Turks and Caicos IslanderTurks & Caicos Property Management and Vacation Villa Rentals

Last week, my family and I – including 2 grandchildren ages 4 and 3 and their best friend who’s also 3 –  went to Mango Reef at Alexandra Resort for dinner.  What a stunning setting!

As we enjoyed an amazing sunset, the kids had fun playing on the beach and we enjoyed refreshing libations.

The service was terrific and the food – tons of it!! – as great! The ribs, in particular, were mouth-watering!

To add to our pleasure, Candy Barrotti, one of our favorite songbirds, was crooning her fabulous tunes!

So when you’re here visiting our extraordinary island and have a yearning for scrumptious local cuisine and superb entertainment, don’t forget to add Mango Reef and Candy to your to-do list!

My husband Antonio and I had the infinite pleasure to lunch at the newly opened Garam Masala, the latest addition to our magnificent restaurant scene in Providenciales.

Located in Grace Bay (across the road from Salt Mills, on the right hand side of the cul-de-sac just before the entrance to the Renaissance Resort – there’s no sign up yet as she’s only been open one week), the locale is prettily appointed and evocative of India.

For appetizers, we enjoyed delicious samosas, pakoras, along with a mouth-watering tandoori style Seekh Kabob; all served with a yummy spicy mint sauce!

Stuffed already, the entrees that followed (mutton vindaloo and chicken tikki masala) were so amazing that we gobbled those down, along with garlic buttered freshly baked nan bread. We thought we’d explode, but that didn’t stop us!!

To complement the meal, we sipped (should  I say guzzled??) a delicious well-chilled Riesling (Oriel) that perfectly complemented the  meal.

As for Vinnie and his crew,  the chef’s are brilliant, the service lovely, and Vinnie made one and all feel like they were guests in his home!

While the food does take time to come out – everything is freshly cooked on the spot – any delays were well worth every delicious morsel!

Sadly, these gluttons had absolutely no room to even consider trying dessert, but Antonio had the Masala Chai (superb) and I was astonished to drink one of  the most perfect cappuccinos I have ever had on island!

What else can I say besides congrats to Vinnie and Jay and see ya’ll there!!!!!!!!!!

For reservations, call Vinnie at 344-4622 or 941-3292.

PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos – Lemon Café is a Moroccan oasis amid the hard, dry landscape of Providenciales. It is the brainchild of owner Natalie Zaidan, 35, a Canadian expat who visited the island as a child. Zaidan, who has lived here for 12 years, does high-end landscaping and owns a nursery. She designed and built Lemon Café a couple of years ago.

Chef John Tsavalas, a childhood friend of Zaidan, has created a superb Moroccan menu with tapas treats such as spicy calamari, rice-stuffed tender merguez, silky couscous, and perfectly prepared baba ghanoush. Exemplary entrees include North African moussaka with eggplant, lamb burger with yogurt mint cucumber sauce, and the most popular dish, lamb prune tagine, simmered for hours with such ingredients as honey, cinnamon, and clove. Tsavalas’s most recent creations include a sumac-rubbed rib eye roast and lobster with preserved lemon.

The place is dimly lighted and wonderfully moody with bench seating on the perimeter of the open-to-the-elements sides, smaller tables and communal ones in the middle, a glitzy, soft-orange-lighted bar at one end, and gauzy accent drapes billowing from the high ceiling.

The most popular place to eat at night is the elegant courtyard, with two-foot stone squares surrounded by lush grass and draped by ficus trees, from which small white lights shine. Entertainment includes regular “Arabian Nights” with belly dancing, tarot card readings, and Tsavalas doubling as a fire spinner on occasion, delighting diners by whirling lighted poi balls.

Zaidan planted a garden to furnish the restaurant with fresh vegetables and herbs. The organic meats are flown in regularly, said Zaidan, who opened the restaurant to “provide a change of food down here. A lot of it was sort of the same, I wanted to do something different.”

PAUL E. KANDARIAN

Lemon Café, Village at Grace Bay, 649-941-4059, www.lemon-cafe.com. Mon-Sat lunch and dinner, noon-3 p.m., 6-10, Sun 6-10, entrees from $17.

© Copyright 2011 Globe Newspaper Company.

So often, I am asked to suggest restaurants that should not be missed.  Finally, here’s my guide:

Lemon Cafe – The Village at Grace Bay – info@lemon-cafe.com – 9414059 – Mediterranean/Moroccan cuisine.

If you’re on island the first Saturday of any month, don’t miss their fab Arabian Nights party, with live belly-dancing, music and flame throwing!!

Coyaba - off Grace Bay Road – 946-5186 – Contemporary Caribbean Cuisine.

Caicos Cafe – Caicos Plaze, Grace Bay Road – 946-5278 – French/Caribbean Cuisine

CoCo Bistro - off Grace Bay Road – 946-5369 – a unique dining experience

Grace’s Cottage – Point Grace Resort – 946-5096 – Gourmet Caribbean Cuisine

Yoshi’s Japanese Restaurant – Salt Mills Plaza, Grace Bay – 941-3374 – Sushi+

Vix – Regent Street, The Regent Village, Grace Bay – Contemporary Caribbean

Da Conch Shack – Blue Hills – Conch in every shape and form and fresh local Specialities.

Don’t miss their Thursday night live music parties

Bagatelle Bistro – Wymara Resort, Lower Bight Road – 946-5746 – Mediterranean Neighborhood Bistro

Bay Bistro - On the beach, across the road from The Somerset Resort – 946-5396 – Contemporary Caribbean with a focus on seafood.

Sunday Brunch’s are a must do; Feast of the Full Moon Beach Party every full moon

O’Soliel – The Somerset, Grace Bay – 956-5900 – Globally influenced menu with attention to exotic Caribbean tastes

Weekly Friday night Happy Hours with live music by NaDa and Tuesdays on the beach to savor “Mad About Lobsters” (during lobster season only)

Smokey’s On The Beach – Blue Hills Road – great local food enjoyed right on the beach

Thai Orchid – The Regent Village – 946-4491 – Thai food from regular spices to smokin’ hot!!

Tiki Hut – Turtle C0ve  -941-5341 -  well known for their Colorado Angus steaks but especially for the Chicken or Ribs Night on Wednesday’s, King Crab night on Thursday’s, and Steak Night on Friday nights

Somewhere Cafe  & Lounge – directly on beach at Coral Gardens, Grace Bay – Tex Mex

Cuervo On The Rocks Margarita Monday’s  – $5 all day; Thursday nights enjoy live music by Nada  at 7 pm

And for you nibblers:

Vino Tiempo – Regent Street at The Regent Village, Grace Bay -  features 20 wines that change weekly, combined with tapas, snacks and desserts

Ladies night , Wednesday’s, 30% off champagne

Happy Dining!

At Tranquility, our goal is to find a Turks and Caicos villa rental that’s perfect for you. And once you’ve found it, we will take care of all the arrangements – from Pre-Stocking, In-Home Dining, In-Home Poolside Massages, Fishing Trips, Boating Excursions, planning a Whale Watching Excursion,  or assisting you in planing the Perfect Party or Perfect Beach Wedding.

Put your plans in our experienced hands!

Renting a villa in Providenciales is the epitome of relaxed elegance; simple and sleek, with a tranquil atmosphere that all travelers can enjoy. Turks and Caicos remains a destination that has yet to be discovered in many ways; with our swaths of coral reef and the sweep of our white fine sand beaches that are essentially untouched.

Ideal for romance, family holidays and adventure seekers, Turks and Caicos entices guests to discover the ultimate luxury villa experience.

The experienced vacation guides at Tranquility look forward to assisting you in planning the Perfect Caribbean Vacation of a Lifetime!

Sharkbite sits 30 feet over the water in Turtle Cove Marina and features spectacular sunsets and views and every Friday night, there’s a hopping Happy Hour! 

2 for 1 beer and mixed drinks from 5-7 and stick around for the rockin’ tunes of the Press Gang. It’s a guaranteed great time with fabulous music!

And don’t forget Fish and Chips Night every Wednesday!

The islands are known for a style of music called ripsaw, a genre in which a handsaw is the primary instrument, often accompanied by guitar, accordion, drums and other percussion. Though the style has its roots going all the way back to the days of the slave trade, ripsaw music can still be heard all around Providenciales—and its influence can still be heard in some of the island’s most popular musical acts. One of the best loved modern musical pioneers is Lovey Forbes, who created a totally new genre, “combina,” that marries traditional ripsaw and contemporary foreign styles.Forbes and other local acts (also popular around the island are reggae, calypso and soca) can be heard in the annual Turks & Caicos Music and Cultural Festival alongside international headliners—the 2006 Festival, July 31 through August 7, features Ludacris and Fantasia, among others. 

Two other performance venues are the Williams Auditorium, located on South Dock Rd. and home to events like The Cactus Slam Festival, and Brayton Hall off Leeward Highway, which often hosts events and shows sponsored by the Turks & Caicos Friends of the Arts Foundation.