Rincón Colombiana, Aruba

Rincón Colombia is a great little Colombian restaurant located on Main Street in San Nicolaas. You’ll find this place just a block down the street from the World Famous Charlie’s Bar. I’ve been snacking here for years and find the food delicious, economical, and very reliable. One of my favorite dishes is the chuleta colombiana, pictured below.

rincon_chuletaThat’s a breaded and fried pork chop seen above. Very filling, plenty of garlic, fries and rice in case you need the double-starch calories. Then there is the lomito, which you’ve seen before in my other posts but one more look won’t hurt. Here it is.

rincon_lomitoCan’t beat that after a hard day at the foundry. You’ll see plenty of locals, both of Colombian descent and other nationalities eating here every day (closed Sunday). Go early or after the lunch rush. They also serve fruit smoothies and homemade drinks that will perk you right up after a morning at the beach.

Bon dia from Aruba.

Tia Rosa Snack Truck

The Tia Rosa Snack Truck is located just south of the Pos Chikito circle in Aruba. It used to be in another location, but moved last year. Many people stop here for the pastiche and other local snacks. Here’s a photo of the joint.

tiarosaDon’t be fooled by this photo, which I took on Sunday when the place is closed. They open early, at 4AM for those of us who stay out all night in San Nicolaas, and do a steady trade through most of the day. You’ll frequently see a line here. But, it’s worth the wait. I pop in for an ice-cold Coca-Cola or something small when the mood strikes.

Bon dia from Aruba.

Published in: on March 8, 2009 at 6:42 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Great Rich, Sunday BBQ, photos

The Great Rich Bar and Restaurant is located in Paradera, Aruba. This is what you would call a local joint. On Sundays they offer a BBQ of smoked ribs, chicken, rice, coleslaw, and corn on the cob. Here’s how it works. You skip breakfast so that you’re good and hungry. Then you pull in and park at the Great Rich, shown below.

greatr1aYou go inside where you tell the nice lady behind the bar that you would like the Sunday BBQ. You pay her and get a ticket like the one in the photo here.

greatr2This ticket you take outside, past the smokers which are doing a great job of cooking up those chickens and ribs as you can see here.

greatr3

The guys working the chow line speak Papiamento and Chinese, but not much Spanish. However, a few smiles, some hand gestures, and you’re good to go.

greatr4That guy there swings a Chinese cleaver the way Paul Bunyan swung and ax. He whacks a rack of ribs into three parts, a half chicken into four more and then puts them atop a pile of fried rice and cole slaw. A small piece of corn on the cob is added for color and good effect. At this point, most people tote their meal home for a feast. I prefer to dine at such establishments as the characters who appear are nothing short of incredible. Thus, I trot back into the bar, ask for utensils, and proceed to mow down everything you see here.

greatr5That’s right, all that food (1/2 a chicken, rack of ribs, about 3 cups of fried rice, 1/2 cup cole slaw and corn on the cob) cost 15 florins, call it an eight and a half dollar bill. Beverages are extra. I enjoy this kind of meal once in a while, especially in this setting. No franchise uniforms, no pre-programmed patter from the staff, no flavorless items found the world over. You’ll see various BBQ’s like this around Aruba, but each one is different. Give one a try; your heart surgeon will love you for it!

Bon dia from Aruba.

Fiction Becomes Fact

As the newspaper below tells the story, fiction has become fact. Dechi Bislip, a local fisherman here in Aruba, was separated from his boat off the southeast corner of the island. Bislip comes from a family of strong swimmers and fisherman with roots in the town of Savaneta. Lucky for him. He swam and drifted along the coast of the island, eventually managing to save himself. In my novel, An Island Away, there is a scene where Captain Nathan Beck finds himself adrift at sea a bit farther away than Bislip. However, Beck’s course follows one very similar to Bislip’s. Beck ultimately comes ashore in Savaneta, not far from Bislip’s family homestead. Here is the cover of the Diario that related Bislip’s adventure.

swimbeck1

It’s quite amazing when you think about how some people manage to survive. The warm Caribbean is pleasantly inviting, but it can turn on you. Be careful out there. Stay close to shore, beware of currents, and don’t over exert yourself. As Nathan Beck’s grandfather told him, “Always wear your life preserver.”