Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Sherezade: An Aromatic Feast
On Saturday, we took a four mile walk in and around the area surrounding our apartment. On this walk, we saw the first music/video store we had seen the entire time we've lived here. We went in and looked around. As we browsed the new releases in the DVD section, we were shocked to see that a pricetag said "34" - meaning a little more than a dollar US. We thought we should definitely buy some DVDs if they were so reasonable. We almost couldn't believe how good the price was - too good to be true - and it turns out that we were right. For some strange and unknown reason, all the new release DVDs in the store were priced in $US. Nothing here is in $US - why DVDs in some random store in the middle of the city? We still have no idea.
On our walk, we saw many restaurants that we want to try out. One of them was a Mediterranean place called Sherezade. Luckily, we found out that it has a buffet on Sundays for lunch. We decided we wanted to try it out.
This picture is terrible - it's taken from a bad angle, and we look like sweaty pigs, which is pretty much what we were by the time we walked about a mile to get there for lunch. If only we weren't too cheap to take a cab! If only we knew the name of the road the restaurant was on so could conceivably take a cab!
Oh well. All things considered, it was a WONDERFUL experience! Airconditioning, roses on the tables, cloth napkins, good waiters, finery... and great food. The food was of fabulous quality, with many very expensive ingredients that we wouldn't buy on our everyday trip to the grocery. They had hummus, couscous, risotto, freh herb salads, and so much more. A pianist played music while we had lunch. The layers of taste in the food made me (Claire) happy to be alive. I really miss food that tastes good - I mean GOOD like gormet good... food that has a complexity to its taste and texture. My desires were all fulfilled at this marvelous meal.
It is a little difficult to feel cultured and sophistocated when you've just sweat buckets walking to a restaurant, and when you have to do the same on the way home, but it was a nice break from the norm for us. It also cost a pretty penny. The buffet cost only $14 per person, but the tax on restaurants here is so crazy, plus the "tip" that is automatically added onto the bill (if you want your server to see any tip at all, you have to leave extra), that we ended up spending around $45 when all was said and done. We don't do that very often.
This weekend, we're off to the beach again. We're going to Juan Dolio, which is the closest beach to us, since all we require is a beach and halfway decent food. We're staying at a new place this time: La Talanquera. Here's a website if you want to know about it: http://www.holidayhotels.com/hotel.php?HID=20040820144829756333
It's by no means a wonderful hotel, but it will do for us for the weekend.
Today, after school, we went to pay our cell phone bill, considering that we got our bill yesterday, and it was due the 13th. That's the way everything works here. But at least on the way to the Multicentro, we got some fresh-squeezed orange juice from a street vendor - there's nothing like it in the world - the ambrosia of Santo Domingo.
Tomorrow, we have a teacher day - we have one of those per month - and the day will be filled with meaningless meetings in Spanish. Oh, boy! But, at least we have the weekend to look forward to!
On our walk, we saw many restaurants that we want to try out. One of them was a Mediterranean place called Sherezade. Luckily, we found out that it has a buffet on Sundays for lunch. We decided we wanted to try it out.
This picture is terrible - it's taken from a bad angle, and we look like sweaty pigs, which is pretty much what we were by the time we walked about a mile to get there for lunch. If only we weren't too cheap to take a cab! If only we knew the name of the road the restaurant was on so could conceivably take a cab!
Oh well. All things considered, it was a WONDERFUL experience! Airconditioning, roses on the tables, cloth napkins, good waiters, finery... and great food. The food was of fabulous quality, with many very expensive ingredients that we wouldn't buy on our everyday trip to the grocery. They had hummus, couscous, risotto, freh herb salads, and so much more. A pianist played music while we had lunch. The layers of taste in the food made me (Claire) happy to be alive. I really miss food that tastes good - I mean GOOD like gormet good... food that has a complexity to its taste and texture. My desires were all fulfilled at this marvelous meal.
It is a little difficult to feel cultured and sophistocated when you've just sweat buckets walking to a restaurant, and when you have to do the same on the way home, but it was a nice break from the norm for us. It also cost a pretty penny. The buffet cost only $14 per person, but the tax on restaurants here is so crazy, plus the "tip" that is automatically added onto the bill (if you want your server to see any tip at all, you have to leave extra), that we ended up spending around $45 when all was said and done. We don't do that very often.
This weekend, we're off to the beach again. We're going to Juan Dolio, which is the closest beach to us, since all we require is a beach and halfway decent food. We're staying at a new place this time: La Talanquera. Here's a website if you want to know about it: http://www.holidayhotels.com/hotel.php?HID=20040820144829756333
It's by no means a wonderful hotel, but it will do for us for the weekend.
Today, after school, we went to pay our cell phone bill, considering that we got our bill yesterday, and it was due the 13th. That's the way everything works here. But at least on the way to the Multicentro, we got some fresh-squeezed orange juice from a street vendor - there's nothing like it in the world - the ambrosia of Santo Domingo.
Tomorrow, we have a teacher day - we have one of those per month - and the day will be filled with meaningless meetings in Spanish. Oh, boy! But, at least we have the weekend to look forward to!
// posted by The Roths @ 4:53 PM 
