JoAnn Snack, Aruba, video

JoAnn Snack is a favorite stop on my lunch tour. I’ve been popping in here for snacks for more than 10 years. It’s only a few minutes drive from Aruba’s airport and full of friendly faces. Let’s head over there in this video:

The pork chop with salsa criollo is great. There are other things on the menu, all at reasonable prices. Given the easy location, you can find this place on your way roaming about the island or going back and forth to Baby Beach or just because you want to give it a try. Spanish skills are helpful, but the menu is in English, too, so don’t worry about it. They’re also happy to serve take out meals as well, in case you just want to tote the food back to your place. Bon dia.

Taste of Belgium (in Aruba)

Taste of Belgium is my new favorite spot for dessert in Aruba. I had been resisting the addition of another place like this in an effort to control the expanding waistline. That battle is temporarily suspended. Let the fun begin! Stopped in here a couple of nights ago. Ordered chocolate cake with chocolate ice-cream. Here’s a photo of the whole shebang:

I forgot to mention there was coffee, too. Check this out.

That little shot of liquor on the side puts the concoction in the high-horsepower range. Delicious. And how about that silver tray service. Classy. I found everything here very tasty and especially appreciated the good service. There was a young fellow on duty. He did a good job tending the table. Also, this place is glassed in from the bustle of the surrounding Palm Beach Mall, making it easy to have a nice conversation. Enjoy your visit. If you see me there, don’t comment on my bulges.

Published in: on February 6, 2012 at 4:01 pm  Leave a Comment  
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Gianni’s Restaurant, Aruba

After umpteen number of visits to Aruba, I finally dined at Gianni’s, which is located in the high-rise hotel area. This is a big restaurant with seating both inside and out, as well as a short length of bar to prime the pump if you’re in need. There have been many reviews of this place, talking about the good and the bad. My visit was quite satisfactory. Service was reliable, food decent, and the ambiance enjoyable. Let’s get to the food. As regular readers of The Bent Page know, I like my greens. Thus, a salad began the meal for me as seen here.

The salad was crisp and the right size. My companions enjoyed the caprese salad. See below:

Now that was a different presentation from what I’m used to seeing, but was reported to be delicious. On to the entrees. Let’s begin with the old reliable, fusilli bolognese.

The sauce was a bit more dense than what I’ve had at many other places. The flavor was good, but subdued. Then there was a rigatoni with artichokes as you’ll see next.

You can’t miss the glass of cabernet in the lower right. Much was had along with a couple of mojitos to keep things humming. Then there was the osso buco. Take a look.

That plate was wiped clean, right down to the marrow in the bone. So the rating was “delicious” on whole concoction. Desert was limited due to the large quantity of food consumed to the point. Still, room was created for a brownie with ice-cream.

I enjoyed my visit to Gianni’s and was glad to have finally made it there after all these years going to Aruba. We had a reservation for 7PM, which is probably a good idea. With all the nearby hotels, the place fills up quickly including large groups.

Enjoy the feast!

La Na, Thai

Thai food intrigues me. I know very little about this type of cuisine, but find myself willing to try it. So, recently I stopped in to La Na, located in Media, PA, USA, for a taste. It was quite delicious, with a mixture of flavors different from what I’m used to. Here goes. We started with the Thai Treasure appetizer, which is a typical dumpling and spring roll type of assortment. What made this more interesting was the sauce, there were four to choose from. Have a look:

I’m told this is a typical dish and not very exciting, but I liked it, all of it, and would make a meal of two of these plates and be very happy. But there was more. First the Chu Chee Duck as seen here:

That duck was perfectly cooked and tasty, not the least bit dry. Then there was the Evil Jungle Princess, not sure where the name comes from, but take a look.

Dig those fresh vegetables which were cooked yet crunchy and full of flavor. The sauce here contained a little heat without overpowering the individual items, which I took to be an achievement. Too often spicy food is all heat and now flavor. La Na got it just right for me.

La Na is a BYOB place, so don’t forget your favorite bottle. I’m not sure what kind of wine to pair with this type of food. Your suggestions are welcome and appreciated. On the quest to expand my tastes, I’ll be looking for more and different food.

Published in: on January 31, 2012 at 8:03 pm  Leave a Comment  
Tags: , , , , , , ,