San Juan Winter Getaway

While I was in San Juan for the CHTA marketplace earlier this week, I had a chance to grab a bite at the new Verdanza Hotel in Isla Verde. The hotel occupies the old Holiday Inn property near popular Alambique Beach and, following extensive renovations, just reopened its doors in December under the swanky Preferred Hotel Group brand. Knowing the property's history, I went into the evening with visions of kitschy Holiday Inns swirling in my mind – but what I actually found was a surprising throwback to the more romantic era of retro motor inns. From the restored art deco structure to the bold interior furnishings, the Verdanza actually struck me as more of a laid-back ultra-lounge than a mid-tier hotel. So for anyone looking for an affordable – and unique – San Juan escape, might I suggest the property's new Winter Getaway...

The Deal: Book a two-night minimum stay through April 30 and along with your room, you'll get daily buffet breakfast for two; a $25 food and beverage credit for use at one of the hotel's three on-site restaurants; two signature rum drinks; a 20-percent discount on massages at the Body Healers spa; and if you stay at least three nights, they'll throw in a free-night certificate redeemable toward a future stay – all starting at $90 per person per night.

How to Book It: Just log on to verdanzahotel.com, then check out our Puerto Rico destination page to learn more about the island before you go.

San Juan Winter Getaway

Free Dining at Bermuda's Cambridge Beaches Resort

Bermuda's AAA Four-Diamond Cambridge Beaches Resort has just announced a new added-value promotion to help you stretch your vacation budget this winter. Just book a three-night minimum stay by January 31 for travel through March 31, 2010 and you'll get complimentary breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner with the Dine on Us package. Rates start at $385 per night double occupancy – and you'll enjoy all of your meals free in either the gourmet Tamarisk Room or the more casual Shutters restaurant. Call 800-468-7300 or surf over to cambridgebeaches.com to book using code CBDINE.

Free Dining at Bermuda's Cambridge Beaches Resort

Winter Care Package in the Turks and Caicos

The Deal: Book a five-night minimum stay at the all-suite Point Grace resort through January 31 and you'll get a complimentary Winter Care Package that includes a three-course dinner for two at Grace's Cottage, a bottle of sparkling champagne, and two 30-minute massages.

Why We Love It: Since you can easily combine it with other promotions, the Care Package is great added value for your winter stay of five nights or more. Add it to the Pay 5 Get 7 package and you'll also get two nights free.

How to Book It: Call 866-924-7223 or log on to pointgrace.com to book your stay by January 31, 2010. Blackout dates between December 18, 2009 and January 5, 2010 apply.

Winter Care Package in the Turks and Caicos

Conch If You Love Provo

I've just returned from a week-long trip to Provo, and I think I might be in love.

What's not to enjoy about an island that's small enough to drive around in a couple of hours, big enough that it never feels crowded, and offers some of the Caribbean's ritziest hotels? I was completely enchanted by the 38-square mile island's small-town feel, the white-sand wonder of Grace Bay, and the friendliness of the people, who seemed genuinely pleased to see me. But ask me what I loved the most, and I gotta tell ya: it's the conch.

Who knew there were so many way to enjoy the chewy mollusc? On a lunchtime visit to beachfront Da Conch Shack I made a meal of hearty conch chowder; a bowl of lime-drenched ceviche-style conch salad; and a combo platter of battered and fried "cracked" conch and piping hot conch fritters. I admit it, I'm a glutton for the gastropod, baby.

The next day, I went in search of the conch wontons that have bested the competition in the island's annual conch festival four years in a row and found my bliss at Sibonne's Bay Bistro, where a plate of the light, crisply fried conch-filled envelopes went down real easy.

Following my obsession to its source, on Day Three I headed east to The Conch Farm, the only only one in the world. At the modest operation I marveled as I watched trays of the fingernail-sized babies (or veligers) being hand fed, and was almost as delighted as the four-year-olds in our group when introduced to longtime residents Sally and Jerry, the farm's "stunt conchs," who emerge from their algae-covered shells on command.

"The average egg mass contains more than half a million conch, but in the wild only one conch will survive," our tour guide told us. "But here at the conch farm we raise more than 1.5 million conch each year, which we export all over the world and sell to local restaurants and hotels for visitors like you to enjoy. So before you leave, make sure you try some."

He didn't have to tell me twice.

Conch If You Love Provo

Culinary Escapade on Martinique

The island of Martinique just announced a new late-summer event that's perfect for you foodies out there. In partnership with Tour de Forks, a stateside operator of special culinary events, the new Martinique Culinary Escapade will combine five nights accommodations at the très chic Hôtel Plein Soleil in Le François (pictured), with six days of mouthwatering food and wine events that will please even the pickiest of palates. The package is available from August 26-31 and includes...

• Daily breakfast at Hôtel Plein Soleil
• Four dinners and one lunch
  
• A private tour and tasting at the 18th century Habitation Clément rum distillery - one of the Caribbean's most impeccably maintained distilleries (and I've seen quite a few in my travels) - as well as at the Neisson Distillery
• A culinary demonstration with Plein Soleil's wunderkind executive chef, Nathanael Ducteil - the former apprentice to celebrity chef, Alain Ducasse, and a regional celebrity in his own right at just 25 years old
• An excursion to the Marché Couvert for some local produce and rum shopping
• A full-day catamaran excursion to Josephine's Bath, the legendary sandbar believed to have been visited often by Napoleon's wife, the Empress Josephine

While you're in Martinique, you'll also have the chance to sample scrumptious French, Creole, Caribbean and fusion cuisine around the island, from Fort de France to Trois-Îlets across the bay. I've actually been wining and dining my way around Martinique all this week, and I'll tell you plainly...this is some good food. The package starts at $1,700 per person and also includes airport transfers. To book, just log on to the Tour de Forks web site, call 888-345-3005 or email melissa@tourdeforks.com.

Bon Appétit!

Culinary Escapade on Martinique

Necker Island: The Good Life

The first of this year's Winemakers Dinners kicked off last night at Necker Island, the private BVI estate of billionaire Virgin magnate Sir Richard Branson. While Branson takes residence on Necker throughout the year, the private island also functions as an ultra-exclusive resort and can be experienced for around $51,000 per night - a price tag that includes accommodations for up to 28 people as well as private chefs, personal butlers and whatever food, wine and activities you can dream up for the day. But even splitting that cost with my closest friends, I stand pretty much zero chance of ever staying on Necker Island on my own dime, so I was thrilled to have the chance to check it out before the dinner yesterday!

I'm no professional photographer, but here are a few snapshots from our day at Necker Island yesterday, in case you don't have the $51,000 saved up just yet either...

Necker Island: The Good Life

A Week In the BVI: Someone Has To Do It

I'm off to the British Virgin Islands tomorrow to check out the 2009 Winemakers Dinners event - a series of six- and seven-course food and wine pairings prepared by award-winning chefs and winemakers from around the world. I know, it sounds dreadful, right? But I'm a professional, and I'll suffer my way through a week of delicately sampling (i.e. stuffing my face with) gourmet food and vino knowing that proceeds from the event will benefit local charities and organizations like the BVI Red Cross, St. George's School on Tortola, St. Mary's School on Virgin Gorda, and the Youth Empowerment Project on Tortola.

Also while in the islands, I'll be checking out the latest and greatest hotels, restaurants and beach bars, as well as charting a course around all of the best beaches so I can report back here on the blog and update our destination pages with tons of info to help you plan your next trip.

So what do you want to know about the BVI? Let me know your questions here - or on our Facebook page - and I'll get the scoop.


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A Week In the BVI: Someone Has To Do It

Anguilla for Foodies

Anguilla just launched an island-wide promotion - Prix Fixe Summer - to help visitors on a budget sample some of its finest restaurants in low season. Got $35 on you? Then you'll enjoy a three-course tasting menu at venues like Tasty's, Roy's Bayside Grill, Sandy Ground's Ripples restaurant, and E's Oven. Or for just $10 more, you can splurge and enjoy fine dining at Blanchard's, Veya, and CuisinArt's Cafe Mediterraneo.

Even better, guests who sample the Prix Fixe promotion will also enjoy huge savings at hotels around the island, like two nights free on seven-night minimum stays at ritzy places like Malliouhana, Cap Juluca and more.

Check out the official Prix Fixe web site to learn more and to book your trip through August 31. Bon appetit!

Anguilla for Foodies

The Best Part of Waking Up...

...is a little Hacienda el Jibarito dark roast in your cup. At least that's what I discovered last week in Puerto Rico. Heading west from my home base in San Juan, I had a chance to settle in for a night at the eco-friendly hacienda tucked quietly in the mountains of San Sebastian - and like any true caffeine addict, I was thrilled to find that the property grows, hand-picks and roasts its own coffee beans.

My first taste of the goods came after dinner while I munched on a few desserts (yes, a few...those of you who follow our blog know that we have a staff full of certified foodies), and the rich café con leche definitely did not disappoint. It was actually one of the better cups of coffee I could remember having in all of my travels, though I first thought maybe that was just the yummy accompanying flan talking. But the next morning, I had the chance to throw on a handsome rubber-glove-and-hair-net ensemble and actually package and sample my own fresh-ground coffee in the Hacienda's on-site Casa Café - and tasting that sweet brew again confirmed my suspicions: theirs is some seriously delicious coffee.

While I'm partial to those yummy little beans, there are other reasons to check out the property too. The expansive, hilltop compound has 19 rooms and private cabins perfect for nature lovers, and in addition to two pools, an on-site restaurant and tiki bar, the Hacienda also has nature trails and private waterfalls just begging to be explored. At just 90 minutes from San Juan or 40 minutes from the surfie mecca of Rincón, it's an easy day trip from anywhere on the island. But with weekday rates starting at just $65 per night double occupancy - including continental breakfast - it's definitely worth an overnight stay as well.

If you ask nicely, they may even let you try on one of these cool hair nets yourself. You know you want to.

The Best Part of Waking Up...

Stuffed at the Renaissance Curaçao

I just arrived in Curaçao this afternoon, and like any responsible foodie, I decided to spend the rest of the day eating. About two hours after inhaling an overproportioned lunch of fresh seafood salad and rice, I rightly decided it was time for some authentic Curaçaoan appetizers, so I headed downstairs to the Renaissance Curaçao's Blue Bar and I noshed on bitterballen - the national dish of spiced, battered meatballs soaked in mustard - then washed them down with the resort's signature (and as yet unnamed) cocktail of light rum, amaretto, fruit juice, green curaçao and champagne. Yum!

Feeling sufficiently stuffed by the time I cashed out, the only obvious thing to do next was head to dinner, so I joined some friends at the Renaissance Curaçao's private Eternity Beach for a private, candlelit dinner at sunset. Yes, totally romantic, if there weren't 9 of us.

As we grazed on yummy smoked tuna, lamb chops and marinated chicken breast, I should have been thinking about the resort's new fitness center where I'll be spending my early morning hours tomorrow in penance for my food sins - but instead, I couldn't stop thinking about the cool outdoor setting where we were dining. Because the four-month old Marriott-owned property decided to set up shop right in the heart of Willemstad, there was no "beach" to speak of, so the resort got creative and made one from scratch - complete with a sandy bottom, infinity edge and real saltwater straight from the sea. There are even real fishies in it. And it's all on the second floor.

The resort uses the venue as a guest-exclusive beach by day, but it can be rented for weddings, proposals or special events anytime. Even if you're not totally sold on the man-made beach idea just yet, the Renaissance makes a convincing argument for checking out a private dinner there with their Sweet Temptations - mini indulgences like chocolate mousse and crème brulée to end the night. Sold!

Stuffed at the Renaissance Curaçao

A Delicious Departure

I was in Port Antonio for three days and inhaled more Jamaican jerk than I care to admit. Our home base Great Huts was literally steps away from the famous stands at Boston Beach,* so twice a day we’d take a seat at the counter at my favorite, Little David’s, for our daily dose of jerk pork, chicken and sausage dressed in a spicy/sweet mixture of ketchup and jerk seasoning, with festival and hardo (similar to sourdough) bread on the side.

But on a trip into the town of Port Antonio day before yesterday we stumbled upon one of the areas most elegant restaurants, Norma’s at the Marina. Its namesake is Norma Shirley, Jamaica’s most famous chef, and although she wasn’t there that day, the “nouveau Jamaican” fare we enjoyed certainly lived up to her reputation.

Seated on the cruise ship pier (apparently ships call here only once or twice a year) we lingered over a sumptuous feast that began with smoked marlin on garlic toast, and crab cakes accompanied by a flavorful and inventive yellow beetroot slaw.

The main event was a huge escoveitched snapper, fried to perfection then bathed in a tangy pickle. For the last few days we’d eaten almost every meal at a roadside counter, using our hands as utensils and pieces of foil as plates. To dine at a linen-draped table at the water’s edge, listening to the birds and taking in the view of Norma’s golden-sand beach and the tranquil bay beyond, was an unexpected delight and a relaxing and refreshing change.

Of course, no meal is complete without a cocktail, so we forced ourselves to try one of Norma’s specials, and bartender Trevor Hartley was kind enough to share the recipe. Since it calls for equal measures of all ingredients, the recipe is easily adaptable to make larger quantities, so why not whip up a pitcher and celebrate the holiday weekend Jamaican style?

Yellow Bird
1 oz overproof white rum
1 oz dark rum
1oz crème de banane
1oz orange juice
1 oz pineapple juice
dash of Angostura bitters


Shake all ingredients together with ice; add Angostura bitters; garnish with a lime wheel. Enjoy.







*This just in: Jamaica has just announced plans to create a “jerk trail” that will take visitors on a culinary journey across the island sampling the fare of 10 of the best jerk stands, including those in the home of jerk, Boston Beach. For more info, go to www.visitjamaica.com/jerk.

A Delicious Departure

The Castle Club

When it comes to truly memorable dining in the Caribbean, there are great restaurants, and then occasionally - if you're really lucky - there are experiences. I wasn't sure which to expect when my friends and I left for our reservation at the Castle Club, about a 20-minute drive outside of Cabarete, Dominican Republic, a few weeks ago. The web site promised a "unique dining experience," and the word on the beach was that the food is excellent. Still, when your destination is a private, mountaintop estate where a couple of married expats will prepare your meal in their own kitchen, you know your evening could go in a few different directions.


Driving up the winding road to the hilltop club, though, it became pretty clear to all of us that we were in for more than just a good meal. Situated on 50 acres of mountainous jungle, the "castle" itself is actually a still-in-progress, Romanesque-inspired home that seems suspended in time: Part medieval, part modern and entirely unfinished. The vaulted, open-air structure has no windows or doors on either of its two stories, and bare cement blankets the walls and floors. Though the living areas flow into the exterior gardens in every direction, the interior is lavishly decorated with oriental rugs and French Provencial furniture - all exposed to the elements. Doug and Marguerite Beers, the owners (chefs, hosts etc.), are eccentric, retired artists and it shows in every last detail. By reservation only, they host groups of six or more in their own dining room, and only once per night.

Following a stroll around the gardens with shared hors d'oeuvres of pesto quichettes, pâté and warm baguettes, my friends and I sat down to enjoy the main courses, with Doug and Marguerite taking shifts as our cooks, servers, fellow dinner guests and entertainment. Over plated servings of carrot and ginger soup, breaded grouper with lobster cream sauce, and a double-rum chocolate mousse for dessert, we talked about neighboring Cabarete - the history, the people, the culture - and then idled away the next several hours enjoying a few bottles of red wine and the light tradewinds that flowed freely through the home. Our hosts gave off the warm, comfortable vibe of old family friends, and we found ourselves captivated by the ambience and easy conversation until nearly midnight.

Finally tearing ourselves away from the dining room that night, we all exchanged hugs and the usual promises to return one day in the future. And in this case, as long as there are five willing volunteers to accompany me, I'm pretty sure I will.

The Castle Club

Friday Night Lights

Just back from Barbados: I came, I saw, I ate. The reputation of the Friday night fish fry at Oistins precedes it, and for good reason. I showed up ready to be impressed — not easy to do for a Wisconsin girl — so Oistins definitely needed to bring the A-game. The scene was hopping when our group got there around 7:30; each of the small fish stands had lines of locals and tourists alike vying for a taste, picnic tables were crowded with families and friends, reggae was thumping over the loudspeakers and everyone was there to see and be seen. We found a table near Uncle George’s stand, which was universally recommended, and a round of Barbados’ Banks beer promptly arrived. Orders were taken, stories were exchanged, dinners arrived, and: I’m happy to report that the A-game was brought. Most of us ordered what was unanimously agreed upon to be some of the best fish we’d ever had. The marlin steaks were huge; the potatoes bore the perfect criss-cross imprint of the grill; the coleslaw had the perfect zing; and the Banks beer wasn’t bad either. I’m happy to say that this Wisconsin girl was impressed, so if you’re down Barbados’ way, pop in to Uncle George’s and order the marlin — I promise you’ll be impressed too.

Friday Night Lights