Da Vinci Ristorante Old-World Charm – Fresh New Specialties Holiday Inn Aruba’s warm and welcoming rustic, Italian-style dining room is chock full of surprises beyond the kind of cuisine the Mediterranean is famous for. But they also excel in bringing the tastes and flavors of the old country back to life for those seeking the true traditional classics.
Da Vinci Ristorante is a wonderful mix of old and new, but it’s really quite a surprise to find such a comprehensive wine list in this type of North American branded hotel. However, the entire establishment was designed to be a very chef-driven space, so we asked Chef Aldwin Donata about his choice of fare and the multitude of vintages. He said, “You can really never go wrong with an Italian themed restaurant in a big hotel that caters to so many different types of guests, because everyone loves pasta! And it’s so adaptable to many different creative incarnations. But I also wanted to offer diners some flexibility apart from Mediterranean in our daily specials – fresh, healthier food, and sometimes very interesting international and Caribbean fusion surprises. But one must have the proper wines to pair at all times, so we make it a point to stock a very extensive selection from the world’s finest vineyards so that the ideal choice is always at the ready regardless of what I create.” What’s also surprising is that this newly reimagined fine dining space and gourmet menu
is part of the Holiday Inn’s new all-inclusive option with most of the main dishes as part of the package. It’s also a nice alternative to their outdoor restaurant for nights when you’d rather dine in air-conditioned comfort. We also asked the chef what type of off-menu specialties one might expect to see on any given day. He replied, “It will always depend on what kind of local, fresh ingredients and proteins I can get my hands on that morning, and what I decide to create with them, but you can be sure it won’t be your everyday Italian-style cooking.” But for those seeking the authentic old-world classics, you’ll find all the dolce vita favorites like antipasti, osso buco, pasta, risotto, fish, seafood, and meat beautifully prepared Italian style; they are all on the menu. They also have famous Italian desserts like pannacotta, tiramisu, and gelati for the purists. And what self-respecting Italian restaurant wouldn’t be family friendly? They offer excellent children’s menus, and kids 12 and under eat free (up to 4 kids) when an adult hotel guest purchases a main course. Now that’s really treating you like famiglia. !
For more info on Da Vinci and Holiday Inn Aruba’s dining choices, visit www.holidayarubaresort.com. 46
Photos courtesy of Da Vinci Ristorante