Jaunted

For the record, the tourist-oriented restaurants on Bonaire were not all bad. Richard's Waterfront Dining's dorado with guacamole was outstanding, the kibbeling at Kontiki Beach Club was tasty in a greasy fish-and-chips way, and, best of all, the vatapa soup and icy mango dessert at Wil's Tropical Grill were unmitigated joys. I'll spare everyone long descriptions of the crappier meals, though those who absolutely must know which restaurant tried to pass off something that resembled bland tomato juice as gazpacho can email me (alexrobertsontextorATgmailDOTcom).

Even one excursion far off the tourist track, a Chinese-Surinamese restaurant in Nikiboko, yielded a fine meal, though one far less spicy than anticipated. An authentic low-brow Dutch culinary vibe was found in Wattaburger's fast food fare. Dutch fast food means, oh yes, frites with peanut sauce, a wet mess of salad drenched in some sweet dressing, and a hamburger.

The best meal of the week, however, was eaten in Curaçao, not Bonaire, at Landhuis Daniel. The former plantation is now a restaurant and inn, situated inland in a rustic setting, just 10 minutes from Curaçao's airport. Landhuis Daniel was my last stop prior to leaving Curaçao. The meal was a sort of Antillean-European hybrid, the most effortlessly local meal of the trip.

Our taxi driver from Willemstad, who transported us in a massive station wagon, responded effusively to my questions about Papiamento. He then offered a Papiamento pronunciation lesson. While Bonairean Papiamento hurries through words, dropping final consonants and generally remaining flat, he explained, Aruban Papiamento is a singsong affair, featuring drawn-out, elongated words. I suggested that this must mean that the Papiamento spoken on Curaçao is perfect. He didn't argue.

The taxi driver dropped us off at Landhuis Daniel before noon and we nursed coffee before the three-course lunch menu (35 Netherlands Antilles Guilder, or close to $20) could be served. The meal, which relied on organic vegetables and fruits grown on the grounds of Landhuis Daniel, was amazing. It began with a striking ceviche with dill, followed by a ham and vegetable dish. Little cups of ham cradled buttery, perfect vegetables. This course was both hearty and delicate; a perfect validation of the truism that simple food can be exquisite.