Mostly Ritzy St. Thomas

Venturing beyond the Ritz Carlton gates, culinary highlights were bountiful. For Caribbean fare, Agave Terrace and Off the Hook offered up the best eats. Suspended somewhat precariously from a cliff overlooking the ocean, the Agave Terrace is widely known as one of the best seafood restaurants on the island. Despite our waiter’s dismal service, the chef’s creative twists on classic Caribbean preparations – refreshing after the “same old, same old” conch fritters and spicy jerk dishes ubiquitous with island dining – resulted in a delicious meal.

Off the Hook, located near the American Yacht Harbor, offers up delicious fresh fish and seafood fusing Caribbean and Asian preparations in a funky (read exceedingly casual) open-air restaurant. Keep it simple. Order the specials and catch of the day. Totally unpretentious cooking in a friendly, comfortable environment.

After several days of Caribbean food, the palate yearns for a change. In fact, two of the best meals we enjoyed in St. Thomas were not at Caribbean restaurants. Tucked into a narrow back street in Charlotte Amalie, Virgilio’s delivers traditional northern Italian cuisine with an emphasis on seafood. We arrived amidst the din and clamor of Fat Tuesday festivities, yet the intimate dining room’s lofty ceilings, stained glass and Neo-Baroque atmosphere quickly transported us far away. I ordered a pasta and seafood special in a sublime cream sauce that already inspires nostalgia.

On my last night in St. Thomas we ate at Hervé. Fuse classic French dishes and preparations, with the levity of contemporary Continental cuisine and the fresh products of the Caribbean, and you will begin to approach the sensational formula that Hervé P. Chassin has dreamed up. In Hervé’s casual dining room with a panoramic view of Charlotte Amalie and an attentive, knowledgeable waiter I enjoyed the single best seafood bouillabaisse I’ve ever eaten. Period. Add an impressive wine list, a menu that spans lobster to venison, and desserts that transport you off to Paris, and you may well have one of the best restaurants in the Virgin Islands.

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