Beachside Food Frenzy

Travel and food. The two just go together for me. Half of the excitement of travel for me is exploring new foods and interesting combinations.

I consider myself to be more of a traveler than a tourist. We like to seek out the not-so-visited places that are out of the main tourist scene in most of the locations we travel.

We are pretty successful at this, but there is one trip per year where we like to completely relax and be catered to a little. We don’t want to walk far for good food or drink and a beach and pool are important.

Since our honeymoon 5 years ago we have managed to make it to the Caribbean each year. We stay in the all-inclusive resorts of Sandals. Many people have mixed feelings about AI resorts and for good reason. There are many out there that are just buffets that lack character and any local culture whatsoever. They cater to large groups and getting the most for your money.

We’ve never had this experience before. Ours has always been complete paradise. This trip was no exception. The food this time was especially excellent. The only thing missing this time was a stop at a roadside stand for real Jerk Chicken. We got it at the resort, but it isn’t exactly the same thing.

There were so many good things it was difficult to narrow down my favorites. At the risk of making you read for days I did manage to pick the best of the best either because we loved it or because it was something unique. Some of things I hope to recreate in the future.

Most of our favorites ended up being from the Asian restaurant at the resort.
The Salmon Sushi Roll was especially tasty. It was more like a hot roll that had been deep fried a bit and the salmon had been cooked.

The salmon dumplings were similar to the sushi just in dumpling form. The best part was that they were served with a really spicy chili sauce on the side. The combination was so great.

Pepper pot soup is another traditional Jamaican dish. I have to find the recipe for this. It was almost like a mix between a potato soup and an Italian wedding soup without any meat or pasta. We had this the same night we enjoyed the Surf n Turf – an excellent filet with Caribbean lobster.

My husband always has to try escargot if it shows up on the menu. This isn’t my favorite, but he enjoys it.

Our crab cake has to win the award for presentation. The cucumber-lettuce tree made an impression. The crab cake was full of meat and balanced with the perfect amount of spices. It was served with a melon salsa.

Each culture has a version of what I call “fair food”. It usually isn’t the healthiest option, often fried and high in calories in fat. But let’s be honest, these foods are worth a once or twice a year splurge. In Jamaica it is the Beef Patty. I can’t get enough of these things! It is a flaky pastry filled with beef and jerk seasonings. They are usually pretty spice and the best snack or lunch around. They also make a chicken variety which is seasoned with curry. It is good, but nothing beats the beef patty for me.

I’m sure more things will be post worthy when I go through all my pictures. I still have to talk about all the amazing drinks. I’ll let you enjoy these pictures for now. They all tasted just as good as they look. I already can’t wait until next year’s trip!