St. John VI restaurants

[liamsaunt]

10 hours ago, KennethT said:

Which side of St. Thomas will you be on?  The dry side or the rainy side?  Many years ago, my wife's cousin had a condo on the dry side of St. Thomas - very close to the Ritz-Carlton.  I was so surprised to see cactus on the side of the road!  Especially since it was pouring rain when we picked up the car at the airport.

The dry side, apparently.  We have a running joke that it’s always raining on St. Thomas.  There’s definitely a dry side of St. John so I guess it makes sense that there’s on one St. Thomas too. 
 

We spent the day at Trunk Bay. This time of year is peak visiting season, and every year it gets more crowded. Lots of people today 

 

 

We walked all the way to the end, where there were only about four other people, and no one in the water.

 

 

We did not snorkel, but just swam for a few hours. My Apple watch measured the water temperature at 78-79 degrees. 
 

When we got back to the Westin I took a picture of the swimming area

 

 

And then we headed in to town for dinner at La Tapa.  Menu, basically the same as always 

 

 

Husband’s spicy blood orange margarita. This did not look like a blood orange drink to me. He was not a big fan.

 

 

he had the smoked salmon bruschetta for a starter, which he enjoyed

 

 

I had a special of cauliflower soup. It was really nice

 

 

We both had fish entrees. My tuna looked pretty but was so salty I could not really eat it, and I love salt.  Husband tried some and he agreed.

 

 

Husband had the mahi mahi, which was bland. Maybe his taste buds got blasted by my salty tuna haha 

 

 

We decided to cut our losses and skip dessert. I guess it was an off night. 

 

[MaryIsobel]

36 minutes ago, liamsaunt said:

The dry side, apparently.  We have a running joke that it’s always raining on St. Thomas.  There’s definitely a dry side of St. John so I guess it makes sense that there’s on one St. Thomas too. 
 

We spent the day at Trunk Bay. This time of year is peak visiting season, and every year it gets more crowded. Lots of people today 

 

 

We walked all the way to the end, where there were only about four other people, and no one in the water.

 

 

We did not snorkel, but just swam for a few hours. My Apple watch measured the water temperature at 78-79 degrees. 
 

When we got back to the Westin I took a picture of the swimming area

 

 

And then we headed in to town for dinner at La Tapa.  Menu, basically the same as always 

 

 

Husband’s spicy blood orange margarita. This did not look like a blood orange drink to me. He was not a big fan.

 

 

he had the smoked salmon bruschetta for a starter, which he enjoyed

 

 

I had a special of cauliflower soup. It was really nice

 

 

We both had fish entrees. My tuna looked pretty but was so salty I could not really eat it, and I love salt.  Husband tried some and he agreed.

 

 

Husband had the mahi mahi, which was bland. Maybe his taste buds got blasted by my salty tuna haha 

 

 

We decided to cut our losses and skip dessert. I guess it was an off night. 

 

Lovely setting. When a restaurant dish is salty enough that you don't find it palatable, do you send it back or mention it to your server? With the price of restaurant meals these days, I struggle with whether or not to send a dish back - my reasoning for not sending it back is that my fellow diners already have their meals so would make the pacing of the dinner akward. At 50.00 a plate at least, I feel like I shouldn't just suck it up.

[Smithy]

I loved this comment on the menu:

 

Quote

While we do not offer a "kid's menu" we have offerings that are sure to both satisfy and elevate palates.

 

It sounds rather hoity-toity to me. On the one hand, it sounds aspirational. On the other hand...well, I'm guessing they don't offer peanut butter and jelly sandwiches! That would be fine with me (never liked them anyway) but I wonder about folks with picky kids. Maybe they just don't go there?

[rotuts]

@liamsaunt

 

looking forward to your trip.

 

and thank you for the menu's

[gfweb]

8 hours ago, Smithy said:

I loved this comment on the menu:

 

 

It sounds rather hoity-toity to me. On the one hand, it sounds aspirational. On the other hand...well, I'm guessing they don't offer peanut butter and jelly sandwiches! That would be fine with me (never liked them anyway) but I wonder about folks with picky kids. Maybe they just don't go there?

 

I imagine kids menus are a money loser.

Extra food to buy and cook, and then sold at low prices.

 

[KennethT]

Or maybe they used all the salt on the tuna and had none left for the mahi!

[liamsaunt]

23 hours ago, MaryIsobel said:

Lovely setting. When a restaurant dish is salty enough that you don't find it palatable, do you send it back or mention it to your server? With the price of restaurant meals these days, I struggle with whether or not to send a dish back - my reasoning for not sending it back is that my fellow diners already have their meals so would make the pacing of the dinner akward. At 50.00 a plate at least, I feel like I shouldn't just suck it up.

I think it would depend on the situation. In this instance, I just didn’t feel Ike dealing with complaining and then waiting for a new dish. 

 

21 hours ago, Smithy said:

I loved this comment on the menu:

 

 

It sounds rather hoity-toity to me. On the one hand, it sounds aspirational. On the other hand...well, I'm guessing they don't offer peanut butter and jelly sandwiches! That would be fine with me (never liked them anyway) but I wonder about folks with picky kids. Maybe they just don't go there?

 

It’s not really a kid friendly restaurant. I do know that they will make pasta with butter for kids if it is asked for.  There are lots of options that are a better fit for families with kids on the island.  We did start taking our niece and nephew there when they were in the 10-12 age range, but they looked at all the menus in advance and were able to find things that they wanted to try.  I know it’s tough for people with ultra picky kids.

 

We are now on St. Thomas.  The seafood festival did not happen for us. It was supposed to start at 11, but they were still setting up at that time. We checked back an hour later, but it still was not going. Island time is a real thing! Unfortunately, we had a ferry to catch.  Maybe next year.  Here is our new view

 

 

 

Our accommodation has a full kitchen. I am only planning on making breakfast in the condo, but they left a list of cooking equipment and spices you can request if you need them. There are grills to use also.

 

We went to the Elysium resort next door for dinner at Caribbean Fish Market.

 

 

Our table was not ready, so they sent us to the bar (and then forgot they sent us there…island time strikes again). 
 

 

I had the rose sparkling mocktail, which smelled good but tasted thin. This is a common mocktail problem that I am still trying to adjust to years after giving up alcohol! It might be a me problem. Husband had a gin and tonic. 

 

 

The dinner menu had lots of things that sounded worth trying. 

 

 

We opted to split the calamari.  Not local, but fried calamari is hard to resist.

 

 

I got the wahoo. It was delicious. I would have liked a little more wasabi sauce. It was a huge portion. I only ate a couple bites of the noodles.

 

 

Husband got the stuffed lobster and it was massive. He did not even touch the potatoes or asparagus that came with it.

 

 

Dessert

 

 

We split the key lime pie. It did not taste of lime at all! The sorbet on it was excellent though and the whole thing worked somehow.  It just didn’t taste like key lime pie. 😂
 

 

On the way out of dinner, we noticed this beached sailboat that we somehow missed on the way in.  This is the second beached sailboat we have seen, and we have only been to three beaches!  Strange. 
 

[Smithy]

Well, it all looks lovely (except the beached sailboat) and I don't blame you for not wanting/planning to cook. Still...this sort of selection would make me want to stay. right. there. in. my. accommodations.

 

 

Gracious -- that's a better stockpile than I have at home!

[KennethT]

I feel the same way about most mocktails - I wonder if it's from the glycerol that is present in alcoholic beverages which gives viscosity, that isn't present in non-alcoholic ingredients.  Maybe someone should experiment with adding a few drops of vegetable glycerine or something to help give it more weight.

 

I have to say - for a restaurant that obviously puts weight on presentation - the ice cream scoop of mashed potato is a little off-putting.

[gfweb]

9 hours ago, Smithy said:

Well, it all looks lovely (except the beached sailboat) and I don't blame you for not wanting/planning to cook. Still...this sort of selection would make me want to stay. right. there. in. my. accommodations.

 

 

Gracious -- that's a better stockpile than I have at home!

 

but no knives on the list?

[Shelby]

10 hours ago, Smithy said:

Well, it all looks lovely (except the beached sailboat) and I don't blame you for not wanting/planning to cook. Still...this sort of selection would make me want to stay. right. there. in. my. accommodations.

 

 

Gracious -- that's a better stockpile than I have at home!

I know right?!  I mean.  Vanilla beans???!  Those are almost as expensive as a one night stay lol.

[Smithy]

3 hours ago, gfweb said:

 

but no knives on the list?

 

I expect them to have been included with the flatware and other basic essentials...but @liamsaunt will have to say whether it's true. There's also the question of quality and variety of knives.

[weinoo]

3 hours ago, KennethT said:

I feel the same way about most mocktails - I wonder if it's from the glycerol that is present in alcoholic beverages which gives viscosity, that isn't present in non-alcoholic ingredients.  Maybe someone should experiment with adding a few drops of vegetable glycerine or something to help give it more weight.

 

 

My guess is, if there is going to be a great NA cocktail, that Dave Arnold has (or he's figured out a different way to give it that mouthfeel):

 

https://www.barcontra.com/new-page

[FauxPas]

2 hours ago, Shelby said:

I know right?!  I mean.  Vanilla beans???!  Those are almost as expensive as a one night stay lol.

 

Yeah, I went back to see if saffron was on the list.  🤣

[liamsaunt]

13 hours ago, KennethT said:

I feel the same way about most mocktails - I wonder if it's from the glycerol that is present in alcoholic beverages which gives viscosity, that isn't present in non-alcoholic ingredients.  Maybe someone should experiment with adding a few drops of vegetable glycerine or something to help give it more weight.

 

I have to say - for a restaurant that obviously puts weight on presentation - the ice cream scoop of mashed potato is a little off-putting.

Yes agreed! I thought that was really weird. He did not try them so no idea if they tasted better than they looked.

 

 

13 hours ago, gfweb said:

 

but no knives on the list?

There is some cooking equipment in the kitchen, including a knife block. I just checked and they are tramontina brand.  I would guess they are beater knives. I have never found a good, sharp knife in a rental kitchen, which is why I always bring my own when I am planning on cooking.  I do have one small knife with me from home this trip.   I have not really poked around much in the kitchen yet, to be honest. 
 

Here is a tree growing outside my building. I was told it is called a sausage tree and that the “sausages” are not edible.

 

 

We skipped breakfast and went for an early lunch on the hotel side of the property instead. 
 

Menus

 

 

 

We had frozen lemonades, but only had a few sips, as it turned out they were just too sweet for our mood.

 

 

Fish tacos (snapper)

 

 

View

 

We spent the rest of the day swimming, which was nice.  
 

For dinner, we went to Easterly, which is the sister restaurant of Longboard on St. John. Setting

 

 

Drink menu

 

 

Husband had the Waterlemon Cay, and I had the burnt palm from the designated driver section.  We both really liked our drinks. Mine was not too sweet and had a very interesting flavor.

 

 

Bread plate: focaccia with passionfruit butter

 

Food menu

 

 

We shared the smoked fish dip with plantain chips. Tasty 

 

 

I had the tuna salad. I wanted the greens. It was nicely seasoned.

 

 

And husband had the wahoo.  He really enjoyed it. 

 

 

Dessert 

 

 

We shared the tropical sorbets. They did not tell us what the flavors were, so from back to front we had sorbet that looks like watermelon or strawberry but was not, definitely mango, and….we are not sure! We are not sure was our least favorite because it was more creamy than icy, mango was my favorite, and husband preferred mystery light pink sorbet.
 

 

There are no cruise ships in port tomorrow, so I think we are going to head over to one of the island’s famous beaches that we have never visited.  One day later this week there will be 20,000 passengers in port! 

[Smithy]

40 minutes ago, liamsaunt said:

Here is a tree growing outside my building. I was told it is called a sausage tree and that the “sausages” are not edible.

 

 

They really do look like sausages! 😉 

[liuzhou]

@liamsaunt 

 

Kigelia africana

 

Although the fresh fruit is poisonous to humans, it can be processed into an edible form after drying and fermenting. Whether it is worth the trouble, I doubt. It is also used in traditional medicine. 

 

Introduced to the Virgin Islands from Kenya where the fruit is used to make a traditional ceremonial "wine".

 

 

Edited yesterday at 04:33 AM by liuzhou (log)

[MaryIsobel]

Saw this tree in Costa Rica. Wonder if it is realted?

[liuzhou]

18 minutes ago, MaryIsobel said:

Saw this tree in Costa Rica. Wonder if it is realted?

 

 

Probably. It has been widely introduced in tropical areas around the world.

 

 

[MaryIsobel]

32 minutes ago, liuzhou said:

 

 

Probably. It has been widely introduced in tropical areas around the world.

 

 

Shared that picture with my mainly Pacific Northwest friends and the comments were definitely x-rated.

[liamsaunt]

So, remember how I said I was going to leave and go to a famous beach since there were no ships in today?  Yeah…that did not happen. I got a serious case of lazy-itis and just stayed at the resort.  Breakfast in the condo.  

 

 

I did do some exploring, though. I went across the street to the public beach 

 

It was rocky, but pretty.  
 

 

All beaches in the Virgin Islands are actually public, but you have to access them by the water. No crossing over private land.  The resort I am at provides public land access to the beach on either end. I actually think many of the St. Thomas resorts do.  The St. John properties do not.

 

I did some exploring and visual beach combing.

 

 

It’s illegal to take shells, rocks, coral etc.  You can pick stuff up but have to leave it. This is why I collect sea glass, it’s considered litter here.  Cool sponge

 

 

 

Hobie cats that you can take out from the resort beach. I would probably break a leg or something.

 

 

For dinner we took a ferry over to Lovango Cay.

 

 

Drinks menu

 

 

Husband had a margarita and I had the Lovango breeze

 

 

Specials

 

 

and the regular menu

 

 

I really wanted to try the triggerfish, but they are one of my favorites to see snorkeling, so I passed. Husband had no similar qualms.  I got the Lovango tomatoes, which were delicious

 

 

And he had the triggerfish bologna.

 

 

I chose the mahi. The fish was delicious. The corn was a tad chewy. 
 

 

And he had the triggerfish main course. He said the triggerfish was kind of sweet. I gave him part of my mahi and he preferred that. I guess triggerfish are better as snorkeling companions.

 

 

None of the desserts sounded super appealing to us, so we just split a dish of sorbet and each got an espresso. We got a scoop of blood orange and one of coconut lime. Now we know what the mystery light pink flavor was from last night’s meal. It was blood orange.  The coconut lime one was our favorite

 

 

Goodbye Lovango

 

 

Edited 17 hours ago by liamsaunt (log)