Tag Archives: foodies

Divi Carina Bay, St. Croix, To Do

Taste of St. Croix: Foodies, This Is Heaven

Taste of St. Croix at Divi Carina Bay All-Inclusive Beach ResortIt’s not too late to reserve your spot at one of the most prestigious culinary events in the Caribbean. Foodies know that in early April, it’s best to be in St. Croix for the St. Croix Food & Wine Experience. This three-day gustatory extravaganza is nestled in one of the sunniest and most charming parts of the US—right in the heart of the US Virgin Islands, so you won’t even need a passport. It annually prompts noted chefs and food and wine lovers to go dashing to the island. St. Croix is at its most festive and hospitable then and vacation packages abound. Divi Carina Bay All-Inclusive Beach Resort & Casino offers the ideal location because it plays host to the festival’s premier opening event: The Taste of St. Croix on April 6, 2017.

Imagine sampling authentic regional fare, celebrity chef creations and special vintages from wineries around the globe on a starry, breezy, beachy night just steps from your balcony or patio. That’s precisely why the Taste of St. Croix is a sell-out year after year, and therefore requires a bit of advance planning to score a ticket.

Divi Carina Bay has made it easy for 2017. Their Taste of St. Croix package offers a special discounted rate of $167 per person per night* that includes a free ticket for each registered guest to Taste of St. Croix (a $95 value). With the resort’s three on-site restaurants and plenty of fun activities and amenities, you’ll also enjoy all the benefits of an all-inclusive resort. (Divi Carina Bay is the only all-inclusive resort on St. Croix.) Book your stay and Bam! You’re going to the biggest party on the island all year, with lots of on-site options for relaxing before and after. Foodies, you’ve made it to culinary heaven.

*Rate is based on double occupancy.

Activities, Aruba, Barbados, Bonaire, Caribbean, St. Maarten, To Do

The Best Caribbean Islands for Foodies

st-maarten-food-tour-antoine-restaurant-3

The view from Antoine Restaurant in Philipsburg, St. Maarten, a short distance from Divi Little Bay Beach Resort. Photo credit Kara Phelps.

Culinary travelers, take note! The Caribbean is brimming with stellar cuisine for every palate, but as a foodie destination, it’s too often underrated. This list from the Caribbean Journal names 13 islands that are well worth a place on the international culinary scene. Four of those 13 islands are home to Divi Resorts.

Congratulations to St. Maarten, Barbados, Bonaire and Aruba for their placement on this list! From innovative, upscale dining to casual, authentic street food, we can vouch that you’re never far away from a truly fantastic meal on these islands.

Check out the full list here, courtesy of the Caribbean Journal. (If you’re looking for more bang for your buck, a couple of these islands are an easy day trip away from the first pick on the list, St. Maarten. Bonus!)

Caribbean, Divi Little Bay, St. Maarten

More Deliciousness at Divi. Meet the new chef at Divi Little Bay

Chef Iwan

We’ve got food on the brain lately. Actually, we’re going to have food on the brain all the time now! Divi Resorts recently hired Matt Boland, a well-known wizard in the kitchen and award-winning chef, to work his culinary magic at ALL of the Divi restaurants. He is fast at work revamping food and beverage offerings and presentations.

Today, there is more delicious Divi food news: This fall, Iwan Hokahin took the helm as executive chef of Divi Little Bay Beach Resort in St. Maarten. Iwan, too, is a top-notch chef who’s come to Divi Resorts straight from that little place in the Bahamas called The Atlantis. Heard of it? Well, now Divi has gained one of its top chefs, and our guests will enjoy the fine dining experience Chef Iwan brings to the table.

We are especially excited to have Iwan at Divi Little Bay Beach Resort because he’s a native of St. Maarten. So, it’s a homecoming for him and certainly a celebration for Divi! Schooled and trained in Europe, he brings a wealth of global experience to his role as leader of the resort’s three restaurants.

Iwan is the son of a Surinamese father and Dutch mother, and as a result, he embraced the panoply of flavors at a young age. Expect to see European and Asian techniques in the cooking and the plating. He also has a passion for the food of his youth and intends to present authentic Caribbean cuisine in a gourmet way.

Prepare to be dazzled with deliciousness in every way!

Aruba, Caribbean, Divi Aruba Phoenix, Divi Carina Bay, Divi Dutch, Divi Flamingo, Divi Heritage, Divi Little Bay, Divi Southwinds, Divi Village, Resorts

Meet Divi’s new culinary chief – the award-winning Matt Boland

Aruba’s Top Chef Heads to Divi

 

How does a Bloody Mary Shooter sound? Or Mini Crab Bites? Crispy Grouper Burger (fresh from Aruban waters)? Lobster and Crab Mac and Cheese? Low and Slow Garlic Pork? Belgian Waffle Sundae? I’m pretty sure I heard a chorus of “Delicious!” Does it also sound fun, fresh and fashionable? That’s exactly what Matt Boland, the newly hired regional executive chef for Divi Resorts, is aiming for at all the Divi restaurants. He calls it “five star food, fashioned from old favorites.” You can’t go wrong with favorites, especially if the gastronomic tweaks are fresh and healthy ingredients and a burst of flavors culled from the Caribbean mélange of cooking cuisines.

Meet our Chef Matt. His story is the classic Hollywood feel-good script of someone working his way up from the bottom rung all the way to the top. It’s a true tale of triumph, going from lowly dishwasher to award-winning head chef (with a grueling stint in Paris spent learning to master the art of French cooking, which he achieved, as evidenced by his many accolades and awards).

If you’re a fan of the purebeach lounge at Divi Aruba Phoenix Beach Resort, you are already a Matt fan. Divi tapped him back in 2009 to consult on a culinary concept for a new casual dining spot to be built on the beach. Our longtime Aruba visitors know how this particular chapter went: purebeach lounge was a huge hit, which then prompted the makeover of the Sunset Grille restaurant into pureocean. The success of the latter impelled Divi to open another pureocean, this one at Divi Southwinds Beach Resort in Barbados, just a few months ago. At the new pureocean, the food, service and magnificent setting have earned early raves. (Check out what Barbadian blogger Love Design Barbados said. She’s now part of the fan club, too!)

Matt officially joined Divi Resorts earlier this year to work his wizardry on Divi’s restaurants – more than 20 at last count – devising new menus and dining concepts. He is a nonstop fount of innovative and great recipes. “Exuberant” is an adjective universally used to define him, and it’s a fitting descriptor for his food, too.

Stay tuned for more food news. (Hint: New menus, starting in November.) Better yet, come eat! You’ll be dazzled by the delicious changes at Divi.