The Digest | New Jersey Magazine
Issue link: https://magazines.vuenj.com/i/836118
My trip concluded at the Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort, a 350-room luxury hotel located on a 2,000-acre plantation. Known for housing stars such as Bruno Mars and Enrique Iglesias, Santa Barbara offers a first-class spa, an 18-hole golf course, four tennis courts, three pools and four restaurants, making it an ideal spot for a romantic or family-friendly getaway. While dining options range from gourmet dinner to buffet brunch, their upscale on-site restaurant, Shore, is a mix of local dishes with an elevated twist. Run by Curaçao-native Chef Heinrich Hortencia, whose culinary repertoire includes working at La Provence, a Netherlands Michelin Star restaurant, both the food and beverage program at Shore are raising the standards for quality cuisine in Curaçao. Favorites included the crab salad with pickled watermelon, the open-faced wagyu beef burger with foie gras and the herb crusted cod with sweet potato cream and chimichurri. While in some ways it can seem like Curaçao is an under-the-radar destination, there is a certain level of comfort I found in the lack of exposure the island has seen. And although popular Caribbean destinations are known for their acclimation attempts and perceptions of paradise, in Curaçao, the true beauty and uniqueness of the island has managed to remain the same from the 17th century until now. VUE ON TRAVEL V U E N J . C O M 57