Food is one of the highlights of the Dominican Republic. Whether dining out or eating in, every meal is a moment and you will quickly find that three meals a day just isn’t enough.

You can’t get more local then the front yard, where you will find mangos and bananas, avocados from across the street, and eggs from down the block. While there are plenty of great restaurants in the neighborhood, we find that the best meals are those made by our head housekeeper and amateur chef Francesca. We have complied a menu of our favorite items below, but every time we visit the house Francesca has another meal that she tests on us and it usually gets added to the list.

There are numerous restaurants in our neighborhood, all within walking distance, including Chris & Mady’s, Los Charros, Christina’s, and the rooftop restaurant at the Skylight Hotel.

Here is a menu of some of our favorite meals, but Francesca is always experimenting with new dishes for us to try.

Breakfast

American

Assorted Fruit (mangos, pineapple, guava, cantaloupe, bananas)

Eggs any Style

Omelets any Style

Bacon and Breakfast Sausage

Pancakes and French Toast (especially delicious with Francesca’s fruit sauces)

Oatmeal

Assorted Cereals

Dominican

Mangu smashed green plantains, queso blanco, fried salami, topped with sauteed onions and an egg (I like to add avocado)

Coconut Bread

Dominican Frittata

Lunch

Salads

Potato Salad

Pasta Salad

Chicken Salad

House Salad with Francesca’s secret vinaigrette

Sandwiches and the like

Ham & Cheese

Hamburgers

Homemade Empanadas (beef, pork, or veggie)

Fried Yuka

Chicken Soup with Vegetables

Dinner

Chicken

Chicken with Peanut Sauce over Rice

Dominican-Style Fried Chicken over Rice and Beans

Traditional Chicken and Red Bean Soup

Meat

Beef, Potato, and Cheese Casserole

Baked Beef over Rice topped with Bean Gravy

Steak Tips tossed with Eggplant, Onions, and Tomatoes over Rice and Beans

Shish-Kebab over Rice and Plantains

Sweet and Sour Pork Chops over Rice and Beans

Smoked BBQ Pork Chops over Rice and Beans

Seafood

Sea Bass in Coconut Curry Sauce

Paella sea Bass, conch, shrimp, lobster, vegetables, over yellow rice

Sea Bass over White Rice and Green Pigeon Peas

Lobster in a Butter and Garlic Sauce

Fried Sea Bass with Vegetables over Rice

Shrimp and Noodles in Caribbean Red Sauce

Vegetarian

Lasagna

Fried Eggplant with Rice and Beans

Rice and Beans

Sautéed Vegetables over Rice and Beans and Lentils

Steamed and Mashed Green Pigeon Peas over Rice