Thanks again folks. Ok, so I called the Ritz Carlton in St Thomas just to see what they'd recommend... they said that Carribean Saloon would be perfect from the price point we wanted to be in. I think we'll try this place as my wife turned her nose up when I mentioned Irish Pub food :o). Actually, we looked at the menu at Molly's and they don't really have even 1 regular pasta dish for our daughter, so it's Carribean Saloon as the front runner right now.
http://www.caribbeansaloon.com/saloonmenu.htm

Guess we'll meet our friends and their 2 kids there and see what they think. The Ritz said the sandwiches and fries are awesome there and all under $10. I'll be happy with a gardenburger and fries. No need to spend crazy money on dinner on vacation for every meal when cheap food is sometimes delicious too. More money for ... shopping, right? The Ritz lady did highly recommend their own dining room and said the entrees are $18 for a burger and $38 for a nice main course, as if that would fit our modest budget that I originally mentioned to them. :o) Then she said that the Secret Harbor Beach Resort place is awesome too, as well as Blue Moon Cafe. She did say that some of these places are a $12-15 p/p cab ride which ads $45 for the 3 of us ... just to get to the restaurant! Ouch. Almost like NYC, actually, alot more money.

Cheers,
Steve R

stever,
Go to Red Hook, go to the Marina Market. Have the great people behind the deli make up sandwiches and grab some beers and go to a beach for a great sunset dinner! You won't be disappointed and no tipping involved.

Ok, so we finally decided, and I appreciate that last piece of advice EaglesLanded. It turns out I was wrong about some stuff. It turns out our friends don't have their kids with them, and that this is a 20th anniversary for them and they're staying for free from American Air points and their Marriott Frenchman's Reef hotel is free for 5 nts too. Not bad...

So, we looked at Molly Mallones again and the menu for that Carribean Place and then looked at pics and my wife wanted something fancier. I was at my wits end when I decided to check out the Coconut Cove Beach Bar and Grille at the Ritz Carlton, looked at their menu and realized - perfect! They have pizza and salads - a marriage made in luxury dining heaven for us. :o)

They have it all from what I can see - a killer, beautiful location, a fancy dining atmosphere, reasonable prices ($18 for a pizza that 2 can split easily, $14 for a salad that 2 can easily split) and a great memory with our friends. They're even going to save us the $15 p/p cab ride to the hotel from Charlotte Amalie as they'll have a car with a back seat AND they can drop us off at Red Hook Harbor after dinner saving us another $5 p/p.

Whooo hooo! We love nice hotels and pretty settings as much as eating a picnic on the beach, but for this night's meal, it'll be the nice hotel deal.

Steve R

stever: It is always difficult to give recommendations to someone on somewhere to eat and the more information they give you, the easier it is. I have to say that I read in your posts: moderate but nice (later you mentioned budget), don't want to take a cab, not interested in drinks (ALL restaurants in the VI have 'em), have a 13 year old, then you talked about wanting pasta or pizza.

From all of those, I don't think I would ever come up with the Ritz as a recommendation. $15 burgers, probably the most expensive menu on St Thomas! Also you will need to take a cab to the Ritz- $4 or 5 per person from Red Hook- one way. I would also not recommend Caribbean Saloon for a 13 year old. Here if you want "nice" you will pay.

I am not sure what moderate is in your mind, but East End Cafe has great Italian food (pastas and veal dishes), Island Time has pizza. Molly Molone's has the large serving sizes that Americans seem to desire these days at very reasonable prices. And they have lots of non-Irish dishes, including I am pretty sure, pasta. All of these are within walking distance of the ferry dock.

East Ender - I know, you all must think I'm a flake at this point, giving you the original info to go with and changing it along the way. That's the great thing about life - being able to change your mind when need be as it suits your changing needs. Our needs changed once we saw the layout of the Ritz, and we've been curious to check it out at some point anyway. We just stayed at the Naples and South Beach Miami Ritz last week for 4 nts each, at bargain rates due to the summer in the USA so we were curious to check out the STT Ritz as well as meet there in a beautiful setting for din din. And, the prices are actually great for what you get - splitting a pizza and salad is actually reasonable there AND we get a free transport from our friends.

Thanks again everyone. If for some reason the Ritz doesn't work out, we'll try that East End Cafe or Island Time instead.

Steve R