Tasty Travels - Cantina Captiva

After arriving from Toronto that resulted in me having a late afternoon lunch, I didn’t get hungry again until around 8pm.  While Captiva Island has quite a few different restaurants, many of them close super early.  I don’t know if this is typically the case or the fact that I was here during late January, which is low tourism season around here.  That being said, I ultimately decided on having some Mexican food at Captiva Cantina.

Cantina Captiva

Located less than a ten-minute walk from the South Seas Island Resort along the main road, Captiva Cantina is easy to find.  As it was already pitch dark when I arrived, the neon lights welcomed me in despite the patio being completely void of patrons.  Upon entering the restaurant, I was completely shocked to find the place near capacity with a party of about 30 women celebrating a special occasion.  What that was, I am not sure as they finished dinner only a few minutes after I arrived.

First time trying Carta Blanca

Once Jay arrived, we sat at a table near the front with less than 30 minutes until close.  We started off with some tortilla chips for an appetizer, which included some salsa and guacamole dip.  I decided to wash this down with a bottle of Carta Blanca – a Lager brewed in Monterrey, Mexico.  While I have had a few different Mexican beers through the years, this was a new one for me.  The jury is still out on this one, but at 4.5% ABV, it was light enough for me after a long day of travel.

Chicken Chile Poblano

Now that I was completely hungry at this point, I opted for the Chicken Chile Poblano.  This entrée included two grilled chicken breasts in a spicy chile poblano sauce with a side order of sautéed vegetables and Mexican rice.  While the poblano sauce was decent, the Mexican rice was a bit underwhelming.  I am not sure if they just refried the bean sauce because it was almost closing time and weren’t expecting any more orders, but I would have expected a little bit better for an $18 US entrée.  It did come with a small cob of corn that I did not expect, however.  Meanwhile, Jay ordered a Chicken Fajita sandwich thinking it was a smaller entrée.  However, it nearly covered his entire plate resulting in him having to taking back some of it to the hotel.

Cantina Captiva - A "Taste of Mexico" Off the Gulf of Mexico

While waiting for the waiter so we could settle our bill, I took in some of the interior décor.  It was interesting to see into the kitchen from our section while admiring the dollar covered walls of the restaurant.  Where this tradition originated from, I have no idea.  But I always smirk when I see this as it almost immediately brings me back to past quirky establishments I have been to on my travels.  Two places that quickly come to the top of my mind are this dive bar in Fort Worth about a year ago and this kitschy restaurant near Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.  Although I don’t have a lot to compare it with, Cantina Captiva certainly hit the spot and is one restaurant worth checking out on this sleepy little island.

Some of the American Dollar Bills adoring the walls of Cantina Captiva

Cantina Captiva

14970 Captiva Drive

Captiva, FL 33924

Open Daily:  11:30am – 10:00pm EST

Phone: (239) 472-0248

Tasty Travels – Dinner at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel

It was either in my Grade 7 or Grade 8 History book when I first saw the iconic photo of the Banff Springs Hotel.  The picture was both enchanting, yet odd to me at the same time.  Why exactly was there this gorgeous turn-of-the-Century European chateau built in the middle of the Canadian Rocky Mountains?  As I learned through my history class, the Banff Springs Hotel opened in 1885 as part of the Canadian National Pacific Railway route that connects Eastern Canada with Western Canada.  It was one of several luxury hotels built along the Canadian National Railway to entice tourism and immigration towards Western Canada during the Expansion era of the late 19th/early 20th Centuries.

The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel

A National Historic Site of Canada, the Banff Springs Hotel is now owned by the Fairmont hotel chain and priced for those seeking luxury in the Canadian Rockies.  Needless to say, the Banff Springs Hotel is far too rich for my budget.  But as chance would have it, my employer decided to treat our team to dinner on our last night in Banff.

The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel

After our walk along the Bow River Trail, my appetite was a bit more worked up than I had anticipated.  For my appetizer, I chose some fresh Prince Edward Island oysters.  Yes, the menu said fresh Prince Edward Island oysters.  Although I finished them, I did question how “fresh” these oysters were given that Prince Edward Island is about a two-day drive East of Banff – or about a 5-hour flight out of Calgary.  Factor that in with the time it would also take to harvest oysters off the coast of the Atlantic Ocean and package them for shipping across Canada, and you will start to understand my cynicism here.

View of the Rockies from the Banff Springs Hotel

My entrée was a lot more local as I went for the Alberta bison tenderloin paired with a Bloody Caesar.  My word did this dinner ever hit the spot!  So tender and juicy – just how I like it with medium rare steak.  The bison tenderloin also came with a side of seasonal vegetables.  While I am not a huge Brussels sprouts fan, I had no complaints here with the Banff Springs Hotel as they added some excellent flavour with the seasonal vegetables making the sprouts less bland.

The train lines that came to Banff in 1885

As for the Bloody Caesar, you couldn’t have asked for a spicier drink to pair nicely with the tenderloin.  The Bloody Caesar is Canada’s take on the Bloody Mary, but we substitute Mott’s Clamato for the tomato juice.  The Caesar was invented in Calgary back in the late 1960s, so I have not been disappointed with any of my Bloody Caesar drinks in Alberta thus far.

My "fresh" Prince Edward Island oysters

Although I thoroughly enjoyed my dinner and appetizer, it was a shame that I had no room for dessert as I knew I would never personally eat here again.  My dinner alone was already worth more than $100 – the Alberta bison tenderloin was one of the “cheaper” entrées at around $65 CDN.  Ouch!  After 2 hours of dining and conversing, we headed back to our hotel.  It was a pleasure to have finally seen the Banff Springs Hotel in person, and it was an experience that I won’t soon forget.

Alberta Bison tenderloin with seasonal vegetables

Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel

405 Spray Avenue

Banff, AB (Canada)

T1L 1J4

Phone: (403) 762-2211

Fax: (403) 762-5755

Website:  http://www.fairmont.com/banff-springs/

Tasty Travels - Casa do João

Our group had one more night in Bonito before making an early morning trek to the Pantanal, the World’s largest wetland system, where we would be staying at a remote ranch for the next two days.  We decided to celebrate our last night in civilization by eating at Casa do João, one of Bonito’s oldest restaurants whose specialty is Traíra, a type of predatory fish found in Brazil.

The History
Casa do João was originally a wooden colonial house in the middle of a large field surrounded by many animals and an orchard of exotic fruits.  It was a popular place for family gatherings and entertaining friends.  As a result, João came up with the idea of opening his home to locals by adding a bar and offering traíra, which is a predatory fish found in the Amazon, and extremely difficult to de-bone.

Casa do João's Main Bar

As the popularity of the restaurant grew, so too, did the need to expand!  Everything that you see at Casa do João – from the veranda to furniture – is made from recycled wood.  The materials used at this restaurant come from old forest fires, fallen trees, disused corrals, and abandoned houses.  Casa do João is by far the most eco-friendly restaurant that I have ever eaten in.  Today, several of João’s children and friends help run Casa do João.  Many of their positions range anywhere from cooking to hosting to running the souvenir shop next door.

The Location
Casa do João is located a couple of blocks away from the town square of Bonito at Nelson Felicio 664A.  It’s about a 15 – 20 minute walk from Muito Bonito Hotel where we were staying, and not the easiest place to find if you are unfamiliar with the side streets in town.  To get there, you will head down Rua Coronel Pilad Rebuá until you pass Taboa Bar. At the next intersection, you will make a left down Rua Sen. Filinto Müller and keep walking straight for the next two blocks until you pass Rua Vinte e Quatro de Fevereiro.  You will see the sign for Casa do João on your right-hand side.

Busy night at Casa do João's

The Menu
Casa do João is renowned for its fish platters.  If fish doesn’t tickle your fancy, then you can also try their filet mignon or grilled chicken options.  Side dishes include items such as potato wedges, sautéed potatoes, white rice, cheese, and fish sauce.  All of these extra items come with a charge between $5 - $9 Reais ($2.50 - $4.50 US).  You can also order different broths for appetizers, such as soups and salads.  I tried piranha broth, which came with Parmesan cheese, spring onions, and croutons, for about $17 Reais ($8.50 US).

Piranha Broth

The house speciality is traíra, which is a predatory fish found in the Amazon, and extremely difficult to de-bone.  Of course, I ordered a plate for myself, which comes with rice, fresh salad, traíra pirão (famous fish sauce), and a special home-made sauce for about $30 Reais ($15 US).

Traíra wasn’t originally my first menu choice as I had initially wanted to order some caiman.  But, since caiman were out of season at the time, I opted for traíra instead.  You can also order other exotic fish entrées, such as pirarucu, pacu, tilapia, and pirarara.

Traíra for One!

Dessert options include ice cream, homemade sweets, local fruits, cakes, and mousse.  Drink options range anywhere from liquor to beer to pop to caipirinhas to wine to coffee.

Armazém do João
Armazém do João is the gift shop next to the restaurant.  Here you can find all sorts of handicrafts, artworks, and small trinkets to bring home for souvenirs.  I bought a few fridge magnets myself.  The gift shop is definitely worth a quick visit!

Armazém do João

Overall, I have to admit that I was very impressed with Casa do João.  From the ambiance to the architecture, this place has a very relaxing, romantic vibe to it.  The portion sizes of their entrées are ridiculously huge, so you get fair value for what you paid for.  My only two minor complaints from dinner was having to wait over a half hour for my piranha broth and not being able to try caiman.  Otherwise, I would recommend checking out Casa do João while you are in Bonito.  The traíra is well worth it!

Casa do João

Casa do João

Address:  R. Cel. Nelson Felício dos Santos, 664 - Centro, Bonito - MS, 79290-000, Brazil

Hours:  Thursday – Tuesday from 6pm to 11pm

Phone: +55 67 3255-1212