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"The
Ernest Hemingway"
Chef
and Bartender's Safari
May
3 - 10 , 2007
Welcome restaurant
professionals, barmen and those who just want to enjoy an exciting week
of culinary delights and exotic drinks. All meals will be at
classic and historic, Cuban restaurants utilizing the original recipes
from "The Hemingway Cook Book.” This historic, cook book even
includes a spaghetti recipe by the "Old Man and the Sea,"
Gregorio Fuentes. So, please join us for a memorable week of Hemingway
celebrations including the chef's tour; barman's competition, Cuban
cooking school classes and the “Ernest Hemingway International Blue
Marlin Tournament.”
The tour will be hosted by the award winning Cuban American Chef (Johnny
Maribonal) from the restaurants "Pambiche" and "Canita"
in Portland, Oregon. Some of Havana's leading chefs, legendary
bartenders (Cantineros) will also join us for the competitions, meal
preparations and to host the cooking schools.
Click Photo to Enlarge View
Program
Day 1 Arrive
in Cancun, Mexico. Check into the five star, ocean front, Hotel
Intercontinental Presidente. (Recently voted as having the best beach in
Cancun.) Reception. All-inclusive program.
Day 2 Depart for Havana, Cuba at 12:50 PM via Aerocaribe (Mexicana)
Airlines. Private transfer to the classic, five star, Hotel Nacional De
Cuba. Welcome buffet, cigar and cocktail reception. Dinner at Havana’s
most popular Restaurante El Aljibe. Evening open.
"I have discovered that there is romance in food when romance
has disappeared from everywhere else. And as long as my digestion
holds out I will follow romance," - Ernest Hemingway.
Day 3 Breakfast. Private Partagas cigar factory tour and enjoy a
cigar and cocktail with Partagas President, Sr. Abel Diaz in our private
salon. Cigar rolling contest and demonstration for our guests. Lobster
lunch at Hemingway’s favorite “haunt,” Restaurante, El Floridita
(Where the Daiquiri was invented). Meet the Floridita’s oldest
bartender (Ramon who actually invented the daiquiri) and “poured”
drinks for Ernest Hemingway. He will demonstrate how the original
Daiquiri was made. Group “Mojito” & “Havana Side Car”
cocktail making contest at 6:30 PM in the Hotel Nacional De Cuba’s
legendary, Historic Bar. Cooking class featuring the classic Cuban meal
of “Black beans and rice” and “Fried bananas.” Dinner in the
garden court of Mansion La Ferminia.
Day 4 Breakfast. Morning tour of Cuba's Culinary Academy. Lunch
at another Hemingway favorite, Restaurante La Bodeguita del Medio (Where
the classic Mojito drink was invented). Afternoon cooking class with
Johnny and Cuban Chef. You will learn how to prepare the original Cuban
meal called “Picadillo. Bar tending class (By the hotel pool) to lean
how to mix the classic drinks of Hotel Nacional Cocktail and the Mary
Pickford. Cigar reception and dinner at the private and elegant, Club
Havana (Formerly the Biltmore Yacht Club). Cuba culinary specialist will
join us for dinner and speak about how the average Cuban adepts and
improvises to accommodate the food shortages caused by the US Embargo.
We will also learn about how food is rationed in Cuba with the ration
card! Very, very interesting!!
“My Mojito in the La Bodeguita and my Daiquiri in El Floridita!"
- Ernest Hemingway.
Day 5 Breakfast. Morning "Old Man and the Sea" Marlin
fishing tournament. (Optional culinary activities will be available.)
Gregorio Fuentes (The Old Man and the Sea) commemorative, birthday lunch
at Restaurante La Terraza in Cojimar Harbor. Afternoon visit to
Hemingway’s home and museum (La Finca Vigia). More cooking (Hopefully
with the day's catch) and cocktail mixing classes. Dinner in the Grand
Dining Room of the Hotel Nacional De Cuba. The Hotel Nacional’s Chefs
and Johnny will prepare this special meal.
Day 6 Breakfast. Morning open. Lunch and cooking demonstration at
Restaurante El Ranchon. Afternoon bartenders class (6:30 PM) at
the Hotel Nacional De Cuba between Cuban and our groups bartenders.
(Group member participants welcome!) Pre dinner Cuban wine tasting party
at Havana's new National Museum of Contemporary Art. Dinner at the
private La Jardin Restaurante at the Tropicana Night Club followed by
the "world famous," Tropicana Review.
"Ernest had a talent for making people feel that any pretension
toward an appetite of life must be backed up with a healthy appetite for
food," - Peter Griffin (Author), Less than a Treason.
Day 7 Breakfast. Morning activities open for golf at Havana's
classic Diplomats Golf Club; Scuba dive or snorkel at the elegant Club
Havana or individual tours. In the afternoon we travel to the
incomparable and very historic private Rancho Azucarero for an authentic
Cuba pig roast, horseback riding, tour the ruins or, just "sit
back" with a tropical drink "in hand." Please refer to
James Michener’s classic book, “Six Days in Havana” to read about
this very special “Rancho.” Return to Havana. No dinner plans.
Day 8 Breakfast. Depart for Cancun, Mexico at either 8:00 AM or
3:05 PM. End of services
You Must Have A Valid Passport!
Program
will include: (1)
night in Cancun at the Hotel Intercontinental Presidente all-inclusive
plan; Transfer to the airport in Cancun; R/T air Cancun to Havana;
Visa; (7) nights lodging at the Hotel Nacional De Cuba; Welcome
cocktail & cigar reception; Daily buffet breakfast; Partagas cigar
tour & reception; El Aljibe dinner; El Floridita lobster lunch; La
Ferminia dinner; Cooking & cocktail classes; La Bodeguita del Medio
lunch; Club Havana dinner; La Terraza lobster lunch; Hemingway Museum
tour; Hotel Nacional dinner; El Ranchon lunch; Tropicana dinner
and Review; Rancho Azucarero visit with lunch; Air conditioned
transportation to all program events; Custom tour Chefs shirt; shirt;
Leather cigar case with cigars; Copy of the “Hemingway Cook Book”;
Translators, Last Frontier Expeditions personal representatives.
Not included
Mexico departure tax
($34.00 if in Mexico over 24 hours). Otherwise $11.00 per person. You
will need to show customs at Cancun airport your entry boarding pass.
Excess baggage charges ($2 per Kg for bags in excess of 24 Kg).
Cuba departure tax $25.00).
Tips to drivers and guides (We generally make a group donation).
Tips at meals (Once again we all throw in a buck or two).
Golf club rentals, green fees and caddy (approximately $55).
Marlin fishing ($75 per person. Four persons per boat).
Scuba diving at Club Havana ($55.00 per two dive session).
Alcoholic beverages and soft drinks (One drink is usually included with
meals)
Personal hotel services to include laundry, telephone, mini bar, etc.
Please reply directly for
availability and deposit information!
Some of Ernest Hemingway's favorite Cuban
meals & drinks
- Cold Cucumber soup.
- Red Snapper grilled with butter and herbs.
- Lobster salad.
- Cochinillo Asada (Roast suckling pig).
- Barca Pilar's Rabbit stew.
- Sloppy Joe's black bean soup.
- La Terraza prawns or lobster in sea water.
- "Old man and the Sea" fried bananas.
- Gregorio Fuentes spaghetti.
- Swordfish a la Pilar. (Hemingway's fishing boat was named the "Pilar."
- Dorado filet in "damn good sauce!"
- Red Snapper stew. Mary Hemingway's line ice dessert.
Drinks
- Hot rum punch a la Bodeguita.
- Mojito a la Bodeguita.
- Ernest Hemingway special Bloody Mary.
- El Floridita daiquiri.
- Cuba Libre Hotel Nacional De Cuba.
- The Ernest Hemingway special gin and tonic.
- The double martini Monsignor.
- The "new, " Old Man and the Sea," commemorative, Blue
Daiquiri in honors of the passing of 104 year old, Gregorio Fuentes
(January 13, 2002). This drink is served to our guests at the
Restaurante La Terraza in Cojimar Harbor where Gregorio lived.
Last Frontier Expeditions & Safaris
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