ARUBA, October 8, 2007 – Since the year 2000 in Aruba, the most frequently requested dinner reservation has been a table at the AAA Four Diamond rated Sunset Grille at the Radisson Aruba Resort & Casino. The popularity of the restaurant’s cuisine has extended to New York City as the October 16 Sunset Over Aruba Dinner at the prestigious James Beard House has officially sold out according to the James Beard Foundation. The Aruban-inspired menu created by Executive Chef Matthew Boland, Executive Sous Chef Hector Espinoza and Sous Chef Anthony Martinus has tempted the palettes of Manhattan’s most discerning “foodies.” Members of the James Beard Foundation anticipate the opportunity to taste European and South American flavors of the menu, which has been influenced by Aruba’s diverse colonial history.
“I have been enthralled with the charm and spirit of Aruba and it is an honor to bring the island’s cuisine to the James Beard House, a culinary Mecca and career milestone for any chef,” states Executive Chef Matthew Boland of Sunset Grille at Radisson Aruba Resort & Casino. “Chefs Hector Espinoza, Anthony Martinus and I look forward to bringing Sunset Grille and a taste of Aruba to New York.”
Always known for utilizing the island’s freshest indigenous products with an international flair, the steak and seafood house Sunset Grille recently unveiled an innovative menu of spa dishes. These dishes feature flavors elevated with citrus, spice and herbs and reduced fat, salt and sugar. The special five course menu created for the James Beard House dinner includes an Aborio Rice, Coconut and Chorizo Timbale with Roasted Corn, Red Beans and Sherry-Foie Gras Glaze; Pumpkin-Fennel Pancake with Grouper Fillet, Green Papaya Salad, Lime and Cilantro; White Cornmeal Ayaka, Carne Mechada of Duck with Roasted Shallots, Hazelnut and Morels, Wrapped in Banana Leaf; Conch-Stuffed Prime Filet Mignon with Grilled Peppers and Aruban Funchi; and Coconut-Crusted Chocolate Soufflé with Fresh Berries and Vanilla Sauce.
Each course will be paired with the chef’s selected wine that has been chosen to bring out the flavors of each dish. Guests will begin the evening with passed hors d’oeuvres of Plantain Tostones with Shredded Garlic Pork and Spicy Papaya-Lime Salsa; Cucumber Cups with Caribbean Red Snapper Ceviche; Toasted Maize Canapés with Smoked Chipotle Cream and Wild Mushrooms; Spicy Wahoo and Shrimp Fritters with Island Pineapple-Chile Dipping Sauce; and Sweet Plantain with Gouda, Lobster Claw and Anise-Vanilla Glaze.
Chef Boland has been with Radisson Aruba Resort & Casino since its opening, supervising 70+ employees and overseeing the property’s Four Diamond signature restaurant Sunset Grille, Laguna, Gilligan’s, Mira Solo, as well as an expansive catering department. In addition to previous chef positions at resorts on Aruba, his experience includes chef de cuisine at L’Auberge de Cochon Rouge, a four-star French restaurant in his hometown of Ithaca, New York. Boland also trained on the Paris culinary circuit, serving as chef poissonier at Chez Francis and chef apprentice of Le Jardin de la Paresse and Chez Marius.
Since 1986, the James Beard Foundation has been at the forefront of America’s culinary revolution as chefs from the finest restaurants cook in the kitchen of James Beard’s legendary Greenwich Village home. The Foundation was established to honor the late cooking teacher, journalist and food consultant who is widely considered the father of American gastronomy. Chefs present their culinary art to Beard Foundation members, friends and press in much the same way musicians perform in Carnegie Hall.
- Radisson Aruba Resort & Casino and Radisson Resorts -
Radisson Aruba Resort & Casino is situated on 14 oceanfront acres, featuring the best 1,500 feet of white sandy beach on Aruba. Brimming with lagoons, waterfalls and manicured gardens, this award-winning property offers 353 well-appointed guestrooms and suites, capturing the essence of Aruban charm. It also features the new 13,000-sq.-ft. oceanfront Larimar Spa, sumptuous cuisine, superior activities day and night, PADI watersports facility, two free-form zero-entry pools, access to the Tierra del Sol championship golf course, 16,000-sq.-ft. casino and over 15,000-sq-ft. of meeting space. Radisson Resorts will be opening a second flagship Caribbean property on St. Martin in summer 2008 as part of an ongoing expansion in the region. New property locations will be announced in the near future.
For more information and reservations, call Radisson Hotels & Resorts at (800) 333-3333 or visit www.radisson.com/aruba or www.sunsetgrillearuba.com.
