Well, my girlfriend and I have recently returned from our first visit to Bonaire. If there are any employers on the island that could use a Visual Basic programmer/Mechanical engineer and Internist/Pediatrician, then please forward plane tickets so that we may interview on site. There – Got that out of the way.
We had a wonderful time. I want to thank everyone who has posted restaurant advice on BonaireTalk. Karen and I might both be described as ‘foodies’ – And a week of unknown dining choices was not something that I was looking forward to. Two nights before we were to leave, I spent a few hours pouring over the Restaurant and Trip Report headings, making a summary of all the restaurants that were mentioned. I then categorized each spot based on the feel I got from the comments (In case you hadn’t guessed, I’m the engineer – She’s the doctor).
We stayed at the Divi, and most of the restaurants that we visited were within walking distance of that fine establishment (We enjoyed our stay very much, but I warn you – Stay away from the blackjack table. I play a lot of blackjack. I couldn’t hit at the Divi to save my skin. Part of me suspects that they are pulling 10s out of the deck there or something. I was never able to see the cards displayed face up, and I didn’t see a soul win the 3 nights I was there. They also leave at least 2 decks behind the cut card so that even if you were counting cards, you would have a tough time gaining advantage. Granted, I did observe some of the lousiest blackjack playing possible – Sorry. I digress. I’ll stop my loser whining. Gamble at the Plaza. Stay at the Divi. Rooms were clean, close to the action, and the diving service was perfect. When I go back, the Divi will be on the short list for accommodation choices).
So – In the order in which we visited them, here are my ratings (along with Karen’s thoughts if I remember them). All dollars are US and wild guesses with a dash of memory thrown in.
Tuesday, Feb 19th
Dinner:
Ooopss!! Missed our flight from Raleigh to Curacao due to a small ‘getting out of bed and out the door’ problem. Ended up spending the night in Miami and visiting the Sushi Rock Café. I felt that they were a few steps below the Sushi Blues Café in Raleigh – But it isn’t even in Bonaire so we’ll move along.
Wednesday, Feb 20th
Breakfast: Early (no more missed flights for us!) – A nameless South Beach french bakery. Croisant and rolls. Excellent. For some reason, South Beach has some excellent french bakeries… I know, I know – I’m in Miami and you are going to Bonaire. Be patient.
Lunch: Curacao airport. Our connection on the Divi Divi plane was now full up, since we missed our Tuesday flight. Bought 2 round trips on ALM Curacao to Bonaire for approx $80. Took us longer to buy tickets (probably 45 minutes) than it did to board plane and land in Bonaire.
We had about 3 hours to kill, so….
If you go upstairs in the Curacao airport, there are 4 little not-very-busy-on-Wednesday restaurants. This is a good time to go get some local money. I think Karen paid in US what the price was in Guilders (henceforth known as guildersleeves, which is what we called them the whole trip. Something to do with Throckmorten P Guildersleeves, an old radio character. Long story, ‘specially with me tellling). There is an ATM downstairs in the Curacao airport – Karen and I both took out 300 guildersleeves and suffered the conversion blues no longer (easy way – 9 guildersleeves = $5 US or 100 guildersleeves = $56 (learned that last one at the blackjack table)).
What did we eat? Oh – Almost forgot. Karen got some goat with rice. I wanted to try the Chinese place, but was underwilling to experiment with too much airport food. And we had a couple of ice cream on stick type snacks with chocolate almond coating. Yummy.
Dinner: By the time we get to the Divi, we are bushed. Two days of traveling, and we want some food and a nap. So, we disobey the very first rule of traveling and eating, and ate at the restaurant in the hotel (I have only stayed at one hotel where this was a good idea – It was in West Virginia and I had one of the best meals out I have ever had. Less on that later). At the Chibi-Chibi, we split the warm goat cheese salad (which was pretty good, especially while hungry. Thanks to the BonaireTalker who recommended it). I had what was entitled the Blackened Wahoo, and Karen went with the Basil Pesto Wahoo (or something similar).
My fish was bland and tasteless and oily and not what one would consider blackened. I will say that it did indeed seem to be wahoo. Karens was better – It seemed to taste like something. The entrees were accompanied by a crescent plate of over-steamed broccoli and potatoes that were probably sitting in the same crock pot for the last 4 hours. The best part of that dish was the dish itself – It was able to serve a generous portion of food while not taking up much table space by curling around the entrée plate. Cost was $50 US.
Ed sez: Skip the Chibi-Chibi. Take the 5 minute walk into town and try something else. Anything else. You’re on vacation, for God’s sake.
Thursday, Feb 21
Breakfast: Our first breakfast at the Divi. We paid for breakfasts for the duration of our stay. One of the cardinal rules of food preparation is ‘You can’t •••• up breakfast’. Or something like that. After the previous evening at the Chibi, I was anxious. Well, the Divi did not drop the ball here. All I need is some bagels and OJ, and I am ready to go. They had the full spread – Omelet if you want it, sausage and bacon and fresh pineapple. Enough to fill you up before your first dive – So be careful. Yeah, it is buffet style and the bacon was never crispy like I like it, but it was quick and good and not too harried. On crowded days it was less fun, but what can you do…
Ed sez: The pancakes. Get the pancakes. They’re good. Do NOT leave your food unattended – The birds will swoop down and take off with a pancake, your coffee, whatever is not tied down. DO watch and laugh when other people leave their food to go get some juice and come back to an aviary.
Lunch: Skipped lunch. Head hurts from diving. Whine-y. Ears are messed up. Pop-tart.
Ed sez: Sudafed before the dive so that your sinus’s clear. Ear drops for after the dive so you can hear again. Strawberry frosted pop-tart. Nap. Repeat
Dinner: Amadeus – 5 to 10 minute walk into town – Faces the ocean. Nice view from an outdoor table. Service was friendly. Staff seems mostly Dutch. I had the Dutch fried mussels, and Karen had wahoo of some sort. Mine came with fries that seemed fresh but were a little tasteless. We also had some sort of ‘rum’ punch. I haven’t had a sip of rum in 2 years. I am writing this AFTER I had the ‘rum’ punch. In their defense, it was good and not too expensive. Karen had some vanilla ice cream with liquor that she enjoyed.
Ed recommends: Amadeaus was good. Service was among the nicest we had – One of those Bonaire faces that screams Dutch. Karen’s food was better than mine, so I’d skip the mussels. Very nice atmosphere for outside dining. Not too expensive, although I don’t remember exactly what that means… I think we paid about $60US for the both of us.
Friday, Feb 22nd
Lunch – Skipped it. I think. I can’t remember. Aiigh. This land locked life is killing my brain. I need to get back to Bonaire.
Dinner – Capriccio. I rate this as the best meal I have had with Karen – And we eat out a lot. Got there and the place was empty. Thanks to BonaireTalk, I knew the difference between Crocatino and Capriccio. Crocatino is the one with the cute lights and (by more than one account) the lousy service. We didn’t go, but we heard some complaints from fellow resort stayers (although they seemed to be inebriated Brooklynites, so poor service would be a foregone conclusion on almost any foreign soil).
Capriccio is the one with the fabulous food. They started us off with a free mamosa. My lush of a girlfriend quickly downed hers before starting in on mine (Note to girlfriend: I, of course, am using lush as in the ‘extremely pleasing to the senses’ definition, and not the ‘drunkard’ definition that might be inferred due to context). We then split the carpaccio – raw beef over greens flavored with basil and balsamic. Stellar. I had the Spaghetti Carbonera (egg/cheese sauce with bits of pancetta). I was very pleased. Karen had some kind of seafood casserole wrapped in pasta – It was less good. We also had wine – The list is long, although I am no oenophilist and so can not judge quality. I do know that it came in a glass bottle sealed with some cork of some kind. Service was also good, with the women I took as the operator/owners coming out and describing entrees, taking orders, etc.
Dessert was also excellent – Some kind of espresso mousse or something. I forget. It was good. And I almost forgot the bread. Excellent Italian bread like Grandma used to buy. And she’s Sicilian.
It between where the cruise ships come to port and the Divi. Outside dining was good, but a little mosquito heavy (only on the legs – They didn’t interfere with my food).
Ed sez: Go, go, go! And try the carpaccio!! They care about the food – That is what counts. Excellent. Get there early or make a reservation. I’d probably try the indoor dining if I were you. We probably dropped about $100, but it was worth it.
Saturday, Feb 23rd.
Lunch – Today, we get a rental car for the express purpose of finding Karnaciera Latina (Please excuse the spelling). To sum up: We didn’t find it. Got directions from 2 different people – Still no luck. Then we saw a sign for the Maiky Snack. That was on the list of must-tries, so we tried it. Good local experience and good food. I had the fried fish and Karen had the salt fish. They made rice on the side. It is no more than a shack out in the country. Please don’t ask me how to get there – You just have to kind of zen it.
The salt fish was tough and salty. I liked it, but it was a little tough for Karen. The fried fish was covered with some kind of fruit salsa or something – It was very good. Grand total of about 35 guildersleeves – And I had a beer with lunch.
Ed sez – Must go – You get local food in a local setting on the cheap. It is a little adventure and the food is not just ‘local’ – It is very good. Both times we went, we were the only tourist types there (and just about the only anyone there). All dining is outdoors. Thumbs up. We dropped about 35 guildersleeves with a tip for the cook.
Also – If you want to try the meat at Karnaciera Latina, I recommend hiring a local guide or something. Or at least get some good directions from a BonaireTalker.
Dinner – Pasa Bon Pizza – This is the pizza place on the right heading north out of Krackalikadik (another Ed & Karen vocab word for you). Wins the award for best music – We heard some Blondie remixes and Steely Dan. Pizza was pretty good – The cheese was a little weird. I would describe it as gooey/waxy. But the pizza was fresh and hot, and the Amstels were fresh and cold. Dinner was cheap, as well. I think we only dropped about 40 guildersleeves, although I may be mistaken. Hands down the nicest atmosphere for relaxing with a couple of beers after a dive day. Someone is surely paying attention to the décor - The covered outdoor seating area was hip and airy.
Ed sez – Don’t expect the best pizza you have ever had (grain of salt - I’m a pizza snob)– In fact, I’d maybe try a calzone. But the atmosphere and value makes it well worth a visit. Try it on a low key evening after a day in the sun. They even have a couch for you to relax on while sipping a couple of brews.
Sunday, Feb 24
Lunch – City Café. Seemed to be one of the only places open. With some trepidation, we took a seat. Nice view of the cruise ship. I had a chicken sandwich with fries – Karen had some other kind of chicken sandwich. Overall, it was pretty solid. Fries were good and fresh, and the sandwich bread was a nice French loaf – Not perfect, but crusty and very good. Service was fast and friendly.
Ed sez: It’s a possibility. Good lunch with a relaxing atmosphere. I don’t know how dinner is – But if you are staying at the Divi and want to eat a hassle-free lunch, this is a good bet. Do NOT confuse with the Garden Café, which is more toward the center of town and will be covered later.
Dinner – Stopped in at Richards to make sure that they were open and to check the place for explosives. Talked to the man himself for about 20 minutes – Friendly Bostonian who expressed his regret over never having gotten to play professional basketball. “All I wanted was to play for the Celtics – But somehow I ended up owning a seaside restaurant in the Caribbean. Must have made a wrong turn somewhere.” This was said without a trace of irony. So we made our dinner plans and returned at 7 or so.
I had the peppercorn steak – It was pretty good, but not as good as I would have liked. Karen had wahoo prepared in some wise (Forgive me for losing track). I think that we skipped the appetizer course. I was most impressed by the prices – One of the few places that we were surprised that the prices were in guildersleeves. They bring the menu to the table on a chalkboard, which was an interesting touch.
Ed sez: Go and try it and tell me how it is. I got the sense that there was good care taken with the food – But I think I ordered the wrong thing. Nice view of the ocean – Richard suggests the sunset dinner – Get there around 6 (in February) and watch the sun set over the water. Would probably go again if I could be dragged away from Capriccio’s. Short walk south from the Divi.
Monday, Feb 25th
Lunch – We stop by the Garden Café. They seem to be closed (OK – it was either Sunday or Monday – It is getting late and my memory is fading,. In order to keep from slumping into a deep depression, my mind is shedding Bonaire memories at a furious rate.) So it was back to the Maiky Snack. This time we asked for the funchi – Similar to polenta, but pretty tasteless. Worth trying, but 1 plate is enough for 2 people. Karen got the goat this time, but I stuck with the fried fish.
Ed sez: We went there 2X. If it was good enough for us to go twice, you ought to go at least once. Plus, I think it is a good thing to spend some money that goes right to the locals. And I don’t mean the local Subway franchisee.
Dinner – Back to Capriccio (they are closed on Tuesday, so we could not make it our farewell dinner) This time, I got the cold cut platter salad. OK - Here’s how I know they care about the food – They offer a fresh mozzarella salad. It was not available because they were out of cheese – They were expecting it in on Thursday. My point: Any restaurant whose staff knows the ETA of the cheese is worth the money. I had some kind of pasta with a spicy sauce and some of the larger capers available – It was excellent. Karen wasn’t feeling too well and my legs were a mosquito snack platter, so we cut it short without dessert. So the meal was not as good as the first one. But the food was every bit as good. Both times we went, we were the first table being seated outside. Both times, by the time we left, the place was full.
Ed sez: Will work as cook-in-training in exchange for rent and food. I’m serious. If I ever own my dream restaurant, it will taste something like Capricco.
Tuesday, Feb 26th
Last day!!!
Lunch – Well, my lovely Karen has now contracted pinkeye. Yep, diagnosed herself the previous evening. Determined it was not a corneal scratch when it spread to the other eye. So no diving today. We explore the south side island before returning the POS jeep we rented for 3 days. Return the jeep and head over to the Garden Café, which had received raves on BonaireTalk. We were not disappointed, but we would surely order differently next time. I had the Lebanese sampler platter, and Karen had something similar, but with no meat. Humus was good – I was a little put off that the pita bread was not freshly toasted. No sign of the St Nick look-alike rumored to be the place’s purveyor. Overall, the platter was good, and again, what counts? Someone cares about the food (Besides me, of course. I’m all about the food. You can sling me dinner on a trash can lid and I’ll rate the place as A1 and tip 20% – Atmosphere and service are strictly optional.)
But I am here to tell you – Get the chicken. The small piece that was on my plate was some of the best I have ever had (Aiigh…. Maybe it was iguana?? I hope not – I’ll eat anything, but I like iguanas…. They’re cute…). Karen agreed with me – Chicken outstanding.
Ed sez: Go, and get the chicken. Yes, everything that we had seemed of high quality – But that chicken… If anyone knows how they do it, feel free to pass that along.
Dinner – Tough to pick a last place – Zee Zichts was in the running (I so wanted some conch fritters), as was It Rains Fishes. But both had gotten some mixed reviews on the site. So we went with Mona Lisa. Had to wait ½ hour for a table. If I were you, I’d order the first time they come by. We asked for extra time and got about ½ hour worth of ignorance. And it was the kind where we were just unable to catch anyone’s eye. I actually had to GET UP AND ASK SOMEONE TO TAKE OUR ORDER. This they get points off for. But – I’m all about the food.
As an app, we had the tuna carpaccio. Raw tuna over greens with toasted pine nuts and balsamic. It was outstanding. Pine nuts were freshly toasted – Do you know what a difference that makes? Karen had the shrimp salad and I had some fat cut of meat. Karen enjoyed hers, although it was somewhat of a replay for her (after the carpaccio). My meat was a fatty cut, but was really flavorful. It was topped with some onion strings that were freshly fried. Overall, the food overcame the service. I only tipped 15% (yeah, draconian measures, I know).
Ed sez: This was my second favorite meal – I would definitely recommend it. Despite the service issues (and they may have been a fluke), the atmosphere was interesting and the food was excellent. Someone back in the kitchen cares about the food. And that, as we know, is what counts in my book. Hats off to the chefs.
Well, that is all (I know – I didn’t even tell you about my Sony underwater digital camera or the sea turtle or the restaurant in Curacao on the way back… Maybe some other time). I hope that this is helpful to someone. We had a wonderful time in Bonaire. Only regret was that we didn’t have a car the whole time and I didn’t do a night dive. Both problems will be rectified on subsequent visits. Thanks again to all the BonaireTalkers who made it possible to visit somewhere I had never been and have good food the entire time. This is my repayment. – Ed (hubbell@intrex.net) |
By Ed Hubbell on Tuesday, March 12, 2002 - 10:29 pm: 
