Posts Tagged ‘dinner’
There are many great flavors of the Holiday Season in Jamaica, but arguably none is more cherished than Gungo Peas. The hearty green (when raw) legumes ripen just in time for the Christmas period, providing a sure sign of the gift-giving, fetes and fun soon to come. Typically prepared with rice, or in a soup with ham, Gungo Peas are a staple of Christmas meals here.
But, this is not true in Jamaica alone.
There are several nice advantages to life in Barbados born of the island’s unique geographic position a good 100 miles further east into the Atlantic than the rest of its Caribbean neighbors. World-class surfing conditions and amazing seaside natural wonders artfully carved by the ever-pounding Atlantic are two of my favorites. Of course, where there are pluses, there are also minuses, and for lovers of shellfish Barbados has a big one: no lobster.
Okay, I shouldn’t say “no lobster” as there’s bound to be at least a small number hanging around the coral reefs that ring the island. There’s also this rare creature some consider to be a lobster, but really it’s not.
Our unmitigated love of roti is well documented on this blog. If you follow us on Facebook, then you know that I had some for lunch just yesterday. If you read us regularly, then you might think we’d eat it every day if we could…and you might be right!
So, I’m sure it won’t shock any of you to learn that Patrick and I routinely seek out the best roti spots on our Caribbean adventures. Certainly, it’s no surprise to find great roti back home in St. Croix; or in Tobago, where our Dad lives; or in Trinidad, where both our parents (and this most awesome of Caribbean delights) were born.
It’s mean, I know. The Easter Bunny just got done spoiling us with colored eggs, toys, chocolates and candy, and I’m already calling for him to be cleaned, sliced, cooked and served. It may not be nice, but rabbit makes a pretty healthy meal, and after all those Easter sweets, he kinda’ owes us one, don’t you think?
In the Caribbean, rabbit is not as ubiquitous a menu item as pork, beef, chicken or even goat, but in certain communities it’s prized highly. One of those places is Dominica, where my new friend and Dominica-native, Evans Bruno from Virgin Islands Delite, says rabbit dishes go hand-in-hand with big celebrations.
Over the past weeks, The Beatles have been the toast of the digital town with the news that their discography would be available for the first time ever as digital downloads on Apple’s iTunes service. Now, that may be news if you’re into living vicariously through bit and bytes, but for the real Uncommon Caribbean traveler the only way to really commune with the Fab Four would be with a stay at Olveston House in the green heart of Montserrat.
Here George Martin, producer of all but one Beatles album and considered one of the greatest record producers of all time, owns the small, but tremendously welcoming property Dave Keener and I found ourselves at for Thanksgiving Dinner tonight: Olveston House.
In a destination as touristy as Montego Bay, it might be easy for travelers in search of our preferred type of “uncommon” dining options to dismiss a place that looks like The HouseBoat Grill. It’s beautiful, yes, but to me it just has a bit of a “Bayou meets Asia Pacific” look that brings to mind the two most dreaded words to uncommon travelers: tourist trap.
That’s what I was thinking when I sauntered down the short path that leads to the restaurant from Freeport Road. I had just wrapped up a couple days of meetings and photo shoots on behalf of one of my hotel clients and was anxious for a change of scenery and a unique dining experience.
As noted in previous posts stemming from my trip to Nevis with my wife back in June, St. Kitts’ sister island is a seriously romantic place. Lush and exotic tropical surroundings, charming plantation inns, warm smiles and a Killer Bee or two can have a profound effect on even the most boorish of blessed unions. I know from experience, of course, since the whole purpose of our trip was for me to make up for missing our 10th wedding anniversary the year before.
Hiking The Source trail went a long way toward mending the marital fences, but I knew that if I was to get all the way back into my wife’s good graces nothing less than a truly memorable dinner would do.
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St. Croix Food & Wine Experience Cookbook
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Original Uncommon Caribbean Logo T-Shirt