Tapas Delight at Red Ginger

– by Dorian Nuñez
Tapas – it’s such a small word that carries so many flavors behind it. If you are asking yourself what tapas are, or think that it’s too much of a fancy food item for you, then think again. Tapas are much like appetizers.

So Red Ginger Restaurant has dedicated two nights of the week to highlight a menu full of delicious tapas. On Wednesdays and Sundays you can eat tapas of your choice all night long or just sample a couple, as appetizers, as precursors to your meal of the evening. If you think that red ginger is a fancy restaurant with high priced menu items that you just visit for special occasions, then think again.

Red ginger’s menu is full of local flavors infused with an international flare which you will love. Even pizza has been added to the evening menu if you are in the mood of eating something less heavy. Either way tapas and sangria night at Red Ginger is a great evening to explore the great tasting tapas while sipping on refreshing red or white wine sangria or enjoying a full flavorful meal.

With a newly revamped Tapa’s menu at Red Ginger, Dorian’s Angels were very excited when they got the invitation to experience Tapas and Sangria Night. And with live music from Cuban entertainer Maikel, the evening was superb!

Tapas are snacks, canapés or finger food that originated in Spain. They come in many different forms and can vary from town to town! But, what are they? Simple, here we call them “Bocas”! At Tapas and Sangria Night you can order many different tapas and combine them to make a full meal. And ‘full’ is what my Angels got, me included as I joined them for the evening.

Dorian’s Angels have nothing but good things to say about the tapas. They are a great combination of ingredients which are bursting with flavor and fun to eat. To our surprise, Red Ginger rolled out the entire Tapas menu for us to sample! Yes, we had to sacrifice ourselves so that we can feature all the delicious tapas and entice our readers to head on over to Red Ginger and try them out! All of them were great, but here are the Tapas that got our attention:

Crab Tartlets – mini tarts filled with crab, cheese, parsley and onions
Zucchini Rounds – stuffed with sautéed cherry tomatoes and herbs
White Cheese Empanadas with salsa verde
Citrus Sautéed Chicken
Coconut Shrimp with sweet and spicy dipping sauce
Local Conch Fritters with chipotle aioli
Grilled Marinated Pork Brochettes with an orange, almond, olive, red onion salad
Goat Cheese and Kalamanta olive tapenade crostini

Located at the Phoenix Resort, Red Ginger gives you the feel of an elegant restaurant but without the high prices and it is not exclusive to The Phoenix Resort’s guests. There are excellent soups and salads, burgers and sandwiches, quesadillas, beer battered fish and flatbread pizza. The pizza is EXCELLENT and nothing like any we have tasted on the island. We ordered the Margherita pizza with tomato, mozzarella and basil sauce and added pepperoni, carne, shrimp, mushrooms and pineapple; add your favorite toppings to a great tasting flatbread – you can’t go wrong.

Dinner at Red Ginger is highlighted with pastas, seafood, and excellent chicken, pork and beef platters. Try the Red Ginger Combo with includes a grilled shrimp skewer and grouper fillet in a citrus beurre blanc with mashed potatoes and gingered broccoli.

For dessert, indulge in the Cinnamon Apple Cheese Cake with Irish cream and caramel sauce; it will leave you speechless. GOOD!

Red Ginger is located at the Phoenix Resort at the end of Barrier Reef Drive (Front Street); they welcome walk-ins; open for breakfast, lunch and dinner; tapas and sangria on Wednesdays and Sundays; half price wine night on Mondays and closed on Tuesdays. Call 226-4623