Inside Autentico’s Bucket List Private Dinner at Aruba Marriott
The Aruba Marriott Resort hosted this year's private Bucket List Dinner to kick off the 2026 Autentico Culinary Festival, and the team decided to take us somewhere different for a change. What a Night!
This annual, invitation only dinner brings together selected guests, international and local media and partners ahead of the festival. It's a chance to get a first taste of what's coming, and this year, the Aruba Marriott had a very particular vision for the evening.
The theme was a 1930s speakeasy supper club, and the hotel's lobby, known as the Great Room, was transformed into something you might expect to find in a big city. Curtains enclosed the space, red tones and candlelight set the mood, crystal and roses dressed the tables, and a violinist played while guests mingled over champagne flowing like rivers. It was quite different from the usual island dinner with sunset views, and I loved seeing the Marriott team take that approach.
The details started before dinner even began. During cocktail hour, Chef Diego Palacios was building a tree made of chocolate, placing the pieces one by one by hand. It quickly became a whole social media moment, with guests taking photos and sharing stories as the display came together. I was watching it happen, too. You could tell there was a lot of work behind it, and it was a pretty good preview of what was still to come.
After the welcome speeches and acknowledgments to the people who make Auténtico happen year after year, Chef Marcus Samuelsson was introduced. He's an award winning chef, restaurateur, author and familiar face on television, known for a career shaped by his Ethiopian roots, his upbringing in Sweden and the many cultures that have influenced his cooking.
In person, he was warm and easygoing. He took time to answer questions, pose for photos and speak with everyone. It never felt like a celebrity appearance.
Once we sat down, I did what I usually do: I left the menu alone. I like going into a dinner without reading what's coming, because I want to see the dishes as they arrive, without having already imagined what they should look or taste like.
The first bites
The first hors d'oeuvre was Chef Marcus Samuelsson's Swediopian, a nod to his Swedish and Ethiopian roots, with chili cured salmon, shimaruku and rye. It was a fresh way to start the evening, with flavors that felt bright and clean.
There's a reason oysters, carpaccio and ceviche are such good ways to start a meal. They're cold, fresh and bright, and they wake up your palate without making you feel full before dinner has even started. This was that kind of first bite.
Next came the Kifto, smoked Wagyu beef with spiced butter, caviar and chives. It had that classic tartare feel, with the Wagyu meeting the saltiness and brininess of the caviar. I loved that contrast. The beef had a rich flavor, while the caviar brought a salty, briny bite that worked so well with it.
Then came Herencia Criollo, a croquette of stewed local goat with a touch of pika di papaya. This one had the Aruban touch. Goat stew is part of our food culture, and I was happy to see it represented at a dinner welcoming people from all over the world. It was one of the best bites of the night.
And the Pika di Papaya was a great touch. Our beloved local hot sauce has a flavor all its own, and if you know, you know. I love the stuff! and if you ever set foot on an Aruban home to have a meal, it'll make an appearance at the table.
Let's talk cocktails
Before moving on to the mains, I want to talk about the cocktails, because the Marriott lobby is pretty iconic for its drinks!
My favorite was the Moonlit Botanica, a gin cocktail with passion fruit, chamomile and fresh lime, finished with a silky foam. It came in a martini glass and looked as good as it tasted. The passion fruit gave it a bright, fruity note, while the chamomile added something a little different. It was not too sweet, and I could happily have had another.
The second drink I tried was the Midnight Reserve, an Old Fashioned with sugarcane notes and a cinnamon stick. The presentation worked well with the speakeasy theme, but what I particularly liked was that the cinnamon stick hadn't been burned. Burning cinnamon can produce a very strong aroma that takes over the drink, so I appreciated being able to enjoy the cinnamon without it overpowering everything else.
There were three featured cocktails for the evening, and I tried two of them. The full bar was open, too, which I loved! I'm all for wine pairings and cocktail pairings. They can be a great way to discover new drinks, but I also love when you have the freedom to choose what you feel like drinking. That meant more champagne flowing!
Lane Snapper Ayaca Style
Then came Chef Marcus Samuelsson's Lane Snapper Ayaca Style, and this one was particularly special to me as a Venezuelan.
Ayaca is one of those dishes that tells you the holidays are here. It's part of our Christmas table in Venezuela, just as it is in Aruba. Our food cultures have a lot in common, and this is one of those dishes that means something to both of us. The sweet corn, cashew, banana leaf and curry all made sense with the fish. I actually got to tell Marcus how much I appreciated that interpretation. It felt like a genuine nod to the region, and I thought it was a great way to approach a dish with so much meaning for people here.
I also loved the arroz moro croquette. I spoke with Gregori Peña, Vice President of Culinary for the Marcus Samuelsson Group, who shared how he likes to bring a Dominican touch to the dishes. Arroz moro is familiar to us in Aruba, too, so that little detail made sense.
And let's be honest, Caribbean people love a plate with a few different starches. Rice, beans, plantain, potatoes, cassava, whatever works. We might have two or three of those on the same plate, and nobody is complaining. That is us!
For me, this was one of Marcus Samuelsson's wins of the festival.
Marea Caribe
The second main course was Marea Caribe, created by Aruba Marriott's own culinary team, Cristiano Guidetti and Rollyn Angela. After the more rustic Caribbean flavors of the ayaca, we expected a touch of elegance for the dinner, and this was it!
Now, you might think lobster and lobster would be overkill, but it wasn't. It was two beautiful ways of enjoying something people already love: a perfectly cooked piece of lobster and a good lobster ravioli.
What a great way to close out the main courses.
Dessert, with a little whimsy
And then it was time for dessert. Instead of the usual one or two, the pastry team gave us a selection of seven, with flavors ranging from tomato and piña colada to cashew, lemon and strawberry.
The one that took the trophy for me was the Chuculati Pinda, inspired by the Aruban drink made with chocolate and peanut. Pinda means peanut in Papiamento, and I loved seeing that flavor interpreted as a dessert.
The display itself was just as exciting. Everything looked polished, but there was also a sense of whimsy to it. I've been seeing people talk about how we need more whimsy in our lives, and I agree.
You know those glossy pastries you see in a pâtisserie window, all lined up and making you want to try one of everything? That's what this display reminded me of. I'd watched the pastry team building it during cocktail hour, so seeing it finished and arriving at our table was especially fun.
What a night!
I know I say this a lot, but what a night.
The Marriott has built a reputation for its culinary events, and for good reason. Whenever the resort puts on an experience, you know the team is going to put in the work to make the best happen.
This private dinner was another example. From the speakeasy setting to the ayaca inspired snapper, the lobster ravioli and that dessert display, there was plenty to talk about. When we look back on this year's Autentico next year, I know this dinner will be part of the conversation.
And as I said more than once throughout the festival, Autentico keeps getting better every year. Congratulations to the Aruba Marriott team for kicking things off in such a memorable way.
All original images shot by Enrique Balestrini and property of Aruba Marriott Resort.
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