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Taste St. Thomas

You'd never imagine that such a small island could pack such a powerful punch when it comes to dining and nightlife options. On St. Thomas, one of your biggest dilemmas will be choosing among its bevy of fabulous restaurantsand nightspots.

The dining scene on the island is a feast for the senses and a melting pot of world cuisine, with talented chefs from all over the world working their magic in the island kitchens.

You'll find restaurants serving every type of ethnic food and cooking style, from French to fusion, and of course the flavorful local West Indian cuisine. Expect to find a little Caribbean twist — feast on the local fresh catch of the day, which might be wahoo, mahimahi or yellowfin tuna, topped with a salsa made from fresh tropical fruits and flavored local rums like coconut and citrus.

There are pockets of gastronomic delight throughout the island. Downtown Charlotte Amalie has more than its fair share of cafés, bistros and trendy eateries where you can treat your taste buds to everything from tapas to hearty West Indian fare to stone oven-baked pizzas.

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. Red Hook is the place to go for American beach bar food, as well as fine dining restaurants with amazing wine lists. Frenchtown is famous for seafood, great beef and quaint tropical dining rooms. The north side is known for gourmet dining at its finest, while restaurants in the center of the island serve up seafood and steaks.

After dinner, the party is just getting started on St. Thomas. This island has liveliest nightlife scene 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. 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, and during tourism season, many of the restaurants also feature live music.

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.

Savor St. John

There may be fewer restaurants on St. John compared to its sister islands, but its vibrant dining scene makes up for quantity with quality, flavor and style.

The island is home to more than a handful of exquisite fine dining restaurants, one-of-a-kind tropical eateries and funky fun spots for a nosh. Downtown Cruz Bay is sprinkled with great restaurants and outdoor cafés, all within a few blocks of the ferry dock. Here you'll find spots to feed your cravings for everything from Caribbean lobster tails to big juicy burgers and frosty Caribbean cocktails laced with the flavorful local rum.

Fresh seafood and happy hour are year-round traditions in Cruz Bay, and there are plenty of finger foods to go around thanks to a variety of happy hour eats and West Indian food snack shacks clustered around the area. Be sure to sample some of the local appetizers including conch fritters, johnnycakes and a meat- or chicken-stuffed pâté.

But if you need a gourmet fix, never fear; you're probably not more than steps away from a memorable meal and creative cuisine from around the globe. Mongoose Junction is home to a couple of the island's notable places to dine, including a brewery, a deli, a casual beach-style eatery and a fine dining venue.

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 the Caneel Bay Resort, have internationally acclaimed chefs who 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.

One of the wonderful things about dining on St. John is that you can sip the finest wine 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 probably won't even notice.

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 with yuca and potato mash and flavored with a sauce of parsley, garlic and extra-virgin olive oil
Wine: Gascon Malbec

SPYGLASS
Wharfside Village, Cruz Bay
340-776-1100
Entrées: $26 to $40
Entrée: Pan-seared sea bass with sweet coconut rum and jalapeño sauce, coconut milk, cilantro risotto
Wine: Wellington Chardonnay

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, haricot verts, baby artichokes, Niçoise olives, poached egg and warm herb vinaigrette
Wine: Sauvignon Blanc

Innovative Cuisine on St. Croix

Who would imagine that St. Croix, a seemingly sleepy laid-back tropical island, would be a gastronomic hot spot?

But it's probably among the best-kept secrets of savvy foodies who visit the island, in some cases mainly to pamper their palates and indulge in some of the most creative and flavorful cuisine in the Caribbean. With its bevy of talented chefs and innovative restaurants, it has become a celebrated culinary destination that hosts an annual festival, drawing food and wine enthusiasts from around the world. And with six Wine Spectator awards in 2010, 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 choose from a host of great restaurants serving up a variety of ethnic cuisines including Mediterranean, Thai, Vietnamese, Greek and Japanese. 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.

The Christiansted Boardwalk is home to several casual dining spots famous not only for their gorgeous views of the harbor, but also for heaping helpings of tasty American fare with a West Indian flair, hearty breakfasts and the fresh catch of the day — which might be wahoo, mahimahi or yellowfin tuna. The fish is so fresh you may see your lunch arriving slung over the shoulder of one of the local fishermen as they deliver their bounty to the restaurants along the Boardwalk.

On the west side of the island, the town of Frederiksted has a few quaint oceanfront dining spots known especially for their superb Sunday brunches and stellar sunsets. The east end is home to a couple of longtime restaurants that are beloved by the locals for serving up superb seafood and lobster that melts in your mouth, with incredible ocean views as a backdrop. Cane Bay has several new and innovative restaurants and as a result, the area once known for only beach bar food has now become a preferred spot for noshing on creative gourmet fare.

But no matter where you venture on St. Croix — from the east end to south shore — you're never far from fabulous eats, warm hospitality and a gorgeous tropical setting in which to enjoy it all.