St. Barths Scrapbook, 2, a focus on food, fashion and fun…

Yes, this steamy buckwheat crepe topped with fragrant herbed chicken, sauteéed mushrooms, fresh, crisp green beans, gooey gureyre cheese and an egg was just as toothsome and satisfying as it looks. Le Creperie also serves delicious, refreshing juices, this was the perfect lunch after a day on the Beach .

There are 14 beaches on the island, each one has it’s own personality but they all offer fine white sand, turquoise waters and contrasting views of rugged rockery. Colombier Beach is the most difficult beach to access since the roads do not reach the beach. We looked at this as a positive, we got to take a wonderful hike on a rugged trail with lush vegetation shading us from the hot sun, along the route we were treated to views of cacti, colorful butterflies and wild flowers and a symphony of singing birds and bleating wild goats. When the trail opened up we marveled at the layers of gorgeous blues and whites of this pristine beach.

This beach is also known as Rockefeller Beach because the only structure you can see is a massive villa on the hill built by David Rockefeller back in the 60’s, which is now, sadly, falling to ruin under current ownership.

As an added bonus we saw the brilliant show of the fleet as we were hiking out, it looks so calm from the shore but these crews were dealing with high winds and rough seas throughout the regatta.

 

It was on the “lay day”, the day off from racing, that we really gained and understanding of the devastation that hit this island from hurricane Irma. We piled into our small car, mounted our scooters and were off to the Petite Cul de Sac area for lunch at O’Corail, it sounded like the perfect spot, toes in the sand dining, snorkeling and windsurfing opportunities. As we drove circled around the area trying to find this spot, we were becoming more and more hungry and frustrated. Finally, I saw some disrupted tables and chairs that looked “restaurant~y”. As I rounded about to face the structure from the beach I absorbed the full impact of Irma, the entire seaside wall of this restaurant was ripped off, the remaining, crumbling walls framed broken furniture, dishes, appliances. A sailboat with the name O’Corail on the mast confirmed my saddest predictions.

We continued on as our hunger pangs increased. Then we saw a promising looking sign to “Hotel Christopher” pointing down the hill from the main lane. When we got to the bottom we took in a beautifully restored resort with a spa and {gasp} a restaurant. We asked if they had room for us for lunch and they said “mais, bien sûr”  so we parked and sauntered in. As we approached a server said, “I’m sorry, we are not serving lunch” and our hearts dropped … but then he continued “for another 30 minutes, but maybe you could sit and have a beverage while you are waiting”, pas de probleme!!

 After the hurricane, this resort had set in to repair their main restaurant and pool, which had been destroyed by Irma. A week before they were ready to open they were struck with a second devestating blow, a fire completely engulfed the restaurant and the pool deck, setting them back to square one.

We are thankful that they were still able to open there great beach restaurant “Le Mango” where we enjoyed toes in the sand dining {and for some, snoozing} right on the edge of the sea.

The Rockefeller’s created the chic vibe of mystery and glamour that is still alive and well here when they built the above mentioned mansion in 1957, which they only accessed by yacht. Their arrival put St. Barth’s on the jet {and yacht} setters list of places to go. I don’t know the intent of this tribute, but along with those crunchy fries The Rockefeller burger at Le Mango is the best I have ever devoured, so the family should feel proud!!

Shop the look: LOLA hat <– now on sale!!, fun beach earrings with fringy tassles, tribal design with beads, pom poms and shells, more pom-poms and tassles, black pom-pom cover up, Pain de Sucre swimsuit {sorry they don’t have the black/leopard reversible model I’m wearing on their site, but they are all great suits}, round silver Ray Ban sunglasses.

Many of the hot spots in St. Barts, like Bagatelle, also have clubs & restaurants in the South of France. As the season concludes in the Caribbean much of the staff move to Saint Tropez and surrounds where the beach clubs are just opening for the season, no matter the body of water Bagatelle always provides plenty of fun.

Veuve Cliquot is a devoted sponsor to sailing events, it’s not my favorite beverage, but that distinctive orange sure make the settings fun and festive.

My drink of choice? Une Picine de rosé… crisp rosé wine over ice. 

Eddy’s is an island institution, the rustic wood frame, lush gardens and open~air architecture make you feel like you’re are climbing into some sort of an elegant tree house.

They offer an eclectic menu with a little creole and Asian cuisine mixed in. Colorful stone and tile mosaics throughout the restaurant enhance the elegant, rustic theme.

I’m so glad I had the opportunity to work with Calypso St. Barths over the years and curate a few pieces that were inspired by the sprit of the island with the same name,  they are always in my suitcase when I travel: Calypso St. Barth with Splendid Market, Palette of Calypso St. Barths, Calypso Event Scrapbook, The Grecian Goddess Dress. 

 

A true highlight of our stay was a surprise concert from Jimmy Buffet, a long time resident and fan of the island. He sailed in the regatta and served as an ambassador. He was very involved in the recovery process after Hurricane Irma.

The concert was amazing, very casual and fun and I loved hearing him yelling out to the band and friends in French! He played all of my favorite songs, click on the titles to join in the fun… Son of a Sailor, Southern Cross, Chanson pour Les Petite Enfants, No Woman No Cry, and he’s out.

I hope you enjoyed visiting St. Barths with me, thanks for coming along. I am so happy this special little rock is on the road to recovery and hope that they will be fully restored soon. If you ever have questions want some travel tips, feel free to contact me ebh@splendidmarket.com.

For a few more island ideas and information, read the NYTimes recommendations for 36 hours in St. Barts.