Eating My Way Through Cabarete

In honor of one of our readers who just recently moved to Dominican Republic, specifically to the awesome town of Cabarete, I thought I'd publish this piece today. Congratulations on the move... I think you'll love it there!

My favorite thing about vacation (and island living) besides umbrella drinks is eating. I love the possibility of new restaurants and that feeling I get when I open a new menu and find something delicious to rave about. Even better is when I get to go back and eat my favorite plates over and over... and over and over again.

While Cabarete is best known as one of the Top 10 Kiteboarding cities in the world, it should also be on the map for some of the yummiest eateries on the island. So if you're ever visiting Cab, check out these local spots:

Notes from a Local Scene: At the MercaSantoDomingo

As a mother I'm all about routine but as an individual, I'll be the first to admit that after a while, the same thing gets tired and boring. If you ate peanut butter and jelly every day, you'd get tired of it, right? If you drank wine every day - whoops - no, not that one - that one doesn't work there. Change is the seasoning of life; it shakes up the norm and stirs the pot and - even in the smallest ways - is a big part of the adventure and wonder of it all.

A Riddle, a Gem, a Best Friend

Here's a riddle...

What do all cities have that most tourists know nothing about? 

Hidden gems. 

Born and raised here until she was 5, my best friend, Laura, was the first person I called when we got this job.

"You'll never guess where we're going."
"Dominican Republic." 

Oh, so she guessed it. She is my best friend after all. 

A few weeks ago, we were talking about her upcoming trip to Dominican Republic. She is coming for a wedding and decided to extend her trip a bit to celebrate her Godson, Santiago's, 1st birthday. My son, Santiago. One in the same.

After ironing out a few details (I'm watching her son who is the same age as my daughter when she is at the wedding) we started talking about what we would do after she was done with all the wedding hoopla. 

"We can go to the Colonial Zone or Café del Sol. Or we could keep it local and hang out at your hotel pool or our apartment pool."
"Those all sound like good plans."
"Ohhhh. I definitely want to take you to the Bluffs."
"What's the bluffs?" She asks.

I responded the best way I knew how:

"Umm.. well, the Bluffs are... actually it's called Praxe's Bluffs and... hmmm..... Uh.. ok, so our friend Praxe discovered the Bluffs his first year here. It's on the Malecon, a cliff overlooking the ocean where the occasional fisherman will go to fish. You have to drive on a sidewalk and then up a small dirt hill to get there but it's so awesome. We go there some Friday afternoons and tailgate: bring lawn games, wine, and a gang of friends. Sun sets. Just awesome." 

I could tell she was thinking about it. "Your family wouldn't know where it is. It's not like... on a map or anything." (Although I have since drawn one.)

It hit me then that this is a hidden gem. Something that - for now - only we know about, a select lucky few of us. I don't know if this is the reason that the bluffs are one of my favorite places on this island or if it's because every time we go it means we're hanging with good friends and loosening up the week's belt, if it's the island sun sets at 6:00 surrounded by crashing waves and rocky cliffs. Maybe it's the lawn games or the drinking wine or the the way I laugh every. single. time we drive up the sidewalk to get to a place that only a select number of us in a whole city know about. I'm not sure...

and to be honest, I don't care.

The drive up the sidewalk

Husband and I at the Bluffs

A break from lawn games for a photo op w/Baby Santiago sleeping

The gang's all here... well almost, but a good number of the gang

Credit:

Thanks to In an Opal Hearted Country for organizing the February Expat Blog Challenge  opportunity. Day 24: A hidden gem.