PUNTACANA VILLAGE’S 1st ANNUAL GASTRONOMIC TOUR

I only have two words for you today: Gastronomic Tour!

Okay, I suppose it’s not much of a blog post if it’s just two words. I think our excitement about the tour is making us all a little giddy. Let’s try this again. The PUNTACANA Resort is very excited to be hosting a Gastronomic Tour. If for whatever reason you’re not following our Twitter account, you should know that Saturday, September 20 is going to be a big day in Puntacana Village as we celebrate food and ecology with something for everyone in the family. Not only will there be special menus and great deals at several restaurants throughout the resort, but there will also be a variety of fun activities for adults and children alike.

The festivities begin at 11 o’clock with a musical presentations and a double dose of exciting things to do: the Ecological Foundation will have a farmers market set up and a pez león (lionfish) cooking show is confirmed for the Supermercado Nacional. Those wishing to see both will have plenty of time to do so before it’s time to take the kids to one of two places at 3 o’clock. At the Kid’s Zone, there will be a fun science workshop to get children thinking about recycling and eating healthy foods. That’s not all, though, as we will also have mechanical and inflatable games as well as popcorn and cotton candy. Activities will wrap up at nine o’clock that evening.

We are aware that this digital flyer is in Spanish, our apologies

It wouldn’t be much of a Gastronomic Tour without some tasty food, and I am happy to report that we will have plenty of food for you to indulge any appetite you can imagine. As you can see from the brochure included as part of this post, there are special items on the menus at several restaurants and almost all of them have a drink special or food discount. Not for nothing, but it’s hard to beat twofor-one margaritas and burritos at El Burrito. Unless, of course, we’re talking about two-for-one glasses of wine and a delicious pasta sampler at Mamma Luisa’s. But maybe pasta and burritos aren’t your thing. If you’re a sushi lover like me you will want to find yourself a table over at Zen where the special of the day is two-for-one sushi.

The most impressive menu for the day, however, might just be at the Acentos Bistro where you will find gourmet Mediterranean fusion cuisine lovingly overseen by Chef and owner Miguel O. Roques. Roques brings years of experience in restaurants in the United States and Europe to the Dominican Republic and creates mouthwatering dishes that are equal parts culinary innovation and familiar comfort food. Best of all, they’ve given me a sneak peek at their menu, and I am happy to share a few choice selections that will be available on the 20th. Those looking to start their meal off with an appetizer are lucky enough to have a choice of selections that include Pear Carpaccio and Tuna Tartare to name a couple. Anyone in a salad mood will want to try the Crispy Octopus and Feta Cheese Mandarin Salad. One of the more popular entrees for the day is sure to be the Steak au Poivre, but those who eschew red meat need not worry as the Lobster Shiitake Risotto is also an excellent choice. Hopefully you still have a little room left to try the Chocolate Fondant for dessert.

Best of all, this is just a sampling of the food that will be available. After all, it’s one thing to take my word for it but it’s another thing entirely to see it for yourself. Go out and join the tour. Discover a delicious new dish or drink that I didn’t even mention on here and report back to us in the comments section. Oh yeah, one more thing -- bon appétit!