TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin How Bertines became Bertines.

Hey y'all, it's been a long time. Posting this because I just ran across some sad news related to the island.

Bernie Poticha who owned and ran Bertines Restaurant and 5 bedroom inn up on the top of the hill overlooking Grand Case with his wife Christine, died last December in Madison, VA, Bernie died peacefully at home with Christine at his bedside. After leaving the island Bernie and Christine owned and operated Bertines North in Madison County VA for many years. One of our most memorable island experiences is all about fellow Chicagoans and St. Martin restauranteurs, Bernie and Christine Poticha.

We dined at Bertines twice in the years just before the Poticha's left the island. It was one of our favorite dining spots. Our first time we were the only customers in the place, where Bernie did the cooking and Christine operated and served in the open air dining room, with that great view of Grand Case. I remember I had Bernie's wonderful "Steak On A Hot Rock", and Rosemary, the Creole Shrimp. We struck up a friendly conversation that night, and toward the end of dinner we mentioned to Christine that we were from metro Chicago. We were unaware that seven or eight years before, Bernie and Christine had moved to the island from Chicago. Bernie came out of the kitchen and joined us after dinner and the four of us spent several hours chatting over a couple of glasses of wine. We got the sense that as their kids were growing up, they would probably be heading back to the States, mostly due to educational concerns for the kids...and they ended up relocating to Madison County Virginia in 1992. The most wonderful part of the discussion was Bernie's story of how they became restauranteurs and innkeepers on St. Martin.

Back around 1981/82 Bernie and Christine were vacationing on the island and had dinner one night at the location that was to become Bertines. Bernie said they were the only diners that evening and the owner at the time (I cannot recall the name) ended up sitting down with them for an after dinner drink. During the conversation, the owner mentioned that he wanted to retire and he was going to be looking for a buyer for the restaurant and inn at some point in the near future. Bernie told us that he was so taken with the place, it's location, the view, everything about it, that at one point he just blurted out, "This place is just great, when you decide you want to sell, here's my number, call me!" What Bernie apparently didn't understand was that Island business was often done by oral contract. And that when he made that comment, the owner interpreted it as a deal. A little less than a year later, the Poticha's phone rang and the owner let Bernie know that it was time for them to come back down to the island to close the deal. Bernie said, that when he got off the phone, he and Christine just looked at each other and said, "What the hell!!! Why not???" And that is how the little restaurant and inn up on top of the hill overlooking Grand Case became Bertines.

We only met them twice, but Bernie and Christine Poticha were two of the most remarkable, wonderful, unforgettable people that Rosemary and I have ever met. We cried when we learned he was gone.

Wow! So sorry to hear. In time I can find some pictures from there from around 1987-1989 ish! They had chocolate labs that loved to eat small lizards! And the waiter - don’t remember his name but he just wanted to make sure my dad ate and ate! Crazy the things you remember!!!

Didn’t they go back to raise their kids in the states? Could be wrong on this!

They truly were a lovely couple. Thank you, Alan, for sharing your story. 😢😢

Error in the OP...Bernie died on November 23, 2022. Neither his age or birthdate were noted in the obit, but from what we got to know of Bernie and Christine during our brief time with them, I would guess that he was our age, in his late 70's.

https://www.preddyfuneralhomes.com/bernard-poticha

Ala--good to see you here. Hope all is well with you.

I did not know this couple, but it sounds like they were a wonderful part of old SXM. Thanks for posting.

Alan, thanks, that is a great story.