Don't Make Me Eat My Words, But Please Feed Me Well

My Bajan friend, William, and I hope that what we think is a good idea can see the light of day. We love food and the fun we have had recently has been to sample a few of the local eateries. I'm reminding you that I boycotted the fancy restaurants some two years ago. I can have good food cooked at home every day and what I like about a fancy restaurant is to feel that I'm being offered something that we cannot do as well at home or something quite different from what we have at home, and not have to pay an arm and a leg to get it. Keep the false fanciness and serve me a good meal with a bit of real style and I am happy as a pig is mud. Given that our household is multinational and multicultural that makes it interesting for a restaurant to offer something different and really good. If pushed, we just invite friends to eat on our deck and let the fancy restaurants 'tek weh demselves'.

We thought it would be a good idea to have some idea of where some of the better eateries are in the island. I made the suggestion in a letter to the papers, which I see was published in today's Advocate. It was prompted by the London Times food critic Michael Winner's biting assault of some of the well-known restaurants in Barbados. I am not going to do battle with Mr. Winner, who has eaten at more top restaurants than I have had fish and chips in a bag. But, I have eaten at a good few top restaurants, and my current barometer would be The Inn at Little Washington, in rural Virginia, where a five-course dinner is a transport of delight and has to be started in mid-afternoon to be fully enjoyed.

My wife and I have a few favourite restaurants in Barbados and funnily enough a few of them are also on Michael Winner's list, such as Fish Pot near Six Men's. One other, especially for lunch, is Apsara (which does a set price, B$50 three course lunch, and is now in the Re-Discover Barbados promotion, offering a three-course dinner at B$99/person plus a bottle of wine per couple). I have never eaten at the Cliff, but I do have some very discerning Caribbean friends who tried to go there and were not at all impressed with their 'encounter' (see Falling Off The Cliff Is Easy). Tides stands out for being all the right things and at the right price.

We have our favourite 'little corner' places such as Kingston 10 (at Bayside Plaza; though I have yet to check the Sheraton location), where they now ask where we were if we do not appear weekly. Their fare is Jamaican and steamed snapper and ground provisions are hard to resist, though the stew peas and brown stew pork are wicked. We like to go to Grant's in Britton's Hill for straight Bajan food, especially for the chicken (foot) soup or the banana cou-cou and fried snapper (which comes with a little salt fish and stewed pigtail as a surprise). We've also been checking out Muster's in Bridgetown, which gives the range of Bajan favourites, but my favourite is the braised pork chop and rice with field peas. My wife loves Pug's, just by the airport, where you can get the meanest fried chicken livers, gizzards, or necks, with what are possibly the best fries on the island. For pudding and souse, I'll enter the fray by saying that Village Bar at Lemon Arbour is very good, but offers also excellent pickled sea cat and ribs to die for.

I would like to think that one of the papers will run with the idea of a column for people to add their favourites. If not, a blog on the subject is easy enough to create.

A Shout Out For Villagio Restaurant.

My mother-in-law (MIL)is one of life's really sincere and kind people. She loves to acknowledge life's goodness and those who do good in their life. This morning, after her youngest child's wedding yesterday, her only concern was that someone acknowledge the wonderful work of the staff at the restaurant where we had the reception, Villagio (see website). I had already noted this when I put pictures up on Facebook but as my MIL is now learning about the Internet she asked me to put up something that the world could see.

Her real motivation was the fact that, with slower economic activity hitting the tourist sector in The Bahamas, and lay offs occurring, the people who work in that sector need a lot of support.

The food they produced was great. Bahamian favourites such as conch salad were a real surprise, and for those pepper lovers like me, it was jamming. They provided tortilla skins and beef and chicken fajitas, with the usual guacamole, salsa and sour cream to go along with them. They produced sides of roast beef, with salted buttered roast potatoes: we agreed that these were not Bahamian because they were small and everything Bahamian is large (see the women) and in charge (see the women). They had a roving buffet too with bruschetta, smoked salmon, battered prawn in a wicked pepper soy sauce. My wife loved the prosciutto and melon stand that also had a range of cheeses and salami. Did I mention the roast beef? Oh, yea, had to have seconds. We had champagne, and Yellow Tail Shiraz. Fruit kebabs.

After all that, we had to dance, right. Reggae, meringue, junkanoo, wuk up like for Crop Over. My little daughter was at her first wedding reception and did her best to go the distance, but at 5, your clock winds down fast after 10 pm. Her elder sisters? Well they partied, though one slept and had to take the last "bus" home with a cousin. In the end, no bodies lost, no bodies gained. A great day. An awesome wedding. The music, the food, the ambiance of the location. All worked well as you could sit in a cozy inside room and not deal with the evening cool air.

Tennis this morning was an attempt to get the body back in shape. But, just an attempt. Fish fry beckons.

Happy Days.

It takes a visit by some tourists to help you discover some of the little Bajan treasures. This morning, I had a breakfast date with "Daphne" and her family (see "The World is Bigger and Smaller Than We Realize" and "You cannot be Serious!"). She had promised to bring me a delicacy from South Carolina, boiled peanuts. Having arrived in Barbados four days ago, she and her family had toured the island several times, and enjoyed the rugged east coast, especially Bathsheba. They had sampled Oistins several times, and also "Jus' Grillin'"; I have to admit that I pointed them to places and things I enjoy. They had discovered for themselves, a lovely little restaurant in St. Lawrence Gap, named "Happy Days".

So, after my weekend away in Trinidad and Tobago, I exchanged messages last night with "Daphne"and we agreed on a 8'o'clock meeting this morning. While I waited, I talked to the lady who seemed to be the owner as I heard a very strong English accent. I explained what had brought me to the cafe, and she burst out laughing. "How strange! We met this family at 'Silver Sands' and had drinks with them, then went to Oistins on Saturday." I had heard of these events through my e-mail exchanges, but now I was blown away. The owner, Euralene Nunwa (see picture), had just taken over the cafe two months ago with her husband, Mick (an English-born lad from Derby, with Indian roots). Euralene was Bajan-born but went to England as a seven year old, now was a recent returnee. We had a good laugh as we discussed places in north London where we had both lived. Then up came "Daphne" and her family. "You stand accused," I said to her, telling her that she somehow looked like the person who had been sending me messages. We quickly ran through the morning's events. Eyes popped again.

All of that over, we had a great breakfast--the "Full Monty" English, for me (bacon, sausages, beans, toast and eggs). Daphne, her husband (an evangelical pastor), her niece and her husband (a retired soldier, who had fought in "Desert Storm", stationed in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait) and I all talked about "Muslim fundamentalism" in Barbados. More seriously, we talked about Muslim countries and cultures--the extremes in places like Saudi Arabia, where people are beheaded or amputated for certain crimes, to the other end where the country has its major industry as beer making (Guinea). We talked about the coming US elections, of course--they had already voted: they remained stunned that so much interest existed here for this event.

We talked about the fear of extremist terrorists. I told them about recent neighbours of mine, who had just come from Zimbabwe, and kept a guard at their house in our bucolic neighbourhood, because they were fearful of crime in the island. You get conditioned. "Daphne" and her family told me about being held up by low-level Bajan terrorists at the weekend, as they were pressed for some "purples" by a group of men on the highway: they were near Earthworks Pottery at the time and the people there said that they would report the incident to the police. Still, they loved Barbados, its friendly people, and its wonderful beaches, and would go back with good stories, wit plans to visit again soon. When they return to the US the results of the election should be known and they can start to think about what the next president will mean for them.

For my part, I will go and enjoy those peanuts, and share them with some Bajan US election watchers tomorrow evening. I'll also make a note of signing up for a regular breakfast at "Happy Days".

Falling Off The Cliff is Easy.

My dear Jamaican friend, "Thesephone", sent me the rough outline of a new TV comedy series, loosely based on the 1970s British sit-com, "Fawlty Towers". That production was about a small boarding house in Torquay, on the "English Riviera" of Devon. The hotel was run by an eccentric manager, "Basil Fawlty" (John Cleese), supported by wife "Sybil" (Prunella Scales), a general go-for, "Polly" (Connie Booth), and a never-to-be-trusted Spanish waiter, "Manuel" (Andrew Sachs). Things were always going wrong and guests were always a meal away from poisoning. See an extract:



"Thesephone's" series is based in a mythical tropical Caribbean paradise island called "Barhaven". Instead of a hotel, the series is based around a restaurant named "Top Cliff", which is located on what is affectionately known as the "Plate and nyam coast" (that's a sort of Jamaicanism for "good food served here"). In contrast to "Fawlty Towers", "Top Cliff" leaves nothing to chance and has rules to make sure that all runs smoothly.

"Top Cliff" prides itself as being the island's best, with dishes so mouthwatering, you need to have a towel draped around you.

All diners must have a reservation, with its unique number, and these cannot be exchanged with other people. The restaurant prides itself on having a wonderful location beside the sea, but in a cruel twist to frustrate some patrons it occasionally will say "Unfortunately all of our waterside tables are fully booked for this evening." But, given the reputation, what's wrong with dining inside?

Cocktails are available before dinner, but must be taken 30 - 45 minutes prior to your reservation, to allow the well-trained local staff enough time to pick the organically grown fruits and press them with bare hands into juices freshly, them blend them lovingly with alcohol for your pleasure. They can then just be ready for you as you are about to go to your table.

"Top Cliff" make sure that if you do not show for your reservation they will still bill you, by insisting on your credit card details. The cancellation fee is BDS $215.00 per person--the standard meal price. Who would not turn up and still want to pay for the meal?

"Top Cliff" likes rules, or as they call them "policies". Here is a sample:

• Dress Code is "elegantly casual": no jacket or tie is required for gentlemen, however, long trousers and a nice shirt is suggested. I think that means that you can decide to not wear either long trousers or a nice shirt. But you must not be in beachwear, sleeveless shirts, shorts or slippers. So, I guess nude is the rule. Cool! That is elegantly casual, for sure.

• The best tables are assigned on a first-come-first served basis, with the first 10 reservations getting the plum tables by the sea. Hence, the "all of our waterside tables are fully booked" slider, I mentioned above.
  

• Children over eleven can go to the restaurant, "provided that they are well-behaved". I have no idea what that means. There is nothing about adults having to be well-behaved, so that seems to be somewhat discriminationary. But I am sure the urchins will behave once they realise that there is no children's menu and their meals costs the same as everyone else's, at BDS$ 215.00. "That's a lot of pocket money, Mum."
  

• The "rule" for groups of 10 persons or over is that you should arrive 30 minutes prior to your reservation. I guess that is to allow for you to mix your own cocktails, or learn how to wait your own tables.

So, the weekly episodes are built using a cast of patrons plucked from the studio audience, who are mainly foreign visitors. They will work with actors pretending to be the restaurant's management and staff, and the show is developed in "reality" fashion around how the make-believe patrons deal with the make-believe restaurant and its "policies".

Some of the patrons will be encouraged to find them rather officious, and try to "negotiate" them. In good British fashion, we may hear catch phrases such as "Come now, my good fellow. This was never a problem at my private club in St. James ... England that is, not Barbados."

Some patrons will be urged to come up with their own helpful suggested additions, such as "We would prefer our patrons to desist from chewing with their mouths open, drinking while eating and using the napkins to wipe any part of the body except the mouth," or "Breaking wind or expelling bodily gases is permitted but only if it does not disturb the other diners."

The comedy relief is in how the actors/management of the restaurant are taken to task by the live audience over the rules, such as the liberal interpretation of the dress code.

This series will begin in a few weeks.

As Good As ZAGAT: The Restaurant at South Sea Gets Due Praise.

Last night's "Taste of Barbados" offering included dinner at The Restaurant at South Sea (see web site), and the "celebrity" chef was Eoghain O'Neill, of Raffles Resort, Canouan Island, The Grenadines. O'Neill is of Irish and Trinidadian parentage--so a perfectly typical Caribbean fusion--and trained in England and elsewhere in Europe. His menu reflected that training, as he offered a selection of cold pumpkin soup with a scent of truffle essence; then foie gras; followed by three portions of snapper--seared, poached and ceviche--on a bed of creamed potatoes; the entree was roast beef and steamed spinach. We then washed all of that down with a shot of water melon juice, and finished with a dessert of chocolate mousse cake and sour sop sorbet.

I've been to this restaurant once before and rate it certainly the best by far for service. The ZAGAT Guide Best of Barbados 2008, which was recently published, notes that staff set a new standard for pampering, though some find the servers "too attentive". I agree in a positive way with both comments. I don't need to be accompanied to the bathroom but it's nice to be led all the way there.

Last night I ventured into the kitchen before the meal and was amazed that it was a simple cooking space in which all the magic is prepared. I looked on as things were getting started and did not get a chance to ask Chef O'Neill if he spoke Gaelic.

We were graced by a little moonlight and that made the normally wonderful ambiance, even better. The evening was being filmed and I found the occasional glare of floodlights in the dining area intrusive, especially as part of the normal ambiance comes from the low level of lighting.

I'm always impressed when a restaurant has one of more sommeliers, as does South Sea. Our poured the wine well and decanted it as needed to let more air get to the delicate flavour of the Italian wine my wife chose.

My own impression was a little mixed. The service was good but not as pampering as I had on a previous visit and the format of a set meal and almost all tables filled meant that the staff had their hands full. I also found it a little off putting that our table had to be shared with two other couples--nothing against them, but people often prefer to eat in the same space as their friends and acquaintances. Even with late arrivals or cancellations, it would have been better to set up for separate tables. We got to overhear some interesting conversation as an Australian couple from Perth shared cultural information with a Bajan couple. I got to learn that western Australia was not populated by ex-convicts, who were sent to the eastern part of the country. The seating caused confusion at the end because the restaurant presented a bill for everyone to the lady at the head of the table and then had to work out the bill for three separate groups. After the weekend's experience, I had started off the evening with lower than usual expectations, even jokingly cheering to disappointment! But overall, the evening was good. The food came at a good pace, though there was a snafu as our snapper dish arrived ahead of the advertised foie gras. My palate was not really ready for goose liver after the fish.

My wife had a good impression. She thought the general service was good, and even better from the sommelier. The food was attractive and tasty but not overwhelmingly so. She was still not sure why a celebrity chef was trumpeted when in fact he makes no appearance to clarify any menu mysteries (though hardly any in this case). Friendly, attentive staff in gorgeous setting. She gave it a B+. [In defence of South Sea, they gave a "loot bag" at the end that included recipes for the foie gras and fish dishes, and full explanations of how they were crafted.]

Our friend, "Striddy", enjoyed the fabulous company in an elegant yet homey ambiance, enhanced by the waves lapping gently on the floodlit beach just below our table. Service was competent although she had to ask three times for her water glass to be refilled. The menu was appealing although not too exotic as to be off-putting.

Brian thought the whole evening was delightful. Great ambiance. Congenial company. Service that tried. Fine food well presented but perhaps the balance of flavours was too much over on the sweet side. [The foie gras had a mango and hazelnut chutney, and the fish dishes had apple puree.] The snapper dish was excellent and diverting.

"Sones" gave her descending order of preferences. First place, the spot, love the setting, dramatic lighting of the beach and the sound of the waves ... hard to beat. Second, liked the attentive sommelier, who was not in your face, but discreet; few are able to strike this balance. Third, enjoyable food, though she concluded that chilled soup is still not her cup of tea; but give her ceviche any day of the week. She was disappointed by the mix up of courses. The watermelon water was a much better option for the palate, not as jolting to the system as sorbet. Fourth, attendants who tried hard but did not seem as confident or as competent as the sommelier. And tenth (!), a celebrity chef who seemed selective about which tables he visited.

My final observation on the evening was that it seemed much better attended by black patrons than one usually sees--maybe it was the Trini attraction. We know that fewer tourists are in town--and the Gap was so quiet as to be eerie--so these food events should be snapped up by those of us who are on the island most of the time. I saw that Mr. "Bizzy" Williams was there, having his usual good time.

We missed watching live the second presidential debate for this enjoyable evening. We can always watch replays of the debates, but it's hard to replay a good meal in good company.

The cost of living is not just higher for the individuals.

Another Barbados blog, Bajan Reporter, posted an article on the well-known south coast roti house, Ackee Tree, stating that the restaurant would put on Facebook details of outstanding meal tabs, in a kind of "name and shame" way of getting paid (see link to Facebook). Failure to pay would lead to the debts being passed to a debt collection agency, it was reported. I am not really an investigative journalist, but I thought I would approach the owner of Ackee Tree, Martyn Field, to hear from him what was going on.

Martyn indicated that the report is true, and that over B$10,000 is outstanding. He has decided that rather than name and shame to start discussing with other bars and restaurants on the south and west Coast and to circulate the names of the debtors between them. He is sure that many of the same names are going to pop up. He has also been well informed that many of the culprits have formed a "Boycott the Blue Bench" group, wishing that the establishment suffers the ultimate ill-fate of closing down. Some even boast of owing other bars for well over a year and have no intention of paying their debts. Martyn reports that the circulation of the list has created quite a stir, both whipping up support and drawing wrath, in the middle is the bar with a low customer count at the worst time of the year.

I know how convenient it is to run up a tab with a favoured restaurant, but I also know that I am getting credit, and that prompt payment is essential to help that enterprise stay in business. It's the first time that I have come across this idea of "doing a runner" and not paying for meals.

However, Martyn then went on to discuss a different matter, that is further reaching, that of how small enterprises such as his are coping with increased costs. His restaurant faces a huge challenge with the price increases for flour, gasolene, rice, beef, rum and most everything else and soon to be chicken. He decided that rather than pass the price increases on to the customer at this time that Ackee Tree rotis, which are supposed to be 1lb should be that instead of the near 2lb version that was served before.Now the customer is getting that which is advertised. But wait. Now the complaints are abound that the rotis have gotten small and the prices have gone up. How do we win? he asks. Should he just pass on the price increases and put more pressure on the customer or stick to our advertised product.

He mentions that BS&T, which boast of million in profits is so price sensitive it has already increased the price of milk and other sundry items that has caused the pressure on the wider public. One would think that they are the ones who could absorb the increases for a bit longer than they have. It is indeed a challenge.

I have mentioned before that the prices of so many restaurants in Barbados were absurdly high that I have decided to boycott most of them. Ackee Tree is one where value for money really seems to have been the case. But it's easy to see that they are on a thin thread. It's hard enough to give good quality food and pleasant service. It's really hard to do with some of the price increases recently announced in Barbados. It's doubly hard when customers fail to do their part and just don't pay: it's theft. I look forward to seeing the list circulated, on Facebook or elsewhere, and would gladly help disseminate it.