St Maarten/St Martin
15 Mar 2020 Newsletter

Weather: It's been another week with almost no rain. Last Sunday, the last day of the regatta, was beautiful. Monday and Tuesday worked up some large swells that caught the attention of the surfers. Wednesday was cooler with considerable haze. Thursday was very windy. While shopping at Super U it got dark and then the sky opened up. As everyone else was also shopping, we were stuck in the checkout line. After about 10 minutes it was little more than a dribble. The photo below was taken on Saturday morning. No cruise ships came by to liven up the shot, just these two small day-trippers.

DK Gems The Herald's best place for jewelry is sponsoring the gold/dollar/euro conversion: Last week the Euro was at 1.129. Today it's at 1.111. Last week gold was at 1676/oz. Today it is at 1532/oz

RESTAURANTS

Champagne Bistro We went to Champagne Bistro for lunch on Monday. It's a great place to stop in for a tasty lunch with the entire selection of wines from our favorite wine store: Select Wine Cellar at your fingertips. Stuffed Christophene Fish and Chips

Skipjacks We went to Skipjacks for dinner on Tuesday. It's been totally rebuilt with considerable more steel reinforced concrete hidden by beautiful woodwork. It was very busy, but we got a seat because we had a reservation. We started with a tuna carpaccio and a Cotes du Rhone. Tuna Carpaccio Martha had a mahi plate. It's great with the pineapple salsa. Ask for more if you like it as much as I do. Martha asked for extra crispy French fries and they were great. Mahi plate I had a pan fried grouper. I originally ordered blackened grouper but the waitress sad that the grouper would be too dry. She was right. The creole salsa was great with the grouper. The total was about $125, not bad for quality.

L'Auberge Gourmande We went to L'Auberge Gourmande for dinner on Wednesday. It's also been rebuilt and looks wonderful. We started with a special: foie gras raviolis with a truffle and morel sauce. Truffle Raviolis Martha had a shrimp and scallop combo from the menu. A saffron sauce graced the scallops and the shrimp had a mild cajun sauce. Shrimp and scallop duo I had a beef filet with another morel sauce. Both were great with a 2015 Gevrey-Chambertin from Bouchard. 2015 is probably the year of the decade for red Burgundies. 2012 and 2010 were (and are) very good but you won't find them on a restaurant list. Beef Filet

Reveil Matin We had lunch at Daniel's Reveil Matin in Simpson Bay on Thursday. It's in the Simpson Bay Marina in front of Jimbo's. They are open for spectacular breakfasts and lunches. Thing were really wild here over the Heineken Regatta weekend. Crepe Martha had a crepe stuffed with ham, mushrooms, and an egg (above). Below is a small sampling of the fruits available to enhance your breakfast. The strange one in the back is a dragon fruit. Fruit I had a seafood gratin: pasta and seafood in a creamy sauce topped with toasted cheese. Seafood Gratin

Bistro We had dinner with friends at Bistro in the Princess Casino at Port de Plaisance. It's convenient, only 16 minutes from our condo via the causeway. Martha had stuffed moules as an ap and I had a tuna tartare. Moules Tuna Tartare Martha had shrimp for her main course and I had a very tasty ris de veau (sweetbreads). Shrimp Provencal Sweetbreads Our friends had the lamb shank. We both took home doggie bags, so the servings were generous. With a bottle of Crozes-Hermitage and a few drinks our bill came to about $180 per couple. Probably the highest cost Lamb Shank

L'Esperance Hotel L'Esperance Hotel has won the coveted "Crystal Pineapple". The Crystal Pineapple Awards (CPA) is the only event on the island that recognizes excellence in Hospitality & Trade. Congratulations to Patricia Rogers and her team.