More from the Honeymoon: Anacaona

The absolute BEST dining experience of the honeymoon was at Anacaona, a gourmet, ocean front restaurant that a lovely reader suggested before we left on our trip. (Thank you!!!)

Our evening started at the nearby Infiniti Bar, a 90-foot bar that stretches from the Grace Bay Club to the shores of Grace Bay beach. From the website: "The bar features full restaurant service allowing guests to dine under shaded umbrellas with waves lapping at their feet." Breathtaking, right?


Mal and I both enjoyed a martini at the bar. I ordered a cucumber-mint martini (below), which was cool, refreshing, and a tiny bit sweet.


First sip...


Mal ordered his favorite: a dirty vodka martini with extra olives. I had a sip, and it was amazing with the perfect amounts of vodka and olive juice.


One of the Anacaona chefs saw Mal and me sitting at the bar and offered to take a photo for us. His only requirement was that we kiss over the bar! We couldn't pass up an opportunity like that! :)


Honeymooners right before dinner...

This is probably my favorite photo from the honeymoon! :)


We enjoyed a gorgeous sunset while dining...


I'm a sucker for the breadbasket! I'd almost always rather eat a piece of bread (or 2) than order an appetizer, and this night was no different. I had a piece and a half of jalapeño-pepper focaccia bread dipped in a little bit of olive oil. Delish!!! I heart bread.


Lucky for us, the chef we met at the Infiniti Bar paid special attention to us while we were dining. He sent out a number of complementary dishes to our table. The first was a light and refreshing lemon sorbet served in a hollowed-out piece of bamboo. Mal loved it! He ate his entire portion and then the majority of mine!


Next up was a sweet, creamy ginger-flavored shot, which was served with a small potato chip. I'm a huge ginger fan, so of course, I loved every single sip of this beverage!


And more "compliments of the chef" dishes...

This appetizer was a huge hit with me! First of all, it was aesthetically pleasing. I love when food has an amazing art-like presentation. It makes it even more fun to eat! The food was also full-flavored and delicious!


Here's the dish up close: grilled blackened jumbo shrimp on top of a wonton-like shell that surrounded another very tender piece of jumbo shrimp, all of which was drizzled with a citrus dressing and a mango-raisin chutney. One word to describe it: to.die.for!!!!!

The star of the meal was my entree: Banana Foster Foie Gras. I probably read the menu description 4 or 5 times before I figured it out, but it sounded so incredibly interesting, I just had to try it.

The bottom layer was a thick piece of banana French toast, topped with a huge sea scallop and a very savory fois gras (duck liver). (I told ya I'd try anything once!) The tower was surrounded by sliced bananas and a sweet berry drizzle. Eating all 3 layers and a slice of banana together was the most amazing taste bud experience ever! There were so many flavors competing in my mouth at once! What a superb dish! I'll be talking about this one for ages!


Dessert was also complements on the chef (he stuffed us!): a warm, rich, gooey chocolate cake served with vanilla ice cream and strawberries. Of course, we loved the "Happy Honeymoon" message written in caramel too! Mal and I were mid-devour when the chef came to our table and asked how we liked the meal. I'm pretty sure he could tell that we throughly enjoyed ourselves! :)

Easily, the most amazing dining experience of my life!

Parallel 23

Another place that Mal and I frequented at the Regent Palms was Parallel 23. Parallel 23 "...is the Palms' main dining establishment, and showcases delectable tropical fusion cuisine, complemented by an extensive wine cellar." Mal and I enjoyed both a continental breakfast (included with our stay) each morning as well as a "fancy" dinner on the elegant Parallel 23 terrace.

The continental breakfast included a variety of fresh fruit-- pineapple, mango, kiwi, papaya, cantaloupe, strawberries, grapes, watermelon, grapefruit, peaches, and pears. The selection changed daily, so breakfast was never the same thing two days in a row.

The spread also included plain yogurt, various cereals, and mini pastries that ranged from muffins to fancy filled croissants and danishes.


A view of the terrace where we ate our breakfast each morning...


A variety of fresh fruit, a muffin, chocolate-filled croissant, and yogurt topped with golden raisins and walnuts...


Iced coffee in paradise...


Here I am enjoying a Parallel 23 continental breakfast before my morning workout...


Raisin Bran mixed with yogurt, walnuts, sunflower seeds, and chopped fresh fruit...


Another morning, another delicious breakfast of fruit, yogurt, and pastries...

I swear, the food selection never got old!


In addition to the continental breakfast, Mal and I also enjoyed a romantic dinner at Parallel 23 on our first evening at the Palms. Here I am using a mini flashlight to see the menu.


To start, we enjoyed a variety of rolls and breads along with whipped butter and olive tapenade, which I dominated-- I think Mal only got one bite of it! :)


Spicy vegetable pate complements of the chef... it was incredibly flavorful!!


Mango sorbet in a caramelized sugar waffle, also complements of the chef and very delicious...


My entree was a single crab cake topped with a sweet red pepper jam on top of a creamy corn relish... I wish the menu was online so that I could provide the exact description of the meal, but I think mine is pretty accurate.


Mal got a Parmesan ravioli dish with steam veggies. He couldn't remember the details of his meal, but he said it was delicious!


Honeymooners after dinner...


And finally, two warm, chewy chocolate cookies and a special message for dessert...


We're using our new panini maker tonight to make tomato-basil-mozzarella paninis for dinner! Yuuuummm!

Plunge

Mal and I spent a lot of our time lounging at the Regent Palms' swim-up bar and restaurant, Plunge. Plunge is made up of the Palms' serpentine infinity pool and an outdoor dining area that overlooks the ocean. In the pool, guests relax with in-water seating at round café booths or at the swim-up bar.

My favorite meal at Plunge was the Vegetarian Platter-- I actually ordered it 4 different times in 6 days! The Platter comes with lightly toasted pita bread, homemade hummus (I found a whole chickpea it in one day), couscous, baba ganoush, cucumber slices, sprouts, roasted red peppers, olives, and feta. I loved combining all of the different ingredients to get various tastes and flavors. The dish never got boring for me!


I was in LOVE with this meal! I hope that I can recreate it at home!


Another Plunge favorite was the Grilled Veggie Wrap. Inside was various grilled squashes, peppers, mushrooms, hummus, and guacamole (with lightly oiled greens on the side). Delish!


Plunge had about 10 "signature" cocktails on their menu. Over the course of the week, Mal and I probably tried just about all of them. Here's Mal with a pina colada.


Honeymooners lounging by the pool...


A shot of Plunge from the pool...


Plunge's swim-up bar... so fun!


Turks Head (the native beer of the island) at the bar...


Mmmmm... fruity cocktails!


Plunge's cafe-style tables...


Time for errands and lunch! Be back with more later! :)

I'm Back! So Much To Say!

I'm back!!! What a vacation! Our honeymoon was a-mazing! It was the perfect combination of relaxation and adventure... and of course, delicious food! We did so much on our trip (and took so many photos)-- I don't really know where to begin!

We arrived at the Regent Palms on Monday afternoon after 2 short flights-- Boston to Charlotte with a quick layover in Charlotte then to Turks and Caicos.

Being the wonderful husband that he is, Mr. Mal arranged for champagne, chocolate-covered strawberries, and cookies to be delivered to our room before our arrival. All of my favorites! I'm glad he's taking his husband role so seriously! :)

Up close with the chocolate-covered strawberries and cookies...

Champagne on ice...

Mr. Mal preparing to pop the bubbly...

Here I am enjoying the start of our honeymoon with a glass of champagne and a chocolate-covered strawberry. We finished off the chocolate-covered strawberries, bottle of champagne, and most of the cookies within an hour or so of arriving! Gotta start off the honeymoon with a bang, right?! :)

Our suite... I loved the decorating style!

Bathroom...

Check out the statue head in the shower holding up the towels-- it was a woman's head made out of stone/plaster and shells. It was pretty cool!

Kitchen area with microwave and refrigerator...

Sitting area...

Another sitting area with a view of our balcony...

So, that was just the tip of the iceberg! I have loads more to tell you guys! I'll be back with more honeymoon recap after breakfast.