Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
excellent dishes are the chicken Kiev and the sashimi tuna with plum-passion fruit
sake vinaigrette. For dessert, try the fresh berry dishes or the chocolate pyramid cake.
In the Estate Lindholm Bed & Breakfast, Cruz Bay.
&
340/779-4747.
www.asolarestjohn.com. Reser-
vations required. Main courses $29-$38. AE, MC, V. Tues-Sun 6-9pm.
Caneel Beach Terrace
INTERNATIONAL/SEAFOOD Right below the
Equator (see below) is an elegant, open-air dining room on the beach catering to elite
palates. Although the cuisine here has varied over the years, the professional stan-
dards remain high. Start with an appetizer of papaya with prosciutto, and move on to
one of the wonderful fresh salads. The menus change nightly, but main dishes are
likely to include baked filet of red snapper or roast prime rib of blue-ribbon beef. For
dessert, try strawberry cheesecake or Boston cream pie. The self-service buffet lun-
cheon is one of the best and most popular in the Virgin Islands.
At Caneel Bay (p. 113), Caneel Bay.
&
340/776-6111.
www.caneelbay.com/dine4.cfm. Reservations
required for dinner. Breakfast buffet $31; main courses $20-$45; grand seafood buffet Mon night $69;
lunch buffet $32; grand buffet $69. AE, DC, MC, V. Daily 7-10:30am, 11:30am-2pm, and 6:30-9pm.
Cruz Bay Prime
AMERICAN At the Westin, this luxurious restaurant fea-
tures one of the island's best dining experiences, especially if you like steak and sea-
food. To enter the restaurant, head for the upper level of the Westin's open-air lobby.
The talented chefs turn out savory dishes redolent of Caribbean sunshine and full of
flavor. Specialties of the chef include mahimahi and yellowfin tuna, as well as delec-
table crab cakes and a 2-pound lobster special.
In the Westin St. John Resort & Villas (p. 114), Great Cruz Bay.
&
340/693-8000.
Reservations recom-
mended. Main courses $28-$38. AE, MC, V. Daily 6-9:30pm.
Equator
CARIBBEAN This restaurant lies behind the tower of an 18th-cen-
tury sugar mill, where ponds with water lilies fill former crystallization pits for hot
molasses. A flight of stairs leads to a monumental circular dining room, with a wrap-
around veranda and sweeping views of the water and St. Thomas. In the center rises
the stone column that horses and mules once circled to crush sugar-cane stalks. A
giant Poinciana-like Asian tree of the
Albizia lebbeck
species—islanders call it
“woman's tongue tree”—grows in the middle of the restaurant.
The cuisine is the most daring on the island, and for the most part, the chefs pull
off their transcultural dishes. A spicy and tantalizing opener is lemon grass-and-
ginger-cured salmon salad. Daily Caribbean selections are offered, such as a classic
Caribbean callaloo soup, or you can opt for such fine dishes as seared Caribbean
tuna, or penne pasta with shiitake mushrooms and roasted tomatoes in an herb-garlic
cream sauce. There's always a dry, aged Angus steak or a grilled veal chop for the more
traditional palate.
At Caneel Bay (p. 113), Caneel Bay.
&
340/776-6111.
www.caneelbay.com/dine3.cfm. Reservations
required. Main courses $24-$44. AE, MC, V. Tues-Sun 6-9pm.
La Plancha Del Mar
MEDITERRANEAN This restaurant is a little bit off
the beaten path, but it's worth searching out. It serves hearty food with an exotic
twist, and is named
plancha
for its piping hot iron grill, likely to be sizzling with steak.
The house specialty is a churrasco steak with garlic-herb fries and a citrus aioli, a tasty
treat. Other specialties include seared mahimahi with a spicy tomato-and-basil purée,
or a paella à la
plancha
studded with tiger prawns, mussels, bits of chicken, and
chorizo. Appetizers are some of the best on the island, featuring a toasted pine nut
hummus or a crusted brie with a strawberry coulis. At lunch you get a selection of
4
122
