Just Queing Around In The Bahamas

day_trippr · Posted: Apr 23 2010 Post subject: Just Queing Around In The Bahamas

My wife and I try to make a trip somewhere in the Caribbean each year around our anniversary, always to "Out Islands" off the beaten track, and this year we decided on two weeks on the island of Eleuthera for our 33rd anniversary. And we had a fabulous time beaching, snorkeling, caving, exploring, flyfishing for bones, snapper and 'cudas - and eatin' and drinkin', of course! Very Happy

Being keen on sampling what locals call "barbecue" in the Bahamas, I had my Q Radar on from the moment we landed in Nassau for a three hour layover between flights. And it paid off nicely!

Right off the bat, we discovered the appallingly slim pickings for eats at the Nassau airport. While there is a humongous food court in the Departure Lounge, you can't get in there without going through Customs, and you can't go through Custom's unless you're actually flying back to another country! That left a Burger King (or Wendy's - I can't remember which) and a coffee shop for "choices" within the terminal.

But...my wife spoke with a woman at the news shop who quietly directed us out to middle of the parking area to find a barbecue joint! SCORE!

It was a family outfit - dad, mom and a few daughters doing all the work - that had a few simple cookers doing chicken, ribs and pork chops, served with 'slaw and some kind of creamed corn and hominy (I think that's what it was) and accompanied by Bahamas beer! Heck yeah, that'll work! Very Happy

The cook and his cookers. Very simple tank style that we found in numerous places, they bank the fire at one end and spread the food from roughly the middle to the opposite end.

It seemed that everywhere we went that had a barbecue, this is what they burn in their cookers - and they call it "red cedar".

Whatever it is, I had the ribs - and they were delicious!

As was the beer! Very Happy

Anyway...a few days later we hit a beach bar for lunch that had a grill and a smoker running out back!
The friendly cook.

Chicken on the grill.

We split some ribs and paella. Both were excellent!

The next evening I grilled up some steaks for dinner on the villa's kettle. The owners had erected the wind screen to counter the near-constant Trade Winds, and it worked very well indeed - once I chased off the lizards that were keeping warm in it! Shocked

Plated up with some garlic butter, and potatoes and veggies bought from a local farm stand.

On Friday night the locals in Governors Harbor put on a "Fish Fry" affair. It's quite the big deal and draws folks from all over the island. We swung by early to take a look while it was still light out. They were pretty much set up and already had the smoker running.

Another tank-style cooker. The big pan was for frying conch fritters (yum!) over a wood-fired hearth (off the left of the picture).

As we were walking back to our car we came across an almost-complete stone oven in a park. Pretty cool - and seemed solidly constructed. Got me thinking about building something similar some day.

When we came back to eat the place was hoppin', with a band playing reggae music across the street and everyone eatin', drinkin' and dancin'! We had long conversations with many folks, some local and some off-island from far-away places. Very cool time!

Smoker puffin' along. I had some chops with potato salad and 'slaw, along with a dozen conch fritters, all of it was delicious!

A couple of days later we were feeling like having a light dinner, so I put some shrimp on the barbie while my wife whipped up a salad with local veggies. I marinaded the shrimp with a pineapple-mango sauce with a few dashes of red pepper added. Smelled great on the grill!

Scrumptious - bold flavor with a nice heat - but not too filling! Worked well with a big red!

The next week we hit one of the better known mid-island 'rants. I had the ribs. Very tasty! When I took this pic I overheard a woman at an adjacent table ask "Is he taking a picture of his dinner?!?" I turned and said "Sure - just in case anything bad happens!"

Had everyone laughing with that!

That's all the pics I have of the Q joints, but I'll throw in just a couple of "off-topic" pics just to torture y'all Very Happy

This is Whiteland beach, on the Atlantic side, towards the southern end of the island.

We had it to ourselves for the entire day, and took advantage of that to cut down on the tan lines (no - you ain't gonna see those pics! Laughing

)

Picked up a few Mister Bones in between swimming and snorkeling. Of the myriad of patterns I tied, they liked the tiny white crabs the best.

That ought to do it! Laughing

Anyway...If anyone ever gets the urge to "get away" and wants to do it in the Bahamas, I heartily recommend the island of Eleuthera - where the motto is "Time Flies When You're Having Rum!" Very Happy

Cheers - and thanks for reading this far! Wink

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Canadian Bacon · Posted: Apr 23 2010 Post subject:

Looks like you had a great time and had some nice local food day_tripper,very nice pics ,thanx for sharing.
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OwenStubbs · Posted: Apr 23 2010 Post subject:

Fantastic pics there! I'd love to repeat your entire trip!

KulinaryKila · Posted: Apr 23 2010 Post subject:

That is the best way to travel by sampling the local cusine. Especially street food. I wanna go next time!!!!!

Hell Fire Grill · Posted: Apr 23 2010 Post subject:

You should have entered those steaks in the throwdown. If you would have cooked the lizards in the kettle you wouldent have had to buy steaks.

Looks like a great time.

BluzQue · Posted: Apr 23 2010 Post subject:

day_trippr Thanks for sharin' the great pics!
Man the food looks & sounds delicious! That's my
idea of a dream vacation for sure!

Cool

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johnnyrocco · Posted: Apr 23 2010 Post subject:

GREAT pics! thanks for sharing
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Boomer · Posted: Apr 23 2010 Post subject:

day_trippr

GREAT GREAT PICS WOW

Great food too

LIVING THE GOOD LIFE

BOOMER
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eastcoaster · Posted: Apr 23 2010 Post subject:

looks alot better than the typical sandals vacation....altho im a hedo fan myself!
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Limp Brisket · Posted: Apr 23 2010 Post subject:

Great pics! Thanks for sharing them, looks like a fantastic time.
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k.a.m. · Posted: Apr 23 2010 Post subject:

day_trippr, what a fantastic post. Very Happy

The pics are awesome and the food looks mighty delicious. I would have loved to have been there fighting the bones with you. Thanks for sharing. Very Happy

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killswitch505 · Posted: Apr 23 2010 Post subject:

I HATE YOU!!!!! lol j/k thanks for the share Very Happy

i'm glad to see that you had a good time
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morick · Posted: Apr 23 2010 Post subject:

Awesome, I thank your wife and yourself for taking the time to share your anniversary with us. Happy anniversary to you both and again thank you.
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GAUG3 · Newbie Joined: 16 Jun 2009 Posts: 48 Location: Alabama

Congratulations on your 33rd anniversary with your wife! The pics were awesome!

I want to build a stone/brick oven too!

kingofcool · BBQ Pro Joined: 05 Dec 2008 Posts: 863 Location: Georgia

Nice work all around. I tried to plan my honeymoon to a resort on South Andros but that didn't quite work out (read veto Laughing

). Even bought an 8 wt in anticipation. But have a friend whos family has a house in the Abacos (hopetown) and we're trying to plan a trip down there next spring. Dream trip for sure. Glad to hear your patterns were a success. I feel like fly selection in saltwater is not nearly as difficult as some of the other water I've fished.

zysmith · Posted: Apr 24 2010 Post subject:

Looks like you had a wonderful time. Thanks for the pics.
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Ryan Chester · Posted: Apr 24 2010 Post subject:

Killer post!!! Thanks for sharing.
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mkevenson · Posted: Apr 24 2010 Post subject:

Eye Yi Eye, GREAT pics of some GREAT eats. Thanks for sharing!
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jeepdad · Posted: Apr 24 2010 Post subject:

Niceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Thanks for sharing.

--jeepdad

day_trippr · Posted: Apr 24 2010 Post subject:

Thank you, gentlefolk, for your kind comments. It is appreciated, for sure - kinda like a great big extended family hug kinda thing that makes this place special Smile

There's a lot more to show, and I'm working on it! Slowly.

Since the day after we got home I've been kicking my butt around our primary home, pruning trees and dropping a few, gathering up all the winter's deadfall, and trying to beat the end of the open burning window we have here that ends next Friday.

And tomorrow I have to go up to our second home to saw up all the downed timber from winter and cart it "out back", then Sunday I'll be dropping a big mutha tree at my youngest son's home and trimming a bunch of trunks down to grade level. Woof!

[ On the up-side, when I left to go on our trip I had shrunk down 40 pounds from my all-time high to an almost-svelte 197 (I'm 6' 5" tall). When we got home I had nudged back up to 202, but after an intense week dragging trees around with just dinners to refuel I'm down to 195! I'm melting! Laughing

]

Anyway...we took around 400 pictures while we were on Eleuthera, and that collection needs to be whittled down to get rid of the cruft, then do a batch resize to get them all web-ready, then I'll throw together a travelogue of sorts. Probably won't get it done until the end of the week, but when it's ready I'll put a link to it in this thread. There are some fabulous shots in the collection, and I suspect most folks will enjoy a bit of vicarious vacation! Wink

Again, thanks for the kind comments! We had a blast down there, and this is a bit of icing on that cake!

Cheers!
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Save the planet: it's the only one with beer!
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