This is a follow up to my Trip report of April 3-10, 2018. I decided to do a separate food report because my first post was too long.

This was a quieter, simpler vacation. Usually we’re hopping from beach to beach and restaurant to bar but this year in the wake of Hurricane Irma we just didn’t feel like running around and exploring. Other than a day trip around the island, we hung out in the Simpson’s Bay area. Staying at Mary’s Boon we opted for low key comfort foods so no gourmet restaurants to tell you about but hopefully some of my observations will help another traveler.

The restaurant and bar at Mary’s Boon is under new ownership. I was told the Cleveland family still owns the hotel but they have sold the food and drink operation to a group of investors while retaining a percentage of ownership. It’s managed and partly owned by Mickey, a Dutch national with loads of hospitality and dining experience. They are serving all three meals once again following Irma; breakfast, lunch and dinner and a full menu is offered along with a board of daily specials. We enjoyed everything we ordered from soups and salads, to sandwiches to the deliciously prepared red snapper that melted in your mouth. The Bar was hopping while we were there and they now have a nice set up on the beach which expands the seating area. Most of the staff is new and a lot of fun especially Max the Bartender. We enjoyed his personality and smile PLUS his amazing bottle tossing show – ask him when you visit! For anyone not staying at Mary’s Boon you are welcome to enjoy the beach, bar and restaurant and the chairs and umbrellas are free if you eat there. Their Sunday Beach Party was terrific!

We are huge fans of Pineapple Pete so we ate there twice. The French Onion soup was a tasty mixture of a delicious broth, onions and gooey cheese, and their Caesar salad was sublime…such a good dressing. The Crab stuffed Shrimp (one of the house specialties) were as good as ever, the BBQ chicken got two thumbs up and the lobster was outstanding. Although Pineapple Pete is well known for its Lobster Thermidor, my husband likes his lobster steamed. The kitchen was happy to oblige and it arrived steaming hot, moist and tender – just the way he likes it. Our waiter was happy to help us choose a bottle of wine that would go well with our food choices and we were really pleased with the wine list. The live music (the guitarist was fantastic) put a “bow” on two perfect evenings for us at Pineapple Pete.

We dragged ourselves off the beach early one day to go to the Greenhouse for their 2 for 1 drinks, Bang-Bang Shrimp and the sunset. What an outstanding night – we love this place. I had one incident however. I had placed my beach bag (with wallet) beside my chair when I noticed a man walking up the beach. He doubled back from where he came from, stopped, then walked across the sand and was heading towards the Greenhouse bar when he suddenly turned and almost ran past my chair. My spidey-sense was already up and I grabbed both handles of the bag and lifted it safely onto my lap just as he brushed past me. When he passed, he was so close the leg of his pants touched my hand as he zoomed by heading towards Buccaneer Beach Bar. You can be anywhere in the world and have your purse or valuables stolen so I’m not blaming St. Maarten at all. In fact, it’s me that needs to be smarter!

We enjoyed lunch one day at Karakter’s. We had the large appetizer platter with the marinated olives, cheese, dips, spreads and a chilled glass of rose. The highlight of the platter was the bitterballen. In the past I haven’t liked them very much but Karakters paired them with the most amazing honey mustard dipping sauce that I have ever tasted. My mouth is watering as I write this – they were soooo good!

We tried two new places (for us) this visit. We went to Pizza Italy in Simpson’s Bay and enjoyed their handmade pasta and wood fired pizza. The highlight of the visit (along with the food which was very good) was a visit to the table by Chef Patricia who comes from Italy every year just to work at this restaurant. She is HILARIOUS and had us rolling with laughter. The ice cold limoncello in chilled glasses was an awesome end to a fabulous meal.

We also visited Wasabi Charlie’s in Simpson’s Bay right next to Pineapple Pete. Owned by Pierre Ferland (who could make a rubber shoe look and taste good - LOL) we knew we could expect these things: Excellent service, a big menu with lots of choices and good food at a reasonable price. We weren’t disappointed and Wasabi Charlie delivered! As we walked in, I immediately loved the vibe and the décor. The soft pink lighting, the cool music, gorgeous bar and asian themed decorations really hit the mark. A restaurant’s interior and vibe means a lot to me and always sets me up to enjoy a good meal. Wasabi Charlie’s was beautiful. We dined on Gyozas (dumplings) and breaded shrimp with a sauce that made you want to dunk your whole meal in it - it was that tasty. The hardest part of the evening was deciding which sushi rolls to order but when we finally settled on two we really enjoyed all the flavors. We found the food to be beautifully prepared, fresh and extremely delicious. The waiter added to our good experience at this restaurant…never obtrusive but always there when we needed him with a smile. Pierre has ordered teriyaki cooking tables and they’ll be in operation soon so we’re putting this restaurant on the top of our list the next time we visit.

As I mentioned in my first Trip Report, Rosie’s Ribs is open for business on Mullet Beach. They are operating under a tarp but they are in their original location. The BBQ is in operation Tuesday to Sunday and on Monday they sell sandwiches and drinks.

We were at Maho Beach craving a burger one day and not wanting to go to Sunset Beach Bar (for many reasons) we decided to eat at Driftwood. Although we give them high marks for the improvements to their beach bar, I’m afraid that our burger – sucked. The meat had no taste and the bun was stale and crumbly. Too bad. We’ll still go back though because we noticed other people’s meals looked terrific (pizza, fish, salads etc) and the rum punch is as good as ever. The kitchen obviously had an “off” day when they were making our burgers.

We ate a lot of our breakfasts and lunches at “home” on the balcony of Mary’s Boon. We shopped for supplies at Maho Market and the grocery stores in Porto Cupecoy and in Simpson’s Bay. One note of caution – check the expiration dates on EVERYTHING you buy. It’s always been an issue on the island but now more than ever before.

Have any TTOLers ever shopped at PRIME in Cole Bay? We went there to buy supplies for the drop-in center we supported while on vacation. PRIME is set up like a Costco and the prices on food are amazing. You do have to buy many items in bulk however, but it might be good to check out the next time you’re on the island especially if you are staying for a few weeks. I also noticed their prices on liquor and wine which you could buy by the bottle were extremely good. We didn’t buy anything because we were on a mission to fill the drop-in center’s fridges and cupboards but I plan on going back. It’s cash and carry and as I mentioned, in Cole Bay. Just ask any of the locals for directions – they all know where it is.

Finally – a quick note on the Red Piano. We went there twice but each time got so choked up by the cigarette smoke we had to leave early. They’re allowing smoking again because they need the business and the air was “blue” and unbreathable. They also have many more bands than in the past. The week we were there they only had someone entertaining on the piano two nights out of the seven.

We didn’t have any gourmet food experiences while we were on St. Maarten this time but I hope some readers may find my observations helpful. As I mentioned at the beginning, this was a somber, quieter trip and all we were looking for was some comfort food and our old friends so for us, it was “mission accomplished”.