SMB .. Portofino and Review

On our final night we ate at Portofino.  To start, we were provided a great selection of bread with evoo and balsamic.  In addition, the waiter scoops out some parm (presumably) from the largest wheel of cheese ever.  Classy.  We both started with the Portofino cheese selection, which is a bit odd of a starter for an Italian restaurant, but no complaints when cheese is involved.  Next, we moved on to the pasta course.  Julie opted for the ravioli with spinach and cheese and I with the cannelloni with veal.  Both were delicious and in particular the ravioli had a great sauce.  For our main courses Julie went with the chicken parmesan and I with the eel.  Once again both were delicious.  This was ended up being the best meal of the trip.  Others were good, but this was struck a cord with all courses.  After dinner we ended up back in the lobby for some apres-dinner drinks.

Since we haven't posted many resort photos, here are a few along with a quick review.

SMB - in a few words ..

Bordeaux: Dimly lit restaurant that just didn't work for us.  The French onion soup wasn't anywhere near true French onion soup.  In addition, it tasted horrible.  Our main courses weren't anything spectacular either and service was luke-warm.  I'd recommend giving it a try, but personally we wouldn't return on another visit to SMB.
Portofino: We really enjoyed this restaurant.  Another dimly-lit restaurant although the room setting was nice. From the appetizer, through pasta dish closing with the main -- all were enjoyed equally.
El Patio: Another winner.  We enjoyed all our courses here, with the exception of the some new items we tried (eg. ceviche), at no fault of the restaurant.
Himitsu: Great show put on by the chef with an abundance of grill top food.  Reservations are required for the teppenyaki tables (a must).  Would suggest eating at this restaurant early in your stay to make some new friends.  Sushi was very good.
Coco Cafe: Quick stop for a pick me up espresso.  Sandwiches are good as well.
World Cafe: Service was attentive and food plentiful, easily fulfilling our morning needs.  There were plenty of options and all stations were replenished quickly and often.  If you're opting for mimosas be sure to add an extra kick of OJ to compensate for the Mexican sparkling.
Barefoot Grill: Chili poppers, nachos, and some other random tidbits -- all great.  Stay away from the 'burgers and dogs to leave room for all the delicious appetizers that are served to your lounger.

Drinks: Mostly stuck to Corona.  Mojitos were awesome, except on our final day.  They were bad at the pool and bar.  Odd.  Julie had some fruity drinks which she enjoyed.  A sake-bomb at Himitsu will get the night rolling and pomegranate tequila is a safe bet if you're not a tequila lover.
Swim-out pools are now heated and in our opinion, great. We met many people by sitting out in the swim-out and having some drinks.
Room service: Food was delicious and prompt. 
Secrets box:  Tacky name, great idea.  They'll leave your food when you're not able to get to the door (eg. in swimout) or you can order and leave your room to retrieve items later.
Pool-side service: Great with only one slow server.  With bars everywhere you're never hard-pressed to find a drink.  Servers were even willing to grab some food on your behalf -- in the event you were in the hot tub.
Beach service: we didn't use the beach loungers but we did order drinks while playing vball.  Service was good here and it's nice to see that they do a beach grill. Food and drinks are everywhere at this resort.  Can't go wrong.

SMB .. El Patio Restaurant

Last night we kept it authentic dining at El Patio, the Mexican restaurant.  Started off with the ceviche and corunda -- of which we've never had either.  Wasn't the biggest fan of ceviche, it had a strong citrus flavouring.  As I'm no expert, I'll assume it was good for those who enjoy it.  The corunda was interesting with a different texture than expected.  The waiter kindly advised us not to eat the banana leaves which are used during the cooking process -- a tip to any other rookies. Next we had the tortilla soup which the resident expert, Julie, said was delicious. We moved on to the the main course going with flank steak (Julie seems to be a beef-lover these days) and I with the lechón (suckling pig).  Both entrees were excellent, with the pig having great flavours and moistness.  For dessert we had something spongy of which the description included "dirt".  We didn't love it by any means.. but we were also stuffed.  We really enjoyed this meal and was likely the best to date.  Himitsu was great but it was simple cooking (although the sushi was fantastic). For the second night we closed down the lobby bar just relaxing on one of many couches.  We were no match for the group of guys celebrating a birthday and who even thought to bring a beer bong.  Not what I expected to see at SMB but the bar was empty, the bartenders loved it.. and we had a good view of the birthday boy walking, then running to the washroom once he had gone out of sight from his friends.  The party ended shortly after.

Today was the least sunny day with very few people hanging around the pool.  We hit up some more vball and enjoyed eating beyond reason.  The highlight of this resort is definitely the variety of appetizers they serve  poolside.  We've had everything from sushi, fish varieties, calamari, etc etc. the list is extensive as there's usually 5+ varieties going around and they're delivered to your lounger. As well as the barefoot grill offers perfect snacking (aka jalapeno poppers) food in the most convenient setting.

We've rented a car for tomorrow and are heading out to .. who knows. 

SMB - Himitsu

Last night we ate at Himitsu, the flagship restaurant amongst visitors.  You can visit with table service or make reservations at one of the teppanyaki tables.  We sat at one of the smaller teppanyaki tables that can hold 3 couples, although we were only two.  There is a larger table capable of holding some 10-14 people.  It seemed like a good time if you had a large group.  The food was great and abundant.  First course is sushi or salad followed by the option of three soups (miso, thai coconut, and a mexican variety).  The main course is fried rice, vegetables and the option of salmon, chicken, beef, shrimp -- or any combination.  It's a difficult stretch to get through all four but they were great.  Sake is included although Sapporo beer is extra.  First complaint, $12 USD for a Sapporo?  Sure it' a large can,  but you'd think the price would be somewhat subsidized as part of the all-inclusive.  Regardless, in a week where everything is included, a few dollars on a beer or wine is acceptable.  The chef was great, reminding me of Tom Cruise from Cocktail, throwing everything in the air and catching most of it.  Good times.  Even if you're seated with a less then desirable group of people, Himitsu is a sure bet.  Coupled with some great new friends and it has some great potential to go down as a long night in the bar afterwards.  I'm not sure how authentic a sake-bomb is but they're a dangerous combo.  The next day the weather started off rather mixed with some clouds and very light rain.  A short time later  the skies parted and the sun shone like we haven't seen. Apparently most anticipated a bad day as the pool area was relatively empty.  We enjoyed a great day by the pool chatting up the Brits and mocking the rowdy Yanks who, as the Brits say, "get pissed" so early in the day.

SMB - cont'd

Last night we ate at Bordeaux.  No one expects much from a resort, with regards to food -- so we weren't holding our breath.  We started with (French) onion soup and scallops in a lime brine.  The onion soup was a complete miss (stay away!) while the scallops were a hit. So far the score's 1-1.  Julie ordered the beef fillet with mushrooms and potatoes.  Since she enjoys her meat cooked until it can be cooked no more, it came out perfect. I ordered the chicken, with I can't remember what.  A few notes.  It's so dark in this restaurant that I didn't have a clue what I was eating and the waiters offer flashlights to read the menu.  We've been to France, quite recently in fact, and we're all for ambiance.  But we're also for being able to distinguish what part of our meal we're consuming.  Anyway, the actual chicken meat was pretty bad, but the steak was good.  So we're still at 2-2.  On-ward with dessert.  The recommended creme brule was delish, and the orange crepe, which was meant to be a crepe with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce, wasn't that great.  So we left Bordeaux feeling satisfied, but not overly impressed.  Had this been a restaurant, we surely wouldn't be returning.  In the world of all-inclusives, I'm sure it deserves high merit.

Today the winds calmed and we hit the beach for some vball. It's always a good time with some multi-nationals and the compulsory one-speedo-wearer-per-team.  After soaking up the UV rays we hit the swim-out pool and met some more of our neighbours.  A few hours later, a call to room service to reload on drinks and food, and we were still in the pool.  So far we're loving it more then we'd imagine.  Having stayed in villas with private pools I wasn't sure about the shared waterway.  All doubts have been put to bed as it's a great way to meet others.  Ours seems to get better usage then others, so it'd appear that we're in with a good lot.  We're off to Himitsu tonight with teppanyaki reservations.  (Or if you're American, hibachi seems to be the name in common usage). We've heard nothing but rave reviews so we're counting on this to be the take home dining experience.

Secrets Maroma Beach

Live from Mexico.  Booking our flights separately worked out perfectly.  Flying jetBlue beats any charter everyday of the week. We used Cancun Transfers for a direct lift to the resort.  Good service.  First impressions of the resort are good.  Service seems smooth (for a resort).  Our room is modern, not the standard tacky Carib resort look/feel.  Swim-out is handy, given the unbearable water temp of the main pools -- and the water is much warmer than anticipated (they're actually heating the swim-outs).  Loving the 24x7 room service, although I already don't fit into one of three pairs of pants I brought. Quite windy today (30+kph) so it was on/off with the long-sleeved shirts, although we seemed to be the only people bothered by it.  Either way, we still got sunburned. Not sure what the agenda holds.  Weather dependent, we may rent a car and checkout Tulum,  Coba or maybe do some day-scootering on Cozumel as suggested by Marcos.  Maybe a dive?  Who knows. 

Oops, No Amalfi Post. Off to Mexico!

So our post for Amalfi never made it. We returned home and got caught up in the life we call work. In short, Amalfi was amazing. Stay away from Amalfi town and Positano, and try some hidden gems like Atrani. If you're looking to spend some money, the Palasso Sasso hotel has a great restaurant called Rosselinis (2 Michelin stars). Equally, there's some great eats to be had at much more affordable venues, although perhaps with less perfect views. Try finding a room with a great terrace and ordering some pizza and grabbing some local wine. No mistakes here. And for an authentic experience, try the coastal drive at dawn or dusk (photo above). I may or may not be driving on the wrong side of the road.

Now that we've been grounded for 3 months and the snow has finally landed in Southern Ontario, we're heading to Mexico. While I'm not an 'all-inclusive' type of traveler, there's something about the staff in speedos running the pool aerobics class that just doesn't work for me, I've decided to give it a chance .. for my beloved. We're heading to Secrets Maroma Beach on the Mayan Riviera and spending a night at the Meridien in Cancun before returning home.