HORECA HALLOWEEN NIGHT AT HOLLYWOOD SMOKEHOUSE. Pepia Est Aruba, an import & distribution wholesale company of premium liquors & fine wines, partners with the Hollywood Smokehouse at the Alhambra Casino & Shops, to host a HORECA night once a month, on the last Monday of the month, from 11pm to 1am, with specially priced mixed drinks, and live DJ. On Monday the 29th, Halloween costumes will be added to the happening, reports Taylor Escobedo, who runs the show on HORECA night. Bar Manager mixologist AJ Tromp has a lot to play with courtesy of Pepia Est, mixing cocktails starring Sauza Club, Absolut Vodka, Havana Club and Chivas, reminding us to live with chivalry.
YOLOGURT, JUST JOINED THE YOLO EMPIRE. Eva Zissu is a tireless business woman, at the helm of the YOLO brand in Aruba. Having stocked some cute boutiques with her You-Only-Live-Once merchandise she opened a charming frozen yogurt location at Paseo Herencia, with a raised deck, serving YOLOGURT in 8 flavors with 21 toppings. The location has been empty for a while, since the demise of the Japanese restaurant. Eva recently made an offer to the mall and as it was accepted she conceived a colorful outlet especially set up for birthday parties and children’s events, offering the food they like and the desserts they crave, in green, orange and fuchsia. Eva promises to add some more exciting products to Yologurt with branded school bags and attractive child-friendly gear.
THE KITCHEN TABLE BY WHITE INTRODUCES A NEW MENU. Chef Urvin Croes who is about to be married to his sweetheart Mary-anne Werleman in the coming weekend, has recently unveiled the third 8-course menu served at his gourmet studio at Blue Residence. The menu is inspire by Aruba’s culinary treasures with Sopi Oester, Pato Viajante, Steak Basket and Bolo di Kashipete, paired with Carlito’s excellent selection of wines. To make a reservation call 582-7015. One of my friends who stayed at the Bucuti Beach Resort wrote recently: This was a recommendation by the concierge team of our hotel prior to arrival, and we are grateful. The concept of this restaurant is to book up to 16 people, serving an 8-course dinner prepared in full view of diners, and the menu changes at least once a month. Each of our dished was carefully constructed by Chef Urvin and his team while we watched with our mouths watering. The chef then explained the food, inspired by the many facets of Aruban culture, produce and tradition, from his unique point of view. I hope he keeps his Keshi Yena on the menu as his signature dish, forever. The wine pairing complemented the cooking superbly. Well done to Carlito! We’ve eaten in restaurants with Michelin stars in Italy, Scotland, London and The Netherlands, and The Kitchen Table is definitely up there with them. Kudos chef, and enjoy your wedding day!!
TIERRA DEL SOL BACK ON TRACK. An intimate reception overlooking the nine back holes of the golf course at Tierra del Sol brought together friends of the property, vendor-partners, the investors of FMV Holding Company NV and members of staff to meet old/new general manager Cisco Quant and the people involved with FMV, Tierra del Sol homeowners Ed Friedman, and Michael Mattalo, and local businessman Maarten van Romondt. In the words of Mattalo the gathering was designed to acknowledge that it has been an incredible journey to get to this important milestone, and that the work now continues with focus on rebuilding Tierra Del Sol and executing its business plan. Ventanas del Mar served delicious hors d’oeuvres and allowed the FMV team to reiterate that the past is behind TDS and that the road to succeed lies straight ahead.
READERS RESPOND: Jenny Tromp writes she has been longing to have a cup of her favorite Pumpkin Spice coffee at Starbucks. She left the house to run all kinds of errands and then decided to get to the Renaissance Marketplace. She circulated the parking lot 7 times, found a parking spot, and got her coffee. That girl is determined. Sometimes she admits, when it is impossible to find parking, she runs down to Alhambra Casino & Shops, and pops into Juan Valdez for a Caramel coffee that is Y-U-M-M-O!! Anyway, her suggestion is a drive-thru Starbucks. Can you hear the angels singing here? She asks. Yes! A drive-thru, with two windows, not just one, providing good service so the public could get its fix, and move on…Also recently she says at DSW, where she went shopping, buying a fabulous pair of shoes at 50% off, a local couple was arguing, the lady was having a tough time shopping and was obviously irritated, because her husband was constantly nagging. He wanted her to LEAVE!! If I had such a well-liked store, BY GEORGE, says Jenny, I would take a corner and turn it into a coffee bar! Let husbands sip coffee, and read the Diario while their wives shop. Diana Lerma might even give each man escorting his wife on a shopping expedition his own remote control, for his own TV and voilá, he is happy, she’s even happier. But basically, it’s best if you leave him home, Jenny advises.
READERS RESPOND: Tom Cichocki, and Stanley say they read my article about pizza here on the island, and they regret that I did not include Pizza & More, from the main street next to Maggy’s Perfumery. It has the best pizza on the island by far, Tom states. Homemade sauce and thin dough with fresh toppings. Very nice people own it and do all the cooking. I agree, it’s a wonderful hidden gem.
VIVA PERU. I just spent Saturday night with the Tina Turner or the Olga Tanon of Peru. Eva Ayllon gave an amazing concert and did not stop when the sky opened, dropping buckets of water on the stage and on the audience. Concert-goers loved and adored Eva, men and women, singing wholeheartedly, dancing gracefully, expressing all that pent up longing to their homeland Peru in music and lyrics. Our diva gave her public an excellent show. She was dancing up a storm, he hair flying, her legs kicking, her boobies threatening to hop off her chest and be liberated at any given moment. I heard there are four thousand Peruvian nationals on Aruba. About 400 showed up. I was there with three music-loving Argentineans, but I also noticed some Dutchies, married to Peruvian chicas in the crowd. The music can be defined as folkloric, representing two genres, the Creole and the Afro-Peruvian, with the guitar and the cajón, the box drum, in starring roles. It was an educational experience for me, wow, who knew she was so fine. However, what was simply unforgivable was the diet of bad music fed to the public before the diva ‘s debut. The tickets to the concert at the Piedra Plat Entertainment Center said 7pm. We showed up at 10:30pm figuring we were on time. Then we had to endure the pure torture of tone-deaf bands until Eva Ayllon grabbed the mike at 12:30am. Then it rained. When it stopped raining the public danced and sang and had a ball. Why couldn’t we enjoy this elegant singer at Cas Di Cultura for example, or a hotel ballroom, from 9:00 to 11:00pm, with cocktails served, in air-conditioning? Why did the experience have to include overflowing toilets, blinding lights effects and cacophonic noise from the Iguales, and whatever band came before them. Good question? [email protected]
