TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Trip Report Days 4, 5, and 6

Tuesday morning David and I enjoyed breakfast at the Hideaway with our dear friend Peter. This has become a tradition that we all look forward to. The Hideway has completely revamped their restaurant staff and menu, and my Caribbean omelet was delicious. We're looking forward to dinner there later in our stay.

After breakfast we headed over to El Zafiro. It was a bit windy, so we opted for chairs under the palms instead of umbrellas. The beach there is just beautiful, and the service is pleasant. We had heard varying reports about the food, but we were all quite pleased with our lunches. David and MJ had the shrimp creole, Todd had a burger that was cooked perfectly, and I had a delicious shrimp caesar salad. Chairs are free with food or drinks, and while it's not on the level of Dreams, its definitely a great value. We'll be back.

We had heard a lot of good things about Sale & Pepe, so that was our choice for dinner. MJ made reservations via their Facebook page, which was a good thing, as the place filled up quickly. We had a nice table on their covered outdoor patio, and because we were seated against the building away from the edges, the brief but heavy shower didn't cause us issues. MJ and I each had the fresh tagliatelle with clams and porcini mushrooms in a light garlic and olive oil sauce. It was absolutely delicious. David had the rigatoni in a red sauce with sausage, and Todd had Risotto ala Jeff, which is risotto with lobster, and is not on the menu. Our plates were all clean when we finished, which says it all. Too full for dessert, we enjoyed complimentary shots of limoncello to complete the meal.

Wednesday ended up being a rest and relax day; sometimes beaching it is hard work. David and I joined a group for a long lunch at Layla's I was looking forward to their mussels, but the don't come in until Thursday, so I opted instead for the frog legs persillade. The preparation was quite tasty, although the legs were quite small and not very meaty. David's cod almandine was good as well. Various desserts were shared; we chose profiteroles.

Dinner was cheese, crackers, fruit, and wine on our balcony.

Thanksgiving Day dawned a bit windy, but we kept our tradition of the day at Dreams. They were reluctant to put up the umbrellas in the wind, so we got a bit of sun, but not too much. Bruno seated us at a table against the curtain in the main dining room, so that we still had a nice view but some protection from the wind. We started with a bottle of Sancerre, and Bruno joined us in a toast to Annie. Todd and MJ started with butternut squash soup, which looked delicious. MJ had the baked camenbert which comes with bread and fruit for dipping into the gloriously melty cheese. Such a shame that our government feels the need to protect us from ourselves by making the sale of unpasteurized cheeses illegal in the USA. Todd's ribeye burger arrived perfectly cooked, and served with very French fries. It wasn't actually a burger, but slices of steak on a bun. David chose the rotisserie chicken, which comes with roasted fingerling potatoes and a nice mushroom gravy. My choice was the wahoo with virgin sauce, which turned out to be what I would call a raw sauce. It was served with a little veggie tart. The fish was a little overcooked, but the sauce added enough moisture to compensate.

After lunch it was still very windy, so we decided to head on home, as we had a party to attend later. Friends who are renting a villa invited a small group to join them for cocktails, hors d'ouvres, and sunset views. Of course, the best part was the time spent with island friends. For me, that's what makes St. Martin so special.

Thanks for another update and report.

What all has changed at The Hideaway. Any idea if Jean-Marie is still a bartender/server in the evenings? If he is, please give him my regards.

The decor, menu, and chef have changed. I don't know about the bartender, as we never go up there for drinks.

Another nice installment, Georgia. Looking forward to seeing you again before our departures.

Thanks. The chef had been there a long time. The bartender, Jean-Marie, also waits tables in the evenings.

Lovely menus...speaking to the unpasturized cheese...I've read that Europe bans gmos and so many toxins from food, unlike USA, so I would imagine sxm food is all healthy, therefore no need to inquire or look for "organic" labels?

Thanks for the report! Ah, the baked camembert at Dreams!! So wonderful!!

I can't help you there, as I'm not a fanatic about such things.

Nor was I untill very recently, having read and listened to some very interesting material, it has taken the forefront! Thanks.

Sounds like more good times with great old friends and new ones, too. You had me literally drooling over the baked Camembert- probably my absolute favorite!

Can't wait for the additional days - And wishing we were there, too. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

Thanks for the report. You made me hungry.

Lol

Have enjoyed your reports -thanks for posting. Have put camenbert at Dreams on my list-can't believe that you can't get that in the US.

Enjoying your reports.