There was a time not long ago when a visitor to Aruba might have found fish entombed in Gouda cheese on plenty of menus. Those days are most certainly over. Thanks to a very active collection of government officials, farmers and chefs, the native tastes and dishes of Aruba are front and center at more and more restaurants.

This year, we feature two chefs who have not only embraced the comforts of home but have made traditional Aruban flavors central to their cooking. One of them was literally born into Aruban fine dining while the other went abroad to see the world before he could see clearly how to bring the bounty of Aruba to the plate. They are both bold, accomplished and very much at home in Aruba.

Chef Urvin Croes has a simple approach to cooking – think global, cook local. The winner of Aruba's first Iron Chef competition in 2013, Croes studied the culinary arts in Italy and the Netherlands. Then he came home to Aruba and his career blossomed on native soil. Croes made a splash with White, a restaurant that married highbrow gastronomy to locavore ingredients. He has doubled down on this approach at Infini while his casual spot, Po-Ké Ono, riffs on cuisines from Asia and the Pacific Islands. Croes is a man open to the world but in a love with the flavors and traditions of Aruban cuisine.

Chef Eduardo Ellis is a true home cook. This is a guy who learned to cook in the family restaurant as a teenager and never left that kitchen. Indeed, the Ellis family home and its lush gardens host Papiamento, an elegant and popular restaurant. Ellis has embraced the growing farm-to-table initiatives of the Aruban government. Using the bounty of Caribbean spices, vegetables and herbs, Ellis creates wonderful dishes. He estimates that more than half his guests are faithful repeat customers. No surprise there. The Papiamento experience of hospitality is as captivating as the beautiful food Ellis serves.