Last week, we told you about a great new authentic restaurant in Cruz Bay – De’ Coal Pot. Today we’d like you all to know about another great local spot, but this one’s more of a grab and go place. It’s called Etta’s Place and I’m not sure what’s better – the food or dear, sweet Etta herself.
The idea for Etta’s Place came about last year around this time while Carnival was happening over on St. Thomas. After tasting what she described as subpar food during the event, Etta Samuel decided it was time for someone to offer flavorful, authentic West Indian cuisine on St. John.
“I said if this is what they’re doing, then I’m going to start cooking. So I opened the restaurant and realized I had a gift,” Etta said.
Etta’s Place opened up on the second floor of the Marketplace about three months ago. She serves a variety of dishes including stew chicken, salmon balls, fresh local catch, veggie platters and more. Most dishes are between $8 and $14 and include peas and rice, sweet potato stuffing, sweet plantains or banana fritters, cole slaw and potato salad.
Here’s a peek at her full menu:
And here’s a look at how good her food is (I wish we had some kind of smell-o-vision because this all smelled amazing!):
For those of you who like conch, Etta sells a great dish of conch in butter sauce. But you need to grab it quickly, because it “sells like hotcakes,” according to Etta.
Etta’s Place is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. She is considering expanding her hours in the future.
I know Etta from when she did a night at the tamarind inn. best pates on island.
Ate dinner at De Coal Pot last night. I had the mutton soup and a chicken roti. It was very good. I’ll have to try Etta’s later this week.