The Breadbasket of the Caribbean

If it’s on a plate, it’s gonna be fresh—as the saying goes in the Dominican Republic. That’s because the island is considered the “Breadbasket of the Caribbean,” where much of what is served at the dinner table is grown, farmed or seafood caught domestically. That includes everything from the kiwi fruits and strawberries grown in the fertile Cibao Valley to the lobster, mahi-mahi and swordfish milling about the Caribbean Sea.

What the locals do with the food is what makes it so flavorful. Comida criolla (Dominican cuisine) is generally hearty fare with ingredients and cooking methods derived from Spanish, African and Taino cultures. Even the Italian, Middle Eastern and Oriental dishes will often incorporate a dash of Dominican here or there. Creole cooking is probably the best way to define the seasonings and spices, although the food generally lacks the extreme spiciness people associate with North American Creole cuisine.

As soon as they arrive on these shores, tourists tend to look for the best and biggest langosta (lobster). Everyone wants langosta. And to be sure, there are more than a few places that serve the delicious crustaceans, with the freshness defined in hours. On the island’s many beaches, visitors to the Dominican Republic might want to skip a go-round at the buffet table back at the hotel for any one of hundreds of family-run seafood establishments. These might be small thatch-roofed shacks or large party places with endless rows of picnic tables and tarps overhead to block out the sun. Whatever the milieu, they can be the best part of a vacation. You’ll often find a lot of barefoot people mixing and mingling while slathering hot butter over more fresh langosta (lobster) than you’ve ever seen, only steps from the sea.

If there’s a barbecue anywhere near during lunchtime, make sure to order up a combo platter of the local catch with a few Presidentes—the local beer—on the side. Dishes can consist of mero (sea bass), chillo (red snapper), carite (kingfish), lambí (conch) and big fat juicy camarones (shrimp). Also, besides the lobster, a must-have is pulpo (octopus), if you can find it.

Ask for Presidente in the Dominican Republic!

Local Fare
Dominicans like their meat, and unless you’re a vegetarian, no trip to the island would be complete without trying some traditional local fare. The national dish is sancocho—a varied meat and vegetable stew that may contain everything from pork and seafood to sweet potatoes and cassava. Sancocho prieto is a black stew made with seven different kinds of meats. And you’ll see the term asapao a lot throughout the island’s restaurants. This refers to a thick flavorful soup of meat, rice and vegetables. Chicken is the most popular meat on the island, and no self-respecting local eatery in the Dominican Republic would serve up a menu without a good arroz con pollo (chicken mixed with rice). That’s the way to do Dominican.

Another typical dish is known as La Bandera (the flag), which consists of the colors of the flag: white rice, red beans, and tostones (fried green plantains), along with stewed meats and salad. Here, rice is a staple food that can be served more ways than one could possibly imagine. Watch for terms like locrio and moro, which are different rice dishes with various veggies and meats.

Besides the larger restaurants tourists tend to patronize, much of the island’s culinary spirit thrives in more humble environs. Outdoor cafés in and around the town centers are always a good bet for yanniqueques (Johnny cakes), pastelitos (meat or cheese-filled pastry turnovers) and quipes (ground beef encased in cracked wheat). For bigger appetites, chimichurris are delicious pork sandwiches made from meat cooked on a spit. Desserts are good but often sweet, so go light, especially with the dulces con coco made from molasses and coconut shavings.

Lastly, if you really want to impress any locals within earshot, say Buen provecho! (bon appetit) to your tablemates before taking that first bite. While tourists might consider “bon appetit” to be a little on the formal side, the celebration of food and good will is always good form in the Dominican Republic.

The Dominican Republic is considered the breadbasket of the Caribbean because it grows, farms and catches almost everything that’s served on dinner tables everywhere, from sidewalk cafes to five-star restaurants. Comida criolla (Dominican cuisine) is hearty fare with ingredients and cooking methods derived from Spanish, African and Taino cultures.

Typical dishes known as La Bandera (the flag) consist of the colors of the flag: white rice, red beans, stewed meats, salad and tostones (fried green plantains). Rice is the staple food, and it can be served more ways than one could possibly imagine. Watch for terms like locrio and moro, which are different rice dishes with various veggies and meats. Chicken is the most popular meat, and no self-respecting eatery in the Dominican Republic would serve a menu without a good arroz con pollo (chicken mixed with rice). Creole cooking is probably the best way to define the seasonings and spices, but the food generally lacks the extreme spiciness people associate with North American Creole cooking.

Visitors to the Dominican Republic should keep an eye out for the national dish, sancocho. This varied meat and vegetable stew can contain everything from pork and seafood to sweet potatoes and cassava. Sancocho prieto is a black stew made with seven different kinds of meats. You will also see the term asapao a lot throughout the island’s restaurants. This refers to a thick flavorful soup of meat, rice and vegetables. This is the way to do Dominican.

Altos De Chavon Yankee-Euro Fusion
All that native cuisine doesn’t mean tourists seeking a well-cooked New York Strip or bluepoint oyster from Boston will go without. More and more upscale establishments with white glove service and typical North American and European cuisine are opening every year, especially in Santo Domingo, La Romana, Puerto Plata, Sosua, Cabarete and Punta Cana. All that native cuisine doesn’t mean you can’t get good pizza.

Excellent national and international cuisines are available if you know where to look. Nowhere is this more evident than at one of the most satisfying places for comfort food – Altos de Chavon, a re-created 16th-century Mediterranean village overlooking the Chavon River that’s part of the sprawling Casa de Campo resort in La Romana. One of the four restaurants here, Casa del Rio restaurant features modern French cuisine with a light Caribbean flair. Some of its finest examples of Dominican dishes involve fresh deep-sea grouper and juicy medallions of grilled Dominican beef, both of which are accompanied by locally grown vegetables. The views are staggering, with panoramic vistas of the forest and river below.

Also in the village, La Piazzetta features Northern Italian specialties and a mouthwatering antipasto selection. It also serves the best cheesecake in the Caribbean—and that’s said without even the slightest reservation, really. The ambience is reminiscent of a well-to-do, large family villa in the Tuscany countryside. For more relaxed fare, Café del Sol is a local favorite with 25 varieties of pizza, and El Sombrero serves up hot and spicy Mexican meals.

Café & Beach Society
While the Dominican Republic has its share of fancy, white-linen dining establishments, much of the island’s culinary spirit thrives in more humble environs. Outdoor cafés in and around the town centers are always a good bet for yanniqueques (Johnny cakes), pastelitos (meat or cheese-filled pastry turnovers) and quipes (ground beef encased in cracked wheat). For bigger appetites, chimichurris are delicious pork sandwiches made from meat cooked on a spit. Desserts are good but often sweet, so go light, especially with the dulces con coco made from molasses and coconut shavings.

On the island’s many beaches, visitors to the Dominican Republic might want to skip a go-round at the buffet table back at the hotel for any one of thousands of oceanfront establishments. They might be small thatch-roofed shacks or large party places with endless rows of picnic tables and tarps overhead to block out the sun. Whatever the milieu, these can often be the best part of a vacation. This is because you’ll often find a lot of barefoot and scantily clad people mixing and mingling while slathering hot butter over fresh langosta (lobster), all just steps from the sea.

Seafood is obviously the main fare here, and if there’s a barbecue anywhere near during lunchtime, make sure to order up a platter of the local catch with a few Presidentes—the local beer—on the side. Dishes usually consist of mero (sea bass), chillo (red snapper), carite (kingfish), lambí (conch) and big fat camarones (shrimp). Besides the lobster, a must-have is pulpo (octopus), if you can find it. For dessert, the Dominican Republic is famous for its oblong mangos, which can be enjoyed eaten out of hand or savored in a delicious beverage through a straw.
Buen provecho!

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