Baja fish tacos – Punto de Vista Restaurant

Posted on May 25, 2012 by vicentesf

Baja fish tacos Punto de Vista Restaurant
Breaded whitefish, lettuce, and tomato in a creamy mango sauce wrapped in soft tortillas, served with arroz habichuela (rice and beans). $11
Punto de Vista Restaurant, Old San Juan, PUERTO RICO

Even though this was similar to the churrasquitos, I liked it better because the fish had a better texture and was warmer than the steak. Still not a taco, but good enough.

Old San Juan at night
Looking down towards the red Puerta de San Juan (San Juan Gate) at nighttime. We walked the Paseo de la Princesa the following day. That’s the waterfront path which runs in front of the San Juan Gate.

Do Brazil chicken burger – Do Brazil

Posted on May 23, 2012 by vicentesf

Do Brazil chicken burger
For spice lovers! Large strips of fried chicken on a sesame bun with lettuce and tomato, served with French fries. €22
Do Brazil, Gustavia, SAINT BARTHELEMY

Geez, this was large! I don’t think anybody at the table expected a burger this size, and a few people had ordered it. It’s advertised “for spice lovers”, but it actually wasn’t that spicey. It was definitely more flavorful than the mahi mahi burger though. Again, the fries were delicious.

Gustavia. The red-roofed homes in Gustavia immediately reminded me of Australia. I think the consistency is very cute and the color pops against the island landscape. Oh, to own one of those yachts in the harbor. 🙂

Mahi-mahi burger – Do Brazil

Posted on May 23, 2012 by vicentesf

Mahi-mahi burger Do Brazil
Grilled mahi mahi steak on a sesame bun with lettuce and tomato, served with French fries. €25
Do Brazil, Gustavia, SAINT BARTHELEMY

If I remember correctly, this burger was a little dry and bland. The fries were pretty tasty though. Even with a mediocre dish like this, we couldn’t help but be merry since we were all having a great time on the island.

Shell Beach Gustavia
Shell Beach. You can see why this beach gets its name – there are shells all the way up to the restaurant. It was sporadically raining all day and people would have to run for cover. Fortunately, we had purchased the use of lounge chairs with umbrellas so we just laid there and drank cocktails. Hehe. By far, the most relaxing day of the trip.

Roasted baby rooster – Do Brazil

Posted on May 22, 2012 by vicentesf

Infused with green curry, lime and coconut milk, with “plantains” bananas, tomato, and asparagus. €24
Do Brazil, Gustavia, SAINT BARTHELEMY

This dish was beautifully presented and deceivingly large. I think they put the entire baby rooster in there, lol! The dish was delicious but on the mild (plain) side. When surrounded by ginormous burgers and sweet potato fries at the table, this dish appeared too tame and proper. This could have been helped with a little more spice in the curry.

Complimentary bread served with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Omg, this bread was SO good! I don’t know where they get it. It was perfectly crusty on the outside and so soft and airy on the inside. Noms!

American warship anchor
10-ton iron anchor located across the street from St. Bartholomew Anglican Church. The anchor was discovered in 1981 and is thought to have come from an 18th century American warship. It now acts as a prominent sculpture on the southern end of the harbor.

Flying fish and cou cou – Waterfront Cafe

Posted on May 22, 2012 by vicentesf

Flying fish and cou cou Waterfront Cafe
Three fillets of fish steamed in a Caribbean fish broth. Served with cornmeal cou cou, fried plantain, and pickled cucumber. $48 (Barbados dollar)
Waterfront Cafe, Bridgetown, BARBADOS

The extras were better than the fish, lol! But you really can’t complain about pickled cucumbers and fried plantains. The flying fish, on the other hand, had a really strong fishy taste – not my thing. Great presentation though.

Independence Arch at the end of the historic Chamberlain Bridge in Bridgetown. At the base of this colorful arch, there is The Pledge which reads, “I pledge allegiance to my country Barbados and to my flag to uphold and defend their honour and by my living to do credit to my nation wherever I go.” Pretty cool stuff.

Cornmeal cou cou – Waterfront Cafe

Posted on May 21, 2012 by vicentesf

Cornmeal cou cou Waterfront Cafe
Scoop of ground cornmeal with sliced okra mixed inside and topped with a Caribbean fish broth with tomatoes, carrots, celery, onions, peppers, and herbs.
Waterfront Cafe, Bridgetown, BARBADOS

Angela, our cab driver, suggested we try this local dish “cou cou”. It’s ground cornmeal cooked with what I’m sure is a LOT of butter, broth, and spices. This version also had slices of okra in it. It was pretty good, but the okra pieces were a bit slimey for my taste. The broth/sauce was very comforting.

The first part of the day was off-and-on rain, but it didn’t detract from the beauty of the island and it’s lush greenery. This yellow alder or buttercup bush (Turnera ulmifolia) was prevalently planted, I’m sure for its vibrant yellow blooms. I was surprised to find out that it belongs to the Passifloraceae family.

Sea island shrimp & Plantation pork – Waterfront Cafe

Posted on May 20, 2012 by vicentesf

Sea island shrimp & Plantation pork
Cajun spiced and char-grilled shrimp with a ginger soy glaze. Ripe plantain stuffed with ground pork, capers and herbs, deep-fried and served with a tomato salsa. Part of “Tapas for Two” $64 (Barbados dollar)
Waterfront Cafe, Bridgetown, BARBADOS

Plantation pork Waterfront Cafe
Mmm, this was very good! The shrimp was surprisingly tender even with that amount of char on the outside. The fried pork balls were different, but very yummy. I don’t think I’ve even had something like it before. Both items were packed with flavor.

Captain Thomas Henry Sealy grave
Looking down in the grave of Captain Thomas Henry Sealy, located at the cemetery at St. John’s Church. Our taxi driver tour guide told us that we wanted to be buried standing up and facing the sea so he could remain on the lookout for approaching enemy ships. What a diva, lol!

The Sizzler – BB’s Crabback

Posted on May 18, 2012 by vicentesf

Conch BB's Crabback
(Lambi) Conch meat with BB’s own seasoning, served sizzling with a freshly-made bake (roll) and sliced cucumber, tomato, and citrus. $36 (East Caribbean dollar)
BB’s Crabback, St. Georges, GRENADA

Conch BB's Crabback
I definitely wanted to try conch during this trip to the Caribbean. I really liked this dish, but I’m not sure that I could really appreciate the conch. The seasonings were tasty, but I couldn’t taste the true conch flavor. Since I’ve never had it and don’t know much about how it’s supposed to be cooked, perhaps conch is one of those proteins that’s best suited for aggressive preparations. If that’s the case, BB’s Crabback certainly succeeded. It was noms, regardless.

View of St. Georges, Grenada and towards the north. The morning started out cloudy and overcast, but as the day progressed the sun came out and warmth permeated throughout.

Signature dish – BB’s Crabback

Posted on May 18, 2012 by vicentesf

BB's Crabback signature dish
This dish is called the BB’s Crabback. The restaurant takes it’s name from this dish, fresh crabmeat baked with exotic herbs, wine and cheese sauce and served in a crab shell with warm bake (roll). Served with a side salad and slices of cucumber, tomato, and citrus. $36 (East Caribbean dollar)
BB’s Crabback, St. Georges, GRENADA

BB's Crabback signature dish
I really like how this was plated considering the super casual feel of this restaurant. And of course, we wouldn’t be in the Spice Islands without a garnish of ground spices. The crabback was very rich, but very flavorful and the side salad and sliced vegetables helped to cut the richness. Although the portion wasn’t overly large, it was definitely filling.

Sendall Tunnel. After eating at the restaurant, we had to walk through this tunnel to get back to the cruise ship terminal. As you can see, it’s a tight fit. The locals seem to have no fear walking through, but I definitely clung to the walls. Lol!

Baked chicken – Restaurante Raices

Posted on May 17, 2012 by vicentesf

Baked chicken Restaurante Raices
Baked chicken served with rice and beans and carrots. $8.95
Restaurante Raices, Old San Juan, PUERTO RICO

This chicken must have been marinating in a vat of soy sauce overnight because it was SO salty! And baked to the texture of a chew toy. This was part of our first meal in Puerto Rico so we were nervous that

Side salad Restaurante Raices
Complimentary side salad with lettuce, 1 tomato slice, a sprinkle of carrot gratings, and Thousand Island dressing. This salad is a perfect indicator of the quality of this restaurant. It’s sad.

Stray cat Old San Juan

Walking through Old San Juan, we found that there are stray cats EVERYWHERE! They even leave out food, water, and crates for them along the street and in the parks. We figured they must be sanctioned by the city for pest control.

Prince Edward Isle mussels – Hubbard Grille

Posted on March 9, 2012 by vicentesf

Chef’s beer selection, basil and sundried tomatoes, served with toasted baguette slices and lemon wedge. $12 ($6 for Sunday happy hour)
Hubbard Grille, Columbus OH

I’m glad that these mussels weren’t overcooked. The shellfish was still plump and juicy, yay! I really liked the broth too. Perhaps it was the beer, hehe!

Short ribs and shrimp – Hubbard Grille