Decisions, decisions. Making tough decisions isn’t exactly what we might expect to be doing on a Caribbean vacation, but deciding where to dine and where to party in St. Thomas can be a daunting task, since there are so many great places. The dining scene in Rock City is a feast for the senses and a melting pot of world cuisine. Here you’ll find restaurants serving every type of ethnic food, from Northern Italian to Mexican and Pan Asian, as well as the flavorful local West Indian cooking and everything in between. Dining venues come in all shapes and styles, from unpretentious backstreet bistros to lavish elegant resort dining rooms, picturesque mountaintop eateries and tiny waterfront snack shacks. There’s one thing you can count on — whether you are in the mood for a sweet Caribbean lobster tail smothered in butter, a crunchy conch fritter dripping with West Indian hot sauce or a big juicy burger topped with bacon and bleu cheese — you are certain to find exactly what your appetite craves somewhere nearby.
Leading chefs from around the world call St. Thomas home and practice their artistry in kitchens around the island. Expect to find a little Caribbean twist to many of these top chefs’ creations. Feast on recipes laced with fresh tropical fruits such as mango, banana and pineapple, flavored local rums such as coconut and citrus, as well as the treasures from the surrounding sea, including fresh tender conch. Keep an eye out for the fresh catch of the day, which might be wahoo, mahimahi or yellowfin tuna.
There are plenty of restaurants to choose from in Charlotte Amalie, but St. Thomas has several other very notable clusters of gastronomic delight. Downtown has more than its fair share of cafés, where you can treat your taste buds to a variety of tapas in casual laid-back cafés, or get your fill of big juicy old-fashioned burgers or stone oven-baked pizzas. There’s no shortage of fine-dining options in the capital city with a variety of authentic ethnic cuisines to choose from, including French, Italian and Spanish, among others. Nearby, Havensight is a perfect spot to kick back, relax and enjoying casual dining at its best with plenty of good eating fresh off the barbecue or grill. On the Island’s East End, prepare your palate for delectable steaks, pasta dishes and seafood, or if you’re in the mood, a gourmet wrap sandwich. Red Hook is the place to go for Japanese, Italian and some great wine selections. Frenchtown is famous for seafood and mouthwatering Angus beef. The North side is known for gourmet dining at its finest, while restaurants in the center of the island overlooking the picturesque Charlotte Amalie Harbor serve up seafood and steaks that are as memorable as the breathtaking view.
The evening is far from over once dessert is served. St. Thomas is the U.S. Virgin Island with the liveliest nightlife and plenty of funky watering holes, as well as sophisticated spots for sipping from a snifter. Yacht Haven is a good place to find evening excitement and plenty of good company, cocktails, conversation and music. Frenchtown is where the who’s who of the island rub shoulders, sample fine wines and revel in the tropical twilight. The East End is another hot spot for nightlife, where you will stumble upon wine bars, a lounge, billiards bar and a large sports bar with regularly scheduled live music. There are a few nightclubs spinning soca, reggae, house and Latin music, and during tourism season, many of the restaurants also feature live music several nights per week. Can’t decide what you want for a tropical nightcap? You may want to try one of the more popular local libations, including rum-laced favorites such as a piña colada, a Bushwacker or if you dare, a Painkiller. Whatever you choose — relax, kick back, and enjoy it island-style.
Although you will find Italian, French, Mexican, Chinese and most other popular cuisines, make sure to try some island favorites:
Conch: A local shellfish that can be eaten raw, marinated in lime or stewed and curried.
Kingfish/wahoo/king mackerel: A delicious meaty fish that is found in deep waters. It is typically stewed, fried, baked or grilled and served with a side of rice or macaroni and cheese.
Salt fish: This is typically imported salted cod, but a staple in an islander's diet. The fish must be soaked in water before cooking, then either boiled or roasted on a fire with spices.
Caribbean spiny lobsters: These lobsters are unique in that they are clawless and coarse in texture, but the flavor is exceptionally sweet and delicious.
Mutton: It's meat from a domestic sheep that is more than 1 year old (sheep less than 1 year old are called lambs). Mutton tends to have a rich flavor and is often curried.
Jerk seasoning: A fiery dry rub that is applied to meats such as chicken, beef, pork or goat. The main ingredients in the seasoning are scotch bonnet peppers and allspice.
Pates: Fried turnovers stuffed with spicy beef, chicken, salt fish or tofu.
Callaloo soup: Made of leaves from the dasheen plant mixed with okra, local herbs and often various meats or seafood.
Pepper sauce: A local condiment that is as important as salt and pepper. Most pepper sauces are made from scotch bonnet peppers.
Bullfoot Soup: This soupy stew is made with bull's feet, as the name implies, along with a medley of vegetables such as carrots, onions, yams, sweet potatoes and white potatoes.
Fungi: Stiff cornmeal mush made from finely milled cornmeal is the best way to describe this side dish. Often flecked with bits of fresh okra, fungi is the sidekick to boiled fish much as French fries partner with hamburgers. Fungi is also served rolled into a ball as a base for kallaloo.
Goat Water: Goat meat is this thick brown stew's main ingredient. Even though the flavor is quite robust, goat water is often enjoyed as a breakfast food.
Johnny Cakes: This deep-fried unleavened bread is a favorite breakfast food. It also makes a fulfilling meal sided up to fried fish and chicken legs.
Kallaloo: Long ago, indigenously-grown kallaloo leaves were used to make this green soupy stew, hence the dish's name. Today, kallaloo is based with spinach that is seasoned with pig tail, pig snout and other pig parts.
Potato Stuffing: Sweet and spicy, this side dish is usually served alongside roast pork, fried chicken or fish rather than used to stuff anything. White potatoes form the base with tomato paste, hot pepper sauce, raisins and olives stirred in for color and flavor.
Roti: The true definition of roti is a tortilla-type flat bread. However, roti on the menu most often means a sandwich where curried meat, poultry or seafood is wrapped inside the bread.
Whelks: A real delicacy, you'll find this large marine snail sizzled in garlic butter tucked into a hearty dish of flavorful rice.
Delicious Diversions on on St. John
One of the wonderful things about dining in St. John is that you can sip the finest champagne and feast on a five-star meal wearing your shorts and flip-flops and no one is going to try to stop you — in fact, they won’t even look twice. There may be fewer restaurants on St. John than its sister islands, but the pristine dining scene makes up for it with top-notch quality.
There are many top-notch fine-dining rooms, casual eateries and funky spots to choose from in St. John and all have a common theme: tasty food in a fabulous tropical ambience. Downtown Cruz Bay is sprinkled with great restaurants and outdoor cafés, all just a short jaunt from the ferry dock. Here you’ll find spots to feed your cravings for everything from sweet Caribbean lobster to spunky barbecued chicken to the flavorful local West Indian cuisine. Happy hour is year-round tradition in Cruz Bay, and there’s plenty of finger food to go around with a variety of happy-hour eats and local food snack shacks clustered around the area. But if you’re in the mood for an upscale meal, never fear. You’re also in walking distance to several top-notch dining rooms with creative cuisine from around the globe. Mongoose Junction is home to a couple of the island’s notable places to dine, including a brewery, deli and two fine-dining venues. When you venture out beyond Cruz Bay to Coral Bay, you’ll find a pleasant selection of places to please your palate, especially casual dining spots that reflect the island’s sophisticated laid-back style. The island’s two resorts, the Westin St. John and Caneel Bay Resort, both have internationally acclaimed chefs that can turn dinner into an unforgettable gourmet experience. These elegant resorts also serve magnificent Sunday brunches that could easily be one of the culinary highlights of your trip.
CRAZY CRACKER’S BAR & RESTAURANT Cruz Bay, One block off the Ferry Dock
340-715-3361 • www.crazycrackersvi.com Entrées: $9 to $20 Entrée: Isca De Pesce - Seasoned local fish, flash fried and tossed with our sensational pineapple salsa, served with chipotle mayo over a bed of greens Beverage: The Pink Chihuahua - A martini with a blend of Absolut Citron and guava puree, shaken with simple syrup and muddled lemon
THE FISH TRAP RESTAURANT One block from the Ferry Dock, Cruz Bay
340-693-9994 • www.thefishtrap.com Entrées: $15 to $30 Entrée: Wok-seared tuna on stir-fried vegetables with a soy glaze and wasabi mayonnaise Beverage: Fish Trap Lemonade – coconut rum and frozen lemonade
THE LIME INN Lemon Tree Mall, Downtown Cruz Bay
340-776-6425, 340-779-4199 • www.thelimeinn.com Entrées: $10 to $32 Entrée: Jerk-seasoned, pan-seared fresh local whole red snapper cooked to perfection and served with wild blend rice Wine: Caymus Conundrum
MORGAN’S MANGO Across from the National Park Dock, Cruz Bay
340-693-8141 • www.morgansmango.com Entrées: $15 to $32 Entrée: Fresh local lobster and filet mignon served on a sweet potato tower and flavored with a sauce of parsley, garlic and extra-virgin olive oil Wine: Dolium Malbec
ST. JOHN WATERFRONT BISTRO Wharfside Village, Cruz Bay
340-777-7755 • www.thewaterfrontbistro.com Entrées: $29 to $39 Entrée: Yellowfin Tuna nicoise – Fresh yellowfin served with fingerling potatoes, roasted grape tomatoes, haricots verts, baby artichokes, Nicoise olives, poached egg and warm herb vinaigrette Wine: Sauvignon Blanc
Delicious Diversions on St. Croix
At first glance St. Croix may seem sleepy and laid-back, but in reality, it sizzles with excitement when it comes to great spots to nosh and tremendously talented chefs. It’s no secret that foodies in the know flock here to pamper their palates and indulge in some of the most creative and flavorful cooking in the Caribbean. And with a record six Wine Spectator awards in 2009, St. Croix tops the list in the region for number of recognitions per capita. A culinary tour of the island is a decadent and delicious way to experience this gastronomically gifted destination. In just a few square blocks of downtown Christiansted you can cruise the sidewalks and choose from a host of great restaurants serving up a variety of ethnic cuisines including Mediterranean, Thai, Vietnamese, Greek and Japanese, among others. There are also several great spots for sampling local West Indian dishes, as well as locally raised tilapia and fresh veggies grown on the island’s hydroponic farm. Nearby Gallows Bay is a also a hot spot for food aficionados with several casual dining spots famous for heaping helpings of hearty American fare, bountiful breakfasts and the fresh catch of the day, which might be wahoo, mahimahi, or yellowfin tuna. On the west side of the island, the town of Frederiksted has several quaint oceanfront dining spots known especially for their superb Sunday brunches and stellar sunsets. But no matter where you venture in St. Croix — from the east end to south shore — you are never far from fabulous eats, warm hospitality and a gorgeous tropical setting in which to enjoy it.
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