I tried 3 tasting menus in Aruba. All are good, but Carte Blanche stands out.
1. The chef is a solo act. No sous chef. He is a masterful artist in his kitchen.
2. The service is friendly, attentive, and approachable. Not pretentious.
3. The...wine pairings are worth the price tag. No big labels, but excellent, well considered pairings that don’t leave you resentful for dropping another $84. Although, the price of the pairings is very reasonable relative to other comparable tastings.
4. They are generous with the wine pours and refills for wine pairings. You should take a taxi and not drive to fully enjoy the experience.
5. The chef really gives a daxn. He comes out to the tables to explain each ingredient of the dish.
Worchestershire sauce with the beefsteak tomato, Beurre Blanc, vermouth, and bright beet purée with the Baracuda dish, the local caught lobster spaghetti is perfectly al dente and the lobster is prepared excellently. But, what puts it over the edge is the spicy Sangiovese wine pairing. The lamb was so tender. Again, the Napa red blend pairing took it to another level.
6. Above and beyond attention from the chef. He saw that I was dining alone and came out and offered to do a chef’s choice of his favorites. Then he came out to explain with each course to me, while he rotated attention among other tables.
7. Accommodating to my gluten free preference. I cheated on the lobster spaghetti because… hello, come on, how often do you get house made pasta and local caught lobster.
8. I was the only person of color on the restaurant and the chef and servers did not care. They treated me like a foodie who truly appreciated his craft. This was a welcome gift. Sadly, this not always the case. Awkward and uncomfortable interactions happen often enough, that I notice when I have good experiences.
9. Final course is the chocolate lava cake. Enough said. drop the mic. This chef knows his audience. He offers a frou frou cheese plate with port for the old school. But, indulges his contemporary audience that wants dessert to legit be a dessert. The menu pairing is mini contreau martini, but I was giving a Moscato Rosa. I abhor moscato, but this was not offensive and actually captures the orange in the dessert quite well.
10. Outdoor ambiance is excellent. They even had bug repellent upon request. Attention to detail is a lost art upon which Carte Blanche thrives.
11. My primary server, Mily, was phenomenal. The head server was also excellent. But, Mily poured my wine pairings. So, she is the center of the universe in my world.
Well done. #MichelinStarMore