Turtle Cove | Turks & Caicos

Happy New Years Eve from the picturesque Magnolia Restaurant + Wine Bar! Above is their uncompromised views over Turtle Cove Marina at dusk. Below is the cavernous wine bar that beckons anyone without toddlers. Mind the photos, we are ever the travel weary family who landed hours earlier and are trying to keep it together at a nice holiday dinner. Camden has already lost two trucks over the balcony and Ryder is draping spaghetti over himself. I look crazy tired in that dirty martini selfie. It's fine. We're fine. Thank goodness for dirty martinis. 

The staff were so kind and thankfully our 5pm reservation had us out of there before we spoiled anyone's new years eve. My sesame crusted rare tuna with soy ginger sauce, jasmine rice + sautéed snow peas (combined with the atmosphere + views) was drive-over-from-your-resort at Grace Bay worthy. From ours at Vista Azul it was a pleasant ten minute stroll down the street.

Mango Reef

Mango Reef was a NIGHT. Maybe we expect too much from our 3 almost 4 year old to behave at a dinner where there's no wifi and the phone can't help entertain him? After playing in the sun all day? These kids are fun but it certainly is a challenge sometimes. My lobster ravioli was heaven sent, a dish that blew me away. Mango Reef Restaurant is located in Turtle Cove Marina and it was packed. A hot spot in this gem of a neighborhood. 

Things turned around the next night at Baci Ristorante. We sat Camden down earlier that day for a little chat about how he should behave at dinner. He did awesome! He was polite! Ryder was pretty tired but managed to hang. Baci serves Italian cuisine on a dockside terrace along Turtle Cove Marina. I can't remember what I ate so it definitely didn't blow me away like Magnolia or Mango Reef but I know it was good. I'm glad we got to check out Baci with well behaved kids. 

Sharkbite Bar + Grill

Sharkbite Bar + Grill is a beloved Turtle Cove hangout perched over the marina waterway (right next to Baci). We ventured here directly from a day on The Bight Beach. Sharkbite was rowdy and fun, the ideal atmosphere to watch football and eat conch fritters. Our waiter kept the local beers flowing while Camden napped in the stroller. Ryder had his nap on the walk to the beach earlier, he was well rested and enjoyed himself! 

Baci and Sharkbite were just down the road from Turks Wave Cafe, our essential morning iced coffee and breakfast spot. The food is good but service is painfully slow (one girl working the counter, one cook). As we waited for our breakfast one day Ryder was fussy so I took him on a walk and we discovered this neighborhood is chock full of private villas and, well, $$$. All the villas are waterfront or close to it so until I explored the roads winding back into the cove I had no idea. Turtle Cove is uniquely residential and I wonder if it is still up and coming in the name of more resorts. Time will tell!

New Years Eve Feast

Happy 2012, friends! I hope you all had a wonderful December 31st. For the first time (since I was about 15) I made plans to stay in. After countless years of dressing up in glitter, spending way too much on a cover charge or a prix fix meal and participating in general holiday debauchery, I decided to change it up. I jumped on the "I'm excited to stay at home on NYE and cook" bandwagon (I turn 28 this year, after all) and had one of the best yet. Adam enticed me with his grand plans of a lobster dinner and from there we put together a menu.

Boiled Lobster - market fresh

(from The North End Mercato del Mare)
1 1/2 lb lobster with melted butter
Mussels Fra Diavolo - mussels steamed in white wine
bathing in a spicy red sauce with fresh parsley and toasted bread
Baby Red Russet Potatoes - olive oil & balsamic roasted
Roasted Asparagus - in olive oil, salt & pepper

On new years eve afternoon we purchased our seafood at Mercato del Mare, our vegetables at Haymarket, stocked up on necessary amounts of beer, wine and prosecco and settled in for a leisurely night of cooking, drinking, eating and watching the ball drop on TV.drinks round 1 | Lindeman's Framboise Lambicdrinks round 2 | Lindeman's Pomme Lambic drinks round 3 | Sauvignon Blanc drinks round 4 | Adami Prosecco
We had ourselves a serious feast! We don't cook together that often to be quite honest, so I was pretty proud of how well this one came together. Somehow we timed everything perfectly and all of it was really really delicious. Not just another day, but a poignant mark in the passage of time, I believe New Years deserves all the celebration we can give, whether that means partying like its 1999 or staying in and cooking the night away. How did you ring in the new year?