The last time we visited Guanaja, Doug and I had lunch at a new restaurant. Run by our friend, Daniel Ebanks, The Shade Tree Restaurant is in the hills of Mangrove Bight. We’ve both enjoyed Daniel’s cooking for years, so knew we were in for a good time. We just had no idea how good.
The restaurant is outside, set in a lush garden with fruit trees, flowers and the occasional chicken running around. It’s an incredible setting. There’s something to see everywhere you look, and the breeze keeps you cool on even the hottest day. I should know. Our lunch was on one of the hottest days of the year.
Our meal started with conch ceviche, which I’m surprised I haven’t had in the Bay Islands before. I’m glad my first taste was here, however, because the ceviche was served in a rather large dish. It reminded me of when I ordered ceviche in Lima, and I got a monster plate of it. I couldn’t finish it all. The next dish was a green salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, celery and starfruit. After that, the entrée: lobster tails, fried plantains and an awesome potato salad with aioli. I never eat this much food in a sitting!
For dessert, we had homemade brownies, which were rich and perfect. After all that food, I was afraid we’d have some huge cake or something, and I’d explode. As it was, it was an amazing amount of food, and well worth the price.
Daniel serves lunch and dinner by reservation only. He requires a two-day advance notice, so he can shop for just the right ingredients for your meal.
When Doug and I are visiting Guanaja, we don’t often eat out. The practice has nothing to do with the quality of restaurants on the island—we definitely have some favorites. It’s mainly because we’re staying in the home of friends, so we can use the kitchen, which saves us money by not eating out all the time. That said, I guarantee that I’ll be a customer at Daniel’s restaurant every time I’m around.
If you find yourself on Guanaja, make your reservations by calling 504.9850.9607 or email Ebanks_Daniel (at) yahoo (dot) com.