Happy Spot, Aruba

The Happy Spot opened only a few months ago, in November 2009. In my rambling about the island, I rolled past it, doubled back, and stopped in for an ice-cream. Here’s a photo of the joint.

The Happy Spot is located on the road that leads off the highway from where the old Adventure Golf used to be. Just follow that inland and opposite the Cheng grocery, you’ll this little place on the other side of the road. (For some unkown reason, Aruba refuses to name many of its roads and streets, which makes giving directions difficult, but exploring can be fun. They also do not number buildings sequentially. Perhaps this is what prevents an enemy invasion?)

Nonetheless, much joy was had in the form of a chocolate ice-cream. If you don’t believe me, here’s a photo to prove it.

Notice the pen in pocket, always prepared to jot down some story material. I chatted with the owner for a few minutes. Nice guy. I hope he does well. He explained to me that they also make all sorts of smoothies here. That’s not my thing but by the number of people ordering them, I would say they must be good.

Bon dia.

Published in: on February 22, 2010 at 11:00 am  Comments (1)  
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Amadeus Restaurant, Aruba

Amadeus Restaurant in Aruba is a new find for me. My wife and I joined friends there for a very nice dinner out last night. Upon entering, you’ll find an appealing bar with tables in the distance as well as a staircase leading to a balcony seating area. Here’s a view of the bar.

After having a glass of wine, we took to the stairs for a table with a view. The waiter promptly brought us menus, these in the form of framed cartas with a fair selection of dishes. Two of our party started with the escargot. These snails were served in a garlic mushroom sauce that looked like this:

This is not my thing, however, both diners reported them to be very tasty and a different way of serving this delicacy. I opted for the tried and true coconut shrimp, which arrive with greens on the side as can be seen here:

We enjoyed excellent conversation through these appetizers, not to mention a few glasses of wine and beer. Then came the entrees. Two of our group had fish, one was tilapia as seen below:

The other fish from the menu was a grouper, and here is a photo:

Both individuals found the dishes tasty and well prepared. As I like ribs done many ways, I gave the West Indies Ribs a try and here is what came to the table:

The sauce is more of a tomato-like concoction that was definitely not the same old same old. After this we polished off a slice of apple pie and some chocolate ice cream. Sorry, was too full to take more photos.

I have to say, Amadeus does a great job with both the food and the service. The prices are very (VERY) reasonable for the quality of the cuisine and attentive service. (I would go so far as to say that some other places in Aruba should send their staff to Amadeus for some re-training.) Thus, if you’re on the island and looking for a good meal slightly away from the usual areas, give Amadeus a try. It’s on the road to Paradera and easy to find.

Bon dia.

Published in: on December 24, 2009 at 2:09 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Breatrix Airport Improvements, Aruba

There have been a number of improvements to the Queen Beatrix Airport in Aruba. The new terminal has been open for years now. However they continue to expand the shops and duty free area. Now they’re adding a restaurant and minimarket at the the check-in area. Here’s a photo:

Just behind the sign, it was possible to see the framework of the buildings, much of which was already completed. I would guess that time of completion during the first quarter of 2010 is fairly realistic. These amenities may serve to tamp down some of the hunger of departing passengers, which is a good thing now that the airlines don’t offer much in the way of comestibles on the plane. At any rate, be patient during your waits in the security lines and at the gates. It’s just the way it is.

Bon dia.

Published in: on December 10, 2009 at 9:32 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Rudy’s Corner, Aruba

Rudy’s Corner is a local joint in San Nicolaas, Aruba. If you’re on your way to Baby Beach, this place is easy to find. As you enter San Nicolaas, you come to a traffic circle, take the second road off of this circle and keep going straight. After the big sports park on your left, you’ll see an empty lot and then Rudy’s Corner. Here’s a shot of the exterior:

There are plenty of tables under the shade of the porch as you can see in the next photo:

Lots of foliage there and a nice breeze to keep you cool. Take a look at the menu below:

Regular readers of my blog will recognize many of those Colombian dishes. Don’t forget, those prices are in Aruban florins (1.75 flns. to the US $). You’ll also find the Sunday BBQ done here as well. So, when you’re passing through San Nicolaas you may want to stop here for a snack or a drink or both. The prices are reasonable, the people friendly, and the food filling. More than that, you can’t expect.

Bon dia.

Published in: on December 9, 2009 at 6:32 pm  Leave a Comment  
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