Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
On the Trail of Good Barbecue
Locals will direct you to one of three
locations for
Texas Pit BBQ:
the Char-
lotte Amalie Waterfront, Red Hook, or
Seabay. The owners brought their
secret barbecue recipe from Texas,
where they learned how to make a fiery
sauce to wake up your palate—“and
everything else,” a habitué confided.
These takeout stands are favored by
yachties, St. Thomas cowboys, and fru-
gal families. Chicken, tender ribs, and
Texas-style beef are dished up in hearty
portions, along with rice, coleslaw, and
potato salad. One local pronounced
these ribs the island's best. We tend to
agree. The Waterfront joint, across from
the Windward Passage Hotel on Veter-
ans Drive, is open Monday to Saturday
from 5:30 to 11pm; Red Hook, at the
Red Hook Plaza, Monday to Saturday
from 3 to 10pm; and Seabay, at the
Nisky Center, Monday to Saturday from
noon to 5:30pm. For information, call
&
340/776-9579.
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breakfast here is the least expensive in town. You can order (to go) meat patties and
sandwiches, such as egg, bacon, and cheese. Lunch gets more interesting and a lot
spicier, with curried chicken and curried conch. Fried plantains accompany most
dishes.
Barber Plaza.
&
340/774-1959.
Breakfast $3-$6; main courses $7-$11. No credit cards. Mon-Fri 7am-
5pm; Sat 7am-3pm.
West of Charlotte Amalie
EXPENSIVE
Oceana
SEAFOOD/TAPAS Upscale, hip, and stylish, this local favorite occupies
what functioned as the Russian consulate during the Danish occupation of the island.
Outfitted with slabs of carefully oiled paneling, and painted in bright blues and greens
inspired by the colors of the ocean, the restaurant offers two distinctly different ven-
ues. The street level has a wine bar-cum-singles bar, where small platters of food
(blini,
crostinis,
and cheese platters) are specifically designed to go with the changing
array of wine. This area buzzes with convivial after-work chitchat. Upstairs, within a
relaxed but relatively formal dining room, candles and oil lamps flicker amid bouquets
of flowers. Menu items focus mainly on fish, with a healthy roster of beef and lamb as
well. Expect a menu that includes spicy shrimp served with a cup of Andalusian-style
gazpacho; house-marinated salmon; mussels in white-wine sauce; pan-fried freshwater
trout from Idaho; oven-roasted sea bass with a white-wine, thyme, and olive oil sauce;
grilled sirloin of lamb; several different preparations of Caribbean lobster; and New
York strip, porterhouse, and filet mignon steaks. If the ambience and conviviality of the
wine bar appeal to you more than the relative formality of the upstairs dining room,
the staff will set up a dining table for you downstairs.
In the Villa Olga, 8 Honduras.
&
340/774-4262.
www.oceana.vi. Reservations required. Tapas $12-
$20; main courses $25-$48. AE, DC, MC, V. Thurs-Tues 5:30-10pm.
MODERATE
Bella Blu
MEDITERRANEAN West of Charlotte Amalie, this restaurant's 14
tables overlook the harbor. The fare here is light and focuses on the sunny flavors of
the Mediterranean. You might start with the tuna tartare, and move on to a Moroccan-
inspired chicken or lamb dish. Schnitzels are still on the menu, if you're so inclined.
The menu changes with the season and what's fresh at the marketplace.
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