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Caribbean Travel RoundupNewsletter - Paul Graveline, Editor |
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After checking CTR and other internet sites for a desirable vacation in the Caribbean we decided on Sandals Halcyon in St. Lucia and for the most part were not disappointed. The week we went down (Dec.12-19/99) they were not anywhere near full occupancy so we got spoilt by all the attention that was given to us by a wonderful staff who really seemed motivated and enjoyed their jobs.Take note: swimming and scuba diving were hampered by the ocean which was still unusually rough (beware the Jellyfish-I got bitten) because of recent hurricanes although the island escaped relatively unscathed. We had a Premium Gardenview room which we were very satisfied with. Throughout, the property is very well maintained with some of the Oceanview rooms undergoing renovation at the time we were there. The Oceanview rooms are a lot more money for the view but all the rooms at the resort all looked to be of the same size. Advertised as a 'romantic couples only' resort, don't expect anything close to Couples or Hedonism. This place was like a summer camp and you'd better keep your clothes on...very inconvenient when it's hot and the sun is shining. I don't know the reason for their prudishness, but we felt like we were being treated like children. Anyways for every letdown there is a surprise which was the excellent food we enjoyed at the Bayside (breakfast/lunch/dinner) and the Pier restaurant (dinners). Some evenings we took the free shuttle to Sandals St. Lucia on the other side of Castries (a 15 minute ride) and were absolutely bowled over by the excellent cuisine to be had at La Toc and Pitons. The bus ride back to the Halcyon was always a pleasure as one goes through Castries- a typical Caribbean port city where a large majority of St. Lucians live. Sandals St. Lucia is a much bigger resort so we were always glad to return to the Halcyon as it had a more relaxed, homey feel about it. To best describe the difference between the two resorts: Sandals St. Lucia is the suit and evening gown set whereas Halcyon is khaki pants and cotton dresses. About the island itself, it is very lush and relatively unspoiled and other than the inevitable street hawkers that seem to come out of nowhere to try and sell you something we found St.Lucians to be very friendly and proud of their island. The beaches were somewhat of a disappointment so we settled instead on touring around and taking in the lushness and wonderful ocean views this island has to offer. The cab drivers were polite and their vehicles are all fairly new. Our cab driver, Andy (Andy's Taxi Service cell #484- 6736/pager # 481-3888) was excellent at maneuvering around the many hairpin turns on the island and he made our sightseeing excursions extremely enjoyable. It is not advisable to try and drive the island yourself as the roads are increasingly congested with cars and you will spend part of your vacation stuck in traffic...just like home! Walking is also a risky activity as while the roads on the island have been upgraded, they have not built sidewalks in many places so once again, a cab is the safest way of getting from point A to B. There is an overall feeling on the island that staying at an all inclusive is taking money away from local businesses however if you go for a week or so I feel a lot of time would be spent just trying to find decent restaurants which we weren't prepared to do. Remember that St. Lucia is not as commercial as some of the other islands and there are no Pizza Huts or Dunkin'Donuts here which is part of the appeal of coming to this island in the first place. One word to Canadians about choosing an airline: this trip we flew down on Skyservice and came back on Canada 3000. I would recommend both airlines as their planes are much newer than most competing carriers, so the risk of being delayed by "mechanical problems" should be less likely. Hewanorra airport is extremely clean and modern and it reflects the rest of the island which I found to be well run and organized. The only thing is it is about 90 minutes away from most of the major resorts (except Club Med I believe). Another thing I have found out about traveling is that the Internet is probably the most reliable source of information to be had on choosing a destination and up to date conditions on weather, beaches, safety, etc. Do not rely on your travel agent for information on an island if you don't want to be disappointed. This especially applies to beach conditions as some (Cupecoy in Sint Maarten for example) beaches have either been reduced in size or wiped out altogether by recent changes in the weather. Check out St. Lucia for a genuine Caribbean experience that does not have the pitfalls of the more commercial islands
INTRODUCTION
My wife Pam and I left for Saint Martin on January 1, 2000 for a
fantastic two-week vacation. This was our sixth year vacationing in
Saint Martin during January. My personal web site has the full
version of this travelogue, with pictures and hyperlinks; go to
http://www.mollica.net/travel.htm
As usual, this year's travelogue covers the weather, rental cars,
beaches, restaurants, and miscellaneous topics. I'll start with my
"favorite finds" on this vacation, which I hope will make your
vacation even better. There are lots of great things about Saint
Martin that I don't cover each year - but you can find information
about those things on my web site in my travelogues from 1995, 1996,
1997, 1998, and 1999.
This Year's Favorite Finds
East Caribbean Cellular (ECC)
Bring your cellular phone! I've had this tip on my Saint Martin Tips
page for a long while, but this is the first chance I've had to
actually try them out. They're great!
ECC sets up your cellular phone so that it works locally. Visit
their web site, stop by their office on Richardson Street in
Philipsburg, or just dial "0" when you get to Saint Martin. Here's
an introductory paragraph from the flyer they gave us when we used
their service:
There is no registration for daily roamers. To register for "credit
card roaming" service, dial "0" on your cellphone to register (7 am
to midnight). Charges must be billed to a credit card (Mastercard,
Visa, Discover, or American Express) and a detailed invoice will be
mailed to your home address. There is a $3 daily fee only for days
of actual usage.
We absolutely loved this service. Calls to the United States cost us
$2.00 per minute instead of the $3.20/minute charged by our resort.
Incoming calls from the States were only $0.60/minute! Local calls
were $0.75/minute. You only pay the $3 roaming fee once a day - and
only if you use the phone that day. Connections were crystal clear.
Dona Bryhiel - Artiste
Dona Bryhiel is the artist who painted the cover shown on this
year's Ti Gourmet. She has exhibited in Paris, New York, Stuttgart,
Madrid, Sienna, Tokyo... We went to her shop in Oyster Bay on a road
that "goats wouldn't take," according to my wife. Follow the signs
to Captain Oliver's and then continue about a mile past the good
captain's turnoff to find Dona's gallery. A new road is being built,
but until then, even the lousy road is well worth the trip. You can
buy her original oil paintings, watercolors, pastels, lithographs, T-
shirts, postcards, and other souvenirs.
Dona is a very sweet, engaging person. She speaks excellent English
and she loves to chat with her customers as she walks with you
through her gallery. We bought several paintings, including a copy
of her "logo," pictured on the left. The subject of that painting
was a Puerto Rican woman living in Saint Martin.
Dona has a web site, but it won't be set up properly until the
spring of 2000. Meanwhile, you can e-mail Dona at
donabryhielart@best-caribbean.com. Her telephone number in Saint
Martin is: (590) 87 43 93.
Supermarche Match
I have always recommended that folks go to one of the large
supermarkets on the Dutch side to fill their refrigerators and
cabinets, but this time Pam and I tried two French Match
supermarkets that we think are much better than their Dutch
counterparts.
The one in Marigot in Howell's Center (on the main road near the
school) was a riot. The night we went there was a small band with a
female singer doing Mustang Sally! The parking is a challenge but
the atmosphere, selection, and freshness of the food makes this
place a winner. Another Match supermarket is located in Marigot on
the main road near the marina. Pam and I recommend that you forget
the Dutch side supermarkets if you can get to the French Match
groceries - much better.
Richard's Crepes Cafe
This little gem of a cafe, described in the restaurants section is
hidden away in Royal Village II in Simpson Bay. They are open from
7am to 7pm and I bet if you go there you'll love it.
Magic Spice
Now I'm sharing a secret with you that I discovered several years
ago. At the Marigot Market find the spice vendor you see in the
picture and buy some 'Magic Spice'. He wouldn't identify the
ingredients for me ("That's why it's called Magic Spice."), but we
put Magic Spice into a family recipe called "Dad's Superburgers"
and, I'm tellin' ya, you can't make enough of these darn hamburgers
to keep everybody happy! They are delicious, and the ingredient that
makes them so special is Magic Spice. You can buy a ice cream-sized
scoop for $2 (we picked up 10 scoops!).
WEATHER
Thirteen of 14 days were gorgeous at least half of the day and
usually all day; the remaining day was too overcast to go to the
beach. It's always partly cloudy in Saint Martin, thank God, and the
breeze has been consistently greater than it was before the 1999
hurricanes. It seemed to us that the worst part of the weather often
occurred between 8am-9am, and then the clouds and rain would move
out. The weather overall was heavenly.
RENTAL CAR
We used Adventure Car Rental (011-43688) this year and were very
satisfied with their service. You can reserve a vehicle via their
web site, but be sure to do so at least several days in advance (I
waited for the last minute and because their server was down for a
couple of days my reservation didn't get processed). Regardless, we
rented a brand new Suzuki Grand Vitara Jeep that had been delivered
to Adventure only the week before. It was gorgeous - a bit pricey at
$360 per week during high season compared to the $270/week we paid
last year at Empress for a much older jeep. Adventure was quoting
$70/day for new Wrangler jeeps (which I used for one day), but we
liked the Grand Vitara much better. We felt that the new jeep added
so much enjoyment to our vacation that it was worth the extra
expense.
Use that rental vehicle to head for Marigot Market. Best days are
Saturdays and Wednesdays.
Adventure has a booth at the airport and their free shuttle will
take you to and from the airport. Sara (from England) or one of the
other very friendly people at Adventure will take good care of you,
and their dog Mocha will expect a scratch behind the ears!
BEACHES
ORIENT BEACH
Orient was in great shape and the place was jumping on the days we
were there. We hung out (so to speak) at the Orient Beach Club's
area of the beach. It was great. Adding to the enjoyment was a
golden blonde, topless young lovely named Tatyana (from Belgium),
who serves food and drink up and down that part of the beach during
the high season. She is just as sweet and polite as she is pretty
and she did a speedy job of bringing our food and drink orders.
BAIE ROUGE
The 1999 hurricanes caused some changes at this beach but it is
still wonderful. Standing at the top of the hill overlooking the
beach, you'll think at first glance that the beachfront consists
almost entirely of large boulders. You'll find, however, that there
are several sandy entrances to the water among the boulders and the
beach itself is still gorgeous. I was there on a Sunday and there
were dozens of people there, mostly French and American, I think.
The two lo-lo's (Gus' Place and Raymond's) are still going strong,
the price for a bottle of beer is still $2, and menus at these
restaurants are getting more and more sophisticated.
This is a nice family beach. Tops Optional. Oh, and the parking lot
has been expanded.
PRUNE BAY
Prune Bay was simply exquisite. Perfect.
I know... I rave about this beach every year. This is the Le
Pressoir of beaches. Like the restaurant Le Pressoir, it is not to
be missed. Mostly French and American, and more people this year
than in years past (maybe they read my travelogues?!). There are no
facilities and no concessions. It is a gorgeous beach with great
swimming conditions. An excellent place for the family. Tops
Optional.
As I mentioned last year, Prune Bay is hard to get to because there
are no signs after the one on the main road; but at least this year
the road has been regraded so that it's not just a string of
potholes. These directions are better (quicker) than the ones I gave
you last year.
"Use your map to get to the Prune Bay "exit" from the main road
(between Baie Rouge and Long Bay). There's a sign at the exit road
and now there's also a guardhouse that operates between 6:00pm and
6:00am each day. When you see the sign and/or guard house, leave the
main road.
1Take the left fork in the road for one mile, at which point you'll
see a cement wall on the right side that is about eight feet tall.
The wall is weird - just two small sections that intersect with each
other to form a wedge. The wall is at an intersection with Rue Dufy.
Turn right onto Rue Dufy.
2Take your first left and follow it all the way. The beach is at the
end of this winding road.
Stop someplace to get food and drink before you go to Prune Bay -
there are no facilities there. You might consider also bringing your
own umbrella, because there isn't much shade.
FRIAR'S BAY
There are three beach restaurants at Friars Bay: Kali's Beach Bar,
Cranberry Cafe, and Friar's Bay Beach Cafe. They are all good, but
we prefer Friar's Bay Beach Cafe, which is an experience in itself.
I would recommend - strongly - that you head for the area in front
of Friars Bay Beach Cafe (FBBC).
As I said last year, the beach is excellent and there is good
snorkeling at both ends of the beach. The beach is in excellent
shape after the 1999 hurricanes. The lounge chairs and umbrellas in
front of the FBBC are free if you eat at the FBBC...and I assure you
that the food there is excellent. They have an extensive menu with
very reasonable prices. And the music...just as eclectic as ever!
One reason that this beach is so much fun is because of the broad
mix of people who go there: French, Italians, Latin Americans, and
folks from the USA. It's a nice family place. Tops Optional ...
lots.
HAPPY BAY
What a romantic spot! Happy Bay was in great shape and was just as
deserted as in years past. Most folks don't want to take the 20
minute hike over the hill from Friar's Bay to get to Happy Bay, so
it is common to have only one or two couples on the entire beach. To
find Happy Bay:
0First, go to Friar's Bay...park your vehicle...and then walk to the
path up the hill that starts right behind the Cranberry Cafe.
1When you get to a point where the path splits, you can go left to
follow the longer, more interesting path (which also passes a few
very small coves that are full of sea shells); or you can bear to
the right. The path gets hard to see in the tall grass, but follow
your instincts - you can't get lost.
2On both paths you'll step over a small rock wall that is topped
with a trampled down string of barbed wire. On the right path you'll
see some houses that are being rebuilt after Hurricane Luis
destroyed them...just follow the path that passes the houses to the
ocean. In either case the walk takes about 15-20 minutes.
There still are no facilities (so stop somewhere before going).
CUPECOY BEACH
Biggest disappointment of the vacation this year! This was my
favorite beach last year but the 1999 hurricanes really made a mess
of Cupecoy. Sand erosion left boulders at the water's edge and what
little beach is left is mostly ugly; the treeline suffered severe
damage from erosion; the concession was destroyed (but the locals
still set up a small lo-lo on the beach). I'm talking about the
beach furthest from the Sapphire resort. It's mostly a naturalist
beach, but there are plenty of people who wear their bathing suits.
This was funny. A couple of timeshare hawkers named Pascal and
Sandra (from France) - the most enthusiastic, likeable shysters I
ever met - gave us a scratch-off card in the parking lot next to
Sapphire Beach Club. Sure enough, we won "a valuable prize" ("Oh!
Oh! C'est impossible!") and qualified for a timeshare presentation
at the Sapphire...which we didn't do.)
A small number of people still go to Cupecoy and you could check it
out to see if it's okay for you. But don't rent your chair and
umbrella until you actually see the condition of the beach.
PELICAN RESORT BEACH
I'll just repeat what I said in last year's travelogue. Nothing's
changed.
Real beach aficionados probably wonder why I mention this beach
every year, but I'm tellin' 'ya, this is a good little beach -
especially if you have little kids. The Pelican provides free lounge
chairs and umbrellas, a very nice beach protected by rock jetties on
both sides, and two beach bars - the thatched one serves up the best
barbecued burgers I've had on the island. And of course you have all
the other amenities of the Pelican Resort right there.
RESTAURANTS, CAFES, BARS
My descriptions of restaurants, cafes, and bars are in no particular
order this year. You'll find my favorite restaurant on the
island...a place where topless women drink for free...an informal
cafe that serves gourmet food...(they're not all the same
place)...read on.
Pizza-Pasta Italian Trattoria (behind Cheri's at Maho Bay) Wow! What
a good place for a simple dinner of delicious food. An informal,
cash-only restaurant, we ate there twice, each time for less than
$40 (including drinks). The Penne Bologna was especially
outstanding. And Pam says they serve the best fresh-brewed ice tea
on the island. Selena (born in Italy, raised in Africa) and Marcia
(from Jamaica) provided superlative, friendly service. This is a kid-
friendly restaurant that provides crayons to the kids (the resulting
artwork adorns the walls). Get there early or make a reservation.
Ren & Stimpy's (or Berry's Island Grill) in Simpson Bay We're still
in denial. We loved the old Ren & Stimpy's on the Pizza Hut road in
Simpson Bay, so we went to see if maybe Ren & Stimpy's had reopened;
instead we found a restaurant named Berry's Island Grill. The
waitress said that Ren & Stimpy's went out of business and that now
the original owners have the place.
When we asked for a menu, the friendly waitress warned that they
don't have any of the things listed on the menu. Berry's is a local
seafood shack now, specializing mostly in swordfish, mahi-mahi,
snapper, and so on. The waitress then tapped her breasts and said
that they also have chicken breasts. This was clearly a neighborhood
lo-lo that didn't cater to tourists, so we finished our drinks and
moved on.
Ric's Place (Philipsburg)We had a couple of western omelettes for
$5.50 each for breakfast one day. The food is good, the service is
excellent, and the view from the deck is great.
Lynette's (Simpson Bay) We usually eat at Lynette's once each trip.
We had appetizers of spinach salad and crab cakes, which were so-so.
I love the lobster creole, which is to die for, and Pam said the
baby back ribs were excellent. Prices are reduced from last year:
the lobster creole was $25 instead of $30; the ribs were $12. The
ambiance is very nice (though you wouldn't guess that from the
outside), the quality of the food is great, and the service is very
good.
Lynette's (like many restaurants in St Martin) has a 15% surcharge,
which you will see on the check but not on the credit card slip. Add
more tip if you want - just remember when you're signing the credit
card slip that it already includes 15%.
Turtle Pier (Simpson Bay) We love Turtle Pier - unfortunately, the
whole time we were there it was closed to repair damage caused by
the hurricanes. It will be open by the time you go. As I said last
year: The kids will love all the birds and animals that line the
walkway into the restaurant. Be sure to take a seat right at the
water if you bring kids - they'll love to toss bread to the fish.
Turtle Pier serves an outstanding breakfast with plenty of coffee
refills. Lunches are also dependably delicious - everything is
flavorful, fairly portioned, and reasonably priced. For example, a
lunch of hamburger and onion rings costs $6.50. All that and you get
a great view too.
Le Fregate (On the waterfront in Marigot)
The food and desserts at Le Fregate were outstanding and the service
was excellent. We both had an outstanding beef tenderloin covered
with duck liver, a couple of desserts (the tiramsu was excellent),
and drinks for $82. The ambiance was relaxing. We thought the place
was comparatively pricey, but worth a trip.
Paradise View Restaurant (on the main road to Orient Beach) This
place is quite an experience. There is a mini-market lined up along
the walk to the restaurant, which itself is a very nice, informal
place that serves lunch and dinner. The clothes prices in the market
were very reasonable. The restaurant has tables inside and out, and
provides a fantastic view of Orient Bay.
A hamburger or cheeseburger with 2 side dishes cost $10 (a little
high), but the food that Sinclair cooks is great and Paulette and
Claudette give good, friendly service. They're really nice people.
It's a fun place and worth at least one stop on your vacation -
bring your camera!
Sunset Beach Bar (Maho) As you know from last year's travelogue, we
really enjoy this place. It is getting quite a following and stays
pretty busy all day. Famous for its sign that says, "topless women
drink for free," the Sunset Beach Bar has picnic tables on a large
deck overlooking Maho Bay and Juliana Airport. It is a lot of fun to
watch the huge jets and small commuter flights taking off and
landing. The WinAir commuter planes' landing are the best...those
pilots pay no attention to the proper approach and glide path...they
just come winging in from all angles, line up on the runway at the
last possible minute, and touch down as close as possible to the
start of the runway. They're a riot.
The steak sandwiches were delicious but the meat is sliced too
thickly so they are too difficult to eat. Try the hamburgers, which
are supposed to be the best on the island (see newspaper extract
below).
According to a feature called "Paper Plate Dining" in the January
6th issue of the Daily Herald, here are three "restaurants that
serve excellent food for under $20 a couple": 0Sunset Beach Bar -
"...without question the best hamburger on the island..." 1Gerard's
Pizza Stand at the Bateau Lavoir in Marigot 2Texas Pit Barbecue in
Cole Bay
Michael's Cafe (Grand Case) Michael's Cafe took a beating from the
1999 hurricanes, but it's still open and just as good as ever.
Michael and Marilyn Petone (in the picture) are a couple of American
expatriates from Harvard, Massachusetts who opened a cafe in Grand
Case during the summer of 1997. You can read more about them in my
1998 and 1999 travelogues. Give yourself a treat by stopping in to
enjoy delicious food and great conversation about life on the
island.
This time around we stopped for lunch and grabbed a couple of Cheese
Pepper Steak submarines with fries and cole slaw ($8 each) -
delicious! Michael and Marilyn serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
We've tried all three and have always enjoyed the fine quality of
food at prices quite a bit lower than the fancy restaurants in Grand
Case. In fact, our son Joey gives Michael's Cafe his now famous 5-
Star Joey Rating for the best breakfast on the island. Tell 'em Joey
sent you and Michael and Marilyn will know exactly who you're
talking about!
Friar's Bay Beach CafeThis is the epitome of a great beach cafe. I
ordered a really delicious Creole Plate (1/2 lobster, stuffed crab,
stuffed 'something else'), all of which was served on a plate of
lettuce, tomatoes, and onions. Pam had a burger and fries. With
three beers and two cokes added, our bill came to $43. And you can't
beat the view (ain't talkin' about the seascape here, folks).
L'Alabama (Grand Case)It's no secret that L'Alabama is one of the
truly great restaurants in a village of truly great restaurants.
Pascal and Karin own the place and will chat with you during your
visit at this very comfortable restaurant. They've had L'Alabama for
nine years and named the place after a Greek restaurant of the same
name where Pascal and Karin met 11 years ago - "tres romantique," as
Karin said. Karin is from Austria and Pascal is from France ... what
a nice couple.
For appetizers we had shrimp and conch ravioli (to die for) and a
good garden salad with house vinaigrette; for the main course we had
pork tenderloin with cinammon and carmelized apple sauce served on a
bed of mashed potatoes (which sounds like a strange combination but
tasted wonderful), sea scallops and shrimp sauteed in something
(very good); and for dessert we each had a crepe stuffed with almond
custard and fruits with an almond and cholcolate sauce
(outstanding). With a couple of glasses and coffee our bill came to
$93.50.
The service here could not possibly have been any better. What a
great place to dine. Get reservations.
Le Pressoir Pam and I continue to believe this is the best
restaurant we've ever visited in Saint Martin. Definitely get a
reservation. Our dinner consisted of swordfish, an exceptionally
good vegetable pasta, a couple of delicious appetizers and a $27
bottle of wine; minus the wine, the bill was $68.
As I've said before, this restaruant is located in one of the oldest
homes on the island. The food is consistently outstanding and the
service is great. For the first time, however, I noticed the service
would have been more relaxed if they had one additional waiter. They
are simply too busy for the maitre d' and two waiters to handle the
load without rushing.
This is still, in my humble opinion, the one restaurant to eat in if
you can eat at only one.
Richard's Crepes Cafe (Simpson Bay) What a find! This cafe is
located in the Royal Village II plaza next to Adventure Car Rental
and across the street from the Lightning Casino. This simple
waterfront cafe serves an astounding variety of sandwiches and
crepes. I suggest that you don't mess with the eggs and sandwiches -
they're good, but you can get those anywhere. Go for the crepes.
You've simply got to order "The Parisienne" crepe - it contains ham,
mushrooms, bechamel sauce, and cheese. Oh my gawd. Also, try the
Garlic and Basil Potatoes - they're outta this world. Funny,
Richard's wife apologized because the potatoes arrived after the
rest of our food ... seems that Richard peels and cooks the potatoes
at the time you order, which takes time. Not bad!
The Parisienne crepe, eggs & bacon, breakfast salad, two orders of
those great potatoes, a couple of coffees, and a beer came to $27.
We ate there twice on this trip - the second time was just before
dropping off the rental vehicle at Adventure Car Rental right next
door. It was easy to get an outside table where we could keep an eye
on our luggage-loaded vehicle while we ate. Then we dropped off the
vehicle and headed for the airport.
Sebastiano's Italian Restaurant (Grand Case)We've been driving by
Sebastiano's for years and finally decided to drop in for what
turned out to be one of the very best dinners we had on the island.
We used the valet parking (pull off the road across the street from
Sebastiano's and an attendant will park your car for you) and
enjoyed a nice art exhibition being held by the island artist Dago
in the entryway.
Food, service and ambiance at Sebastiano's were outstanding -
couldn't have been better. This was one of the friendliest bunch of
waiters we encountered. The appetizers were all scrumptious, as were
the main courses of gnocchi and veal parmesian. Add in a few drinks
and some coffee, and our bill came to $92.
Le Charolais (Simpson Bay)I hate to say we "found" a place that was
in plain sight all this time, but we always drove by Le Charolais
(across the street from Lightening Casino) without giving it a try -
until we decided late one evening that we were starving and didn't
have reservations anywhere. We pulled into this unpretentious open-
air restaurant and found the food and service to be simply excellent
- the owner even visited the table to be sure everything was all
right (it was).
I ordered an Argentinean T-Bone steak with Le Charolais's Peppercorn
Sauce ($25) and Pam had a Farmer's Salad ($8) that she's still
talking about. We didn't try the desserts, but they had quite a
selection. They also had an extensive wine list. It's real easy to
understand why Le Charolais received a culinary award from Ti
Gourmet - everything was great.
Le Charolais is an outstanding alternative to Rancho Argentina
(where the food is more expensive and the service often is
horrible). Our whole bill (drinks included) at Le Charolais came to
$40.
Mario's Bistro (Sandy Ground) This is the toughest reservation in
Saint Martin. The first available opening we could get was one whole
week from the day we were making it! This is the only restaurant
that you should probably call from the States for a reservation (if
you're going to Saint Martin only for one week). Mario and Martine
own the place. Mario is the chef who oversees the sous-chefs, and
Martine is the gracious hostess. They are both very personable,
likable people who do a terrific job.
Despite all the accolades, we have mixed feelings about the food.
For appetizers I had wontons stuffed with shrimp served in a soy and
sesame sauce that was simply out of this world, and Pam had a good
garden salad. Pam's main course was 'Dual Chicken" and mine was tuna
fish topped with a blue cheese mix, both of which were good, but not
great. The chocolate mousse dessert, however, was outstanding.
The service was impeccable - even better than in years past. And
Martine is such a great hostess, frequently stopping to chat and see
how you're doing. She's so nice. Our total bill, drinks included,
came to $91.
Les 13 Travaux d'Hercule (Anse Marcel/Cul de Sac) The menu at this
roadside lo-lo mentions the 12 traditional labors of Greek
mythology's Hercules, but names the restaurant after the owner
Hercules' 13th labor... his son, Sergio.
The advertisement for this place described it as a "lolo
inoubliable" (an unforgettable lolo), so we went there one day for
lunch. At first we were unimpressed with the service, but then
realized that Edelyne (the wife) was doing all the waiting on tables
and cooking while Hercules was at the market. As soon as he roared
up on his motorcycle the service improved greatly. This turned out
to be a real nice place to go!
I ordered an appetizer called 'Creole Dishies' - it consisted of a
1/2 lobster, stuffed crab, and lots of other delicious stuff that I
can't name. It was absolutely great. I can't believe Edylyne was
cooking this stuff while waiting on two tables of customers. Pam had
a good fresh garden salad as an appetizer, and for the main course
we both ordered baby back ribs, which were very tasty. The whole
meal, including a beer and a soda, cost $30.
La Croissanterie (Marigot Marina)This is an open-air restaurant in
the Marigot Marina where we had brunch one day. The food was good,
the service was outstanding, and the ambiance was very relaxing. I
had a ham-egg-cheese crepe and Pam had an American breakfast
(omelette, bacon, potatoes). The whole brunch, with drinks, cost
$18.50.
The crepes here do not come close to Richard's Crepe Cafe in Simpson
Bay, but it's a fine place to eat nonetheless. Funny, this place was
jammed with customers while the restaurant next to it (St
Germain's?) was virtually empty.
Indiana Beach Restaurant (Simpson Bay) This used to be one of our
favorite restaurants for breakfast, but they quit serving breakfast
last year. We tried a late night supper this time, but the menu
seemed, shall we say, uninspired. We finally opted for a couple of
hamburger plates called "Italian New Wave Burger." At $13 each,
these burgers were grossly overpriced (but we were starved). Our
total bill came to $39, which included drinks and a 15% service
charge that they include automatically.
If you decide to eat at Indiana Beach but don't want to use their
valet parking service, simply turn into the vacant lot across the
street from The Globe restaurant on the main road and park right
behind the Indiana Beach restaurant (which is where the valet
attendant will park your vehicle anyway).
Don Carlos (Simpson Bay) Nothing fancy here. We received good food
and service from a waitress who looks just like Phylicia Rashad
(sp?) (the wife on the Bill Cosby TV show). One interesting feature
of this restaurant is that diners get 20 minutes of free Internet
access at their computer, which seems like a good way to keep
restless kids busy while waiting for the food. We spent $30.00 for a
taco plate, a fajita plate, and drinks.
Miscellaneous Notes
Paradise Peak
What an incredible view, no matter how many times you've seen it.We
made the trek to the top of Paradise Peak, but found the topmost
section of road to be washed out so badly that we feared tipping the
jeep if we tried to continue the last 100 yards or so. No problem;
just park your vehicle and walk that last 100 yards.
The view at the left is not the great view you get from the top, but
it sure was a pretty shot on the way back down. The sign of the
pistol at the right is on the front wall of an expensive residence
on the road to Paradise Peak.
Dolphin Casino The Dolphin is nice new casino located at the
Caravanserai resort near the Sunset Beach Bar. I must say that I
never saw a Blackjack dealer hit 21 or Blackjack as often as my
dealer did ... let's just say that Pam adn I contributed enough to
the island's economy that we didn't need to visit the new Princess
Casino at Port de Plaisance.
Marigot Market We went to the market a couple of times because it
was better than ever. For the last couple of years I've picked up
nice outfits from a French lady named Nicole. She is a bundle of
energy, speaking French and English at the same time - sometimes
slipping into English with French customers and French with English-
speaking customers before she catches herself. She's a riot. Be sure
to find her and tell her you saw her picture on the Internet.
That's it for this year, Folks! Have a great time in St Martin!
The official The Caribbean Travel Roundup World Wide Web site is http://caribtravelnews.com. The CTR is also available on America Online. Contact: Paul Graveline, 9 Stirling St., Andover, MA 01810- 1408 USA :Home (Voice or Fax) 978-470-1971. E-mail via editor@caribtravelnews.com or CTREDITOR@aol.com
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