CONGRATULATIONS. It took a while, but finally, Matt Boland married his long time, shapely and charming companion Charmaine Pappers this week, with the couple’s grown kids, gorgeous Paola Pappers and very-dapper-in-their-suits, Thomas & Michael Boland, as witnesses. The Regional Executive Chef for Divi Resorts was parading his adorable granddaughter in the supermarket recently. You must know by now, he talks about it all the time, Matt is a most devoted grandfather to two cute babies, and the wedding party-party, he explains, is scheduled to January so that his beloved daughter Kimberly Boland would be able to attend.
RECORD BREAKING WEEK. Aruba will be breaking the one millionth visitor barrier this week. I remember a few years ago we celebrated at City Hall in Oranjestad the arrival of the one millionth visitor, cruise and land passengers combined, and this week we are marking the arrival of land passenger number one million, just before the end of this year. It’s something to be proud off!
SIDEBAR BURGERS. We walked into Sidebar on Saturday evening on its third day of operation and ordered a Goliath Burger, zucchini fries and a few glasses of Malbec. We shared the feast, because as the burger’s name implies, it is big. Niels Stotter and his Kentucky-based partner invested quite some money in the SideBar and it looks gorgeous. The long, dark-wood bar is aglow with over seventy varieties of Bourbon, under giant, retro light-fixtures. The back wall is aglow with a quirky, lovely wall mural by artist Maria Onni, covering the entire length of the place. We hear chef Bas Kuuestra created the menu. Bas is everywhere these days, and doing fantastically well. Niels was entertaining Juliet Bartijn with Paul Faas entertaining his wife Miriam, at the next door table. Just in case you didn’t hear: SideBar is a bistro style restaurant in Oranjestad with an extensive menu of the most delicious dishes and the most spectacular hamburgers on the island at the Renaissance Marketplace.
ISABELLE IS AT RED SAILE SPORT. Having bid a teary farewell to her friends at Papillion Restaurant, Isabelle Rugebrecht is now the Sales and Marketing Manager at Red Sail Sport, joining Suzanne Van Grinsven, the Marketing & Events Manager. Isabelle did not have to go far, just up the stairs as Papillion Restaurant is located at the Village on Palm Beach, with the offices of Red Sail Sport, overhead! The girls will be busy promoting the JetLev, the XBlade and the Hoverboard, all thrilling water toys for members of Generation X in addition to catamaran trips, diving adventures and special events. Isabelle’s restaurant and catering experience combined with Suzanne marketing background, can surely move mountains.
VITTORIO GETS THE OSPITALITA ITALIANA AWARD. Chef Vittorio Muscariello of Hostaria Da Vittorio has just received a bronze plaque which he will attach to his wall this week, attesting to the fact that the chamber of commerce of Italy and the Ministers of Culture, Economy, and Agriculture have recognized his commitment to everything genuinely Italian, especially his famous cuisine. They made him the recipient of a special award, as the Italian international Ambassador of Taste and Culture. The award program was created for the purpose of rewarding Italian restaurants outside Italy for complying with ten difficult standards of excellence. And this is not easy. Let’s say you run out of olive oil in your kitchen. Any other restaurateur may run out to the store to get some. Not Vittorio. Why? Because he is committed to using only PDO and PDG products, meaning Protected Designation of Origin Products, serving specific wines, cheeses, hams, sausages, seafood, olives, olive oils, beers, balsamic vinegar, and even regional breads, fruits, raw meats and vegetable, no substitution accepted, everything used in his kitchen has to be the real McCoy, the branded Italian product. Congratulations Vittorio, you are a one-of-a-kind.
NO DIVING. We heard this week that all recreational diving to the Pedernales dive site is to be suspended immediately until further notice the reason being that the area has to be cleared of “live” torpedoes by the Dutch Marines. If you remember the Pedernales was an oil tanker sunk by a German torpedo. The bow and stern of the ship were salvaged according to internet resources and the damaged center piece, sunk in twenty-five feet is a great dive site for beginners. KPA communicated the news. Is it really possible that live artillery lies beneath the surface, more than 60 years??
RAGE, ROYAL PLAZA. First came Hugo Boss, checking into Royal Plaza, taking up residence on the second floor facing the street. Dyanne Lopez-Schipper reports they started renovating from the back moving forward. Then Rage Silver showed up with a gorgeous store also on the second floor. Is it a sign that real shops are now ready to give the mall a second chance? That would be great, leaving the Renaissance Mall to the super-brands and consolidating Royal Plaza’s position as an attractive shopping destination. The new Rage Silver carries some lovely lines: Ti Sento Milano, Melinda Maria, Chamilia, Guess Jewelry, Vince Camuto Watches, the must have UNO de 50, Crislu, Guess Eyewear, and GIGI New York Handbags/Clutches. Silver, cubic zirconium and stainless steel, it’s all in the mix. We had pink champagne, chocolate covered strawberries and mini cup cakes at the elegant opening this week with Marny and Cedric Wever as our gracious hosts.
THAT’S AN ACHIEVEMENT. To my friend and former colleague Gilbert Arends, who received a Shoco Lifetime Achievement award last weekend, pa bien. Gilbert has always been a casino pit boss or shift boss, working nights for the past decades, going to work every day dressed in a suit with a smile on his face, and time on his hand to say hello and acknowledge people around him with a mixture of shy friendliness. It is no secret that people working in the casino industry experience emotional labor, which means just like doctors and nurses they must be able to communicate with their clients on an emotional level, and sometimes this results in job burnout and job dissatisfaction. There is a lot of research supporting the hardship felt and difficulty encountered when working for the casinos, and Gilbert with an air of: Let’s have fun under the neon lights, managed to stay focused and optimistic through many years.
VILLA ROYALE FINALLY FINISHED. The structure is visible from the Noord Road, towering over the neighborhood. The late chef, restaurateur and entrepreneur Tino Nicita built it as a monument to his success, the largest villa on the island, and somehow along the way he lost steam, and later passed away. Empty for fourteen years the structure was finally finished as Villa Royale and I am living to visit, on the Camay Hills, take a turn at the Chinese Bar on the way to Tierra Del Sol, then climb up to the humongous white house, it is said to be a masterpiece, an Italian-marble Grand Villa.
GREAT PARTY. Aruba Wine and Dine and the Aruba Marine Park Foundation staged a great event last Sunday, serving Lionfish and raising funds and awareness, at Nos Clubhuis, with the dynamic Carla Cavallaro in charge of invitations, and a trio of talented chefs in charge of the catering. Chefs Andriani Geerman, Ilja Cybulski and Joost Boerman, you may feed me anytime.

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