Most of us are used to gravitating towards content headlines like “10 places” or “Why These Places…”, but such headlines don’t capture the authentic experience of exploring our roots. We embark on a personal and intimate spiritual journey when we search for our ancestral roots. Therefore, it should be reflected in our writing, travel experiences, and inner transformation. Taking the time to explore Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic inspired me to follow all my senses and intuitively follow the path set by God to activate the encoded DNA of fellow Latams. A visual and literal journey of starting the Power of Our Roots in Dominican soil is depicted through the compilations of gastronomical places found in Santo Domingo. Beyond Punta Cana’s comfortable resort walls, innovative and ancestral-inspired restaurants were discovered.
Facts about the soil of Santo Domingo's Ancestors.
Santo Domingo’s culture is considered to have contributed to Las Americas. A getaway for foreign exploration and economic interest, Santo Domingo is considered by Britannica as the country of discovery. There is a conflict when you add the words founded and discovered to the Dominican Republic’s history. The Dominican Republic has roots that are unknown or not captured in historical archives. I started my Power of our Roots journey at both my ancestral and historical foundations in the Americas, the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic ranks 69th in terms of GDP. The top three economic markets are mining, agriculture, and tourism. We have an ancestral agricultural system rooted in our ancestors’ agrarian system, one of the most fertile in the Caribbean. According to Foodexport.org, the Dominican Republic’s food processing market is worth $550.2 million. Despite the market size, this island lacks gastronomic content or information about its diverse food industry. The restaurants below can be used as a gastronomic path for discovering Santo Domingo’s ancestral and modern creations.
The Gastronomic Journey goes as follows…
Google rates this establishment 4.2 on the scale of aesthetically curated. A beautiful floral wallpaper covers the walls, embracing the Dominican culture’s primitive love of flowers. To emphasize the natural decor of the island soil, the founder added the essence of tropical palm trees. Through its different levels, the space is exotic yet harmoniously aligned. They offer ancestral products such as corn, spicy honey, cajuil, and other flavors inspired by global cultures as part of their “This or That” options. The langosta risotto is one of the most delicious highlights.
You’ll find the merging of two ancestral cultures, Dominican and Mexican, on the upper level and bold decor inspired by Natalie Portman in the featured movie, The Black Swan. Here you can discover mezcal tastings in an environment that is bold, inspiring, intimate, and eye-catching.
The lushness of this space transports you back to the primitive tropical influences of our ancestors. Maracas’s carefully designed art deco invites you to connect with your brown-skin ancestral spirit. The penetrating sunlight reveals the intimate connection between melanin and the earth’s soil, an experience you can sense in Maracas.
The restaurant elevates the feminine spirit through carefully crafted cocktails, lushness, and vibrating light. Incorporating indigenous flavors with global influences, the menu is designed to appeal to the generational palate.
A multi-dimensional experience is provided by the contrast between the interior and the foyer. Stepping onto the entry platform reveals African influences. I was transported to the Dominican version of Alice in Wonderland, a unique experience. Authentic Dominican dishes feature goat, sweet plantains, and sancocho, with creative layers of global flavors.
.
As the original entry key of Las Americas, Santo Domingo is aggressively advancing this entry key to new heights. Innovation seeds are being planted here by the spirit of creativity. How bold are you to go beyond the safe walls of Punta Cana?