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St Maarten/St Martin |
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ISLAND
NEWS
Princess
Juliana: That is how most of us know her from having her name on the
airport that has the call letters SXM here on the island. In
truth, she became Queen Juliana shortly after WW2 and abdicated
in favor of her daughter Beatrix in 1980. She ceased all public appearances
about two years ago and died this week in Holland. She was a beloved monarch who
showed little interest in pomp and circumstance and watched over her country and
realm through the turbulent sixties as colonies struck out on their own. One of
those colonies was this one, which has lowered its flags to half-staff, and
never really has left the realm entirely. To this day, the most vocal opponents
of the status quo merely seek a status apart from the rest of the Netherlands
Antilles, but not the Netherlands.
Weather and
Beaches: Saturday stayed a bit hazy but was a was warm and sunny.
Sunday morning had a few waves of showers, but was mostly sunny and warm. Monday
was pretty nice, but we had a few photos to shoot in Philipsburg that used up
most of our morning, a lunch at Old Captain, and some
hot walking up and down Front Street to Fifth Avenue and The Place. If you need
designer sunglasses, they have great selections and Martha found some lovely
earrings at The Place that
are hinged and reversible (white and yellow gold) with no posts to poke you. It
was all worthwhile, but as we drove to Chez Pat on Galion
Bay, it started to rain - considerably. By the time we got there, the tradewinds
had blown the cloudburst over to Cupecoy and I got a nice beach shot and some
others (details below) and a nice afternoon on the beach with some great
snorkeling. Tuesday arrived with gray skies all day, but no rain, and so clear
on the horizon that we could see the houses on Saba in the morning!
Wednesday was even better: a deep blue cloudless sky, little wind, calm seas,
and a bit of beach from the parking lot at Ocean Club all the way to the NW
end of Cupecoy. Thursday was also brilliant but a couple cloudbursts marred
Friday. Today has lots of clouds out toward Saba, but none
here.
Construction: The paper just reported
that the Orient Express Company will put a $120 million dollar project into
the corner of the lagoon in Cupecoy. This would not be the first announcement of
a project in this area. This one may actually amount to something as OE owns La
Samanna among others, and they own the land next to this on the French side of
the border. There was no map or plan and no size was given, so it is unclear how
much of Cupecoy's open space will be taken up by this project. On the other side
of the road, Rainbow Beach, across from The Inn at Cupecoy, is in very
slow construction. It's being put up by the Erato family who developed Pointe
Pirouette. Tendal Real Estate has put a sign on the property to the east
advertising The Cliffs. This fills in all available waterfront land
between the golf course and Ocean Club.
Gasoline: We've been seeing photos in the
paper showing gasoline prices approaching $3 per gallon in LA. I've seen some
major stupidity on bulletin boards regarding gasoline pricing here. I really
don't think you need to be a rocket scientist, but being an MIT-trained chemical
engineer may be helpful, so here's the scoop: The Dutch side price is set in the
capital of the Netherlands Antilles (Curacao), supposedly based on the price of
oil plus various profits for refiners and distribution companies plus tax. That
may work fine on an island-nation with a refinery (Curacao), but up here we have
two nations and no refinery. Maybe they listen when St Maarten complains, maybe
not. In any event, the current price is 1.17 Naf per liter. What's that? There
are about 3.9 liters per gallon, and at the Shell stations, you get 1.75 Naf per
US$, making this about $2.58 per gallon. Texaco gives 1.8 Naf per US$, so they
are selling at about $2.51 per gallon. Not much difference and not much
different from a lot of the US! French prices are pretty much based on an
open market and competition between stations (about as much as in the US, which
ain't very impressive) plus the French tax. Again, it's set by people far away
with refineries. I've seen it going for 0.65 to 0.70 euro cents per liter.
What's that? The euro has been bouncing around, but lately has gone from about
1.2 to 1.3 US$ per euro, making these prices $3 to 3.50 per gallon. It's
surprising to see gasoline prices vary so much on such as small island, but the
prices are really variations between Curacao and Paris, so it is worth knowing
what the prices on both sides are. Previously I bought gas on the French side,
but today I buy my gas at Texaco stations. The one in Cole Bay even has an
air pump that works.
Restaurant news: Mambo in
Grand Case is having Créole Buffet on Saturday 3 April for 30€. If you haven't
tasted chef Eric's cuisine, this would be the perfect opportunity. It appears
that the Cappuccino Diner, previously the Boulevard Diner, is undergoing another
facelift, probably associated with yet another ownership change. Speaking of
which, Montmartre
Restaurant has just been repainted on the outside. Not sure why,
because I thought it looked wonderful. Now it looks wonderful in a lighter
color. Karen tells me that they are about to change the menu a bit also. Stay
tuned. La Diva on the back side of Marigot is now L'Esplette serving Basque and
Créole dishes.
Photo feature: There are some photos of
the week's activities at a secret location not posted here. Subscribe to the newsletter to get the location.
There are some sea grapes from a tree near Chez Pat and a
milkweed near Scavenger's.
Wines: The Thursday wine tasting at Vinissimo started with an 8€
NV bottle of Ch Calissane from Aix-en-Provence, a light summer wine. This was
followed by a 2000 Alsatian Weinbach Muscat, slightly sweet, but quite drinkable
on a warm afternoon. A 1998 Marques de Caceres white Rioja made from the viura
grape reminded me of why I don't drink white riojas very often. Sylvain found a
bottle of 2001 Meursault that was heavenly with a nose hinting of fresh grass
and a long, lingering, lovely taste (29€). The red version of the Marques
de Caceres, 92, reminded me why I do drink a lot of red Riojas (24€). We also
tried Randall Graham's 1999 Domaine de Blagueurs, made with a syrah grape from
southern France. It came with a Pays d'Oc appelation controlée but included
Randall's usual puns. It was big and bold, but mostly young and sassy. At 13€ it
also seemed a bit overpriced unless you really like syrah. For dessert we had
Vendemarie October slightly sweet wine. This series goes to November and
December, getting sweeter and more expensive. They're all good. This week's
cheese surprise was a Selles-sur-Cher. It is a goat cheese from the Loire
valley with an ashed rind. The same brilliant marketing mind that decided
to call some of the finest goat cheeses crottin (literally, horse or mule dung)
must be responsible for Selles-sur-Cher (Selle is usually translated as stool,
and we're not talking about the milking stool). Steve Jenkins in his Cheese Primer points out the
first translation, but left the second up to me.
On Friday François, previously the sommelier at Hibiscus Restaurant and now
wine salesman at Philipsburg Liquor, invited us to a wine tasting at the
Epicerie de Marie across from the stadium on the Grand Case side of Marigot. He
was serving about a half dozen whites to go with the oysters that had just
arrived from France. We started with a Vin de Pays made with the melon de
Bourgogne grape and the chardonnay grape, an interesting combination of fruit
and finesse. We also tasted a 2002 Chablis from Jean Marie Brocard that had the
good crisp, flinty character that a Chablis should have. We also liked
a 2002 Sancerre and a 2001 Macon-Village from Chameroy, but the real treat was a
1997 Muscadet. Muscadet has long been recommended as the perfect foil for
seafood, with a crisp acidity that can cut through the oiliest fish to cleanse
the palate. Most Muscadet is drunk very young, but good vineyards can age their
wines considerably longer. The almost clear Muscadet takes on a yellowish hue
and starts to develop a similarity to Chardonnay. Lest anyone think I was being
unfaithful to Vinissimo, I point
out that after Sylvain closed his store, he came here and sat next to Martha as
we enjoyed the Epicerie's food and François's wine. It's a small
island.
CONTEST
Unity Car Rental is sponsoring
the current contest, which will run until 15 April. Just go to their
website, find the link to sign up for the
SXM-Info newsletter, click it, sign up, and you are entered. If I get there
before you, you'll find a link to Unity car rental for the next contest.
Obviously everybody that is getting this email is already signed up for the
newsletter, but you are not automatically signed up for the contest. You do have
to go to their website and click the email link to show you visited their site.
Just tell me you are already on our mailing list, and I'll leave you signed up
for the newsletter and just add your name to the contest list. You could win a
$100 toward a week's rental from Unity.
The Thai Garden gift certificate was won by
crescdfd@some_email_address who has yet to
respond. Please hold your bingo cards until this is validated.
Here is the list of future sponsors. We urge you
all to sign up ONCE for each contest. Our clients want you to see what they have
to offer. Go to their websites at the appropriate time, click the link, and you
could be a winner. Look for future gift certificates from:
Temptation Restaurant - 16 April to 16 May - $100 off a meal for two
Temptation Restaurant - 16 April to 16 May - $100 off a meal for two
Vacation Suites - 17 May to 30 June -
prize: 1 free week over the
summer!
L'Auberge Gourmande - 1 July to 15 August - $100 off a meal for two
Sunset Café - 16 August to 30 September - $100 off a meal for two
Montmartre Restaurant - 1 October to 15 November - $100 off a meal for two
Sealine Charters - 16 November to 15 December
Chez Pat/Tropical Wave - 16 December to 6 January - $100 off a day at the beach: food, drinks, chairs, windsurf lessons, etc
L'Auberge Gourmande - 1 July to 15 August - $100 off a meal for two
Sunset Café - 16 August to 30 September - $100 off a meal for two
Montmartre Restaurant - 1 October to 15 November - $100 off a meal for two
Sealine Charters - 16 November to 15 December
Chez Pat/Tropical Wave - 16 December to 6 January - $100 off a day at the beach: food, drinks, chairs, windsurf lessons, etc
Marci's Mega
Gym - 7 January to 27 January 2005 - a week of
gym usage for two
California Restaurant - 28 January to
17 February 2005
Escargot
Restaurant - 18 February to 4 March 2005
Hot Tomatoes - 5 March to 26 March 2005
Hot Tomatoes - 5 March to 26 March 2005
The Horny Toad Guesthouse - 27 March to 24
April 2005 - seven low season days for the price
of five
Another contest: Hot Tomatoes has a contest on their website to kick off their combination lagoon
cruise/dinner package. You can now take sunset lagoon cruise on White Octopus and follow it up
with a dinner at Hot
Tomatoes. They are giving away pizza dinner with a bottle of red, but
you have to go to the website and send in some comments. Somebody's going
to get a pizza dinner with a bottle of red just for saying something that
tickles our fancy. I talked to Brad last night and were looking for 25 entries.
As soon as we get 25, we'll post them, and pick a winner. While you are there,
look over Brad's site, check out the coupon, and take a look at the White Octopus.
RESTAURANTS
On 20 Mar the
euro was at 1.228 and today it's at 1.217. Big whoop, not
much change here. French side restaurants with many costs in dollars and
many American (or Canadian) clients have been offering more favorable exchange
rates. Some restaurants offer a 1 to 1 exchange. This
list includes California, Escapade, Balaou, Santal, Enoch's Place, Au
Beaujolais, Rainbow, Oizeau Rare, and Pirate, Restaurant du Soliel, Pedro's
(priced in dollars - no conversion ever), and Paradise View. Newcomers are
Saint Germain and Petite Auberge des Iles on the Marigot Marina. Many
restaurants will offer you a better rate than you can get on your credit card,
so you can allow them to convert and charge in dollars. Note that California
only offers 1 to 1 on cash purchases. As always, know what the euro is worth,
what the restaurateur is offering for an exchange, and what the costs are on the
menu. Finally, you are here to have fun and fine food, not complex financial
calculations, so don't worry about it too much.
On Saturday we headed to Belle Epoque to watch England beat Wales in
Rugby and enjoy some moules frites. The moules frites and Stella Artois on draft
were much better than the rugby match, if you were rooting for Wales. The moules
were steamed in white wine, parsley, onion, celery, and beaucoup pepper. They
were plump and very tasty and the remaining liquid was alternately sopped up
with crusty French bread or just spooned up like soup.
On Saturday evening we went to
a dinner sponsored by the
Chaîne des Rôtisseurs local chapter at Claude MiniClub on the
waterfront in Marigot. About 50 members and guests dined on the
outside porch under clear skies. Our table had the
Lieutenant-Governor of the Dutch side and his wife,
Norman and Susan Wathey of Kangaroo Court and Taloula Mango's, Spartaco
Sargentoni from Spartaco,
Fleur from Rainbow,
Christine from Sebastiano,
and other guests. Our dinner was the usual Saturday night buffet at the
MiniClub, much as it has been for about thirty years, still the same, still
good. The buffet line starts with three soups, French onion, fish soup, and
conch soup. Next comes an explosion of salads and vegetables. Then the real fun
starts: lobsters, grouper, duck, chicken, roast beef, leg of lamb, and pork.
Given the euro rate at the moment, the cost is about $50, but it includes
white and red wine. Most of the conversation at our table will not be repeated,
but we did talk about how much the shoreline in Marigot has changed over the
years. Most people remembered how the water was under the deck on which
we were dining. Obviously, that was before the shore was
filled in and a road and a parking lot were created. The movie
Speed 2 created more changes on the shoreline and set the stage for the
wonderful market area that now separates what used to be waterfront restaurants
from the water.
Monday lunch in Philipsburg was
at Old Captain, which regularly wins the best
Chinese restaurant poll in The Daily Herald. We had the ten piece sushi
platter and a Kung Pao chicken dish as we gazed over the palms to Great Bay.
Molly stopped in as she is now running Indiana on Kim Sha Beach and Mario is out
at Oyster Pond. The food is still fine as most of the staff has been there for
years. With a couple beers, the bill was $40 with a bit extra added to the 15%
tip that is already added to the bill.
Monday night we visited Ricky at Sitar. This dinner was even better than the
previous one. The crispy garlic nan (flatbread) was full of flavor. Chana masala
(chick peas and red sauce) and Tava mushroom were also a blend of interesting
flavors and textures. I'm not sure about the chicken saag (tender chicken
with spinach and lots of spices including a hint of mint?). Martha loves it
and I ended up using the nan to sop up the sauce, but it is different. With rice
and a couple beers our dinner was only $48 and more than enough. Remember,
you can sit at the front windows and watch the show at Cheri's. That's as close
as I'll ever get.
Tuesday night was at Montmartre Restaurant in front of the
Atlantis Casino. There was a special of sausage in a brioche with a bit of foie
gras plus oyster mushrooms and a bit of salad. The brioche had the sausage baked
into it and more sausage with a slightly spicy red sauce drizzled atop. The
oyster mushrooms were sautéed, probably with some veal stock. The foie gras
was melt in your mouth delicious and even the salad was made of good lettuce
and a few cherry tomatoes with a nice light vinaigrette. Sausage is
essentially the bottom of the food chain and foie gras is about as elevated as
one can get, so this was a strange, but very tasty combination. There is a photo
on the website. This combination of powerful flavors required a powerful wine so
we chose the 2001 Chateauneuf-du-Pape from Mont Redon. They are a large,
reliable maker of good Rhone wines and this is one of their better efforts. It
certainly didn't overpower my ribeye with a tart Béarnaise sauce and roasted
garlic with a myriad of vegetables or even Martha's fisherman's pot, a
mixture of several fish (shrimp, scallops, salmon, and more) in a saffron
lobster bisque with a pastry top. Karen says she will be getting some plants in
pots to screen off the outside tables from the road, now that the outside
paint job is finished. When that happens, the courtyard will be a lovely
spot.
On Wednesday evening we had a
wonderful dinner at Spiga at the far end of Grand Case. There
are a few tables on a small porch and several more in a beautifully restored
Créole cottage. A few newsletters back, I was musing about what made restaurants
good and thought that having owners in the front and back of the house was
helpful, mentioning Mario's Bistro, Antoine's, Temptation (Dino in the kitchen
and mom in the dining room), California, and on the smallest scale: Mambo and
Maëva. Spiga certainly fits that profile. Ciro does a great job in the kitchen
and Lara, his wife, runs the front. It helps that Lara is the daughter of Livio
who started Da Livio in Philipsburg and that Lara and Ciro met while training in
some of the finest places in Europe, but the training is over. This is their
restaurant and they intend to make it one of the best on the island. They are
making a name for themselves with fine Italian wines at good prices, aided by a
1.1 to 1 exchange rate. We started with a 98 Montepulciano from Carpineto
(39€) and a warm scallop and shrimp ravioli in a orange sauce (12€). Normally, I
wouldn't think of an orange sauce on seafood, but Ciro put a light touch on it
and added a bit of dill for a dish so tasty I used the crusty bread to sop
up every last bit of sauce. The sauce also added enough flavor to a seafood dish
to make it stand up to a rather full bodied, but smooth, wine. Martha had a tuna
special (22€) and I had the Pappardelle off the menu. The tuna was a prime
specimen, prepared just above raw with a pepper sauce and a tasty zucchini and
shrimp risotto. The al dente, home-made pappardelle came with braised beef,
red and green sweet peppers (the colors on the Italian flag), and leeks. It was
a very interesting dish with many textures and tastes, a genuine bargain at
(17€). We finished with a couple coffees and only had a bill of 100€
or $110. Fine food and great service
in a lovely place at a great price.
For lunch on Friday we stopped
at Oizeau Rare again. Same bottle of Cotes
du Rhone (23€) and the same tuna tartare with home made pomme frites for Martha,
but I branched out to a tasty lasagna with shredded beef and a green salad. Same
total bill of 55€ which was $55 by virtue of the 1 to 1 exchange rate. I took
some interesting photos in of the garden surrounding the waterfalls that grace
two sides of the dining room. They'll show up in a photo feature
soon.
We were going to go to dinner at Hot Tomatoes, partially because of the
guitar player, but the wine tasting at the Epicerie de Marie led to a few plates
of oysters to go with the crisp white wines on display. We tried Marennes,
Bretons, and Normandies that had just arrived. A slightly spicy mignonette and a
squeeze of lemon were all that was needed (plus several glasses of wine) for a
great start on dinner. For what it is worth, we liked the Normandies the best,
but taste them yourself. Good crusty bread was supplied with a bowl of pork
rilettes for our main course. Dessert was a cheese tray with three of my
favorite cheeses: Saint Nectaire, Reblochon, and Tome de Savoie (and I
didn't even ask for them) plus a chevre and a handful of walnuts. François
obligingly brought over a 2001 St Joseph from Domaine Gonan (a chewy red Rhone)
for the cheese course. More than enough to eat and drink and we only paid
$75.
A word about epiceries and this one
in particular. First, epice is spice and epicerie is generally translated
as grocery with epicerie fine being a delicatessen. Delicatessen comes from
Delicate and Essen (to eat in German), thus delicate or fine eating. This is
definitely an epicerie fine as the contents of this establishment are limited
but great. We have it listed under groceries on the website, but after this
escapade, we will add an entry under restaurants. Basically it is a large room
with various coolers on the sides holding lots of wonderful comestibles plus
a quite a bit of wine. In the center of the room are two large picnic
tables and a round table built around an upright wine cask. Total seating
is about 20 and you find a place, sharing space with whoever is there. They are
open for lunch, serving a plat du jour, and early dinner, usually closing at
about 8 PM. It is family-owned and run with three generations working on this
particular
evening.