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Feast of delights to be savoured in St. Martin
To say the island of St. Martin is unique would be an understatement. Consider these facts: It has the oldest open border in the world; the most beaches per square mile; the smallest land mass shared by two nations (France and Netherlands); and most restaurants per square mile. Not to mention it’s considered the culinary capital of the Caribbean – home annually in November to the Festival de la Gastronomie (St. Martin Gastronomy Festival). The event welcomes Michelin-starred chefs from across the globe who judge local restaurateurs and mixologists in a wide-ranging competition requiring them to incorporate a single ingredient into their creations. For 2022 it was plantain and this year it will be sorrel. On this idyllic island, food is the currency for the exploration. The tour begins at BZH Creperie in Oyster Bay. Palm trees grow up through rooftops of the spacious outdoor wooden patio in a relaxed atmosphere. At the table with media judges (including this writer) is renowned Canadian chef Daniel Vezina, an invitee to conduct cooking demos for culinary students and excited festival-goers. Vezina immediately notices influences of Normandy, France on the extensive menu of crepes. BZH’s entry into the festival competition highlights locally caught mahi-mahi in a tartare amped up with shallots, tomatoes and island spices on a silky veloute of plantain crafted with buckwheat flour, apple cider and olive oil. Mahi is also cooked in banana leaf and placed in a bowl of plantain and coconut curry sauce, hitting sweet and savoury notes. A vehicle is a necessity to traverse the island. And, notably, there are next to no traffic signals and virtually no traffic jams. Northeast of Marigot, the capital of the French side, is Friar’s Bay Beach near the town of Grand Case, a favourite haunt of windsurfers and kayakers that’s considered family friendly. Similarly, Anse Marcel is yet another beach paradise. Orient Beach Bay, on the Atlantic Ocean side, is always humming with activity. “All the sports you need that require water are right here at this beach,” says Suzanne Scantlebery, marketing manager for St. Martin Tourism in North America. “Or, you can grab a cocktail from one of the beach bars, rent a chair and just soak up the sun.” An evening of indulgence requires a morning stop at one of the Lolos in Marigot. Lolo is a term that dates to colonization in the 17th century when slaves and merchandise were housed in storage facilities. Today, Lolos are small eateries housed in shipping containers, churning out zesty dishes like conch stew, oxtail, curry and grilled fish. Francisca George, originally from Dominica, owns Ciscas, a popular Lolo. She was competing in the 2022 festival with a dish of plantain gratin. Long slices of roasted plantain are layered like lasagna with a filling of spinach and cheese. She served it alongside grilled lobster and creole mahi-mahi. “I first tried (plantain) when I was 10 years old,” she recalls. “I absolutely love it and always try to create different dishes with it.” Sandy’s Creole Cuisine is legendary in these parts. Owner Christine Illidge’s father, Simon — locals called him Sawndy, hence the Lolo name Sandy’s — began selling drinks in the harbour 45 years ago. He expanded to small food items and his popularity grew. Now, Christine crafts original dishes and some handed down from her dad. “I love the area because of the water and all the boats,” says Christine, who has cooked for the likes of Richard Branson and Obama when his yacht Eclipse docked in St. Martin. “Plantain is something we look at every day as something served on the side. When the gastronomical Festival came along, it made us think outside the box,” she says, adding she awarded for her use of tamarind at the previous festival. “It’s very starchy so you have to balance the ingredients you mix it with.” For the 2022 event, she grilled lobster, steak and shrimp kebabs with tempura plantain and dessert of plantain cheesecake. She was awarded runner-up in the Favourite of the Public category. Just steps away is Village de la Gastronomie, the focal point of cooking demos by day and epicentre of dining and entertainment at night. Dozens of local restaurants and food trucks satiate hungry dancers grooving to island vibes. The lineup never ends for Adrien Girardo and his Pizza Box truck. He and his staff are tossing Neapolitan-style, wood-fired pizzas at a frenzied rate. “My family was making bread in the beginning; it’s a very hard job,” said Girardo. “My father brought over ovens from Marseilles (in France). Then we switched to pizza and I’ve been doing it here for 16 years. “No matter where you go in the world, pizza reminds people of the good times,” he says. Also in the winner’s circle for 2022 was La Cottage, finishing third in the Gourmet Star category for fine dining. It’s one restaurant not to be missed while visiting. Its menu is classically French and the service impeccable (served with a side of humour). The velvety lobster bisque topped with a puff pastry dome is luscious and spares no butter or cream. It’s followed by a light ravioli package stuffed with lobster and surrounded by coconut and lemongrass foam. An entrée of grilled spiny lobster tail with parsnip puree and creole sauce is a work of art. When a new day dawns, Rikke Bachmann Speetjens from Seagrape Tours is at the ready for an invigorating hike through the St. Martin Nature Reserve. The reserve, on the northeast side of the island on the French side, encompasses 3,060 hectares of rugged cliffs, sandy beaches, coastal forest and protected wetlands. On the ascent to Babit Point, an array of cacti line the route and donkeys feed off the flowering buds on Turk’s Head variety. From the peak, a glimpse across Oyster Bay provides a stark reminder of nature’s power, as scars of destruction from Hurricane Irma in 2017 are still evident. “About 90% of rooftops were destroyed and it has been a slow process to rebuild,” says Speetjens, looking across at the Dutch side of the Island. Rotary Point Lookout is the place to whale watch from August to October. “They really put on quite a show,” says Speetjens, a biologist who worked in aquaculture in Denmark and Florida. “If you understand the value of nature, you want to work on preserving it; conservation efforts don’t happen themselves” she says. Trekking to Pic Paradis, the highest point on the reserve at an elevation of 424 metres, hikers encounter controversial Green Vervet monkeys, considered an invasive species in St. Martin. As food supplies dwindled after the hurricane, they were forced to find new sources, targeting farmers’ crops and tourists. “They have been getting bolder,” says Speetjens, noting there’s an ongoing battle between conservationists and government plans to eradicate them. Elodie Gaillard knows a thing or two about farming. At her shop Au Tour de la Ferme in Marigot, she stocks a wide range of meats produced at her family farm in Toulouse, France. The meats are flash frozen and shipped to St. Martin. “The animals are fed a natural diet, so we can be sure of the best products,” says Gaillard, whose cured meats and sausages are a sought-after commodity. She makes an effort to impart her knowledge on local farmers and producers trying to match the quality of her merchandise. Speaking of quality, lunch at Le String Beach restaurant and in Orient Bays should be on all wish lists. Just steps from the sea, it placed first at the 2022 food festival in the Beach Star category. Guests can dine in or have meals brought to the beach where they lounge. The baked cod with creole plantain sauce is sublime and the tuna tartare ranks among the island’s best. St. Martin’s culinary creativity extends beyond the beach — to the sea aboard Pyratz Gourmet Sailing. Setting out from the Dutch side near the airport, the catamaran slips north along the Caribbean coastline, with Capt. Garin Jordaan calling out landmarks including Donald Trump’s compound in Plum Cove. The catamaran accelerates suddenly when Jordaan answers a call for a parasailor in distress. He sets anchor near Creole Rock, a French island, where a private boater relays word the person had been rescued. On the eight-hour tour, the ship anchors off Friar’s Bay Beach, where guests dive off to snorkel or swim. Meanwhile, Jordaan fires up a charcoal barbecue to grill spiny lobster tails served with sweet potato mash and chipotle aioli. As the sun sets on another festival year, the catamaran glides past Maho Beach, where sun worshippers marvel at passenger jets landing just steps away at Juliana International Airport. One beachfront bar provides a schedule for expected arrival times. Time sure flies fast here. November is considered rainy season. If you’re hiking or staying in a chalet in heavily wooded areas, come prepared with proper protection from mosquitoes. Visit st-martin.org to learn more about food, tours and accommodations. This year’s Festival de la Gastronomie will welcome a bevy of Michelin-starred chefs from France. The Canadian guest is Frederic Cyr from Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City. Visit festival-st-martin.com for info. [email protected]
Publish Date : 2023-10-07 17:16:47
Image and News Source : torontosun