This past October, Radisson Aruba Resort & Casino Executive Chef Matthew Boland and his culinary team presented Sunset Over Aruba at the prestigious James Beard House in New York City. Chefs from around the world present their culinary art to Beard Foundation members, friends and press in much the same way musicians perform at Carnegie Hall. In celebration of the evening showcasing Aruban cuisine to Manhattan’s most critical culinary connoisseurs, Sunset Grille announces that same prix fixe menu with wine pairings now available each evening for $99 per person. In additional restaurant news, the AAA Four Diamond rated eatery has recruited Maarten Smeets as restaurant chef just in time for visitors escaping the cold for warm and sunny Aruba. As Sunset Grille recently unveiled an innovative menu of spa dishes and continues to serve proven favorites, Smeets will work with Executive Chef Matthew Boland to perfect the seasonal menu. “It was an honor to have our menu so well received at the famed James Beard House and the culinary team looks forward to presenting these dishes in Aruba this winter,” states Executive Chef Mathew Boland, “The addition of Chef Smeets at Sunset Grille will also add to the international portfolio of chefs as we continue to improve and enhance the dining experience.”
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 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 Maarten Smeets began his career at London’s famed Mayfair, working under Michelin, three-star Chef Gordon Ramsay after graduating from a European Culinary Arts School. He continued his career running a restaurant bordering Holland and Belgium, specializing in French-Mexican fused cuisine. Smeets later arrived in Aruba, which he now calls home, to explore the Caribbean and South American food culture.
Sunset Grille at Radisson Aruba Resort & Casino pairs an old-world steak house menu with innovative spa cuisine to create the premiere Aruba dining experience. The restaurant brings the best locally grown products from the Caribbean along with the highest-rated ingredients sourced from around the world and prepared in methods showcasing natural flavors. Citrus, spice and herbs are used with smoking and grilling techniques and all meat is aged four weeks minimum.
- 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. For more information and reservations, call Radisson Hotels & Resorts at (800) 333-3333 or visit www.radisson.com/aruba or www.sunsetgrillearuba.com.
