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Tips for visitors

Tage’s Ted is cooking

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Chef Ted Robinson is back at work in the kitchen.  But this time it’s not in his own restaurant.  It’s at St. John’s largest grocery store. 

He’s at Starfish Market, cooking up his own creations for folks on the go who are looking for gourmet takeout, or people who want to spice up (pun intended) dinner at the villa. The accomplished Chef is turning his attention to prepared meals like
Pulled Chicken and Tarragon Salad and a maple Glazed Slow Roasted
Sirloin Wrap. 

"Made fresh daily, Ted’s creations make getting a luxurious lunch or dinner easier than ever before," a news release from Starfish said.

He’s also doing sandwiches, priced from $7.95 to $8.95. They sandwiches are packaged and showcased just to the left of  Starfish’s hot deli case. "Selections may change depending how the cooking spirit moves him," said the news release.

Flavors: an evening of food, wine and music

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The annual "Taste of St. John" is set for Saturday evening at the Westin Resort and Villas.  It’s an annual fund raiser for Rotary Club of St. John. 

Rotary is a service organization focused on doing good works.  It’s helped renew the playground at Coral Bay’s school, while this weekend’s "Flavors" event will fund a $15,500 college scholarship for a St. John high school senior.

Joan Bermingham is the group’s President.  In an interview, she talked about the upcoming event which will include a smörgåsbord of food and wine under a tent and dancing on the beach, to the music of Greg Kinslow and the In the Sand Band.  You can hear samples of Kinslow’s music in the podcast, below.) Press the "Play" arrow to listen to it.

You can also download or hear the conversation by clicking here.

Flavors, of course, is open to anyone, local or visitor. Tickets: $100 donation per person, available at: Connections, Kaleidoscope Video, and online at http://www.flavorsstjohn.com/ticketpage.html.

Maho Bay Camps land for sale

Trust_edit_2 The Trust for Public Land is hoping to acquire the 14 acres which include Stanley Selengut’s Maho Bay Camps. 

A director of the trust told St. John Rotary the lease for Maho Bay expires in 2012 and the land owner, Geri-Geri Corp., has it listed for sale "for a healthy price," according to the St. John Source.  Greg Chelius said the Trust plans to meet with the owner’s attorneys in New York next month.

Earlier this year, the Trust made a $19 million deal for Park acreage inland. Chelius told Rotary how his group got a foothold in the 419-acre parcel. 

One of the heirs had been presumed dead because he’d not been heard from for years.  The trust hired a private investigator who, in fact, found the heir, Joey Adler, living in a Veterans Affairs facility in California.  He received $1 million and is now more comfortable, and the Trust had the land which let it negotiate with other heirs.

Ferry companies threaten shutdown

Caribetrimeferry
The Virgin Islands Public Service Commission plans an emergency meeting to weigh the possibility St. John’s two ferry companies will halt service.

An attorney for the ferry operators told the PSC in a letter that they have been subsidizing the service out of the own pockets, including funds, and cannot continue to do so.  The letter followed Gov. John deJongh’s veto last month of an appropriation of about $520,000 for the ferry operators.

Sunday afternoon, there had been no report of interruptions in ferry service .

Thew Virgin Islands Daily News reported the attorney, Claudette Ferron, stated the government, and not the companies, are responsible for financing the ferry boat franchise operation.  Without that help, Ferron said the companies will have to cut service "within days."

In response, an attorney for the Public Service Commission seemed to suggest the ferry companies’ statements about their financial situation cannot be trusted.  Tanisha Bailey-Roka reminded that efforts to justify a fare increase last year ran into trouble when the companies were unable to provide "accurate financial statements."

Over the past two years, the ferry companies’ service has been less and less reliable and more and more expensive.  Record keeping is imaginary.  There are no receipts for tickets or baggage fees.  And the blatant cries for tips for the bag handlers grow louder. 

The ferry business is a franchise from the government, which means no private competition. Now the ferry operators are trying to bludgeon the Senators into giving them money the Governor and the PSC suspect they don’t deserve.

Park Friends to open retail outlet

At Mongoose Junction, the space formerly occupied by the Canvas Factory will soon be the home of a operated by, and for the benefit of, the Friends of the Virgin Islands National Park. 

Items for sale will include T-shirts, educational toys and materials as well as home decorations.  "Many of our carefully chosen products will be made from recycled materials and renewable resources, and others will support the objective of fair trade amongst nations," the Friends announced.  The store will also be a resource for information about Friends activities and seminars. 

A grand opening party is planned for December but hopes are to have the store open by the middle of November.

Rotary gears up for annual tasty event

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St. John Rotary’s annual fund raiser, a taste of St. John, is scheduled for next weekend, November 17 at the Westin Hotel.  The annual event raises money for scholarships and the KATS Sailing program.

As many as 20 restaurants, caterers, and food and beverage distributors will be offering samples during "Flavors." The evening will feature food, drinks, wine tasting and dancing.  Tickets cost $100 and dress is ‘island fancy.’ You can order tickets online at http://www.flavorsstjohn.com/flavorsonline.html.

If you’ll be visiting that weekend, attending is a great way to meet people who are active in the business and community life of the island.  You’ll  have fun and come away with a greater sense of the spirit of St. John. 

I guarantee it.

New BVI connection

Ferry
If you’re looking for an easy way to get from St. John to the BVIs,
it’s going to get easier.

Road Town Fast Ferry, operated by
Caribbean Martine Excursions, has leased a ticket counter at the new Red Hook ferry dock. 

The company’s Web site says you can buy tickets
online, but hasn’t caught up with the plan to open an office at Red
Hook.  The deal for the Fast ferry was just approved by the V.I. Port
Authority, the Virgin Islands Daily News reported.  (Read the
article.)

The tourists are coming to St. John, US Virgin Islands

Kayak
The winter season is shaping up strongly for hotels, resorts, guest houses and villa managers. 

Caneel Bay’s manager Nikolay Hotze told the St. John Source December bookings are ahead of last year, with the Christmas period full up.  (Read the story.)

The Source also surveyed Estate Zootenvaal and found "the property is booked up from mid-November all the way through April." (If that’s true … WOW!)  Robin Clair, the Zootenvaal manager, told the Source one guest is coming for four weeks as a birthday present to herself and she’s bringing her folding kayak.

Gourmet and wine store opening set

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Starfish Market’s expansion into an upscale food and wine specialty store is set to kick off early next month. (Picture at left is in the original Starfish store.)

A grand opening is being planned Nov. 5 for the new Starfish Gourmet and Wines store.  The venture is located on the first floor of the Marketplace shopping center, across the corridor from Starfish Market.  The shelves will be stock with wines, imported cheeses, coffees, meats, pizzas, pastas and other items.

By shifting wines and gourmet foods to a new retail space, the owners of Starfish give themselves the opportunity to expand offerings in the grocery store, too. More dairy products or produce may be considered.

Starfish Gourmet is likely to be a boon to in-villa catering services.  The availability of a wider variety of items will also give cooks a bigger palette for culinary efforts.  Several chefs at the island’s restaurants have said they feel restricted in preparing menus because food distributors on St. Thomas aren’t able to offer much variety.  If Starfish can establish its own sources and supply lines, St. John could become a much more tasty island.