Guanabanas

Dear Em,
While we were on our trip, Daddy & I were lucky enough to have a date night. You Aunt A & L got us a gift certificate to a Guanabanas in Jupiter, Florida & graciously agreed to babysit. Your daddy & I don't get a whole lot of alone time these days, & I looked forward to a night out. Your Aunt A promised we would love the restaurant, & she was right.

Guanabanas is an amazing place right on the water. It's open & outdoors with palm trees & green plants everywhere. It brought me right back to our honeymoon in St. Lucia where a lot of the lunch places had a ceiling but no walls. It was a little chilly that night, & we sat in an area with a roof over our heads & clear plastic protecting us from the wind while still providing us a clear view of the water. As we sat, I felt so relaxed & just took in our amazing surroundings.

I had a hard time ordering. There was so much to chose from & everything on the menu looked so good. We decided to start with an appetizer, Sharky's Conch Fritters. We don't get a whole lot of conch up in Rhode Island & looked forward to trying something new. They were yummy. They reminded me of a mix of a clam cake & a stuffie... but nothing beats Rhode Island clam cakes & stuffies.

Next came our entrees. We both ordered from the specials menu. Daddy ordered the pork chops. They were tender & just the right mix of sweet & savory. Corn pudding, something we've never had before, was one of his sides. He loved it & has been raving about it since we ate there.

I asked the waitress what she would recommend between the Soft Shell Crab Special & the Lemon Butter Fresh Catch. She didn't even take a second to think before she said the Fresh Catch. She said it was a favorite among those who come to Guanabanas (your Aunt A had actually raved about the Fresh Catch too). She also mentioned she just wasn't a big fan of soft shell crab. I made a split second decision & ordered the crab (I know, I'm that annoying person in a restaurant). I'd never had soft shell grab, & was feeling adventurous. 

I almost wanted to take it back the moment our waitress walked away with our orders. What if I hated soft shell crab? Our meals came out & I closed my eyes as I took the first bite...I LOVE soft shell crab. Well, I love Guanabanas soft shell crab. It was lemony, buttery amazingness. I wish we weren't a 24 hour car ride away from Guanabanas. I would ask if the chef would make me the special every single day (Oh, & try the Fresh Catch).

It was such a perfect place for a date night. It would also be a wicked fun place to go with friends. If only we weren't so far...

I'm sure we'll be making some repeat visits when we are back to visit your Aunt A & L. Or maybe we could just move to Florida where it's sunny & there are palm trees...

No, I would miss the Rhode Island stuffies & clam cakes.

I love you so,

Mommy