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Hemingway's Restaurant @ Sands Resort, Grace Bay |
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Hemingway's was my first treat upon landing in Provo. The staff were fantastic! Greeting all customers with smiles and cheerfulness. The staff even gave out a few hugs here and there to the regulars (of which my host was one)! Carolyn provided excellent, attentive service.
There were scattered showers, so we sat under the hut near the main bar. However, umbrella-shaded tables were available out on the deck closer to the oceanfront.
I started with a rum punch which was refreshing after experiencing a 40 degree increase in temperature and huge spike in humidity. I went with the Spinach salad with grilled chicken. I mixed a bit of the raspberry vinaigrette (which was tasty but a bit too sweet for me) with their thick Caesar dressing. The match worked! The salad was topped with crumbled bleu cheese, red peppers, walnuts, pear, tomato, cucumbers, carrots, and a large grilled chicken breast. It was fresh and delicious. My friend enjoyed a salad as well, topped with jumbo grilled shrimp and a grilled chicken breast.
DINNER:
Hemingway’s deck dining in the evening is divine. Expect for one cute property cat to be your guest. He may even climb a palm tree for your amusement! The goat cheese and spinach stuffed chicken breast was fantastic. Served over peas and rice and topped with a rosemary and herb infused champagne cream sauce, this meal is sure to please! The Thai stir fry with chicken was o.k, but not spectacular. Again, the rum punch is great, but will sneak up on you so sip slowly :0)
Dinner #2:
I enjoyed the curry chicken dish on my last evening in town. The chicken was cooked perfectly and the curry sauce drizzled over it was divine. This dish was served with steamed mixed veggies, peas and rice, and fried plantains. I also tried a green "Rasta" cocktail which contained rum, pineapple juice, grenadine, and blue curacao. Yummy!
Hemingway's quickly became a favorite dining destination for me, having dined there 3 times in 7 days!
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| Mango Reef Restaurant at The Alexandra Resort & Spa |
The view at Mango Reef…AMAZING!!! We dined on one of the decks overlooking the beautiful turquoise water. Of course many of the properties I visited throughout the week provided beachside dining, yet the view at The Alexandra was spectacular! The area was shaded by modern horizontal criss-crossed shades above the dining area versus more traditional individual umbrellas per table. Service was quick and polite. We started with the Sweet Chili wings which were crispy and perfectly sweet, spicy, and saucy. My oxtails!!!!.....what can I say? I was blown away! Now, I’ve had oxtails before, but nothing like this dish. The oxtails were huge and very meaty, bathed in an perfect thickened jus and vegetables (snap peas, bell peppers, carrots, and corn). It was served with moist peas and rice which soaked up the jus nicely. This large portion was perfect for splitting between lunch and dinner. My friend had a shrimp pasta (fettuccine) with tomato-based sauce. This dish was also available with a cream-based sauce. The shrimp were jumbo and the sauce was accented with fresh herbs.
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| Luna Sea Pool Bar/Grill @ The Somerset Resort on Grace Bay |
The sunken in pool bar was quaint, the service was so-so, and the grill behind the bar smelled as if it could use a good cleaning. The smoke was a bit distracting when you’re out enjoying the fresh air. The conch in the fritters was a bit too chewy for my liking. The fritters tasted microwaved vs. newly deep-fried. I did enjoy the spicy remoulade dipping sauce. The chicken club sandwich was good. Not much could go wrong there. The chick breast was moist and the shoe string fries served hot. The menu here is pretty plain but I enjoyed my light lunch nonetheless.
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Vino Tiempo Wine Bar, Grace Bay:
Came here for a late night cocktail and tapas with friends after a beautiful birthday party in the penthouse of the Seven Stars Resort, Grace Bay
Lobster empanadas! So fantastic! The crust was perfectly flaky and not greasy at all…the spicy lobster filling was fantastic….fresh and seasoned well. The beef patties also delighted my palate; served with a sriracha-based dipping sauce, these really hit the spot. The hummus was so-so, served with disappointingly cool and hard pita bread triangles which upon request were replaced with room temperature crostinis. Maybe it was the late hour, but this was at least the only disappointment I experienced at Vino Tiempo.
Our service was pretty good and the crowd was upbeat with a good mix of ages. Vino Tiempo is a great place for a small gathering with friends in a lounge setting with decent music.
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Parrot Cay (Private Island/Resort)
The boat ride over is a thrill in and of itself! Passing other private islands on the way and having a personal tour guide (Thanks Captain Marley!) to key you in on the property owners such as Donna Karan, Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck, etc. was a kick.
Lunch: Grilled spiced salmon over cauliflower, quinoa, and pomegranate tabbouleh with a smoky eggplant puree. Fresh, fresh, fresh. This was listed on the Spa Menu (along with other healthy choices such as: zucchini, tomato and pine nut “ricotta” lasagna, pumpkin and macadamian nut crusted pizzeta with mango, tomato, avocado, pineapple, and basil, and a 7 grain veggie burger with tomato and avocado salsa, sprouts, and spa slaw.
The grilled salmon was flavorful, moist, and delicate; perfectly cooked over quinoa, chopped cauliflower, pomegranate seeds, and few red onions. The eggplant puree was wonderfully smoky and a perfect accompaniment to this super refreshing light dish. In keeping with the refreshing lunch, I had a Cucumber-tini made with Absolut vodka and Sake; garnished with vodka-infused cucumbers. Delightful. I also had a bite of the veggie burger. It had great flavor and texture on a soft bun. The tomato + avocado salsa was a nice touch.
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Opus Restaurant @ Ocean Club East Resort
Opus was a visually spectacular property with dim lighting and candles indoors and every tree wrapped in white lights outdoors. The service was fantastic and consisted of mostly very young, very polite staff. Opus features a live band on the outdoor patio nightly as well. They offer complimentary bruschetta to start which is a nice change from your basic dinner roll or Italian bread.
The lobster fettuccine with tomato sauce was excellent. The sauce was rich and full of chunky stewed tomatoes, red and green bell peppers, and sweet onion. There was a generous portion of lobster meet throughout. The dish could have had a bit more fettuccine, but all in all, this was a fantastic meal!
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Local Fare!
Middle Caicos Café:
This family owned café featured large portioned specials such as oxtails, curried chicken, pork or chicken souse and sides such as cole slaw, backed macaroni & cheese (Caribbean style of course). I indulged on a baked chicken which was so tender and moist, it practically fell away from the bone; served with peas and rice and traditional Caribbean-style baked mac n’ cheese. If you are not familiar with Caribbean-style baked mac n’cheese, you are in for a treat once you try it. It’s nothing like your soupy American restaurant macaroni and cheese. This mac n’ cheese has a bit more flair…featuring vegetables and herbs baked in. It usually is pretty dry, but not unappealingly so.
I washed this meal down with Bambarra Rum (Reserve) with a splash of ginger ale.
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Another local’s watering hole worth diving into for lunch or dinner. Here the oxtails were pretty good, but not nearly as flavorful as those at Mango Reef, nor as plentiful. The peas and rice here were a bit dry, but not a terrible disappointment. Service was slow, but polite once you received it. The potato salad was creamy and potatoes cooked well. It was actually pretty good! My friend had the chicken soup, which was actually more like a chicken stew with its thick curried base, potatoes and dumplings. I had to take an order to go!
They have a full bar at which local men and women were ordering red stripes and winding down from a hard day’s work. They also have outdoor dining on an open deck area. The indoor dining boasts about ten to twelve tables and a flat screen in the corner.
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All-in-all TCI is a beautiful place to visit, if only to see the majestic turquoise ocean meeting the beautiful white sand!
The people are kind and warm, the culture rich, the landscape breathtaking!
I want to thank my good friend and fabulous host Ms. Shenique Higgs, #1 professional make-up artist
(www.shequemakeup.com ) in TCI and abroad for showing me such a great time! I'll be back!!!
