|
DiscoverUSVIMagazine.com
Delicious Diversions on St. Thomas
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.
|
