Let me start by saying neither Don nor I are true gourmets –we just like good food. So we can be equally happy with a burger from BBB or a fine meal from Temptations. We eat breakfast in every day – most of our lunches are on the beach and frequently if we eat a late, large lunch we forgo dinner. I’m sure we are not unique in that approach. In March we tend to stay more on the Dutch side when eating out – our Nov. trip is when we eat primarily in Grand Case since that is where we stay. So here goes with the highlights of the dining side of our vacation in random order.

LUNCHES

Baywatch – what can you say, still IMHO the best place to eat on Orient Beach. I have no clue exactly how many times we ate there this year. I can tell you the beer battered scallops and fish & chips are as good as ever. For the first time I tried Andy’s lasagna and really liked it (if I sound surprised I was – somehow lasagna and beach restaurant don’t go together) it was cheesy and spicy with lots of meat. The mussels in red sauce and the margherita shrimp rounded out my lunches. Don tends to be more on the conservative side but he really enjoyed the burgers, chill, chicken fingers and beef dip sandwiches. Ross makes great drinks – I stayed away from the tequila this trip but his BBC and coladas are really, really tasty. Adrien got married the first weekend we were there – ask to see his wedding picture – a whole different look! Cheryl and Andy are Cheryl and Andy and they are what make Baywatch so great. Andy huffs and puffs and Cheryl keeps her eyes and ears on everything. My compliments to the two of them.

La Belle Epoque – our favorite lunch spot in Marigot we hit at least twice a trip. They have Stella Artois on tap and the best shrimp pizza (gambas) on the island. The people watching is great, I can hop up and shop while Don sits and enjoys. 2 pizzas, and god only knows how many Stella’s came to $55.

Taloula Mangos – is where we sit and watch the ships when we are in P’burg. Not great food, but I like the location and the view. We had a not all that terrific pizza (shrimp scampi and I didn’t like the crust) and some OK nachos. But they also have Stella on tap so I am happy.

DINNERS

Pineapple Pete’s – always bustling, good, personable service and really decent food. Don’t look for a gourmet experience but you get really good food at a pretty good price. Don had crab stuffed shrimp he talked about for 3 days and I had a seafood gratinee (shrimp, scallop, grouper in a Parmesan sauce). I didn’t like the Kir Royale but I adored the dark rum crème brulee. We ordered one and split and then ordered a second one and did the same. Pierre (Pete) also has entertainment on a regular basis so check and see who is playing. We really enjoyed it the night we were there. About $60 with tip.

Pizza Pasta – first time we darkened the doors and it won’t be the last. Very small restaurant so you have to make reservations. They also do a booming take out business which unfortunately walks right thru one of the dining areas. I had a huge piece of totally excellent lasagna and Don had a mountain of spaghetti and meatballs (4 the size of mini hockey pucks). I loved it, and wanted to go back but we make a habit not to return to a restaurant twice in the same trip.

Los Gauchos – in the Pelican marina area. We both had filet and thought it was quite good. The sides are not that impressive, Don had a baked potato and I had garlic fired potatoes. The empanadas we had as appetizers were excellent. Malbec was the wine of the night for me and one of my favorite wines. About $70 with tip.

Lady C – excellent pizza. We wandered over there with Cheryl and Ted after the TTOL party and split a bottle of Mont Redon Cotes du Rhone along with 3 pizzas – the Mexican, vegetarian and shrimp. Crust was excellent, nothing beats sitting at a picnic table with good friend s and good food after a really nice TTOL party. Wendell and ?? came over and ate their pizza with us so we were a lively group. $66 with tip.

Ric’s Place – stopped in later one night after a late lunch on the beach. Don had the munchies so we ordered the Nachos Grande which hit the spot for him. This is where we heard the band “On the Beach” for the first time; they were playing on the back deck so there we were under the stars, overlooking the lagoon, listening to some really fine music. Tamara is working her butt off, my hat’s off to her for all her hard work.

La Rosa II – is here we dined with Cheryl & Ted and Deepti. This was the night before Deepti was leaving for Dubai – my that woman gets around! We closed the place down – all the wait staff was waiting for us to leave but we were having such a good time we lost track of time. Deepti had chicken and Don a filet in a pepper sauce that was killer. Ted had a veal dish he enjoyed and Cheryl and I had pasta dishes, Cheryl had a pescatore and me the Fra Diavalo. We hadn’t been to La Rosa for about 8 years and am not sure why – it was excellent. Deepti said it was her brother’s favorite restaurant and I can see why. We also had a bottle or two of chardonnay – I don’t know much more than that, but I did enjoy it. A very lovely evening!

Bananas – we have avoided Bananas for a couple of years for a variety of reasons. I’m glad we gave it another go this year – we really enjoyed our meal there. I had the stuffed mahi mahi and Don the shrimp scampi and both meals were excellent. Service was excellent and there was very little wait for the food (unlike our last experience there). It was a slow night but they all just seemed to be a little more on the ball. The owner (?Bob) was not there. Bananas is back on my list again.

Skipjacks – another new restaurant we enjoyed. Brad had done a really nice job with the design of the restaurant and how can you beat sitting on the water, even if it was a bit breezy? There are some kind of wind protectors that come down to protect you. Don had the salmon and I had the mahi in Creole sauce. Both dishes were very nice. Service was attentive and the ambience was great. Most dinners are in the $18 – 20.

Bajatzu – New restaurant in Maho where Mamma Mia’s use to be. Outstanding is my rating for this place. The décor is elegant, service is attentive, and noise level is low. Not to mention the meal was excellent. We both had the filets which you can order with a 3 different sauces (Béarnaise, Peppercorn and ??). The salad had an Italien parmesan dressing, Don had the baked potato and I the garlic mashed and the vegetable were a grilled mix. Ran into Gretchen and Leslie so had a lovely chat with them before dinner. They had the tuna which they both enjoyed but I will let them tell you all the details. Jeff from DK’s said he ate there 4 times that week. Reservations are recommended. I’m sorry we waited till the end of the trip to go; we might have broken our “One trip per visit” rule.

La Gondola – Our traditional last night dinner which was excellent as always. I love the ambiance in this restaurant. I had a Cosmopolitan to start and it was excellent. We then went to the lobster bisque, Don had a shrimp pasta dish and I had the special of the night a lobster fettuccine. We finished off the meal with a very fine Tiramisu. Reservations ere a must, every table had a reserved sign on it. I saw lots of folks who were turned away. Dinner was $104 with tip.

Well, this is much longer than I had planned. Hope you can tell we really enjoyed ourselves - and are laready looking forward to our next visit (which I booked today - the airline tickets at least!)