Wednesday, March 25, 2009
New Restaurant Review, Paradise Moon Bar and Restaurant
Created by popular restaurateurs, Pam and Carl Perpich (former co-owners of Papaya Moon Cantina), Paradise Moon is their latest addition to Bonaire’s culinary scene.
I had the opportunity to try out the new restaurant and the new menu this past Sunday evening. The location, on the north side of the Harbour Village Marina, is ideal--it’s breezy enough to keep pesky mosquitoes away, as well as keeping one cool, and the marina-side tables add a magical touch as one can watch the masts of the various sailboats bobbing gently in the marina.
True to Pam and Carl’s dining legacy, the menu is extensive; I found lots of old-time favorites, such as the bacon-wrapped shrimp en-brochette, stacked steaks, and fish tacos. However, there’s lots of new, exciting meals to try such as Ginger Cilantro Tuna and Fiesta Lime Chicken.
My dining companion and I decided to both try linguine dinners; mine was with chorizo, shrimp, and scallops in a garlic butter sauce (pictured above), while my friend decided upon the Coconut Curry Vegetable Stir Fry. While we awaited our dinners, I tried the new pumpkin soup, which was excellent, and we had to, for old time’s sake, have an order of Walking Sticks to enjoy. For those who are not familiar with Walking Sticks, they are an appetizer which are deep-fried pastry tubes, with a piped-in mixture of cream cheese, bacon, and just a touch of jalapeno. They are served in a sweet and spicy chili sauce. Very tasty!
When our dinners came, they arrived with two crostini on the side and were bountiful with the seafood or vegetables. My friend exclaimed that her coconut curry sauce was light and subtle, but the flavors came through wonderfully. The marriage of the shrimp and scallops with the chorizo in my dinner worked so well, there wasn’t a bit left on the plate.
Although we were entirely full by that time, we did decide to splurge and shared one of my favorites, Peanut Butter Pie, and also a new dessert, Fried Cheesecake with Mango Coulis. The wait staff had to roll us both out of the restaurant at the end of the night, but we were smiling as they did so. I was glad to see that Grandma’s Sizzlin’ Apple Pie had made the cut to the new menu, but that will have to wait for another visit!
Speaking of the wait staff, all were pleasant, charming, and attentive. Amy had a wonderful knowledge of every dish, drink, and dessert, so she could guide us in our decisions. All in all, it was a wonderful dinner, and we are looking forward to returning to try some of the other new dishes.
Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling (locally) 717-5025. Paradise Moon is open Wednesdays through Mondays; happy hour (with 1/2 price drinks, except wine) is from 4:30 to 6:00 PM, and dinner is available from 5:30 until 10:00 PM. Live music is available each Thursday evening from 7:00 to 9:30 PM. (Source: Bonaire Insider Reporter)
