Just back from another week on SXM. Some of the best weather I’ve ever experienced. It was not as steamy as Augusts past, with only a few showers at night.
The island was also not as crowded as in June, but tourism has by no means dropped off in the “low season.” Traffic was pretty heavy at times through Simpson Bay, but wasn’t a problem throughout the rest of the island, other than the usual congestion through Marigot.
Even though the calendar denies it, I’m convinced there must have been a full moon last week. The sand gravity seemed so much stronger than usual. Other than one day at Pinel, all the rest were at Orient, specifically at Kakao. The water was nice and warm, but a couple of degrees cooler than the average for August. This will hopefully keep the likes of Ernesto, Gordon, and Kirk from making visits to the island this year. It also kept the Jellyfish away.
GP retains his title as my favorite bartender on the island. The shots of MaDouDou lined up for the bar at the end of the beach days may sway my judgment a bit.
I had the pleasure of staying at Les Balcons d’Oyster Pond. What a great place at a great price. I stayed in Unit 20, a standard-sized bungalow. It had been recently-renovated, with all new tile, new appliances in the kitchen, a great A/C, two ceiling fans, grill, new patio furniture, and a great view across Oyster Pond toward St. Barth’s. The large balcony was the perfect place for breakfast every morning (a few of them being the bakery order Carine places the night before). Carine and Davide also made me feel as if I had been staying there for years. The place was pretty full based upon the parking lot, but felt really private when walking around, using the pool, or sitting on the balcony. I look forward to staying there again.
Lunches were mostly at Kakao. I ate once in the restaurant. Had a great special of scallop and prawn brochettes that rivaled dinner plates in many other restaurants on the island. The other days at Kakao, I ordered at the KO bar. The pizzas are very good, while the smoked duck and Marcellin cheese salad is just another reason to return to SXM.
I had a disappointing meal at Karibuni. The dorado was undercooked and the service was essentially absent. That was capped off by no offer of rum at the end of the meal: something I always look forward to. Hopefully, they had an off day. If not, I noticed that Yellow Beach has a new, more extensive menu. I’ll probably try that out on the next trip.
Dinners:
Le Cottage: (10). So good I ate here twice. I always expect a lot from this place and it has never disappointed me. The food is good enough on its own, but adding in Stephane’s wine-by-the-glass pairings and his great hospitality along with Bruno and Isabelle make this my favorite restaurant on the island. The pumpkin soup with seared scallop and chestnut puree was insanely good. The Dover Sole with lobster and an almond mousse that followed it was outstanding. Caramel soufflé topped the meal off. The second visit, I tried the starter of tomato tastings. I came with a tomato and honey tarte, a tomato salad, and a gazpacho. All of these were excellent. The special main course was a tasting platter of lobster done 4 ways: a spicy lobster tarte, lobster ravioli in lemon grass, a mini-grilled thermidor, and a carpaccio of lobster with mint and lime. I love restaurants that come up with such tremendous flavor combinations I’ve never experienced before. The orange, mango, and pineapple fruit dessert topped one of the best meals I’ve eaten on St. Maarten.
Pineapple Pete’s: (8) As always, very good food and attentive service. The fish soup was good, but a bit bland. The Thermidor was outstanding as always. It was actually a bit too large to finish this time. Nice problem to have, though.
Terra: (8) A new place for me. It proved that excellent food can actually be served so close to Cheri’s Café (sorry to the Cheri’s lovers- I couldn’t resist). I usually don’t experiment with crab cakes outside of the Chesapeake since I tend to be disappointed. However, the crab cake starter with bean and corn salsa was fantastic. The grouper dish with chanterelle mushrooms, lobster, and saffron was really tasty. Apparently, the chef and his wife are leaving Terra at the end of the month to open their own place, so keep an eye out for them. They should succeed wherever they go.
Tabba Khady: (9) One of my must-dos. William and Philip are such great and friendly hosts. The menu is imaginative compared to many on the island. The galette of goat cheese, balsamic, and tomato was amazing. The Senegalese pork with tomato and peanut butter sauce might seem weird but was delicious. Their new dessert, the chocolate fondant might be illegal in some states.
L’Astrolabe: (9) Another new place for me. The setting was really nice along the Esmeralda pool and the service was really attentive and friendly. The food was excellent as well. Their melon gazpacho with fresh ginger and fried apple/lobster ravioli was unusual and delicious. Pork tenderloin wrapped in phyllo dough and topped with crawfish sauce was tasty. Their 41 Euro for 3 courses deal seemed pretty fair for the quality and setting.
Ti Bouchon: (10) I left MoMo’s place saying “Wow-wow!” I am so glad I was able to try this amazing restaurant. The setting on the porch and MoMo’s hospitality make you feel like you are eating at his home. The food is out of this world. Think Grand Case food at Cul-de-Sac prices. The duck (not smoked) breast with sliced foie gras over arugula was superb. This was followed by quail breasts (4) served over asian noodles. The pineapple crumble and complimentary cognac completed one of the best meals I’ve enjoyed anywhere in the world. Another nice feature is that any bottle of wine unfinished is recorked as a new style of doggie bag. This place is now on my must-eat list.
Miscellaneous:
I know there has been a lot on crime in recent months. I personally again felt safe the entire time on the island. One night, the police showed up at one of the restaurants. Apparently, restaurants are pretty regular targets for robberies in the low season, with several having been robbed multiple times over the past year. This place records tag numbers of “suspicious vehicles” to help prevent this. When running home to check on their house and to call the police regarding one of these cars, the owner’s truck was stolen. Luckily, it was recovered minutes later and one less thief is off the streets on SXM. It was nice to see that the police can be responsive and effective, although it was sad to hear how disheartened the restaurant owner has become regarding the crime trend on the island in recent years.
The new road through the Quartier d’Orleans is now finished and is a pleasure to drive on. If only the Dawn Beach and Galion roads could be the same way…
I cannot wait for the new airport to open. It seems that solving any of the problems with the old airport have been put off since the new place is on the horizon. United checkin was the usual disaster, with lines down the front of the terminal, while agents refused to check in anyone other than Chicago passengers, even at 10:30 when the counters opened. 90 minutes to get through checkin only because there is no longer hand search of bags. Maybe the XRay is up and running for checked luggage? Café Juliana seems to be starting its swansong. The menu is now smaller and no longer offers a Cubano sandwich. The fishburger was good, though. Look for the folks at Bajatzu (dinner only) at Maho. Best of luck to them with this new venture.
Security lines were short. Just the now typical liquid checks and obligatory shoe removal for all passengers (even flip-flops).
United then waited until the scheduled time of the DC flight boarding to announce a 2-3 hour delay (after everyone was through security) and threw in the double-whammy of canceling the Chicago flight. I escaped the bedlam that ensued into the Soualiga Lounge. I got more than my $20 worth in wine, peace and quiet, A/C, absence of canceled passenger anger, and meatballs/chicken wings.
Finally arrived home 3 hours late without having to buy the crappy snack box from United since I had filled up in the lounge.
Next time, I’m taking the connecting flight down from Reagan so I don’t have to deal with United or Saturdays.