (Side note: I will be posting on the hydroponic farm later - but when I say fresh, I really mean fresh. Lettuce, cherry tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, herbs - they're all picked the day you eat it. Amazing. And you can really taste the difference.)
So Steve and I tried every single one of the skewers throughout those first few days.
They had tuna, lamb with rosemary, chicken, lobster with cherry tomatoes, shrimp with basil, beef with peppers and then a vegetable skewer. Of all of them, the tuna was my favorite. It's hard to resist fresh tuna that was delivered straight from the boat that day! Steve loved the lamb...it was really delicious.
The skewers also came with chips and a sundried tomato and olive dip. I'm pretty sure Steve could have just scarfed down the dip without the chips - every time it was brought out for us, he commented on how much he loved it and wanted to make it at home. We asked them what was in it and - surprise! It's just sundried tomatoes, olives, olive oil and a bit of salt and pepper. I'd probably take the salt down a bit since the olives are salty enough, but it was GOOD. And it'd probably keep well (although it wouldn't last long in my fridge).
At night, the beach bar served more standard fare for dinner. We ate there a couple times and it definitely did not disappoint. Each time we started with caprese salad - it was impossible to resist. The tomatoes were so fresh and the mozzarella was so yummy and the basil pesto they put on top was heaven. I commented more than once that I could have just eaten a giant plate of that. So. Good. I got the mahi mahi every time and we agreed that it was the best dish they had. It came with either rice and peas (standard island sides) or a baked potato served with the most delicious fresh sour cream ever. Steve tried the snapper with rice and peas the first visit (which was really yummy) and grilled chicken with the baked potato for the second visit. All of the food was grilled or prepared about 10 feet away at the edge of the deck.
The other beach bar plus? Bartender Sam. He was super friendly and was fun to talk to while we were eating lunch (read: Steve scarfing down the sundried tomato dip) or getting a drink. And the drinks were AWESOME. Favorite? The frozen mojito. The mint came from the hydroponic farm and Sam used real cane sugar. I had never thought to make a frozen mojito, but I'm definitely trying it now!
Honeymoon gluttony posts on the chef's table, the catamaran trip, the tasting menu and Sandy Ground coming soon...
Anguilla is a gorgeous, teeny tiny island that thankfully hasn't been overdeveloped or taken over by the big names (Westin, Ritz, etc.). In fact, a new resort just opened up on the island - Viceroy - and the locals were commenting that it was "too fancy" for Anguilla. I'm sure it's beautiful though. I certainly wouldn't turn it down.
The island is REALLY laid back. Even at the nicer restaurants, you can wear jeans. And NO ONE pays attention to time, which was nice (even though it would come back to bite us. More on that later.).
Anyway, back to the food.
For the first few days, we were total beach bums. Laid out on the beach, walked on the beach, ate at the beach and drank at the beach. The beach bar is a little round bar - wait for it - on the beach. It has a little deck with tables set up and a grill where the chef prepares the food for the bar.
Since we wanted to take advantage of the local food, we ate there almost exclusively for the first four days of the trip. The beach bar's specialty was skewers that were grilled (right in front of you) and served with a fresh salad. (Side note: I will be posting on the hydroponic farm later - but when I say fresh, I really mean fresh. Lettuce, cherry tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, herbs - they're all picked the day you eat it. Amazing. And you can really taste the difference.)
(Photo for CuisinArt)
So Steve and I tried every single one of the skewers throughout those first few days.
They had tuna, lamb with rosemary, chicken, lobster with cherry tomatoes, shrimp with basil, beef with peppers and then a vegetable skewer. Of all of them, the tuna was my favorite. It's hard to resist fresh tuna that was delivered straight from the boat that day! Steve loved the lamb...it was really delicious.
The skewers also came with chips and a sundried tomato and olive dip. I'm pretty sure Steve could have just scarfed down the dip without the chips - every time it was brought out for us, he commented on how much he loved it and wanted to make it at home. We asked them what was in it and - surprise! It's just sundried tomatoes, olives, olive oil and a bit of salt and pepper. I'd probably take the salt down a bit since the olives are salty enough, but it was GOOD. And it'd probably keep well (although it wouldn't last long in my fridge).
At night, the beach bar served more standard fare for dinner. We ate there a couple times and it definitely did not disappoint. Each time we started with caprese salad - it was impossible to resist. The tomatoes were so fresh and the mozzarella was so yummy and the basil pesto they put on top was heaven. I commented more than once that I could have just eaten a giant plate of that. So. Good. I got the mahi mahi every time and we agreed that it was the best dish they had. It came with either rice and peas (standard island sides) or a baked potato served with the most delicious fresh sour cream ever. Steve tried the snapper with rice and peas the first visit (which was really yummy) and grilled chicken with the baked potato for the second visit. All of the food was grilled or prepared about 10 feet away at the edge of the deck.
The other beach bar plus? Bartender Sam. He was super friendly and was fun to talk to while we were eating lunch (read: Steve scarfing down the sundried tomato dip) or getting a drink. And the drinks were AWESOME. Favorite? The frozen mojito. The mint came from the hydroponic farm and Sam used real cane sugar. I had never thought to make a frozen mojito, but I'm definitely trying it now!
Honeymoon gluttony posts on the chef's table, the catamaran trip, the tasting menu and Sandy Ground coming soon...
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