Popular chef Fred Wanders and super restaurateur Paul Faas have recently opened their Fool Fantasy kitchen, on Palm Beach 17, opting for an unusual name: 2 Fools and a Bull.
The bull is a leftover from the former Espanjola Way which occupied the charming cunucu premises for a short time last year. The 2 Fools prefix attests to the fact that both Fred and Paul are in possession of a typical self-deprecating Dutch humor, and that they are fearless innovators, in the kitchen and outside it, going out on a limb with a fun name for a Gourmet Studio, created by two good, life-long friends!
Paul loves to say: Don’t be fooled by the name, and indeed the place has been totally transformed into a unique environment with Fred in the kitchen and Paul in the dining room, offering a culinary experience, in lieu of just dinner.
The u-shaped dining table is beautifully set for 17, it faces the kitchen and an authentic and fully restored French firewall, the only one of its kind in the Caribbean. The unusual grill was imported from Holland and now goes to work, every night, contributing to the delicious main courses.
While the decor in soothing gray and green is peppered with whimsical touches, the seating around the dining bar is very comfortable, and those wishing to smoke between courses, or stretch their legs are invited to the small outdoor patio, where the aperitifs are served just before dinner.
The menu which Fred and Paul concoct every week is a five course selection of surprises, leaving patrons, you guessed, “Fooly Satisfied.”
Some press members invited this week started their enchanted evening out with champagne cocktails flavored with Mango Caviar. Then the show took off with a Jamon de Pata Negra appetizer, pine nuts, and roasted, sliced corn-fed chicken over field-greens. It was matched with a nice Marges de Caceres Crianza. The Creamy Soup with leeks and Smoked Eel, was paired with a Sherry shot. The meal progressed at a nice leisurely pace, allowing free flowing conversation in preparation for the Seabass and Shrimp with bell pepper sauce and Herb Risotto paired with 689 white wine, chased by a wonderful main course, Lamb Chop, shitake jus with generous cuts from the Fire Wall, washed down with Alamos Malbec.
The dessert, a light and delicious Poached Pear, was drizzled with Chocolate Grand Marnier Sauce and escorted by Fool’s Yogurt, paired with a small old vine Zinfandel.
2 Fools and a Bull offer the wine pairing with each menu, but individualists will find a fine selection of wines and other beverages to complement their dining experience, readily available at the world smaller bar, in the corner of the dining room.
The Fools Fantasy experience, including a welcome drink, coffee, and liquor comes to USD 80 per person. An additional Wine Flight is available by the Glass, or choose your own bottle from the suggested Wine Cellar for the evening!
Reservations can be made on line, and you are welcome to call for any potential last minute openings any evening till 4:30pm. PS. If the names Fred and Paul sound familiar, Fred was the Marandi chef for a number of years, his wife Hotske runs the Garra Rufa fish treatment at the spa at Manchebo, and Paul and his partner Miriam, created the now-defunct Tabasko, which we still talk about!!
