I only spent one day on St. John last year, but that one day was great. We snorkeled at Trunk Bay and then drove to a place possibly called "The Ship Wreck" for lunch. The food was great and the atmosphere was too. It was open air, with pretty birds flying through and perching in the lush foliage. I had some sort of fish sandwich with a special sauce on it, mmmmm, mmmmm, mmmmm!!!! All 9 of us had something different and I heard nothing but oohs and ahhs from everyone. I don't know how to tell you to get there, but I'm sure a local can. Don't miss out on this fabulous food! Also, don't miss "Duffy's Love Shack." We ate at the one on St. Thomas many times and I hear there is one on St. John. Have a great trip!

Conch fritters and fresh mahi sandwich at Woodys. conch fritters anywhere in the USVI. miss the fritters here in the states

We always like to get some local food when we're on STJ. For dinner in Cruz Bay, our favorite is Sogo's, which is West Indian. We also like Sosa's in Cruz Bay, which is Latin Caribbean food. You can get good pate at Hercules, across from th Lumberyard. There are also some good cart/stand/truck operations around the pavilion and the post office.

In Coral Bay, Sweet Plantains is putting out a sort of upscale local menu. There are also a couple of small local stand/truck operations at the intersection. Heading toward Salt pond, Miss Lucy's has good caribbean food. In the East End, Vie puts out good, simple food.

To get a drink with a very local experience, stop by Mooie's in Cruz Bay or the Sputnik bar in Coral Bay (the bar itself, not the restaurant next door).

From the first message after yours, its called ShipWreck Landing, I don't remember where it is either but anyone can tell you, near Coral Bay maybe? and its one of our favorite places. Duffey's is fun for an intown place, but no cuisine. Miss Lucy's, way out, also by Coral Bay I think, is great too. We can't wait to try all these other places (no kids this time) when we return in November.

Joe's barbecue on St. John can't be beat. Meal for two is $16. You may have to wait a little but anywhere else you might get to wait a lot. The best food is a little french restaurant about 3 miles east of Coral Bay. Dinner for Four is $200.

Where is this french restaurant 3 miles east of Coral Bay? Vovages was in Coral Bay but it is closed. Chateau Bordeaux is before you get to Coral Bay. I don't know of any other french restaurant in Coral Bay. There is a new place next to where Vovages was it is called Aqua Bistro. Further down the road a new place opened called Sweet Plaintains.

Might be referring to Chateau Bordeaux, but it's more or less to the west. and before Coral Bay. I'm not sure of the mileage, but the only place to eat when you head east from Coral Bay is Vie's.

Thought they were looking for Caribbean food? If so, Miss Lucy's and Sogo's might be your best bet. Hercules for good pates as well as some local fare. Most local food is found in vans and places like Comfie's(sp) by the ballpark in town. Sorry, but those other restaurants serve continental cuisine! Morgan's Mango comes closest to serving Caribbean food. Sweet Plantains I hear does also.
Ronnie

Where is Joe's barbeque? In Cruz bay?

So far the advice I've found here is as follows:

Restaurants: laid back restaurants rather than fine dining spots.
Cruz bay:
· Lime Inn,
· Fish Trap,
· Morgan's Mango (local food)
· Sogo's (west Indian) for dinner.
· Sosa’s (Latin Caribbean).
· Drinks at Mooie’s
Coral Bay:
· Shipwreck Landing (w/birds flyinig through),
· Island Blues,
· Sweet plantains (local carribbean),
· Skinny Legs's has affordable food, cold beer, good atmosphere and people watching. (local food)
· Miss Lucy's (toward the Salt pond) Caribbean food.
· Columbo Café (smoodie),
· Joe's barbecue can't be beat. Meal for two is $16
East End:
· Vie's Snack Shack for a wonderful island lunch: good simple
food.. She is located on the East end of the island. best
conch fritters, garlic chicken and pineapple or coconut
tarts. She is closed Sunday and Monday.Get there early
11:30- 12:00. She has a beach also. Good snorkeling.

If you want Caribbean (really West Indian) food you can't miss Miss Lucy's and Vie's. both on the east side of the island. For an earlier post Joe's is across from the post office in cruz bay. No one mentioned Hercule's Pates near the Ferry dock but you can't do West Indian without trying this.

Well, fine dining is tough to do with fine dining on STT/STJ.
You have to remember though, local is what you make it.
STJ, especially, was never a naturally populated island until the last few hundred years so it was influenced by Dutch, American, African, and French, like STT. So why couldnt a french fine dining menu be local?

It seems to me that usually when people are using the phrase "local food", they're referring to the foods and dishes of the local West Indian population.

Guy Benjamin may be the oldest living person born on STJ. My guess is that he'd really be amused by the the thought that fine French dining would be termed "local" food.

"Local" does seem to be used in different ways at different times. Sometimes it seems to mean anyone who lives on STJ year round, regardless of where someone was born or how long they've been on STJ. Other times it seems to refer specifically to the local West Indian population and culture.

In the BVI, things are further complicated by the status of "belonger."

Me, I'm a tourist.

Oh, so local food would be the frozen conch fritters? Or chicken rotis? Or pate'? Hmm seems to have strong influences from other cuisines. I was trying to point out that this is a melting pot here as well as the states and I dont think the USVI has a strong "local" food. I think we have many locals who cook food that have come from all over. There are some french and dutch decendants whove been here a long time. I think places like puerto rico, Dominican Republic, BVI, Jamacia, St Lucia, and other islands not directly associated with the US have more of an iron clad unique cuisine. I really believe that there is such an influx of people from all the other islands coming here, europeans, statesiders that it really is hard to put a finger on local cuisine of stj/stt. Many to most of the top chefs on STJ are from stateside. The sous chef for turtle bay at caneel is from the BVI. The sous chef from the sugar mill at caneel is a local but he worked his way up under chefs from stateside chefs. Maybe you will throw sogo's or sosas at me but im not up to speed on them. To be honest, most west indian cooking that I have experienced is the love of stewing and cooking things over a period of time. The west indian BBQ is good. I wouldnt rate it much different than texas BBQ except it is sweeter and not as spicey. Like I said, local food depends on who is cooking for you. The misconception that all locals are west indian is pretty ignorant. STJ is close to half and half, last I heard(half stateside, half west indian). The concept of caribbean food, now thats a different thing. Using local roots like cassava or yucca and 'exotic' fruits in entrees with a light fish or salad.....Lobster, lobster, lobster. I think thats what people think of. They arent drinking ginger beer. They are drinking painkillers. Its all about what people want and what they think the caribbean is about. The jimmy buffet songs and stuff become reality. They want to be taken out of the US and into the clear water and sun but I dont think they want to be too far from a cheeseburger and fries or a steak dinner. Am I wrong?

Chris: I think there *is* a West Indian cuisine with influences from the Caribbean and beyond. Things like souse, saltfish, stewed chicken and goat, oxtail, fried and boiled pot fish, ground provisions such as local sweet potato, various bananas, okra fungi, and yes, pates. Roti comes from Trinidad, like jerk chicken comes from Jamaica and lechon comes from Puerto Rico- Caribbean and in this era of globalization, becoming more common in the VI as people travel and taste. No, frozen conch fritters are not "local" anymore than frozen fish sticks are "seafood", but that is part of the food industry. I have to say, we ate in St John the other night at a popular spot and I couldn't tell I was in the Virgin islands. I thought the wait staff was snippy, the service was poor, the food was marginal...and there was not a single traditional West Indian to be seen.

No Chris you are not wrong...but you have to admit you are going to take this to a level the questioner (or nearly anybody else) is going to take this to! Local, West Indian, Caribbean, to a visitor (or non-chef!) is something they are going to eat in the islands and go home and tell their friends about. The issue won't be so forensic that it will generate discussions about whether or not it is truly St. Johnian! If a visitor to the islands wants to try kalaloo, or conch fritters (I'd prefer previously frozen for safety's sake!) pates or fungi, I think they should. Island food is what you eat in the islands, that you aren't likely to find at home. You mention BBQ in your post, well being from the Carolinas, I might well ask you what kind? (There are only about 25 varieties in these two states, but if I were taking a visitor from New Jersey to lunch...why cloud the issue!) Now I will be visiting STJ in July (12th trip?) with my family, and from things I have read on this board about C&Bs I plan on dining with you, not just for the reviews, but your invaluable contributions to this board. Whenever I see a subject line that piques my interest, I always scroll down to see what Chris_Cody has to say about it! Now that said can we get back to more important subjects like which cell phone service works best and Kenny Chesney sightings!!!

Ok, East Ender, I think that clears it up for me a little. Personally, I see differences in West Indian Cooking verses Jamacian or Trinidads. I guess they are all caribbean but that would be like lumping scandanavian, french, english, german, and italian all under one umbrella because they are close! And sorry East Ender, I truly believe a lot of the "west Indian" cuisine is very similar to African. My step father was african and the smells and taste and many ingredients are similar. I am not trying to demean the cuisine, I am just trying to point out that STT and STJ havent been inhabited long enough to have its own cuisine. They are functions of its locals which are from ALL over. Many of those dishes tht you described were brought to the VI from other places in the caribbean. As far as there not being west indian workers at the place you visited, that is quite common on STJ. From what I see, many West Indian workers come to STJ and live on STT and it is hard to do that for late night food service so most of the local statesiders do those jobs.

I thought it was funny that you mentioned the ridiculousness of lumping various European cuisines together then in the very next sentence don't hesitate to mention "African cuisine". Africa is a very large continent with incredible diversity, including what people eat and how they prepare it. It can really vary significantly from tribe to tribe in a rather small area. Talking about "African" cuisine would be like talking about "European" cuisine.

Poor Chris. I do understand what you are trying to say, but you have to understand truly what local food is. You have not been to Sogo's or Sosa's. No problem. Neither are locals! Sogo is from St. Lucia. Sosa is Dominican. I don't think that other than maybe Miss Lucy's, there are any restaurants that serve St. Johnian or Virgin Island fare. I know Vie daubles in things like fried chicken but it's only a roadside shack.
Everthing does come from somewhere. Who knows the origins of all foods? Food preparation is island specific. Crucians make kallaloo and fungi different from St. Thomians. Did you know that? Trindadian genip balls have pepper in them where St. Thomian ones don't. Every island has a different twist on their food.
It sure would be great to have a nice local restaurant in St. John like Cuzzin's (owned by a native, even has a native cook or two!)in St. Thomas to really show local food at it's best! The wise restaurateur should open one like that! Cuzzin's is packed every night with natives, locals, West Indians, and tourists alike!
Ronnie

PS. Chris, come to St. Thomas one day or night and I will take you to Cuzzin's and show you!