Red Lion Diner

Diners are getting to be a theme on this blog. The Red Lion Diner is another of my favorites. It is located in Red Lion, New Jersey, USA, on the south west part of the traffic circle where Routes 206 and 70 meet. This is more or less the middle of New Jersey.

I’ve been visiting this place since the early 1990’s. It’s been remodeled a couple of times, expanded, and yet it still serves great food in a hurry. One of my favorites is the club sandwich. When you get one here, this is what they bring to the table:

Mayo is automatically on the side. Check out those Jersey Tomatoes and crispy bacon. Right on. My wife eats more reasonably than I do, ordering a chef salad and this is what arrived:

That is a work of art, my friends. All ingredients are “field fresh” in my opinion. They also have good chili here, french fries that are perfect, and a decent burger. So, maybe you’re passing through on the way to Cape May or elsewhere. Whatever the case, you’ll have a good meal here.

Published in: on August 28, 2008 at 12:59 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Island Tour, Aruba

If you want to see the island of Aruba without doing the driving, you can hop aboard one of these former military trucks and go for half or full-day tours.

There will be music playing between the running commentary about the island. You’ll bounce over the rough roads, see the sights, and sometimes stop at a place like this:

The Urataka Center is actually a local joint, a sort of cross between a snack shop and a barroom. They make good pizza here as well as other fast food. It is on the way to and from the Arikok National Park. During the day they see plenty of tourists, but later in the afternoon and early evening there are more locals having their after-work beverages.

If you surf through my blog under the category of Aruba Sights, you’ll see the California Lighthouse, Baby Beach, the natural bridge, the gold mine ruins, and some other locations to which these tours will take you. Don’t forget to wear sunscreen and take plenty of water!

Published in: on August 23, 2008 at 11:36 am  Leave a Comment  
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Casa Vieja and the Bandeja Paisa

Lately I’ve been looking for a new place in Aruba to secure the massive Bandeja Paisa platter. I have my old standby joint in San Nicolaas, but I wanted to reach out for another version. After inquiring amongst my local friends they informed me that the place to go was called Casa Vieja, which is located about two minutes from the airport. My wife and I rolled in there yesterday, much to our delight.

As the name implies, the restaurant is in an old house. The covered area in front features tables. Through the double door is a small counter with a few stools, but the temperature inside will chase you out. I was happy to discover that the fellow operating this place used to have La Finca, a restaurant in the middle of Oranjestaad that has since passed to other hands. I remembered him from there but had never sampled his version of the bandeja. So I ordered and waited.

Lo and behold! The platter arrived at my table in all its glory. Here is a photo.

This is one way to fill the bottomless pit. For those of you not familiar with Colombian food, let me list what comes with this dish. A slice of flank steak, one egg fried hard, a piece of salchicha (sausage), chicharron (think a hunk of fried bacon), an arepa, a smashed and fried piece of plantain, small cole slaw-like salad, rice, beans (not shown), a slice each of avocado and tomato, and a wedge of lime. That’s a massive amount of food. I ate nearly everything aside of the avocado because I just don’t like it. The rest pretty much went down the hatch. I was full beyond breakfast the next day. Flavor was outstanding, including the hot sauce (also not shown) served on the side. Here I am with the owner.

Yes, I worked up a sweat eating that plate of food. As you have come to expect, I cooled down with an ICE-COLD Coca-Cola, the perfect thing to settle the gut after such punishment. If you get to Aruba, like Colombian food, and want to have it done right, give Casa Vieja a try.

Published in: on August 20, 2008 at 10:31 am  Leave a Comment  
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Modern Apartments, Aruba

This post shows a modern apartment building that is under construction in Oranjestaad, Aruba. In other posts, I showed cunucu houses, ruins, and things of that nature. It’s only right to show something a bit out of the ordinary. This structure is built directly across the street from the Caribbean Sea. There isn’t really a beach there, but at some points you could clamber down to the water.

The sign above gives you an idea of the finished product. There is to be one apartment per floor, with parking at ground level, two spots per apartment. Some people don’t like this sort of thing cropping up on the island. They think it is out of character or too large. I don’t have no opinion with regards to that. Progress is inevitable. Without progress, you’ll have decline. It is impossible to remain in a constant state. Here’s a look at the conceptual drawings of each apartment.

One way or another, those five apartments will be occupied. The location isn’t bad. It’s on the far side of town in relation to the new shopping mall and many new restaurants. However, that may appeal to someone who wants to live there as opposed to vacation on the island. It is also more accessible to the airport, a benefit to a local business person with off-island dealings.

Whatever your preference, the good thing about Aruba is that there are plenty of options.

Published in: on August 19, 2008 at 10:28 am  Leave a Comment  
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