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BEER BELLIES
Bending an elbow with St.
Croix’s thirstiest residents
Tucked into the rain forest
east of Frederiksted is the
Mt. Pellier Domino Club, a
place known for three things:
a honey-and-spice rum called
mamajuana
; stick-to-your-ribs
fare from a Trinidadian named
Norma George; and beer-
guzzling pigs. As the story
goes, free-roaming pigs used
to snatch beers out of patrons’
hands, so the response was to
start buying them their own.
Order four (nonalcoholic)
brews, shake them up and
put them in the mouths of
your new drinking buddies,
who, despite the spray, will
enjoy every drop. It’s about
as lowbrow as it gets, but a
whole lot of fun to watch.
DAYTHREE
| Youwakeupat theBuccaneer
and beeline it to downtown Christiansted
for breakfast at
Lalita (
1
)
, a health-food
restaurant that promises to be the perfect
antidote to rich food and free-flowing rum
cocktails. Something titled “Morning-A er
Detox”—a blend of fresh ginger, beet, car-
rot, apple and lemon—calls your name.
Rejuvenated, you’re ready for amorning
snorkel-and-sail excursion, so you pick up
passes for the Buck Island half-day trip at
BigBeard’sAdventureTours (
2
)
.While there’s
plentyof great snorkeling intheCaribbean,
Buck Island has the added distinction of
having been a U.S. national monument
since 1961, whenPresident JohnF. Kennedy
bestowed the status by executive order. It’s
easy to see why he did. A er an hour of
orientation for inexperienced snorkelers,
the boat brings you to one of only three
snorkel trails in the U.S., where Atlantic
blue tang swarm in formidable clusters
andparrot fishaudiblymunchon the algae
that covers the anchor lines.
The appetite of a parrot fish is nothing
compared with yours, however, so—once
back on shore—you head toward St.
Croix’s second city, Frederiksted, for lunch.
SleepyChristiansted seems like rush-hour
Tokyo next to this supremely laid-back
town (though that changes in an instant
when a cruise ship docks at the nearby
pier). Right on the waterfront is
Polly’s at
the Pier (
3
)
, a welcoming, casual café run
by Midwestern transplants. You choose
Havarti, Swiss, blue and cheddar along
with avocado, tomato and red onion for a
grilled cheese par excellence.
You board another puddle jumper and
find yourself back in the heart of Char-
lotte Amalie on St. Thomas. The town’s
busy shopping streets offer all manner
of luxury brands at bargain prices, but
the atmosphere is what makes this place
special. It reminds you of New Orleans’
French Quarter, and li le wonder—most
of the elaborate ironwork was shipped in
from the Big Easy.
Jumping into a cab, you chart a course
for your last dinner on the islands. Nestled
in St. Thomas’ verdant hills,
Old Stone
Farmhouse (
4
)
was originally a stable
that adjoined a Danish sugar plantation
constructed in the 1750s. In addition to
local seafood, it offers exotic meats and
fish sourced from around the globe. The
best part is that you don’t have to decide
between the kangaroo steak and the
Indian Ocean abalone in a phyllo crust;
instead, you’re invited to walk down into
the kitchen, where chef Greg Engelhardt’s
staff lets youmix and match selections of
meat and fish from the “Butcher’s Block.”
It’s a fi ing way to dine on your last eve-
ning in the U.S.V.I.—picking and choosing
what appeals to you at any givenmoment
is what a visit to this glorious troika of
islands is all about.
After locking eyes with a barracuda,
Hemi-
spheres
contributor
GRANT STODDARD
is
feeling pretty lucky.
WATERWORLDS
From left, taking a nighttime paddle with Sea Thru Kayaks; snorkeling off Buck Island during a Big Beard’s Adventure Tours outing
HEMISPHERESMAGAZINE.COM
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FEBRUARY 2012
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