| Dining at Alfredo's: Moorea, French Polynesia |
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Dining at Alfredo's: Moorea, French Polynesia By Julie & Jeremy Herbert Metuchen, NJ Recently, on our three-night stay in Moorea, we decided to eat dinner at Alfredo's Restaurant in the Cook's Bay area of the island. I had read on TripAdvisor that Christian, the owner of Alfredo's, hosts live music on Thursday nights, which weighed heavily on our scheduling for this day of the week. We planned wisely! Upon arrival at the Moorea Pearl Resort, we informed them of our desire to dine at Alfredo's and they effortlessly arranged our transportation for that evening, which was provided by the restaurant's own mini bus. We were picked up promptly with three other couples from our resort, eight people in all, and taken right over to the restaurant. Immediately as we pulled up, Christian came right out of the restaurant and greeted each of us with a warm and lively bon soir. This was something that we witnessed throughout the evening with other arrivals as well, not just our group of diners. It was also in stark contrast to our experience with Honu Iti (Chez Roger) who also picked us up, though the owner and chef (Roger) was the driver and did not say one word to us the entire ride to his restaurant! Alfredo's offered up a robust cocktail and wine list, with drinks priced at about half of what our hotel bar had charged. The menu provides a large selection of seafood, Tahitian fare and meat and poultry. Alfredo's is known for its osso buco, though I opted for that evening's seafood special and the poisson cru for my appetizer. Might I add that a wonderful touch to an otherwise common dish in French Polynesia was that it was the largest portion I had ever received and was served beautifully in a large conch shell. My wife is a vegetarian and had no problem selecting suitable options from the menu. The evening's entertainment started about the time our appetizers arrived and the MC for the evening was a local Frenchman who, along with Christian the owner, moved about the restaurant, building the lively atmosphere of the evening. While we thoroughly enjoyed the music and attention that Christian and his staff provided throughout the meal, it wasn't until another couple (from Long Island, NY) got up to dance as New York, New York played, that the evening really began to move. This was all by the time our entrees had arrived at our table. The mood continued and by dessert, my wife and I, along with four or five other couples, had turned the evening into a lively round of karaoke. Throughout this, the mood stayed pleasant and the evening's MC always maintained a wonderful atmosphere for the other patrons who may not have been as eager to get up and serenade their fellow diners. By the time dessert was cleared and half of the restaurant had departed for their respective hotels, the evening's entertainment really got going. The tables were pushed to one side of the restaurant so that we could all dance the night away together. At the end of the night, almost every couple had gotten up to sing one of their favorite tunes and left with a true sense of what the relaxed atmosphere of Moorea offers to its visitors. If you are staying in Moorea on a Thursday night (or any other for that matter), we recommend that you try Alfredo's. Just remember to plan for a lively night and check your inhibitions to sing at the door ... it's more fun that way! ABOUT THE AUTHORS Julie and Jeremy Herbert were married September 21st, 2008 and spent their Honeymoon traveling the islands of Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora and Taha’a in French Polynesia. They reside in Metuchen, NJ where Julie works as a consultant for an Environmental engineering firm. Jeremy is a Financial Advisor in Merrill Lynch’s Global Wealth Management group based in Short Hills, NJ. Both are avid travelers and have journeyed through Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa, relying on the insight and experiences of fellow travelers to guide them in each adventure! *Please tell us what you think of this week's newsletter! |
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