14 Bis, Aruba Airport

14 Bis (don’t ask me how this name came to be) is a new restaurant located at the Queen Beatrix Airport in Aruba. As you can see from the sign below, they’re open all day, serving all three meals.

It is situated between the American departure hall and the arrivals hall. Therefore, if you wanted to check in for your flight and then have a snack, it’s on your way. Let’s take a look inside.

There’s plenty of seating, which will come in handy given the surge of people that arrive for each flight. Let’s take a look at the food.

You have a lineup of sandwiches and wraps. Take your pick. Then there’s panini and the like made to order, plus fresh fruit and baked goods, giving you the opportunity to refuel on something better than your average airport chow.

Looks like quality preparation and presentation here. Given that the food on airlines is quite skimpy these days, it’s a relief to have an alternative like this to enjoy prior to entering the sequestered area of the airport. You can finish your meal in comfortable surroundings and make better use of your time on the plane. Kick back, relax, and enjoy the flight.

Bon dia from Aruba.

Published in: on August 19, 2011 at 12:05 pm  Leave a Comment  
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More thin crust please!

I posted here at The Bent Page several times with regard to Jules Thin Crust pizza of Doylestown, PA, USA. Well, here goes again. Stopped in there recently to find the quality as good as ever. Take a look at the long view of options.

Lots of options there. We whittled it down to four. Here they are.

Above on the left you have sausage, onions, and basil. On the right you see a tomato pie with extra garlic. Here are two more.

The left side has spinach and ricotta, the right is soybean and caramelized onions. All great choices on the thin crust that has more flavor than you would expect. Ingredients are organic; service is excellent.

Doylestown is a great place to visit for the shops, the colonial buildings, and to have a great slice of pizza. Enjoy it all.

Take Your Pick…

… of the best burgers in the USA, bar none!. This is no exaggeration, because I’ve tried burgers all over the country and the world. The Classic Diner in Malvern, PA, serves them up exactly as ordered and here’s the photo to prove it.

The one in the lower left is topped with pepper jack cheese and fried onions. The one in the upper center is cheddar and sauteed mushrooms. Dig those onion rings, too! Man oh man, what meal! The flavor is akin to a delmonico steak brought back to life in the form of the burger. Never greasy, always juicy, you can count on the Classic Diner to deliver when your burger jones just has to be satisfied, which for me is about once every six weeks or so. I can’t hold out any longer than that. Add an ice-cold Coca-Cola and your set for the rest of the day, or a good nap.

Hollywood Smokehouse Diner, Aruba

The Hollywood Smokehouse Diner is located in my favorite Aruba town, San Nicolaas, and the food is worth the drive. It’s easy to find, only 2 blocks from the Main Gate of the refinery. There’s plenty of parking in front. Thus, roll into town, go all the way to the end, and on the corner of Helfrichstraat you’ll find this place ready to serve up some Carolina-style pulled pork and Texas brisket that will impress hard-core barbeque lovers. Here’s a view of the outside. Love that Coca-Cola sign, too.

I opted to try two platters today, one pulled pork, the other beef brisket. Platters are served with cole slaw and a choice of sides. As you can see below, I opted for the potato salad and baked beans, both appropriate to the barbeque vibe. Feast your eyes upon this feast.

All that food for 18 and 22 florins respectively. The brisket is the melt-in-your mouth kind. The pulled pork is tender to the fork. You can also order up simple sides like french fries and so forth, if you’re in the mood for a quick snack on the way to or from Baby Beach. My recommendation, go for the whole meal. Mix and match a couple to share around the table, that way you’ll get the full experience of all the flavors. I might also mention that homemade barbeque sauces are tucked in with each meal. They are also top notch flavors, from mild to hot, hot. (Take the big bottle stuff from the grocery store and throw it away.)

To top the experience off you have Mike and Tina, owners of this joint. Great people, friendly, multi-lingual (English, Spanish, Papiamento), and ready to serve the best. My only problem is I’ll blow the buckle off my belt from chowing down here more often that I should. What a way to go.

Bon dia.