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Healthy, sustainable and delicious upgrades
The rare downtime this spring allowed us to invest in renovations to our beloved SandBar, with a refresh to our acclaimed Elements restaurant, and to create innovative new items on our popular vegan menu. You may rest in what is considered the Caribbean's healthiest and safest vacation and enjoy a View to Dine For at our award-winning oceanfront Elements Restaurant
Our Michelin-trained Chef Marc Giesbers, director of food & beverage, and his team quickly seized the unexpected quiet time while borders were shut and while guest vacations wouldn't be interrupted. They put on their design hats in the front-of-the-house and turned the back-of-the-house into a test kitchen and reimagining the dining experience.
Refreshed and stylishly social distanced
Our SandBar, exclusively serving resort guests, was enlarged and redesigned for sophisticated distancing. Its prime beachfront location is sought after for overlooking Aruba's prismatic sunsets. With Aruba boasting among the most sunny days a year in the Caribbean, Teri D'amico of D'amico Design Associates (DADA), who collaborated on our redesign, took inspiration from the sky's soothing morning palette and nightly light show. D'amico wanted to keep the concept of blending a bold and brilliant color palette from the pool to the bar. "The new color scheme for Bucuti & Tara's SandBar and pool complex was inspired from the sky's burst of luminous golds at sunrise to its vibrant corals and rich purples seen in Aruba's romantic sunset," says Teri D'amico, founder/president of D'amico Design Associates (DADA). "Our DADA design team created to arouse passion for the evening after a healthy day at the beach."
Elements restaurant has long featured mostly seating for two, so safe, physical distancing was already the norm at our adults-only enclave. With the restaurant refresh, our former buffet area is now converted to serving space and even more distancing of tables.
The most notable investment is the all-new, dining deck along our award-winning Eagle Beach, aptly named one of the "Dream Beaches of the World." Proud to be the Caribbean's most eco-certified resort and the only carbon-neutral hotel we were careful to select an innovative blend of 95% recycled materials. The earth-friendly manufacturing process recoups factory waste and eliminates the use of harmful chemicals.
Luxury resort designer Dada Designs of Miami led the aesthetic component of the renovations. The same team masterminded the concepts resulting in laidback luxury of the Tara Wing revisions in 2017 and the Bucuti Wing refresh in 2020.
Vegan menu expands by demand
Our Elements Restaurant goes beyond one full menu and offers complete menus for vegan/vegetarian, gluten-free, and world cuisine. Aruba's blossoming vegan and vegetarian scene has become a Caribbean food destination anchored in large part to our Chef's innovation and equal consideration for those seeking a fulfilling plant-based nourishment. While Chef Marc's high-end steak and seafood dishes continuously earn high praise, admiration along with increased requests for his innovative and satiating healthy selections prompted the expansion of the restaurant's existing standalone vegan menu.
From dedicated vegans to guests who occasionally seek a healthy, flavorful alternative, the extensive vegan menu weaves in flavors of the world. From the likes of classic comfort foods given a modern twist to a zesty nod to Latin favorites and Far East staples, our team relishes relationships with local farmers and procures as much on-island such as its microgreens. A sampling of the full menu includes:
• Layered Roots of the Andes: Towering layers of truffle potato, sweet potato mash, basil-marinated red beets along with chunky seasoned avocado served with carrot chips accompanied with roasted red pepper pulp.
• Gado-Gado Entreé Salad: Elements adaptation of this classic Indonesian dish composed of Tempeh, beansprouts, green beans, carrot, bell pepper, cilantro, pickled cabbage, complemented with a divine peanut sauce atop a bed of rice noodles.
• Range-free Steak: A nod to the West, this ground lentil patty is served with roasted vegetable gravy and partnered with a mosaic of squash, glazed carrots, and classic fondant potatoes.
• Agave and Cardamom-infused Pineapple Quinoa Margarita: Latin America inspired, this agave nectar-infused quinoa is crowned with a slow-simmered lime and pineapple chutney laced with cardamom and clove, finished with a touch of strawberry sauce.
A fine dining restaurant veteran, Chef Marc recently received on Elements' behalf the coveted Wine Spectator 2020 Award of Excellence for his diverse, sustainable wine list that exceeds the expectations of the resort's global clientele. "After months of research and testing, my talented culinary team and I improved the flavor and healthfulness of both traditional and modern fare, and are very proud of our new vegan menu at Elements restaurant," shares Chef Marc Giesbers, director of food & beverage at Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort.
Elements restaurant is adults-only and available to both resort guests and offsite guests, alike. Reservations are highly recommended. The SandBar is reserved exclusively for resort guests.
We continue to Bucuti & Tara: The Caribbean's Healthiest and Safest Vacation Experience. As the region's most-eco certified hotel, Bucuti has long had a heightened awareness for the health and safety of both guests and the planet. Its new COVID-19 safety protocols were developed within the Center for Disease Control guidelines, World Health Organization recommendations, and in-person evaluations by practicing ICU (intensive care unit) doctors and nurses who were hosted onsite this spring at Bucuti & Tara.