Foodie Destination – Grand Case, French St. Martin

Grand Case, St. Martin

Grand Case is a quaint little village on the French side of St. Martin. Very low-key and laid-back, you would never know this small town is considered the gastronomic capital of the Caribbean. From inexpensive beach side barbeque shacks to pricey fine dining restaurants, you’ll have a difficult time picking from all the excellent food available. If you decide to stay in town, there’s no need to rent a car or call a taxi – you’ll find over 30 establishments all within a short, safe walk away. I’ll mention a few of my favorite places to eat in Grand Case starting with my pick for a cheap and tasty quick bite at the barbeque shacks known as lolos. There are a few lolos all huddled together on the beach side – everyone has their favorite but Sky’s The Limit won me over, they offer reasonably priced large portions of local favorites such as BBQ ribs for $6, marlin steak for $7 and ice cold Carib beer for $1 – all prices are $1 to 1€. Next on my can’t miss list is Calmos Beach Bar, a very relaxed spot where you can enjoy Camembert with French bread and a bottle of Rosé while the calm warm ocean kisses your toes – be sure to try their homemade flavored rums. If you’re a fan of fine dining – Le Cottage can’t be beat, not only is their food beyond amazing but the owner and staff are extremely warm and friendly, they usually offer a discounted euro price as do many of the restaurants in Grand Case. Lastly, the Sunset Café offers the perfect balance of casual elegance – located at the Grand Case Beach Club, there is no better place to enjoy a delicious dinner while watching the sun descend. The owners are so welcoming, after a few visits – they’ll be hugging you goodbye. It’s hard to decide what is the best part of dining at the Sunset Café, whether it’s the food, the scenery or the comfortable environment, I like the after dinner surprise the best – when you finish your meal, the staff places two bottles of house made rum on your table for you to enjoy at your leisure – that’s right, two full size bottles of flavored rum that you can drink as much of as you like – for free, we liked the espresso flavor the best! As far as accommodations are concerned, there are a few options but none compare to the Grand Case Beach Club. Essentially a self-catering condo resort, their apartments are clean, spacious and have granite kitchens which come in very handy when you discover the local grocery store and all it’s goodies such as fresh baguettes, various cheeses,  pâtés and excellent wine selection. Management is very friendly and the housekeepers actually wash your dishes for you which felt kind of wrong to us so we tried our best to clean up after ourselves before heading out. The Beach Club offers visitors two beaches to choose from, a traditional beach where you can lay out and have drinks brought to you or a secluded cove where the waves are so slight, you hardly notice them at all. The best part about staying at the Beach Club is the location, the village center with all its restaurants are only a five minute stroll from here.

Grand Case Beach Club

Grand Case Do’s & Don’ts

Don’t stay in Grand Case if you’re a party animal. If nightlife is important to you, stay in Orient Beach a short taxi ride away – Grand Case is best for couples and families who are looking for a more secluded and relaxed escape.

Do take plenty of US cash with you, everyone in St. Martin takes American dollars and often times, the prices will be $1 to 1€ or a discount on the euro may be offered – for example when I was there many restaurants offered $1.30 per euro if you paid cash when the going rate was actually over $1.60. If you choose to pay with a credit card, you’ll lose out on the deals.

Do leave extra room in your checked bag for bringing back all the tasty rum made on the island. Because the rum is considered an artisan product, it doesn’t count towards the two bottles of alcohol each person is allowed to bring back. We brought back two of every flavor – and a few extra for gifts, the spiced and coconut flavors were our favorites.

 

We booked our trip through Expedia but Travelocity also has great prices on travel to St. Martin, don’t bother with airport transfers – a taxi is easier and quicker.

Calmos Cafe, Grand Case, St. Martin

Lolos, Grand Case, St. Martin

Foodie Destination – Barcelona, Spain

There’s so much to see and eat in Barcelona, to keep things short – I’ll just focus on the highlights of my trip. This cosmopolitan city on the Mediterranean offers a wide range of experiences for travelers, first off there’s the food from simple tapas to roast suckling pig and paella – you could literally eat your heart out. The gothic architecture is amazing and the people are very friendly and English speaking though you should always learn your please and thank yous in that country’s language.  We stayed at Hotel Jazz which is centrally located a few blocks from all the action such as Plaza Catalunya and Las Ramblas in a very safe and quiet area. The hotel was simple and modern with good sized rooms and a rooftop pool which unfortunately closes at 9pm. Their staff were very friendly and helpful and check in/out was a breeze. We took the hop on hop off bus tour of the city stopping to see Gaudi’s work. We took two tours outside of the city visiting a small winery to share a meal and wine tasting with the winemaker, we also took part in a kayaking tour up the Costa Brava where the scenery is spectacular and the water is a beautiful shade of dark blue.

Favorite Foodie Spots – I absolutely loved Barcelona – a pig and seafood eating paradise!

Bar Celta (pulperia) – a great local hangout serving the best Galician octopus in Barcelona and potent Galician wine in traditional tea cups, we ate there twice.

El Xampanyet (cava bar) – inexpensive and festive, awesome cava and sardines to die for, we went twice – in the same nite!

Los Caracoles (historic restaurant) – if you like snails, this is the place to go – amazing interior and huge portions of mouthwatering creations, I had the Cochinillo (roast sucking pig) which was to die for.

Tour Company

If you’re looking to explore Barcelona with a guide, I highly recommend Spanish Trails – from tapas crawls to winery tours to hiking the Pyrenees – tours are run by US expats Charles and Tracy who are unbelievably sweet and helpful and will make sure you get the most out of your trip.

Must Do’s

Don’t leave Barcelona without visiting Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia – a truly impressive structure, meander through the Boqueria Market sampling jamon, manchego and boquerones – my personal favorites, and stop into one of the many gelaterias to try the Crema Catalana gelato made with sugary chunks of freshly made caramel.

I used Expedia to book this trip, their room rates were better than those listed on the hotel’s website but you should always shop around and check Travelocity’s deals as well.

RECIPE – Lamb Burgers With Tzatziki Sauce

My burgers are famous among those lucky enough to get invited to one of my cookouts – I’ve done pork, chicken and naturally beef, but my personal favorite is my lamb burger which I serve dripping with a super garlicky Greek tzatziki sauce but you can top yours with a healthy slice of Feta instead if you prefer.

Lamb Burger

INGREDIENTS

1lb ground lamb

1 egg

splash of extra virgin olive oil

juice of 1 lemon

¼ cup chopped flat leaf parsley

6 cloves garlic, chopped

Kosher salt & pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Mix all ingredients together, let sit for ½ to 1 hour then grill to your liking.

 

Tzatziki Sauce

INGREDIENTS

1 pint Greek yogurt, I like Fage brand but any regular yogurt is OK

1 cucumber, seeded and diced

Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

juice of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

6 cloves of minced garlic, or to taste

handful of minced fresh dill

DIRECTIONS

Mix all ingredients together, adding garlic and salt until you reach the flavor you like. Refrigerate overnight to let the flavors intensify and serve chilled with any lamb dish or use as a veggie dip.

 

TIPS – When it comes to burgers, it’s all about the bun, why go through all the trouble to create an awesome burger just to throw it on a basic, boring piece of bread – absolutely no packaged hamburger buns allowed! Use a fresh Kaiser or Portuguese roll and remember to toast it!

COOKING ESSENTIALS

Santoku Knives – This set of 2 knives from Calphalon are perfect for almost every chopping task – a full sized chefs knife and matching mini knife are very well made and reasonably priced. I wind up using the mini 99% of the time and own two of them for that reason.

Recycled Mixing Bowls – Love these white confetti stacking bowls from Zak, they’re fun and eco-friendly!

NYC – Spotted Pig – Awesome Burger & Fries

It’s surprisingly hard to find a decent burger; I personally can’t seem to locate one outside my own kitchen – until recently that is. I stopped in to the Spotted Pig a few weeks back, I’ve heard good things about their burger and decided to give it a try. Unlike many, I like my burgers (all meats actually) well done – I know it’s not the ‘ideal’ way to cook meat but that’s what I like. After waiting a little bit while enjoying my cocktail – the Pig’s signature kalamata martini, I am introduced to a large plate adorned with a hefty burger and overflowing with the skinniest shoe string fries. First, the burger – pretty simple yet quite well done, speaking of, it was flawlessly well done per my request. The patty was grilled and topped with blue cheese and nestled on a brioche bun with perfectly placed grill marks. The meat was flavorful and accentuated by the bun and cheese though some might think it a bit too potent – if you’re not a blue cheese lover, just ask that they leave it off. The highlight of the meal strangely enough were the fries, expertly sliced into teeny strings and seasoned with fried rosemary and garlic slivers, they were unexpectedly my favorite part of the meal and I would gladly order just the fries on my next return as a snack but be forewarned, they were a bit salty – this coming from someone who loves all things salty.

TIPS – 1. Go at off hours, the place is small and trendy so seats can be hard to come by, between 2pm and 6pm should be safe 2. Order your burger as you like it, their temps are spot on 3. Feel free to request cheese on the side or lite salt, the staff are very warm and happy to please.

The Spotted Pig

314 W 11th St # 1

New York, NY 10014-2369

(212) 620-0393

 

NYC Travel Tip – If you’re visiting New York and looking for a conveniently located hotel, consider the Thirty Thirty. I stayed at the 30/30 for New Years not long ago and found the hotel to be quite comfortable – best part was the kitchenette which is perfect for storing all the leftovers you’re bound to accumulate.

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