Friday night, Jackie and I went out to eat... What an unexpected gem!
The Cellar restaurant in Red Hook is fine dining at it's finest. The look, decor and menu would be right at home in any big city. It was a little refreshing to dine out without Jimmy Buffet and Bob Marley dominating the juke box.
We started with an amuse bouche (free food)... just a little something, a hint of things to come... This is a short rib risotto. The menu offers a new chef's preparation risotto that changes daily.
I am a sucker for a cheese tray. Sadly, I do not recall the cheeses, but there was an excellent goat cheese, as well as two other soft cheeses that stood out. The fabulous presentation included some fresh made crackers, fruit and nuts. This was a real bargain at only $15. Cheese, well, quality cheeses can get very expensive on the island.
My main course was a grilled mahi over a potato purree. From this angle, you can't see the relish inside the pepper, but the entire presentation was wonderful.
Jackie had a beef Wellington over sautéed spinach. Caramelized onions and a peppercorn cream sauce. After we each finished half, we exchanged plates. Each meal was special, tasty and most unexpected!
Like I said, after a couple months of cheeseburgers in paradise and local faire, this restaurant caters to locals who care about what they eat. It was a spectacular evening. If you are only visiting for the day, it may not meet your expectations for island dining. But, if you want something special, I could not recommend the Cellar more.
All the details are there... including the wine bottle bathroom faucet (got to get me one of these!).
that place looks great and the food looks amazing!!
ReplyDeleteDave, what a great restaurant to experience while residing on the island.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you wholeheartedly! The Cellar is one of those places that doesn't get the recognition they deserve around the island. The service is always pleasant, the food is never a let-down, and the atmosphere screams "date night."
ReplyDeleteThe owners also own East End Cafe right next door and Johnny and I stumbled upon their breakfast/brunch by accident a couple of months ago. DELICIOUS. I had the chicken fried chicken, which was pounded until irresistably tender and smothered in an unforgettable white sausage gravy. I believe it came with the usual...some sort of potatoes, toast, and a couple of eggs, all of which were very good...but that chicken was amazing. The breading was light and flavorful as well, instead of that thick greasy type you get at "hangover" restaurants.
Johnny got biscuits and gravy. He didn't say anything about them since he was too busy eating it. I heard no complaints though, and that's always good. :-)
Give it a try if you get the chance! Keep the awesome blogs coming! I love reading them!
Your Kansas Friend on St. Thomas,
Bailey Jane
Grown up food! Isn't it great to dress up and enjoy the finer things in life? The food looks awesome and I want that faucet too!
ReplyDeleteSo glad that ya'll treated yourselves to a little fine dining, cher! Both meals look positively divine! And I would love to have one of those sinks with a wine bottle faucet, too!
ReplyDeleteLove the look of that cheese tray - the crackers look wonderful! My daughter's husband is in the Coast Guard in Sacramento. A guy he works with is being transferred to the St. Thomas Coast Guard Station. I told him I knew someone from there! ;)
ReplyDeleteThe mahi looks fantastic! What a great place. Oh and I am just loving that bathroom sink!
ReplyDeleteWhat absolute gorgeous presentation on the food... the cheese plate looks to die for! My hubby and I often exchange plates halfway through a meal, or at least have a few bites off the other's plate. My sis and I exchanged our plates at a Carmel restaurant once - it's just so much more interesting to share food! :)
ReplyDelete(I love that wine bottle spigot too, how cool is that!)
Beef wellington! Excellent choice!
ReplyDeleteWow that looks fabulous!
ReplyDeleteI love love the wine bottle faucet. Such a creative idea!
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