Am i the only one??

[Bran8778]

Don't forget about the Crispy Bacon Chips on top of the Ice Cream!!!

 

mmmmmmmmmm :P

[ancldaca]

I see eating local foods as an integral part of my vacation. The last thing I want on a cruise is to eat the same steak/italian/french/rice & beans I'm exposed to daily! How boring.

 

Now, would I do that anywhere? Probably not in Asia or Africa. I do some research first and tend to stick to more established/recommended places. If it is a specific dish I'm looking for, then I'll really try to find a specific restaurant in advance. But mostly, I look for places with locals in it.

 

Over the last year and a half:

Barbados: Flying fish meal (part of tour)

Curacao: a local fish soup and a goat roti in a restaurant I just stumbled across by the market

Aruba: Indian (ok... a case can be made that Indian food is 'local' because of the big #'s of immigrants)

Cozumel: cochinita pibil (at Casa Dennis - it was terrific)

Antigua: stumbled across a restaurant (Commodore something) and had fungee with salt fish

Curacao: Walked around a bit behind Ft Amsterdam and found a series of restaurants built over the beach. Had a great conch lunch there.

St Maarten: Ok.. I love going to Marigot and eating at any of the restaurants at the marina. Don't care which but La Main a la Pate tends to be the one I go back to.

Ocho Rios: The jerk chicken and pork at the Ocho Rios Jerk Centre was great. The only thing I liked about Jamaica in fact.

Caymans: Had a fantastic local combo seafood platter at Bachus, a highly rated restaurant there. Pretty high end. Since it had the Chaine des Rotisseurs sign on it, I knew it was going to be good. Gotta go back to try the goat stew!

Tortola: Found a place called Nexus Cafe a way off by the marina. Great lunch with a curried tomato salad and a jerk chicken pita.

Nassau: Stumbled into a place called Da Junkanoo Shak and loved their conch fritters and their lunch chicken platter special.

 

Whenever I 'stumble/find my way' into a place, I always make sure to see lots of locals in there and as few tourists as possible. Then I know the food will be both good and authentic.

 

Even on board I eat the more exotic meals (venison, duck, escargots, pheasant, etc.). Steak and pastas I can get at home...

[Judith02]

We learned the hard way to only eat off the ship when we are on a ship-sponsored tour that includes a snack or lunch. Got sick. One exception to this was gelatto in Amalfi. It was wonderful.

[Bran8778]

The only thing that really scares me off the ship is, the WATER!!

 

and a Mcdonalds or KFC ;)

[Sea Hag]

Would love to see a Spam challenge on Iron Chef.:D

 

How about stuffed Spam with an apricot glaze and Spam ice cream for dessert?

 

Dianne

 

Why not Spam ice cream? After all, somebody made trout ice cream on Iron Chef! Chef Symon would be a good one for the Spam challenge, given the way he feels about pork. :D

[Bran8778]

Im a big fan of Mike Symon!! I was next door to his restaurant the night he became an Iron Chef!! It's a nice place !!

 

How about a Spam Martini????

[Sea Hag]

That's interesting about Symon's restaurant! I know he has one named Lola. Is that the one you mean?

 

I love his laugh. Never heard a more mentally unbalanced laugh in my life. :D:D

[98Charlie]

Im a big fan of Mike Symon!! I was next door to his restaurant the night he became an Iron Chef!! It's a nice place !!

 

How about a Spam Martini????

 

Would that be a ``Spamtini?"

 

Sounds great with a grilled Spam & tomato sandwich.:cool:

 

Dianne

[Bran8778]

Yes, Sea Hag!! LOLA! It was so busy inside that we couldn't get in, so our only choice was the House of Blues next door.

 

Anyone for some Spaghetti and Spamballs!!

 

and after that a "Spamtini" :)

[mom2NnB]

We loved trying food in the different ports. My kids found new foods they liked this way. We hyad the best conch in Grand Cayman, could not compare to anything we've had locally. But we are also the type of people at home to only eat "ethnic" foods (indian, japanese, thai, etc.) that we don't/can't make at home. I can make steak and potatoes at home.

 

I too do not buy food off the street in a foreign country if I do not know what it is, but on land vacations I have had the best food at the small local hole in the wall restaurants.

[Sea Hag]

Yes, Sea Hag!! LOLA! It was so busy inside that we couldn't get in, so our only choice was the House of Blues next door.

 

Anyone for some Spaghetti and Spamballs!!

 

and after that a "Spamtini" :)

 

And let's have some antispami to start off with ....

 

I'd love to eat at Lola!

[cctn]

I dont know why , but every port we stop at I have to eat something!!!

 

I try to find something authentic, to the island/port city!!

 

Red Snapper in Costa Rica was the best !!

 

Glad you started this thread -- it would be nice to know about all the different places people have eaten during their cruises -- we eat off the ship and on the ship - !! Corkey Carol

[cctn]

Ooops! I lied to you big time. I forgot the Hawaii cruise. My nephew and his family were living on Oahu at that time, and at the end of the cruise they picked us up and gave us a private tour all around the island. We told them that we'd like to eat what the people there eat. :D This generated:

• Spam susubi at 7 Eleven (don't knock it if you haven't tried it)
  
• Hawaiian plate lunch at L & L (scoop of rice, scoop of macaroni salad and meat of choice. I still haven't figured out what was up with the macaroni salad. That's not an obvious Hawaiian food to me.)
  
• Dinner off a shrimp wagon (this is like a catering van. We go some kind of shrimp over rice. It was unbelievably messy, since it was in a garlic-rich sauce and needed to be peeled. But it was also unbelievably good.)
  
• A chocolate coconut dessert that my niece made. Really good.
  

All this was done in bits and pieces, while flitting all over the island sight seeing. Fine dining? Maybe not. Very good? Undoubtedly!

 

 

Hawaiian Food - yummmmm-- favorite foods of mine!

When we go to Hawaii, we eat at local digs - love the kalua pork - make it myself -- in my oven -

Corkey Carol

[cctn]

Sea Hag,

 

Our family rates a good can of Spam as fine dining.;)

 

When DH was in the Army I learned to prepare Spam about 365 different ways. Favorite Spam meal was for an Easter Sunday dinner. Had another couple coming to our house for dinner. None of us had enough $$ to buy a ham or even a chicken for dinner.

 

I bought 2 cans of Span for about 35 cents a can in the Army commissary and ``roasted it'' with a pineapple/brown sugar glaze. It was really good eats and among the more memorable meals I've ever served in my life.

 

Dianne

 

Love SPam - fried, with fried eggs and fried rice!! Corkey Carol

[renalrn]

Last time in Jamaica our tour van driver concluded the tour by dropping off the other dozen passengers at Jimmy Buffets. I asked him to take us where he was going to eat lunch. We had the most fantastic meal at a local place, our chairs sitting 2 feet from a waterfall. Pumpkin soup,peas and beans, jerk chicken,etc...

 

No matter where we travel I always ask a local where they eat. I can have TGIFridays at home!

[Bran8778]

This is a picture of a dessert I had in St. Thomas. It was apart a chefs choice/5 course meal. YUMMY!!

 

From right to left

 

1. Flourless Cake (so good)

2. Raspberry Sorbet (so tasty)

3. Ice Cream (can't remember flavor)

4. Ice Cream (cant remember flavor)

5. Cheescake Balls (AHHH)

 

 

http://oldstonefarmhouse.com/index.html

 

 

(why I didnt do left to right, I DONT KNOW :D )

[cctn]

This is a picture of a dessert I had in St. Thomas. It was apart a chefs choice/5 course meal. YUMMY!!

 

From right to left

 

1. Flourless Cake (so good)

2. Raspberry Sorbet (so tasty)

3. Ice Cream (can't remember flavor)

4. Ice Cream (cant remember flavor)

5. Cheescake Balls (AHHH)

 

 

http://oldstonefarmhouse.com/index.html

 

 

 

 

(why I didnt do left to right, I DONT KNOW :D )

 

What can I say but "YUMMMMMMM" Corkey

[Sea Hag]

Ooooh! Very nice dessert pics!

[Bran8778]

Every course of the meal came with a glass of wine!! So I think dessert was good ;)

[peabody99]

I always try to find local ethnic food on port. truthfully the factory processed stuff on board poses as much of a health risk.

 

I cannot even recount all the amazing foods we have had: To name a few dishes in the the Caribbean-rotti, curry goat, jerk chicken, whole fried fish right off th boat, plantains, pigeon peas and rice, monfongo, roast pig, root veggies I have never seen, ceviche-etc. In the Mediterranian- rabbit paella, beef cheek tapas, tripa, octupus, pesto, local cured hams, ect . I could go on and on, but it is pure insanity not to try the local food and drink....always ask the locals-the cab drivers, dive shop, shop keepers etc where they eat for a local meal-it may be a food cart or a diner, but take their word for it.

 

Now-I do like to bring a snack from the boat for beaches-maybe some fruit, cheese, bread. The tourist beach bars do not typically have the greatest eats. I truly believe appreciation of local food is the best way to connect with a culture you are experiencing.

 

To be honest, even the best ship kitchen cannot take on some quality local places where much of the meal is locally sourced.

[LeSgtsunshine]

I like to try the local food too. I think it is a great way to get a taste of the local culture. Does anyone know of any good place in Grand turk, San Juan Puerto Rico, or St John?

[Julie Koefoot]

I know there is a thread out there with tons of food photos, I've seen it but can't find it. Can someone please help me?

 

JK

[Bran8778]

lets make it this one :D

 

 

Post your food pics here:)

[EdSails]

I dont know why , but every port we stop at I have to eat something!!!

I try to find something authentic, to the island/port city!!

Red Snapper in Costa Rica was the best !!

 

I think it's something you need to do. I've eaten pita bread cooked on a metal can lid in the Sinai desert, raw oysters and fish tacos in Ensenada, street tamales in Tecate, sausages in France and fish chowder from a little stand in Bermuda. I'm still alive. On my upcoming cruise I hope to have patties in Jamaica and conch in Aruba. And that red snapper sounds great-----where in CR did you get it?

It amazes me that people will go to a foreign country and not try the food. Or else they'll eat at Hard Rock Cafe, Margaritaville or McDonalds and say they went "native"!

[Bran8778]

We had the Red Snapper in Puerto Viejo!! The place we ate at was about the size of a living room with a little porch attached to it. Very Small!! The side was a red rice and the salad was more like a cole slaw, but it was so good.