Just a note about a couple of great, less obvious eateries. Pincho's Grill and Bar. It is a great place, loads of character, excellent food and a great sunset. It is a must do. Linda's is a dutch pancake, omelet and pizza place in the Noord area. Excellent is an understatement. All three all day and night. Real neat..

rick, when i was there in august, linda's had a for sale sign on it. is it still open?

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vote now!!!!

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/N...uba/index.html

Pincho's is my new addiction...when I get there I NEVER want to leave...one night we stayed until the diswasher left!!!!!!!!

Where is Pincho's Bar & Grill located? Do they serve seafood?

Pincho's is on a pier..located right next to Marandi's...you sit on sofa's and eat from coffee tables!!! I can't remember about the seafood...it's a pretty limited menu...most everything is on skewers...reasonable prices..they might have something in the seafood department...it's really the atmosphere, sitting under the star-studded sky with the clear iluminated water lapping below the pier...the food is just an excuse to be there!!!! lol

Pincho's, as April said is next to Mirandi's... the pier is called Surfside Pier. They have a shrimp skewer with a mango dip.. and, a friend of mine had a steak there that he said was the best on the island... so, I'm sure they must have seafood as well. The ambiance is the best. I was a little uncomfortable sitting on a chair eating from a coffee table so the next time I called and asked for a real table which they have as well.

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Sounds really nice even just to go for drinks and apps. How do I get there if we are staying at the Renissance to Surfside Pier? I will need to know what to tell the cabbie or do you think he will know if I say Surfside Pier? Many thanks!!!

Patsy..... any cab driver will know Pinchot's. Make sure to take a sweater with you. On the night I was there last month the breeze from the water made it a little chilly.

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adding Pinchos to my list this year. Sounds great! Thanks for all the info!

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my list is growing also...

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"These are a few of my favorite things"
...Elisa
defecting to St. Thomas 5/24-5/31/08, Lauderdale by the Sea 2/4-2/11/09; St. Croix Oct. '09!

Me too!! I am adding this stop as well, sounds perfect, drinks, apps and environment!! And it is really right next door to Marandi's, on the same pier??

I've been going over my list the past couple of days...and I determined I will be saving Hubby lots of money this trip...we always end up spending more than 100.00 for our dinners...this trip is going to be alot more casual and cheap. When I say casual I don't mean clothes...I mean...no more making the reservations before, going up early to S.S.& S for dinner, jump in a cab, etc...This trip I want to just jump on the bus.....walk up to say King Ribs and order...thats it. No regimented schedule... My guess would be a place like Smokey Joe's, Tomato Charlies, Pinchos or Moombas you can just walk in whenever...so you may have to wait for a table...what's the rush...we're on vacation.

OK...is it May yet?????

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"These are a few of my favorite things"
...Elisa
defecting to St. Thomas 5/24-5/31/08, Lauderdale by the Sea 2/4-2/11/09; St. Croix Oct. '09!

I agree my list is growing also. I hope we can do, go, and see everything all in one week! Well if not I guess will have to make plans again for 2006

I was thinking the same thing! I am so used to having to go on school vacations that I always make reservations ahead of time for dinners and events and everyday is so regimented! This year in October (yikes! how I am going to last???) I would like to try that too! These restaurants sound perfect.

I'm already starting to think of 2006. I definitely need to keep this trip in the spring! The fall is TOO FAR away!

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Corrine, at least in Oct you won't have to worry about missing any Yankees games...ZING!

I agree with the laid back approach, as opposed to making a bunch of reservations. The only thing I reserve before we leave (besides a jeep) is the Tranquilo sail - too much planning ahead makes for too much pressure. Now I'll admit, even though there's no official list, I have a few restaurants in mind that I really want to visit this year. The good thing is, pretty much no matter where you're eating, you're eating well.

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Ouch! Are you starting in already??? I'll make sure I find out ahead of time what channel I can watch the Yanks in the World Series before I go.

I usually make the Tranquilo reservation online too. But this year I think Elisabeth has the right idea!

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This past January and February, I decided to just go with the flow, too. The great thing was that we found great little spots to eat that were not only inexpensive, but good!! I hate schedules.... I'm on one here at home, so took full advantage of the total chillout. If I felt like sitting on the beach until sunset was over... that's just what I did. There was nothing more relaxing then a bunch of us sitting on the beach in our bathing suits... bottle of wine, and watching the sun literally fall into the ocean!!!

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when I first arrive in Aruba...I am still in fast forward by the third day it's like "yeah, whatever" I never know from day to day where I'm going, what I'm doing...and I have enjoyed plenty of those sunsets in my bathing suit...cause I was just too lazy to move off the beach...Last year I made reservations for dinner for the first time ever, and only because my hip was in such bad shape I couldn't stand waiting for a table....When I got home I decieded to have the hip replaced!!!! I hate schedules too!!!!

Kathie.... last year I left for Aruba about 6 weeks after I had shoulder surgery.
I couldn't go in the ocean for fear of getting knocked down by a wave and doing major damage to what was fixed, and I didn't have much use of my arm either. The hardest part of the trip was trying to manage my luggage with one arm, but most men on the plane and at the airport are still gallant and kind... It wasn't the best vacation, but it sure beat being home.

Isn't it funny how we don't do anything, but moving off the beach is a real effort??? There were many nights that we sat on the beach until it got dark. Between the sun all day, and the wine - who cared about dinner??? All I felt like doing was getting a shower and getting into bed. Is it my age that's showing or how much wine I happily consumed????

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Elisabeth said the said thing! I must try this!!! (besides, husband will be happy to have saved money on dinner!)

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I agree, that's another reason we like the timeshares. A peanut butter and jelly sandwhich is sometimes all you need after a good day on the beach - and it goes surprisingly well with rum!

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