ST JOHN WATERFRONT BISTRO

St John Island (one of the "other" US Virgin Islands (the pretty one, almost the entire island is a national park)) is home to a very charming shopping district, just to the right of the ferry exit.  Mostly locally produced artwork and beachwear shops, a few high end jewelry stores.

And this beautiful restaurant!

THE WATERFRONT BISTRO (click HERE to get to their home page) is among the most picturesque places to eat in the entire US Virgin Islands.  Located bay side, with a view of the beach and Caribbean Sea, every table is a wonderful spot to enjoy your break from the world.

Jackie and I had a snorkeling session planned, but wanted to grab a quick bite before heading to our beach.  Their VERY reasonably priced lunch menu was a fun read.  It was foodie heaven to see such a wide selection of starters and soups (chilled tomato saffron with cucumbers and creme fraiche), specialties of the restaurant (Grilled ham and cheese, with gruyere cheese and an egg battered brioche)... But Jackie and I chose to split a blackened chicken breast sandwich with a garlic Aioli...

Only $9 (a bargain on the islands, where just about any burger is over $10, let alone with the beautiful view included free).  It was cooked exactly right, very large (we were splitting to eat a light meal prior to our snorkeling trip).  It was a great meal.

We had planned a quickie meal so we would have time to enjoy the island.  Instead, we stayed for a second adult beverage, enjoyed the top quality food and the view.  It was a great start to our day in St John.

the ST JOHN WATERFRONT BISTRO is certainly on our "must do" list for dinner one night.  The view includes one of the best sunsets on the islands.  Plus their dinner time menu shows the same amount of care as their lunch menu.  Looking for a burger joint... sure, they have that.  Looking for a memorable experience... They toss that in as well.

We loved everything about the Waterfront Bistro.  If you are planning a trip to St John, include this place as one of your "must see"!

ST John Spice CO and a BRAND NEW DRINK RECIPE!

Over the weekend, we took the ferry for the short boat trip to neighboring Virgin island, ST JOHN!  ST John is mostly a national park, but with incredible beaches, great places to hike, 4,000 wonderful residents and 400 asses in residence (There is a large group of wild donkeys roaming the park); St John is also a near perfect tourist destination.

The ferry drops you off at the only town on the island.  Bay side restaurants, jewelry stores, tee shirt shacks and one very special store (for me) greet everyone as you debark (disembark???) the ferry.

The ST JOHN SPICE CO is paradise in paradise... Shelves upon shelves upon table displays upon table displays of spices, teas, coffees, hot sauces, a few cooking supplies, coffee mugs, tee shirts and beach supplies.  But mostly, I was there to see the spices, and they did not disappoint.

What I really appreciated was the prepackaged spice mixes.  Grilling rubs and Jerk spices were a highlight for me and I certainly did not leave the island without them.

Their website... http://www.stjohnspice.com/  handles mail order for you land locked souls (and for me in 5 months and a week ;(

But also a really fun thing, they have the ST JOHN SPICE CAM set up.  So, you too can enjoy all the folks visiting the island.

And just in case you think I sobered up during my short little jaunt to ST JOHN, here is an original rum recipe for you.  We are naming this the...

DIRTY FERRY RIDE

in honor of our trip to ST JOHN.  The ferry was fun, very scenic, but it makes hourly trips to the island, so cleanliness was not it's priority.  Much like this drink.  It uses Cruzan rum cream, which makes the drink just a little dirty looking  It has cream to symbolize a smooooooth sailing (and a smooth drink).  It has a couple of kinds of rum to show add a sense of anticipation on what the new island mixture will bring.  And it has a banana because I like bananas...

Here's what I did...

2 ounces CRUZAN Rum Cream
2 ounces CRUZAN Coconut Rum
2 ounces Cream (I had a bit left, so I made a milkshake thick drink, "regular" milk would work as well)
1 banana

Mix in a blender and serve over ice for a cocktail

or add a cup of ice to the blender and serve as a frozen drink!