Need suggestions on some good restaurants and price ranges. We were there last Dec. and dined at Lions, Rum Runners, Richard's & Casablanca.
We liked Lions the best. It was kind of pricey however.

Why not try the new Tapas Bar where Amadeus was? Or the new French Bistro. Grill Terrace has lovely grilled fish and chicken (at the Antriol Exito outlet), Bobbijan's has nice bbq. Lost Penquin has great lunches. Love the poolside grilled fish and Caesar Salad at Mangos. Kontiki for quiet and serene, Croccantinos or Capriccios for Italian, Mona Lisa for Bar Hap, Grilled Grouper and Rosti at Swiss Chalet??

De Tuin, we make it a rule to drop in every year, usually for our wedding anniversary dinner...we love it

I agree about De Tuin-not mentioned a lot on this board. We went there for lunch, and had a great meal, and loved the atmosphere.

Also, can't go wrong with Mona Lisa's (pricey, but our favorite), Cappricio's, Lion's Den. We're hoping to come back in May, after a couple years absence, due to building our new house. Can't wait to try out some of the new restaurants!

De Tuin is closed. Lighthouse is closed and Will from the Lighthouse will run De Tuin, I think the future name will be Bonaire Grill... but I am not sure and I don't know when he will open.
By the way, I was not impressed with the new Amadeus .....

Oh good for Will..that will be neat..a grill..although I really want a sushi place..

Ann, go to MaiMai ....

Great middle eastern food and more at Garden Cafe...very reasonable prices. Local food at quite inexpensive prices and real local atmosphere at Maikey Snack, Gibi's, and Rose Inn. Trio of fish in saffron sauce or catch of the day in mustard sauce at Mona Lisa's. Lobster Pasta at Capriccio's or Crocantino's. Good food and free entertainment the nights that the cool old local dudes play true local music at Donna and Gorgio's. Ice Cream anytime at Lover's. Cheese and onion bread from the Cultimara bakery.....(breaking out into song, now) "These are a few of my favorite things..."

It would be really cool if can you help us out with locations & price ranges. We are bringing two couples with us, not sure what they want to spend on meals.

Price ranges are really tough to estimate -- adding drinks, beers, appetizers, desserts, etc can really make a huge difference. At Capriccio's, for example, you can order pizza and salad or an appetizer and get out for under $40 for two, but they have a great wine list, exotic liquors and fairly high priced entrees that can easily make you hit $100 or $150 for two. That said, I'll take a stab at working from memory and creating some fairly arbitrary ratings based on two entrees and an fairly inexpensive beverage for two:
Really cheap: less than $25 for two
Inexpensive: $30-40 for two
Moderate: $40-50 for two
Expensive: $50 on up for two

--Gibi's (down the road from Lisa Gas), Maiky Snack (out in the boonies, ask for directions), and Rose Inn (in Rincon): really cheap
--Garden Cafe (big neon sign just north of town), Rum Runners (at Capt. Don's, two minute walk north of Buddy's), Lost Penguin: inexpensive
--Donna and Giorgio's (just north of town, can't miss it), Bella Vista (at Buddy's), Mango's (at Sand Dollar, resort next to Buddy's): moderate
--Lion's Dive (next to Buddy's), Mona Lisa regular menu(not bar hap) in the middle of town, Capriccio's (near the water in town), Crocantino's (in town): expensive.

If you're into lots of meat, Casablanca and Bobbejans's are for you; local food Maiky Snack, Gibi's and Rose Inn; very good Italian Croccantino's, Capriccio's, Donna and Giorgios; great middle eastern food, felafel, salads, hummus, fish in tahini sauce, grilled meat, pizza -- Garden Cafe; very well prepared slightly more upscale food Lion's Dive and Mona Lisa.

Hope this helps. Dining opinions are SO objective; if you look at past postings on this board you'll see opinions all over the place. One man's fine dining experience is another's overpriced waste (for Capriccio's I fall into the former category); one man's great food at great value is another man's mediocre dining experience (I fall into the latter category for Casablanca); one man (or woman's!) great meal with great atmosphere is another's boring country club style food (and I fall into the latter category for Richards).

It's hard to go wrong; if cost becomes a concern, go easy on the drinks (consume on the porch or beach at your resort after buying at one of the supermarkets), don't order appetizers or desserts (go to Lover's for ice cream afterwards -- very good mango sorbet), and check the bill to see if they've added any service charges.

Have fun!

Thanks to everyone. All suggestions welcome. Scott, great break down. Last time we were there we found our favorite to be Lion's and Richard's over priced for okay the food and the service sucked. The view however was gorgeous.
This time we are bringing two couples with us and I want to get the heads up before hand. You are so right about dining being objective. I love good food and drink as much as the next. A lot of times it depends on who you are with and how you are feeling. I always feel good when on vacation after a good day of diving. Would like to find some new favorites and Capriccio's sounds like a good start!

There are as many good restaurants as dive sites on Bonaire. We found Lion's on the high end of our budget but that was mainly because we ate there on 'lobster night' (Tuesday back then).

Overall, we found our dinner costs to be a little more than we'd spend at home (Chicago west suburbs) for a nice night out (no fast food)-- roughly $45-70USD for two. This was primarily for two entrees, an appetizer or salad and we usually split a dessert. Neither of us drink much so our bills tend to be lower. Definitely cheaper than we paid on St. John (USVI) where dinner for two was $75-100 and lunches rarely under $35-40 for both of us.

We ate at Rum Runners (pizza), Mangos, Buddy's, Lion's (twice), It Rains Fishes (our favorite), Capricio's, and the Light House, twice, the second time for our anniversary. That night we splurged, fresh tuna ceviche appetizer, two glasses of wine and a chocolate lava cake dessert for each of us, roughly $87 plus tip.

For restaurants like these, I'd estimate dinner at $25-35 per person, without drinks. We usually tip 20%.

For lunch we liked City Cafe (the shrimp & crab salad is excellent). Lunch there is around $10-12 per person. We also had lunch at Mangos and Lions a couple times ($25-35 for two). There's also a Subway in town that did brisk business with divers on the go.

Our only dining disappointment was the eerie and nearly inedible kroket sandwiches from a snack shop in Kralendijk--it may have been breaded and deep-fried goat on a hot dog bun. (At least the fries were good.)

I'm sort of a Food Channel junkie and love to dabble with exotic cuisines, so a few times we bought tilapia fillets, plantains, some fresh or frozen veggies and snacks at Cultimara and made our own lunch or dinner using the kitchen facilities in our studio at the Sand Dollar. (BTW, the microwave is great for drying out money--10 seconds on high for soggy bills.) We were looking forward to BobbieJean's BBQ but they were closed for vacation while we were there (September). We also missed the home made ice cream in Rincon, which I understand is gone now.

Casablanca, Mona Lisa, Passa Bon Pizza, and La Guernica are on our list for the next trip, plus any other interesting place else we get wind of on this board.

A few other ideas:

Exito makes great sandwiches to go..as does Julia's Place (on corner of Kaya Gerhardt and Grandi). Cheap and good.

If you want to try some good Surinames food, go to Spanhoek near Catholic church as get some Bami or Roti.

As mentioned for 8,00 NAF, Grill Terrace serves a half a grilled chicken, yucca or white potato fries, fresh salad and a great Chimichuri sauce.

Carcineria Latina's Sat. take away BBQ is 11,00 I think and ample for 2.

Bobbijan's is under 20,00 Naf pp. There are some great deals on island.

Across from NAPA is a little snack shop. The woman speaks Spanish and serves excellent local lunches to go.

Down the street on Kaya Jean BF Vitte, there is a green snack shop. At night you can get SUPER Gabrito for under 10,00 NAF pp.

Too many choices. LOL..Believe it or not, I have not eaten out lately but tonight I try the Bistro I think...

have you been it IT RAINS FISHES yet??????i am sure you will love it ,i still think its the best and the prices great

My wife and I were VERY underwhelmed by 'It Rains Fishes' when we were there in September. It was very quiet, and so we thought we were lucky in getting a seat on the seafront (along the outer wall). Unfortunately the local cockroaches were using the wall as there interstate highway to traverse between the pillars on the wall which house some of the external lights. It is no fun eating your meal while a large cockroach hungrily looks over your shoulder. My wife flicked a couple of the critters over the wall with her menu at various times but they duly returned. The couple behind us were similiarly troubled. The waiting staff seemed oblivious to the roaches. At no restaurant elsewhere on the island have I seen the beasties so clearly out and about. We found the food average (large portions attempting to make up for lack of quality im my opinion, and my pasta dish was drenched in sauce). To cap it all for the first time in our 2 (2 week each) trips to Bonaire I had to spend most of the following day on the toilet - it could have been the richness of the pasta, but it may have also been you know what. we have eaten at a lot of places in Bonaire and would put It Rains Fishes in the bottom 10%.

I might also add - they have a large parrot in a tiny cage which I am not a great fan of.

I, too, was very underwhelmed by "It Rains Fishes." Like I said previously, though, dining is one area where different people are gonna like different stuff. I look at it like reading movie reviews, though: if your experiencing rings true with the reviewer's for one restaurant (or movie), then perhaps their recommendations for another might ring true also.

That said, my favorites on the island are (in no particular order) Garden Cafe, Lion's Dive, Croccantino and Capriccio, with Rum Runners thrown in for good pizza and reliable, reasonably priced food with a great view. My vote for overrated goes to Richards, It Rains Fishes, CasaBlanca, Pasa Bon Pizza and any of the resort specialty buffet nights like BBQ or Mexican.

I've gotta say, however, that none of these are particularly terrible, and I could easily imagine someone with different tastes finding any of them to be great or not so great. To each his/her own, eh?

Scott - I second your views on Casa Bon Pisa - we ate a take away there as there was the election alcohol ban on and I have to say all that meal did was send out tastebuds to the knackers yard and our serum cholesterol through the roof......never, ever again.

For a place with good food and great views, try the Ribs Factory. It's downtown above the KFC. The food is fantastic and the prices are very reasonable.

We have tried It Rains Fishes twice over the last two years. We didn't care for it. The service was great but for the money, the quality just wasn't there. Maybe it was what we ordered; who knows.

And as one of our posters pointed out - it is all a matter of taste. When I was there last year we ( a group of between 8-14) ate at It Rains Fishes more than one time and really enjoyed it - so it all just depends. I love Casablanca, Lions Den, It Rains Fishes, Pasa Bon, and City Cafe are ALWAYS on the must do list. I'm looking forward to something new this time - I'm sure we'll find it.

Why does every island in the Caribbean we visit have a KFC and the locals swear by it? Did you know that in Jamaica you can order champaign with your 3 piece meal at the drive through! I will not eat fried rata or what ever. The suggestions and opinions are fantastic. Please, keep them coming!
I love this board.

A few minutes ago, in another category, I posted my recommendation for the Old Inn. It's right across the street from the Plaza. I'd only go there if your travelling companions like to try new cuisine and willing to try the riijstafel.

Has anyone been to Rendez Vous recently? We were there in February (after long-time owner Marcel left) and had a very nice dinner. I hope it's still doing well.

The contrast and consensus of opinions here is interesting. The thing restaurant owners should keep in mind regarding our ‘transient’ patronage is that when one is on vacation and there are so many places to chose from, a restaurant may have only one chance to win our hearts (and taste buds). We come to Bonaire from all corners of the globe, each of us with different tastes, preferences, and expectations.

Inconsistency is the greatest enemy of a good restaurant. Vacations are about exploration and new experiences; not many vacationers eat at the same place every night of their trip. If our visit happens on an off night, we leave the island with a mediocre or negative impression of your establishment, an impression that may linger ‘til our next visit and beyond. Plus, we tell our friends, we post something on BT, etc. One bad night can send ripples that will affect your business well into the future. Island restaurateurs need to run a tighter ship than restaurateurs in a mainland city. Like they say in the cliché: “You only have one chance to make a first impression.” One bad impression and we won’t want to risk spending another of our precious vacation evenings with you.

There are KFC's throughout the Caribbean and the world, and locals swear by them because we make good, reliable food under strict & controlled franchise laws, all day-every day, & it's affordable. My beer (Heineken, Amstel & Polar) is the cheapest in town. If you are implying we serve fried rat, you are being highly insulting to my staff of 12 single mothers, and me.

The average income on Bonaire is probably less than $1,000/month. If we (BTW, I own KFC Bonaire) didn't exist, dining out for many locals would be only the local snack shops & the Antillean version of "Chinese." Except for Ann's recommendations above, it'd be rare to see the average-working-local in any of the other restaurants listed so far, except on a very special occasion.

As a family that lives on Bonaire, I can attest that we also eat at KFC. One reason it may be so popular is that it is chicken. Chicken is very easy to raise on islands versus bigger, slower growing animals like pigs and cows. You will find grilled, roasted or stewed chicken in some form at most every local snack too.

True Confessions

I have often shied away from KFC mostly because I am always watching my weight. Last summer while in CUR my friend took me to KFC. I was pleasantly surprised. The food was not greasy and it was not similiar at ALL to the kind I tried 6 years ago on Cape Cod. I think one day I will have to go with The Richters and dine on Ruth's chicken.

Okay, I am just going to throw this out there...the burger shop(sorry I cannot remember the name)next door to the Lost Penguin had DELICIOUS burgers (with all trimmings including peanut sauce and avocado) and great fries....it is not fancy and might scare some away with it's open air kitchen but hey, Alison and I were happy we were adventurous on a day when we didn't have time for a site down meal...now someone will probably tell me they were goat or rat burgers...!! We lived to tell the tale!

You ate at Julio's. I take my son there when he has a school day off and I have to work in the gallery. His payment for being a good boy is a cheese pastechi and a soda.

Ron, you TOTALLY owe Ruth an apology.

Ok, now, in response to Ron's posting above:

It is unreasonable to think that any business owner here would start out intentionally to have a bad day. Yes, consistency is a challenge, even in the best of circumstances-let alone on an island that imports everything, and has several cultures working together, with varying standards. However, it is not fair or realistic to punish an establishment with far-reaching published & publicized views, for one bad meal-unless you are, certain it was intentionally bad, OR, if you gave them the chance, the wrong was not righted. Yes, it is unfortunate that it happened-of course-no one wants anything bad to happen at any time, to any type of guest.

The fluid nature (changing supply lines, changing staff, etc) of restaurants should be kept in mind as one is chosen or critiqued, especially after only one visit. Most (actually, I think all) of Bonaire's dining establishments are family owned and operated. Even if you are a professional critic, all you can hope to do is predict what a restaurant might be like at some unknown future date, and what it might offer for an unknown group of diners.

These businesses are literally our bread & butter; we want our customers to be happy and satisfied (but, no one hits it perfect 100% of the time)-so we hope that they give us an opportunity to correct a wrong when it happens; there's almost nothing a restaurant can do once the customer leaves. Was it just a bad night? Did half the staff not show up? Or any of the staff for that matter? Did the supplier forget to order lettuce that week, so that is why there was no salad? Perhaps there's a communication problem-four languages are "supposed" to be spoken here, but that's not always the case....Who knows?

Please, just be realistic & fair--and speak up at the time, when the problem can be fixed.

Wow, Seb, how did you know I was writing right now?....Ron got me going on another topic, it was this topic's originators that insinuated "fried rat(a)"....
;-)
Peace.

My first posting to this wonderful resource and it's unfortunately a little negative.

I ate at La Guernica last week with friends and family. five of us in total. Maybe it's due to the fact that the restaurant is new and the wait staff was overwhelmed, but we had horrible service.

The wait time from when we ordered to when we received our starters (one of which was wrong, to boot) was 45 minutes, and that was only after one of my party alerted the waitress of our long wait. She was very apologetic and kind, but only then did we receive bread and butter for the table.

Once the food did arrive, however, my dish was delicious (grilled dorado) and elegantly presented. This is not a budget option as the tapas portions are quite small for the money.

Hopefully, the service will improve with time. The decor is terrific. Don't plan to go now though unless you have time and money to spend.

These self appointed nabobs really get my goat sometimes, Ruth. People who kvetch about places they have never eaten, and pompous uninformed people who like to give out free advice as to how other people should run their businesses. Usually I ignore them.

Do the people who run Guernica know about the Picasso painting?? And if so, why would they name an eatery that?? Nosy curmudgeons want to know.

Ruth, here here! I have to say, that if I get bad service or food once, I usually give the place a second chance...twice, then I let management know. If you leave, and don't tell the management, they may never know of the problem.

HT...every place I've had tapas (U.S. and Puerto Rico) they have been expensive, and small portions...I can't wait to try this place in March (along with going to KFC at the late snack decompress break Oh, and Mangos...to have a beer and a shot of whatever is hot on the island at the time

I think that it's important to make one more point here. In my opinion, the whole purpose of a dining section on a board such as this is to provide a forum for people to freely voice their opinions about various establishments on Bonaire. And they ARE only opinions. One need not be a professional restaurant critic, nor does one need to make repeat visits to an establishment that they did not care for to make sure that they were not just having an "off night" in order to express their opinions. Why would anyone spend their vacation time and money doing so? The beauty of this site is that so many people can voice their opinions and others can take all of these thoughts and come to their own conclusions. Hopefully, this topic area on BT will continue to be a place where lots of people can and will freely express their dining opinions, both positive and negative, regardless of how many times they've been to the establishment and regardless of what type of food they like and regardless of what people perceive of their opinions. If the only thing that was posted on this site were positive reviews, then the whole function of Bonaire Talk as an place to go for balanced information on Bonaire would be destroyed. BT is not, IMHO, meant to function stricly as a rah-rah promotion for every business on the island.

Scott, you're right. That is one of the great things about this forum, freedom of opinion.

However, a business owner also has the option of "setting the record straight" as in Ruth's explanation of KFC on Bonaire. It gives us a perspective that perhaps wasn't thought of before (it sure did for me when she explained it in more detail on another thread, a while back). Also, they may give us perspective on what it is like to have a business on Bonaire, and thoughts in regard to it (of course, without self-promotion, which is against BT policy). Much like Marc does at AB Car Rental. When someone posts that they had problems with AB, Marc is the first one to jump in and give information, or correct the problem.

I enjoy reading ALL of the opinions that BT'ers, and business owners post (again, as long as they are not self-promoting).

Cynde, I completely agree. I personally think it's great that business owners can give us their perspective too. The self-promotion issue must be a tough one for you as moderators, since even the most apparently benign posting from a business owner to inform or correct a problem is, in effect, self-promotion of sorts. Don't get me wrong -- I think you guys do a great job, but it IS a very fine line that probably does get crossed once in a while.

Seb,
Yes they know about the painting. They even have a large print of it on the wall. And a history printed in the menu. I wondered too about the choice.

Wow! Ruth, I had no idea I was attacking the owner of KFC personally. IT WAS A JOKE! Lighten up. Smile, be happy. I own a business in California and I can get a little riled up when I hear things said that I don't like. Please accept my apology, any KFC that serves cold Amstel is alright by me. With that said, I have to agree with Scott & Ron. We have choices, and all restaurant owners should understand that. We just want good food and good service. Unfortunately, a staffing problem is not ours and if we have a bad experience we have every right to talk about it. My customers don't want to hear my problems, they want a good experience. The first time customer is the one to spread the word, good or bad. Good experiences make loyal customers. My wife and I will try some restaurants, including KFC, and on return report our experiences

Thanks to the board. Mike

Linda, thanks for the name...Julio's...definitely going back!

Why should only the people living in the US or Europe be entitled to KFC, McDonalds and other fastfood restaurants? I'm glad the "locals" can enjoy a nice Big Mac or chicken meal when they want!

Oh, and Ruth, I'll take your meals any day, any time! I don't know all the ingredients, but I love the taste and that is most important!

Thank you Mike-it's a small island, of couse you'd be attacking me, the KFC owner. If I hadn't responded, would it still be just a joke?

Having been VP of the Bonaire Restaurant Assn for 4 years, and President for 3, I think it's important to understand that (for the most part) we're not a bunch of morons that like to spend all our days buying, re-doing menus, negeotiating, prepping, staffing & selling, in order to make that a bad experience for our guest. We (business owners in general) do understand very well that there are choices out there. Sorry if asking anyone to be realistic with their expectations, then reasonable, empathetic and fair with their comments is too much. What happened to "Do unto others?"

If I receive a complaint-I give my apologies (not excuses), then fix it as best I can, and thank my guest for giving me that opportunity. My employees are instructed to do the same-I can't watch them 24/7, but I do hope that's what they're doing. What is considered "good service"? It varies from one establishment to the next, from guest to guest. Again, all I'm asking for is fairness when considering your comments, not charity or revenge.

If you had a bad experience, that you gave a business owner a chance to fix, but s/he refused, or didn't, then by all means--post your negative review. If the food is bad, send it back-if that's not handled well & corrected as you've requested, ok, rage away. If the service is bad, complain to management-the same as you'd do in any other country--GIVE THEM THE CHANCE TO FIX A PROBLEM WHILE THEY CAN, instead of knocking them down later in public when they cannot, with the excuse that 'it's just an opinion.'

Commenting on portions doesn't fall into this category, because that is a very different topic that has nothing to do with quality or service. What Europeans might expect, compared to Americans, is usually very different. Richard's, Mango's & KFC are the only restaurants owned by Americans, the rest are owned by Dutch, and/or Chinese & Antilleans. Portions may depend upon the crowd they cater to. It would be more helpful if when making comments like "small" you'd also give some details, like: "there were only 3 shrimp & it cost $7," or "it was only 2 bites of food & was $8," etc. That kind of information is helpful to everyone. Value perceptions differ widely, and that should be taken into account-someone may think a 4oz perfectly grilled filet is great, another may be left starving.

And to change the subject-nice BT dinner tongiht at Giby's--glad to finally put some faces to the names!

Well said Ruth....

Ruth, while I sincerely appreciate your comments, can understand why you feel that way, and think that it's great to see these comments on this board, I have to say that what you are asking of people is not fair to the spirit of BT. This is a place where lots of folks share lots of opinions; opinions are not an "excuse" as you state, but are the very basis of what we are sharing here. People come back from Bonaire and share their thoughts and feelings about their dining experience, and people reading their posts are free to compare one person's posts to another's, decide whether they want to pay heed to one person's opinion, and basically make choices based on what are obviously a myriad of opinions. People posting their dining opinions on this board do not need to feel compelled to follow your suggested course of action of talking to management after every meal that is less than 100% to their liking and allowing them a chance to explain or correct, nor do they need to be compelled to explain in any level of detail determined by you or other proprietors EXACTLY what they didn't like. The dining section of this board is not meant to be used by fact-checking, totally objective people who need to be conforming to some list of rules -- it's just a place where people talk about their subjective dining experiences in whatever way they want: humorous, serious, frivolous, detail oriented, superficial, whatever. It's okay to just say "I thought this place was great" or "I thought this place sucked"; it's just a forum for people to express themselves. Will that affect your business? Perhaps, but probably not nearly as much as you think, and I think in the long run when someone unfairly says "I thought this placed sucked" someone else will say that they thought the same place was great, and all things will even out in the end. Unless of course 20 people all say that they didn't like a place, in which case their opinions probably will (and should) influence others to a greater degree.

I really do think that it's cool that you stand up for the restaurant owners and share your side of the equation with us; it's just that this is board is not the NY Times, it's simply a place where people go to chat about a place they've been on vacation and share their opinions about various aspects of their vacation.

Dear Ruth,
It is, was, and always as I intended it to be, a little light hearted humor. I'm sorry you take it so seriously. Life is to short, have some fun and laugh at the jokes. It is a small island and a beautiful one. Thanks to all the dining establishments for giving us so many great places to chose from. Bonaire has become one of our favorite places to visit for many reasons including the food.
I just want to say that my post was just an information quest on my part. I'm sorry it got so out of hand.
Respect, Mike

Seb,
What do I owe Ruth an apology for? I think you're referring to someone else's post.

What all this talk suggests is the need for a definitive guide to eating on Bonaire, the culinary equivalent of Jesse Armacost's dive site book. It should have directions (more than just a street address), description of the cuisine, specialities, price range, etc. I'd even include grocery store options, where to buy fresh fish, and buy fresh produce off the dock. No opinions or ratings, no advertising hype, just information. Save the opinions, rants and raves for BT.

Such a project would require work to keep current and for that reason maybe its home should be on the Internet rather than in print. A search feature would be nice, by price range, by cuisine type, by location, by name, etc. (This is starting to sound complicated.) Maybe as an adjunct of BT? Such a website would help new businesses establish themselves and provide visitors with accurate, up-to-date information.

To cover the cost of maintaining the site, STINAPA could require that visitors pay a fee for a 'dining' tag after attending an orientation session and checkout meal--make sure diners can handle a knife and fork, are able to drink without dribbling, and know how to tip properly. I'm starting to sound silly so I'd better stop. It's been 13 months since I've been underwater and I'm starting to suffer from oxygen narcosis or maybe it's NADS (Netherlands Antilles Deprivation Sickness).

LOL Ron love the last post. Do people think that there is a difference between what folk from the US and Europe expect from a meal? Its my impression that US posters often raise the question of size of portions as a negative (when too small), whereas this seems less of an issue in Europeans eyes? Certainly I am not in the slightest bit interested in being able to take excess portions back home with me - I am far more interested in how the quality of food is first and foremost. A well designed menu should be able to satisfy in terms of volume (to put it crudely) but should excel in terms of taste.

My apologies Ron, I had mixed up your post with Mike's.

Note to Mike Bailey - jokes are supposed to be funny. I don't know anyone who thinks making a joke that a restaurant serves rat is funny. Maybe you've confused "smug" with "funny"
There is NOTHING funny about spurious allegations.

"Who steals my purse, steals trash, but he that filches from me my good name robs me of that which not enriches him and makes me poor indeed."

-WS

Gee Linda, I have always admired the painting as antiwar art, but it has never put me in the mood to eat.

Seb: That's my favorite Shakespeare quote. A nun made us memorize it in grade school and I've never forgotten it. I haven't heard anyone quote it since then. You'd think it would be more popular given the state of media and politics in the US.

Andrew: You may be right about the American/European expectations. When it comes to food, too many Americans seem to equate "good" with "a lot," though this seems to be primarily the older generation. (Maybe this is something that came out of the Great Depression or WWII rationing.) But aside from quantity (always adequate on Bonaire, IMHO), Americans may expect faster service and be frustrated with the noon to 2PM store closings etc.

As for Guernica, it's a Basque city, the region where tapas originated and they have a right to be proud of their home. (Are the owners Basque? Maybe I assume too much.) I'm sure Japan has restaurants with Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the titles and maybe Ukraine has s Chernobyl snack shop. Is there a Stalingrad bar & grill, perhaps? It's unfortunate that outsiders only have one context for these names.

It takes all kinds to make this crazy world. Tastes vary. The Scots are proud of their haggis and puzzled at the peculiar reactions they get when describing it to Americans. One of my favorite sandwiches is peanut butter and bacon on toast. You should see the reactions I get to that! Only Elvis would understand.

Thought this board was a neutral forum for travelers, but now I see how it works, to bad.

Mike--
Don't take the negative vibes here personally; it happens all the time. BT is well known for posts that wander from an innocent subject to major slanderous, negative postings that often border on political and social commentary. The fact that everyone gets their say is sometimes cool and fun(ny), sometimes cruel and annoying, but I suppose in a way it's the ultimate expression of free speech. That said, I think that some folks are taking this all WAY too seriously -- this is just the dining section on BT, okay? And by the way, as a note to Seb, I for one think that making jokes about restaurants serving rat CAN be funny, and in the context and spirit of the posts here I see nothing that remotely resembles a spurious allegation. Geez, can't we have a little fun here?

I think what Mike actually meant was 'fried ratatouille.' Isn't that right, Mike? If we were all nailed to the post every time our spur-of-the-moment jests got us into trouble it would be a very grim world indeed.

Anyone remember the Firesign Theatre video that featured a fast-food commercial parody for "Rat in the Box?"

I believe the correct response to Ruth would have been,

"I am truly sorry for offending you. Often, in jest, we make comments we think to be funny only to find out we offended someone, real people who work honorably at the KFC, or any where else for that matter. My comment was not though out and not an indication of my the way I was raised. I'm sure the KFC on Bonaire meets all the requirements of the franchise and is proud member of the Bonaire eating establishment."

Instead Ruth got a typical, left coast, look down their nose response, that so endears you to the rest of our nation. If you are going to apologize, mean it, if you spoke out of turn, say it, otherwise if you don't have anything good to say.....

I do believe that the dining section can have both good and bad reviews, however they should be truthful with no intended harm to estabishment you have never visited.
Yes it is true that many islands have KFC's. I look at it as capitalism at work, did you ever notice that visit after visit the businesses thrives, the business model must work, why degrade it? Not only do the locals love it, a silent number of us visitors appreciate it as well, the Subway too!
What started as a decent thread, turned on an inapropriate comment that came out of the blue, worse that you continue to make light of.
Ruth, I will continue to eat at KFC in Bonaire in March when we visit again. I always have enjoyed the location near the waterfront, a great lunchtime diversion. Thank you for your offerings!

I guess I have eaten at most all the places mentioned in this thread. Some have been consistantly great, Lion's Den, Captain Don's, BobbyJans, the place south of Rains Fishes - can't remember the name, Rib's Factory and so on.
Some have been inconsistant.
I've had great service, and not so great service. Friendly staff and surly staff. This is not limited to Bonaire, you have that everywhere you go.
I think this forum is a great tool to give us occassional visitors a guide to go by on our trips to Bonaire, and would like to thank Jake and Linda for providing this service.
I guess one place I will "not" visit on my return trips to Bonaire is the "Subway" in Kralendijk.
I have always been a man of large stature, 6'1 275 lbs. I don't think I have ever been overly sensitive to comments about being "overweight" or any of the the negative connotations about weight, but found myself highly offended by one of the ladies behind the counter at Subway, on my last trip to the Island.
Knowing a little spanish and being somewhat familiar with Papiamentu, I was listening to the ladies behind the counter talking about our group, some of which was not so kind. I had ordered and was waiting on the lady to make my sandwich. Someone new appeared from the back and asked the older of the two ladies who did this sandwich belong to, so he could continue to prepare it. The lady replied "El gordo" or the "fat" one. The lady didn't realise that we understood what was being said until a couple of our guys laughed and she saw the shocked expression on my face, then she asked us if we understood papiamentu. I laughed it off, but the more I thought about it, the more insulted I became. I understand that she did not realise that we knew what she was saying, but people in the service industry should be more aware of their actions and words, to those who, in essence, are paying their salary.
I know that some will say I'm over-reacting or am too sensitive, but I did take offense and will not visit the Subway on my return trips.
Again, thanks for the posts, there's a lot of good info here.

Thank you for such kind words, Ron L. Glad to see chivalry is not dead, as apparently asking some to be reasonable, realistic, empathetic & fair is. Once again, my point was: "...Sorry if asking anyone to be realistic with their expectations, then reasonable, empathetic and fair with their comments is too much." How is that such a burden, and not in the spirit of BT?

From some of the posts above, it appears that if you defend yourself, your business, or if others also come to your defense, then we're no longer a neutral board. Meanwhile, others feel free to lecture us about how to run our businesses, with veiled threats, and don't expect a response.

If I had a dollar for every conversation I endured with some know-it-all, who doesn't live here or know anything about what it takes to live & own a business here, well, I'd be very rich & writing to you from my yacht. (Running a tighter ship, naturally...).

And on a heavier note...Robert, I've lived here 14 years now--and have had the 'gordo' comment made directly to me, my husband & friends, without shame from the person saying it. Also without fear of retribution--I can imagine that comment in the US resulting in an all out brawl (especially if said from one spouse to another!). "Oh, you're so fat now!" is not uncommon to hear. The locals I know who've said it do not consider it an insult, just a statement of fact. Many actually equate it with being happy, especially after a marriage. After I married here, my husband and I owned Cozzoli's Pizzeria, then Colombo Ice Cream shop (later KFC). Locals would come up to me and say, "Oh, you're so fat now, you must be very happy!" (yes, those exact words) And of course, others speculated (out loud, and in my presence) on my pregnant status (I was not, it was just pizza, beer & ice cream). I even have a friend whose nickname is Gordo.

Please understand, I'm not defending the rudeness of the employees speaking in another language about a guest, in the presence of that guest, but just pointing out that what we (Americans-yes, I am one, FYI, although I am no longer a US resident; Bonaire is my adopted homeland), consider to be rude is not always the case in another culture.

Well, almost time for happy hour-peace & cheers all,
Ruth

This board is great, if every one agreed on everything there would be no reason for it. I don't post that much anymore but I love to watch it and this has been a good thread, IMHO.
Michelle

I'm pretty sure I wouldnt be much upset if someone described me as 'the fat one' if indeed I weighed 275lbs (a quick BMI calculation suggestions that's clinically obese). Its a pretty fair description I'd say. I can think of a lot more unflattering terms.
I am pretty much bald - and if someone I didnt know (say someone in a shop) used the description of me as 'the bald one' the thing is, its factual. Should I feel upset and feel discriminated against? I dont think so, its me. Try as I might, I cant will myself to grow any more hair but sure as eggs are eggs a fat person can do something about their condition if they dont like it. Having suffered recently from having an obese individual sit next to me (or is that on me) on an aircraft recently I am not best disposed to such gripes.......

PS my wife and I like Subway as a cheap lunch option very much.

I think Mike Bailey forgot how to post on Bonaire Talk, because he sent this directly to my private e-mail address instead:

> Dear Ruth,
>
> I can't believe your last post. Nice spin on what happened at Subway. I
> was truly sorry that my "joke" was offensive to you. But, you are a
> complete hypocrite and that Subway post proves it!
>
> Take care, Mike

Y'know, this is absolutely amazing. Someone asks for some suggestions on where to eat for an upcoming trip and this thread somehow wanders through a quite emotional and heated meandering through topics as diverse as what defines humor, what defines racism, capitalism, the pros and cons of corporate franchises, obesity, freedom of speech and Shakespeare. Wow! I'm just surprised that somehow someone hasn't made a connection between dining on Bonaire and issues like the upcoming presidential election, abortion, world hunger, AIDS and the duel between the Yankees and the Red Sox. Man, we sure do cover a lot of ground here on BT, don't we?

No hope for the clueless Ruth.

Back to the original question if I may.

Mike and Cathy,

Last night four of us ate at Mango's. Three of us had fresh tuna and another had a chicken dish, I believe. All of our meals were excellently prepared and presented. The bill came to about $62.00.

I will try to keep you informed of our dining experiences and cost over the remaining 8 days of this trip. Tonight we are heading to Swiss Chalet(sp?) will let you know about that experience.

Barbara, Try the conch dish with rice when you are at Julio's the next time. Ask for the onion relish which they sometimes have behind the counter. I finally ate at Julio's a few years ago, when I arrived very late and they were the only eatery still open. I was pleasantly surprised.

What Ruth said is quite true. Folks here will think nothing of commenting ob your size, height, weight, etc. and do not consider it an insult.

Gee Andrew, please allow me to apogise for the obese person who inconvenienced you and made you feel uncomfortable on your recent flight.
As far as doing something about "our" condition, as easy as it is to trim down, it's amaing there are so many of us. :-(

Thanks Ruth and Michael.
I understand the point you're making and realize the difference in culture.
I guess what irritated me, at that moment, was the fact they were making several comments about our group, not thinking we understood them.
The only reason I posted to begin with was following the thread, talking about the reasons we like particular restaurants and if we would eat there again. I didn't mean to get Andrew started on why he dislikes fat people.
Thanks again Ruth and Michael, your points are valid ones.

I feel like I'm in 6th grade or something. Look what Mike did, look what Mike did.....
Ruth, why can't you respect what a PRIVATE email is. The reason I sent it to you is to keep this between you and you, or is that you and me. I thought I was done with this but man can you push the buttons. I hope all the locals don't have the attitude towards us stupid tourists as you do. Curacao or Aruba are looking pretty good.

A little levity and back to the ORIGINAL question...

One place that is not talked about and is ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC is Nochi's in Cultimara Grocery Store. Between 11:30 and 12:30 you can pick up a nice meal made by students of the chef school. The place is named after the instructor Nochi. They also have whole roasted chickens, yum. You need to get there early though, once they run out, that's it.

While on the island we had a sort of lo mein with chicken, topped with 2 skewers of chicken sate, large size feeds 2 people. Rice with steak, broccoli, green beans, cauliflower in a nice sauce. The roasted chickens (we picked up 3 and they fed 4 adults and 2 kids).

The small lunches are 6,50 Naf and the large is 10. I think the Chickens were 2 for 10,00 Naf.

Ruth remember....your FM!!!! Liz

How do I post that happyface-thingy that has its eyes rolling?

Ruth,
Not sure how close the KFC is to the Divi but, If it's within walking distance my wife and I will probably be in there a lot this week. We love KFC and the pricing is usually very good. We arrive tomorrow so, hope to seen you soon.

Ruth, ya mean this one?

Hi Lee-thanks & yes, KFC's w/in walking distance from the Divi (you're w/in walking distance of a lot from the Divi, you've got Old Inn & Richards to the south, and Casablanca, La Luna, Mai Mai, & Blue Moon to the north, enroute to "downtown" where there're lots more). It's probably about a half-mile/10-15 minute leisurely seaside walk to town center where we are.

Hi Cynde-that one's pretty good, thanks! It's not far off my actual reaction before, of my eyes rolling back up into my head!

Ruth, I looked for that one but couldn't find it...so that's as close as I could find

Tonight 6 of us ate at the Swiss Chalet, our hosts Suzy and Noldie put on a great meal. One of our companions had the Pork Cordon Blue, while the remainder of us enjoyed both their Cheese Fondue and Fondue Bourguignon. I would most certainly go back.

6 happy diners, total bill $120.00 including a couple (or more)Amstels, and Cokes per person.

Thanks, Tom, for keeping this thread on topic.
We've enjoyed several meals at Swiss Chalet.

(We're enjoying your cam appearances.... )

Linda, you should see him in person...

I'm quoting Ron Edison here

---

quote:

I think what Mike actually meant was 'fried ratatouille.'

---

I had to laugh at this thread - not too many moons ago, there just were not that many places to eat. Plus, you needed to get to the store right after the container ship arrived. I agree that every place once in a while will have a bad night, but one has to remember whatever food is on the island (did I say island) is what is on the menu.
Just my 2 cents

Mary W.,

I've had ratatouille and deep frying could only improve the taste. (I'm not a fan of eggplant.)

Speaking of deep frying, there's a pub in Glasgow that features battered and deep fried pizza, and for dessert, a batter-dipped and deep-friend Mars bar. No mention of deep-fried haggis. (This was on Tony Bourdain's "A Cook's Tour" on Food Network.)

Hey now - where do they think they are - the Deep South where we can deep fry anything???!!!??

Far more importantly, in my humble opinion, is whether or not it is safe and OK to eat summer sausage in the winter?

And on a dining note, I confess I did a small chuckle seeing a KFC on Bonaire. There is one just a few blocks from my house in Chicago and I divide my fast food chicken dining between them and Popeye's REGULARLY.

So there I am, 8 zillion miles from home on a desert island, looking for Gilligan, and up pops the good old Colonel Harlan Sanders himself to say hi. It is indeed a very small world.

I didn't choose to dine there during my stay just because it is such a common meal for me at home and I really wanted to experience a different culture through its meals. I thus became hooked on funchi and goat stew and at home start to reach for the jar of mayo for my fries. It's all good!

Randy, I did the mayo on fries a few times at Bobbijans..and the peanut sauce..no more tho..I will blimp out..and NO WAY do I even look at fries up North. Funny but in the Abacos I could NOT find fresh fish..all fried Wahoo or something..speaking of which, when and if you see Snapper ANYWHERE, tell me..I love it vs Wahoo and Dradu. Oh Giby had some last Tue. but I didn't dine with the group...I see Mona Lisa has it sometimes too..

In my recent experience Pasa Bon Pizza, Chez Lucille, and BobbiJean's (sp?) were all great.

As was desert (we did not stop in for a meal, just a late night desert) at Donna and Georgios (sp?)- yummy :-)

Also, a pretty big group of us BTers went with a few local little boys to KFC - their choice as is their favorite place to go out to eat at - and Ruth went out of her way to ensure all were satisfied and happy with the food and service ... thanks again Ruth. And Ruth, Gibi's that night was ALOT of fun. I've been there for BT night before and it was very nice too, lots of diving converstation/stories. Last week's was a totally different atmosphere and a fun night ....

Denise, the boy's day out was a great one! And I have to agree, the Gibi's dinner was a lot of fun. I've met a few crazy "Jersey Girls" that night...

Martin, it's redundant to use "crazy" AND "Jersey"...
;-)

I know... I really had a great time. My face is still hurting from the laughing at Gibi's...

Can you email please me the recipe for the special meal Tom requested?? It was GREAT! (and yes, my compliments to the chef!)

(Message edited by martin_w on October 19, 2004)