Corner Table goes to Harbour Island, Bahamas

So, I went on a awesome little vacation this past weekend and figured I would share with my many (many) readers the culinary delights I experienced throughout the island.

If you haven’t taken a trip to the Bahamas this winter, now is the time to go! When its 20 degrees and a wintery mix outside, there is nothing that makes life seem worth living like a 75-degree walk on an empty pink sand beach. In addition, since you did so much walking, you might as well partake in America’s favorite past time… eating.
The island is very small, only 3x1 miles. Yet, it’s filled with culinary genius (as a good tourist trap should be).

First, we started out for lunch at Sip Sip (pictured left) to enjoy our greatest lobster quesadilla ever (pictured). It was a fight to the bitter end for those, as it was 86ed after we ordered, much to the dismay of a fellow customer. The Snapper sandwich, although not my first choice (we ate late so the menu was limited) was a great find as well. We loved Sip Sip so much, that we went back for lunch again two days later… and ordered the same thing. Dinner was split between The Landing (where we stayed) and Rock House (next door). Both hotels/restaurants are set on the harbor side of the island (vs the ocean side re: Sip Sip). The Landing is an island rustic laid-back hotel with friendly staff and even friendlier chickens. Rock House is island chic, with a more hip dining area and bar. Both dinners were excellent, although we decided to go back to Rock House for a second time. The best meal of the combined dinners was as follows: the Grouper at the Landing, the blackened Wahoo at the Rock House, the lobster and crab spring rolls at the Rock House and the best mozzarella and tomato stack I have ever experienced at the Rock House (ok, so now you can see why we went to Rock House twice.)

Also, the island has good places for a quick snack. I had the conch fritters at both Valentine’s Marina and Gusty’s. I prefer Gusty’s fritters, maybe because the owner, who was very excited as I believe we were his first customers, (they had just started opening for sunset) made them. However, Valentine’s did have amazing Grouper Fingers. They were salted and breaded to perfection. I guess Harbour Island just had great grouper. So, definitely try it when you are there.

Another famous treat (I say famous because the customs guy at the Nassau airport told me to go here) is Queen Conch. We got a made-to-order conch salad. The huge conchs were cut up and the vegetables (onions, etc) diced right in front of us at a stand on the side of the road (picture). They even had us taste it before we left to make sure it was spiced to our liking. That is what I call service. Supposedly, people like it there so much that they ask for tubs of this stuff to take home on the plane. I wasn’t a huge fan, but I guess I like my conch fried better than fresh.

Note to travelers: Do not drink the tap water there. I asked for it the first day and it was salt water (as is the shower water which made us smell GOOD….)