May 17, 2012

Once again, we had a spectacular meal at Ocean Lounge Restaurant & Bar in the Holland House Beach Hotel. After ordering two Black Labels on the rocks, we sat sipping our favorite scotch discussing forthcoming events while enjoying the beautiful view of the yachts in Great Bay.

After a while, our waiter brought us the Chef’s offering which was a creamy spicy tomato mousse in a six inch long slender vial with garnishment on top which was packed in a small bowl of ice. Also, in the vial which looked similar to the ones used by doctors to take your blood was a slender straw. One or two sips of the straw and the mousse caressed your palette with a lovely delightful taste on its way to your stomach. We really wanted more!

For appetizers, we enjoyed Gravlax, marinated and lightly smoked salmon with sour cream and toast, and Beef Carpaccio in lemon juice which were both delicious and easily either could be shared by two people. For our main course, we had Chilean Sea Bass served in an antiboise sauce with mini potatoes and fresh spinach, and Brill which is a white fish imported from Holland accompanied by a selection of vegetables.

For Dessert, we had the chef’s innovative rendition of French toast with Vanilla ice cream in the middle. It was truly unique. And, of course, the meal was accompanied by a lovely bottle of Sancerre (White wine). By the way, Guido & Georgina, our servers, were attentive and friendly and along with Robert, Manager of Food & Beverage, helped to make the evening memorable. For reservations, call Robert van Herpen at 721.542.2572 or 800.223.9815 or email:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

New Ferry Service to St. Barts from St. Maarten. The Voyager 3 is a new high speed hydrofoil ferry boat that will get you to Gustavia, St. Barts from Oyster Pond in 30 minutes and from Marigot to Gustavia in 1 hour. This new vessel really speeds up the trip and offers a business class setting for luxury traveling. 

Barbara and I had such a nice time at Beau Beau’s that we decided to go back and try its sister, Infinity Restaurant, at Oyster Bay Beach Resort especially since we heard that Spartaco Sargentoni was managing the restaurant. For those of you who may remember, Spartaco had his own Italian Restaurant in Almond Grove for many years and it was one of the best restaurants on the island.

As we arrived at the restaurant, we were pleased to find that Joseph, our server from Beau Beau’s, would again be taking care of us and since he knew our favorite drink, two of them were delivered “post haste.”

We started the evening with the Chef’s offering (To whet your appetite) which was Lobster Bisque presented in two tiny little glasses. It was scrumptious! For appetizers, we had a lovely platter of Smoked Salmon with capers, tomatoes and parsley in a creole sauce and a Salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, carrots, lettuce and red onions. For our main course, we very much enjoyed the Seafood Lasagna and the Grouper with Panko, and Risotto which were nicely cooked and presented. And, to top of the evening, we devoured an Apple Tart with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. For reservations at Infinity Restaurant, call 1.721.543.6040.

May 10, 2012

Barbara and I did it again. We had dinner at C Le Restaurant at the Radisson Blu Resort Marina & Spa, St. Martin and once again, it was a wonderful affair. The ambiance of the restaurant set the stage for the evening. An open-walled building, high ceilings with fans circulating the warm breezes coming off the Caribbean Sea which gently sends its waves to caress the shore, while yachts sit majestically in the bay. The views are spectacular even at night.