Bars and Restaurants

Ever hear of 180?  The new place where Tage used to be? Hmmm, neither has anybody else – despite a nice four-color announcement for the place in St. John magazine. 

The vertical ad, right next to the publisher’s introductory essay, promises "a modern french(sic) inspired restaurant … with a twist" featuring "flavors from around the globe."  Dinner to be served nightly and there will be a Sunday Brunch, too.  "Zeste private chef service" was also offered. 

Well, ain’t happened.  Ain’t open. The phone number in the ad reaches a message that says,"The number you have dialed is not a working number," and the Web site, 180stjohn.com, is dead too. The old Tage restaurant space is locked and lonely.

(Click on the image to see a larger version of the ad.)

We went back this year for a return visit to La Tapa, where chef/owner Alex Ewald continues to focus on a finite number of superb appetizers and an ever-changing daily menu of always-special entrees. 

We started off with a plate of fresh herbs and spices and olive oil, dunking our bread and smiling as we slurped. Once again, Mrs. Inquiring Iguana and I grazed the appetizer list … artichoke, grilled shrimp, Caesar salad and the restaurant’s signature dish of mussels in a light cream sauce. 

This year, we got a table on the street.  Which, if you kn ow the place, means we almost sat in the street.  Yes, the noise  can be quite distracting …. but knowing good food is coming, you an get over it.  Frankly, it’s pretty noisy inside, too.

Looks like la Tapa is doing lots of business due to repeaters like us, a kitchen that is producing consistently tasty bouquets of offerings, and a nice profile of the restaurant in St. John magazine’s inaugural issue.

If you’ve never had dinner out with a couple of restaurant pros, you have something to look forward to.  Grace and Bob Rood, owners of five restaurants in the Washington, DC area over the past 25 years, joined us at Blue Tang last week – and we did a lot of comparison eating on St. John.

Overlooking Cruz Bay at Sunset, there is no more atmospheric and romantic spot on the island than Asolare.  But some years that’s all the place offered.  Chefs came and went, and the food ranged from great to so-so.  It’s Great again.

With many years of cooking and plating and preparing menus, the Roods know what makes a restaurant a success.  Asolare won points from them at the start, with the menu.  Offering about a dozen entrees, and about half a dozen of appetizers and salads, the kitchen’s not trying to do everything for everybody.

And the food!  Five stars.  Rack of lamb, locally caught Mahi Mahi, and some kind of Asian chicken dish
that Bob had all were rated high.  (The Shrimp Tempura appetizer on a
bed of local greens with a balsamic dress were fantastic, too.)  Ever
the restaurateurs, Bob and Grace rated the food presentation as top
flight, too.

From the standpoint of service, another knockout.  Our waitress recognized Mrs. Inquiring Iguana (Donna) from our one visit last year, and Donna remembered our waitress had been expecting a child.  That led to "How’s the baby?", which led to baby picture. A welcoming beginning.

Yes, I know the place is expensive.  $60-$70/person with a couple of beers  (Watch out for the La Crema Chardonnay at $15/glass.  We pay $12.99/bottle at Costco.)  But you have to have one splurge night on St. John, and Asolare is a best bet choice.

Ask the restaurant experts!  Bob’s summary: "Grace, this place could make it in Washington."

Asolare Web site: http://www.stjohnrestaurants.com/asolare.htm

The Waterfront Bistro, at the Wharfside shopping center, is hoping to have its official grand opening within 24 hours. 

The classy-looking restaurant has been doing a "soft open" for the past four nights, or so, and was about 60% full when we stopped in for a look Saturday night. 

We talked with Joe, the owner-manager, who said it’s been months of work to get the place open.  Everything is new include both (!) kitchens’ equipment – there’s one in back, called the ‘prep’ and then there’s the plating/serving bar, kind of the "show’ place. 

A waterfront bar has been added, and the entire space where Panini Beach was has now been covered with a roof that’s about 8 or 9 feet high.  No more of that scrambling to get people inside when the Caribbean skies begin to rain.
During our visit, everyone was warm, upbeat, and pleasant – happy to show of the result of all that work.

Here’s a sampling of the menu’s appetizers Vichyssoise ($8), Oysters on the Half Shell ($18), Carmelized Onion and Chefre Tartlett ($12).  Salads, etc.: Mixed Greens ($10), Arugula and Roasted Beets ($13).  EntreesP: Plaintnand Crusted Wild Salmno ($31), Vegetable Risotto ($28), and  Poached Caribbean Lobster Tail ($39).  The phone # is 340-777-7755.

St. John’s franchise fast-food business is on the market, listed for sale for $225,000. 

The Multiple Listing Service describes it as a "Wonderful franchise restaurant in the heart of Cruz Bay. Already successful with room to expand." The building which looks like a trailer, is across the street from Woody’s. 

The Subway company’s Web site (www.subway.com) says there are is one of 28,678 Subway restaurants in 86 countries.  The "Store Locator" feature says there are four Subways on St. Croix, five on St. Thomas, and one on "St. Johns" (sic).

It’s not tough to make Risotto, wrote the St. John Sun Times restaurant reviewer, "but making it sublime is difficult."  The island’s new Italian restaurant, DaLivio, does it, according to Eloise Anderson.

This was the newspaper’s second visit to the eatery which is located, roughly, across the street from the Lime Inn and next to Fred’s.  The first, soon after Livio Leoni opened for business was good, but then the summer came and the place closed for vacation.  Leoni and his Italian-speaking chef, Marco Bandini, are back – and in great form, the Sun Times said. 

Best bets: an orange salad with olives, anything Risotto, and pasta with bottarga (pasta, caviar, and olive oil).  Entrees average $25.  Best seats in the house are on the front porch (see and be seen) and … you must visit the bathroom, Anderson said:  "Most stylist and beautiful on St. John."