Just back yesterday from 10 nights on SXM. Spent most days on the beach with two forays to Touch of Gold in Phillipsburg to attend to a problem my wife was having with a ring purchased on a previous visit. As usual the owner of Touch of Gold was very helpful.

This report will be a restaurant review although I do not hold myself out as a gourmet. When all you do all day is laze on the beach eating is about all you can report on.

We ate all lunches and one breakfast at Andy and Cheryl's on Orient. As usual they welcomed us with open arms and on Cheryl's part kisses. They seem to know everyone who comes there on a regular basis. Cheryl certainly remembered my favorite lunch of hot dog and french fries--I told you I was not a gourmet. My wife loves the eggplant parm with Andy's secret marinara sauce.

We ate (dined?) twice at our favorite restaurant---Le Villa in Grand Case. We ate there a second time because Piazza Paschal was closed on Wednesday and many other places were as well. Christopher the owner was gracious as always and the food was wonderful as was the service both times. I had the beef filet both times and my wife had beef once and a red snapper dish she greatly enjoyed. The molten chocolate cake was pretty good too!

As is our tradition we dined our first night at il Netunio in Grand Case which is also a favorite of ours. We ate there our last night as well. The first time I had pasta and the second time chicken parm. My wife loves the gnocchi there and since she has a gluten problem had it the second visit as well.

We tried Bistrot Caraibes in Grand Case for the first time since we have read such great reviews of it. We must have hit it on a bad day. The service was extremely slow--we were the second couple in the restaurant and it took almost two hours to finish our meal. Meanwhile a couple behind us both found a foreign body in their onion soup and while the staff was very apologetic the couple left. It looked like a cube of something white was in their soup and apparently whatever it was staff agreed it should not be in the soup. I don't think we will be going there on our next trip as our meals were not well prepared.

Spiga in Grand Case was wonderful as usual. We have never had a bad meal there. I love their Vanila Vanila dessert.

Another new place we tried based upon a recommendation from Cheryl was Le Piment in Orient Village. It has a somewhat varied menu with an Italian emphasis. The staff was very friendly. The food was very good and the portions were enormous--much more than we can eat. Cheryl had suggested sharing meals and I can see why. By the time we left at 7:30 the place was filled and for good reason. We will be going back there.

Driving seemed easier than usual with a reduced number of locals driving as if speed laws and other traffic regulations were recommendations rather than requirements.

Glad we again went to SXM but as always happy to be home.