Ocean 362 {Dinner In St. John}

by Emily

St. Thomas has to be my favorite island because it’s where I was born, but during our trip home our absolute best meal was enjoyed in St. John.

One of the boys from my high school class grew up to be an amazingly cool chef who opened a restaurant in Cruz Bay. Ocean 362 does modern takes on traditional Caribbean dishes using ingredients that are fresh, local, and sustainably sourced. It’s a total 10/10.

The space is pretty and open and we got a seat on the patio with a progressively more beautiful view of the sunset.

The setting sun also means that my photos get progressively less lovely!

Adam and I went alone for a date night and ordered a truly ridiculous amount of food for two people. We started with a local fish dip with citrus, herbs, and cream cheese, served topped with crispy capers, with radishes and crostini on the side.

We also had fresh bread with delightfully sweet butter and the chef sent out an assortment of pickles that were stunning. The mushrooms were good and the dilled cucumbers were the best I’ve ever tasted.

Cocktails included the Bean-a-colada with pineapple and vanilla infused vodka and pineapple juice. That dollop on the top is coconut milk and lime foam.

Plus a sparkly Seaplane with cava, orange bitters, and housemade hibiscus flower liquor. The foam is thanks to vegan “egg” powder. You can never go wrong ordering a cocktail with egg and especially not ordering one with hibiscus.

Adam said his pork tenderloin was scrumptious, but I’m sure it couldn’t have been better than my duck. Cast iron seared duck breast / duck confit / buttermilk dumplings / maple glazed carrots / crispy brussels sprout leaves. The dumplings were perfectly seasoned all the way through but the best bites were obviously confit.

We couldn’t choose so we got two desserts – torched brie with rum raisin conserve and a chocolate tart with a plantain crust, a passionfruit marshmallow, and dulce de leche.

We were swooning from the first bite to the last. Plus we continued to gush about the meal while we rolled ourselves back down the hill to the ferry!

5May2016

The Baths, Virgin Gorda

by Emily

The Baths are a national park in the British Virgin Islands. They are basically a collection of giant granite boulders on the ocean edge that form a series of sheltered sea-pools. It is intensely beautiful. You can scramble in between and over the rocks (they’ve added some ropes since I was a kid!) and float and splash around and basically feel like the luckiest person on Earth.

Adam and I hadn’t been in years so we took the ferry from St. Thomas over to Virgin Gorda for the day. My photos don’t begin to do them justice, The Baths are one of the most gorgeous things I’ve ever gotten to see.

When you’re done on the beach you get to swing and drink painkillers.

It was basically a magical day.

4May2016

St. Thomas Carnival 2016

by Emily

As I mentioned in my last post, I hadn’t been home for Carnival since college. This was heartbreaking because the fantastic month-long April festivities were one of my favorite things about growing up in the Caribbean. The timing finally worked out of this vacation, and the timing of the reprieves from the rain gave us the chance to hit my three favorite Carnival events – food fair, the village, and the adult parade.

Food Fair

Food fair is a mix of local produce, foods, and crafts.

Basically you steel yourself against beautifully ear-splitting steel pan music (did everyone appreciate that pun??) and eat yourself silly.

Our bite highlights included…

Soursop nectar!!! Soursop – also known as guanabana; the flavor is a super creamy and reminiscent of a blend of strawberry and pineapple – is my favorite fruit and it practically impossible to find fresh in the continental US.

Pumpkin dumplings.

Salt fish patty. <– pronounced like pâté, fried dough stuffed with any type of meat, usually beef, chicken, or cod.

We did not get fried fish or baked mac and cheese and I’m still kind of kicking myself for it.

Carnival Village

Village is a giant parking lot that gets transformed with food/drink booths and children’s rides and games.

You can buy snaps there and it is literally the funniest thing on earth to throw them at people’s feet. <– says me, I’m not sure my parents or Adam would agree!

Our nighttimes were busy but we had to stop by in the afternoon because our friends’ vodka was available at one of the booths.

Tasty!

Adult Parade

The Carnival parades are just like any parade in the states except they’re a million times better. Troupes decorate floats, wear snazzy costumes, and do insane dance routines down the street. The music is blaring and wonderful and since we don’t have any open container laws there’s always a ton of liquor.

Fun fact #1 – when I was in Pony Club I did the children’s parade twice; one year I rode a horse but the first year I walked behind the horses and scooped poop. <– yes, there are pictures, and no, I will never share them

Fun fact #2 – when I was a junior in high school I was in a troupe in the adult parade. I did not let my absolute lack of rhythm hold me back. We supposed to be some kind of bird (birds of paradise?) and we wore neon green bathing suits and I got second degree burns on the shoulders because I forgot to put sunscreen under my feathers.

3May2016

{The Best} St. Thomas Visit 2016

by Emily

Adam and I started our two-week vacation off right with an incredible visit home to see my parents and soak up some sun. For the first time since college I managed to have the dates line up so that I could make it for Carnival*! We also went to St. John*, The Baths*, the beach, and got to spend time with old friends. It was pretty much the perfect trip.

* I took way too many pictures so all of the items starred above are going to have to be their own posts over the rest of the week

Speaking of too many pictures, I’m limiting this post to the highlights. Here are some of our favorites from home…

The best hosts – my parents. In addition to driving us all over the place, ironing my dresses, playing board games even though Adam always throws a fit, and just being generally amazing, they cooked us Adam’s favorite meal and my favorite dessert. Bill Clinton’s Enchiladas.

And key lime pie.

Which meant there was leftover pie for me to eat on top of Greek yogurt. <– the best thing ever

I always serve it with flax so it’s basically a health food.

The best breakfast – Barefoot Buddha.

I got an iced Vietnamese latte and the sandwich I ate on my wedding day, aka the Bigfood Bagel sandwich: egg frittata, smoked turkey, turkey bacon, cream cheese, sharp cheddar cheese, chipotle aioli, tomato-onion coulis, and fresh spinach.

The best brunch – The Grille Room at Mahogany Run. My (extra-spicy) Bloody Mary came topped with a stuffed olive, banana pepper, and shrimp!

I also had a really top-notch chopped salad with shrimp and chipotle-ranch among other yummy things. And then every singe person at the table ordered a vodka + soda and all was right with the world.

The best coffee – Bad Ass at Yacht Haven.

My triple non-fat iced latte was perfectly roasty good.

The best pizza – Island Time Pub. Pro tip – start with a salad, they are gigantic and two-three people can share one.

Adam and I got a pie with artichoke, Kalamata olives, and roasted garlic.

Plus their drink menu is on point.

The best johnny cake – served at the window on the Waterfront by The Greenhouse, with cheese.

Caribbean johnny cake (versus the cornmeal version found in the American south) is slightly sweet, unleavened fried bread. It is delicious in general and freaking mind-blowing when served with cheese.

26Apr2016

Was It Blogvious?

by Emily

Adam’s back, yay! Surprise? I tried to keep it under wraps for security reasons, so I hope it wasn’t blogvious (<– totally unnecessary portmanteau for obvious on the blog) that Adam has been out of town for the past month. He had a trauma rotation in Texas and the dog and I missed him like crazy! Now he’s back and we both have two weeks off of work and I plan on spending the majority of them holding his hand!

Foodwise, here were the weekend highlights…

Adam didn’t get back into town until late Sunday evening and I spent the better part of the day hyperventilating with excitement. I distracted myself for a little bit with Vietnamese iced coffee and a pedicure.

Fun fact – toe nail polish was my something blue in my wedding.

Another day, another coffee.

I usually skip over Gala apples but this one was very sweet and crisp.

Brunch with friends at Du Jour Bakery, my new favorite breakfast spot in Park Slope. The space feels totally open and airy and they have yummy iced lattes.

I ordered the brioche French toast with maple butterscotch, berries, and whipped cream.

It was good, but I need to accept the fact that I don’t really like French toast. My girlfriends got savory egg sandwiches that I think I would love.

Dinner at Pearl’s Bake and Shark, a newish Trinidadian spot in Williamsburg. My bake and jerk chicken was very tasty.

Aka pulled jerk chicken on fried dough, with pickled slaw and pineapple salsa. The chicken didn’t taste like the jerk I grew up with, but it was smoky delicious.

Bbq turkey salad at home.

Baby spinach dressed with creamy Greek dressing / avocado / cucumber / chopped turkey breast tossed in cola bbq sauce / brie / a sprinkle of smoked paprika. A great combo; the paprika was such a good addition.

22Apr2016

This Week I Loved…

by Emily

Yogurt bowls

Guava Chobani with Cheerios, walnuts, pomegranate, and blackberry.

More of the above, but with mango soursop as my tropical yogurt flavor.

Plain Fage with granola, chocolate covered cacao nibs, walnuts, a turtle pecan biscotti, pomegranate, and blackberry. <– best lunch of the week

Earl Grey Rooibos tea

Cookie butter

I ate a big spoonful as my after-work snack every day this week.

And I ate a delicious lunchtime oatmeal in the last of the Biscoff jar.

The expanded menu at Boba Guys

A girlfriend and I got Hong Kong Milk teas this week and were swooning! Best boba I’ve gotten in the city and they have housemade almond and grass jellies.

The fantastically fun supplies from Mochi Things

My mom sent me some snazzy stickers and pens for Easter and they are greatly improving my workday mood.

This lip stuff

Minted rose is obviously the best scented beauty product I’ve ever owned.

What rocked your socks this week?

18Apr2016

Weekend Wedding

by Emily

I don’t have much food to share this weekend, I went to a wedding in Connecticut and the drive ate up a lot of my time so most of my meals were on the go. Last night’s dinner was too yummy to go unblogged though.

Here were the weekend highlights…

The wedding was great, well-worth the drive. The couple was beautifully in love, my salmon dinner was delicious, and it was great getting to spend time with some of my high school friends.

The day was bittersweet though, Adam was supposed to be a groomsman and ended up not even being able to attend the wedding because of work. Sometimes being married to a surgeon sucks.

Owning this dog is never a bummer though. Look at how freaking fuzzy he was after his bath –

I brushed his teeth the same day and he pretty much hated me all afternoon.

Coffee x ten thousand.

This was an iced latte with homemade vanilla-cinnamon syrup from a spot in Floral Park.

My yummy dinner was an Asian-flavors veggie bowl.

Roasted broccoli and cabbage / fresh edamame and yellow bell pepper / Asian sesame vinaigrette / cashews and wasabi peas.

It was a great mix of flavors.

15Apr2016

Superlative Eats

by Emily

This week’s…

*Best coffee*

Inspired by my absolutely decadently scented hand sanitizer, I stirred cinnamon and vanilla bean into my coffee (espresso blend with chocolate milk).

*Best oatmeal*

Rolled oats with chia and freeze-dried blueberries, topped with a hefty scoop of cookie butter.

*Best yogurt bowl*

Maple quark with Heritage Flakes and pomegranate.

*Best lunch*

Sandwich week. Spicy chicken on rye / Starbuck’s sandwich offerings are actually really darn good / Greek wrap stuffed with cucumber, tzatziki, and stuffed grape leaves. <– the wrap was from a lunch and learn, our formula rep did a great inservice on the new ASPEN enteral nutrition guidelines.

*Best dessert*

Work party for a coworker’s birthday. We had filipino ambrosia and I made brownies.

Fantastically ridiculous brownies! P.S. Amy Sedaris’ best-ever sprinkles are available here.

Eating Chalk

Category Archives: Uncategorized

Ocean 362 {Dinner In St. John}

The Baths, Virgin Gorda

St. Thomas Carnival 2016

Food Fair

Carnival Village

Adult Parade

{The Best} St. Thomas Visit 2016

Was It Blogvious?

This Week I Loved…

Weekend Wedding

Superlative Eats