Barefoot in Aruba

An Aspiration for all Vacation Restaurant Experiences

A handful of restaurant meals shared with my husband over the last twenty-plus years stand out from the rest. As we travel the world together, we seek the perfect combination of setting, atmosphere, and memorable food. There is one that rises above the rest that we have had the fortune to experience several times.

New Love is Sparked

It started with our first date. I was twenty-four and newly graduated from college, where good meals out happened mostly during parents’ weekends. On the other hand, Pete was eight years older and had spent most of his post-college years working in restaurants. We met at a brewpub in Alexandria, Virginia. I was waiting tables, and he was the manager, so we were initially private about our relationship.

After making our dating status public, Pete took me to a place he used to work. Giddy with new relationship vibes and the buzz of a bottle of shared wine, we shared simple yet upscale food. It was a meal where holding hands under the table gave me butterflies and the first inklings that this relationship might be the relationship. Unfortunately, the establishment has since closed, so we are unable to return to that specific moment. Instead, we recently brought our boys to another local favorite and regaled them with tales of our courtship.

After only a few months of dating, Pete and I packed up the belongings that didn’t sell at our yard sale and fit into two cars, and moved to Boulder, Colorado. Our first jobs were waiting tables until I found a social work job and then went to graduate school. Pete moved up to management and eventually bought a restaurant.

A Good Meal Can Rescue a Vacation

Magic margarita was the theme of our favorite spot in Mazatlan, Mexico. Restaurant ownership provided little time or money for vacations, so we planned a quick getaway with a cheap package deal. It was a trip destined for disaster. Our flight was delayed hours for a mechanical issue that was eventually determined to be interference from being too close to the radio tower. It rained almost the entire weekend, and not just regular rain. The wind brought power lines down and caused huge vases in the hotel lobby to crash and shatter.

Despite the delays and weather, we were happy to be away. We found a corner restaurant called the Shrimp Factory and had the fattest, freshest shrimp. They were served peel-and-eat style, warm with hot butter and garlic sauce. Their margaritas were freshly made and strong. Just one and I was in vacation bliss. We sipped our drinks, leisurely ate, and savored our time away from work.

Memorable Doesn’t Need to Be High-End

There are certain foods where one good experience ruins most others for the rest of your life. A croissant from the French Bakery La Sucriere, in Phillipsburg, Saint Martin, did this. They were flaky, airy, and buttery. Enjoying them while sipping on a steamy cup of coffee, watching the sailboats glide in and out of the harbor, and frequently gazing down at my engagement ring might have also had something to do with it.

St. Martin was our first trip together that was more than a weekend getaway. We’d been together for four years at that point, and I was pretty confident a proposal was on the agenda, but it didn’t lessen the anticipation. The St. Martin beaches, those croissants, and a romantic engagement week sealed the deal on commitment to each other and many more travel adventures.

Reinforced by Aroma

We stumbled upon El Pescador after a nighttime kayak to a bioluminescent bay in Puerto Rico. There was a row of restaurants near where the kayaks launched, and El Pescador drew us in with its aroma. The smell was mangrove wood that was used to smoke the fish. Such a perfect tie-in after kayaking through mangroves to reach the bay.

After our boys were born, we paused our solo trips for a while. Recently, with our kids being older and living near family for the first time, we have returned to romantic getaways for the two of us. Cheap airfare from Raleigh to San Juan, Puerto Rico, allowed us to make the trip twice in the past five years.

The second trip this past October, we skipped the kayak trip because the luminescence would have been difficult to see during the full moon. We almost missed our second meal at El Pescador but thought to call ahead. Día de la Raza, or Day of the Race, was celebrated on October 11th to celebrate Latin culture and honor the people and counties that explorers conquered, a kind of backlash against Columbus Day. El Pescador, they told us they were closed because the fisherman took the day off, and there would be no fresh fish. You bet we ordered freshly caught fish on the 12th.

Creme de la Creme

Then there is Barefoot in Aruba. We’ve had the extraordinary privilege of returning a few times over the years. Pete’s mom and stepdad had a timeshare there for almost a dozen years, and when we visited them there, we’d leave the boys in good hands and make our way to our favorite spot. Having that special restaurant with a unique and beautiful setting, exquisite food, and impeccable service that lives up to the hype over and over… is something!

We stumbled upon Barefoot in 2009, shortly after it opened. As former restaurant owners, we appreciated the off-the-beaten-path location that was a bit tricky to find. Like it was only for people in the know. After the unpaved drive to the unassuming front, walking through the restaurant to the beautiful, quiet ocean view is a pleasant surprise.

With white walls, natural dark woods, and splashes of turquoise, the most distinguishing feature is the cutout areas in the decking filled with Aruba’s famous white sand. Our favorite table, number six, is on the deck overlooking the beach with a backdrop of turquoise feet. The fresh, beautifully plated food is always a medley of perfectly complementary flavors. My favorite is the lobster cappuccino and mango grouper, which I get almost every time. We’re also fans of the beef carpaccio and every drink has been dreamy.

My in-laws sold their timeshare a few years ago when it became difficult for my father-in-law to travel. In July 2022, we returned to put my father-in-law to rest in the place he loved. Then when that trip itched my mother-in-law’s travel bug, we stopped in Aruba during a December family cruise. At that Christmas Eve stop, we brought our boys to Barefoot for the first time. It was a joy to share this place with so many memories. I wonder what restaurants from our travels are most memorable to them and how they will think back on our meals together.