A Jam-Packed Monday on the Island

Monday morning was a little overcast, but we had set it aside for a day of exploration.  Wanting to try something new for breakfast, we decided to stop in at Valley Bistro. I had been there for lunch once before but this was my first time sampling their petit dejeuner. It was bright and airy, and the circulating ceiling fans kept the breakfast area comfortable, despite the lack of breezes coming through.

Michael decided on a made to order omelet while I opted for the croque monsieur. The lateness of the hour means we missed the breakfast rush and our food arrived quickly.  Ample portions at good prices would be enough to recommend Valley Bistro, but the food was good and the central location was very pleasant, and it’s a place I intend to keep on my regular rotations on future visits to the island.

 

We finished our breakfast at a leisurely pace and made our way farther east. Our next stop? AARF. We had seen their request for more circular stickers for pricing items in their shop, so we dropped some of those off, but primarily we were there to play with the puppies! AARF had constructed an outdoor play area since my last visit, so we were led out there where a handful of pups were already getting their morning constitutional. As soon as we walked outside, they swarmed us, so we took turns picking each of them up and giving them woogies.

Lookit his ears!

Dat tongue!

There was one small pup who was too shy to come near us. He (she?) darted under the bench, so I sat down on the ground to get a little closer and talk softly to try to coax him out.  He left met touch his front paw with one finger, but that was all.

Michael says that it looks like the black pup is saying, “I wish I were bold like you.”  We stayed until we were both so uncomfortable out in the sun that we had to call it quits, and then headed east some more.  I had hoped that we could stop by the Anguilla Heritage Museum, but they were closed, so we made our way to Savannah Bay instead. Michael was apprehensive about the road after hearing repeated conversations about it with other folks on the island, but I wanted him to see a very different side of the island. As it turns out, the road wasn’t as bad as I remembered, but we still drove at a snail’s pace.

We walked along the beach to the point where the sand gives way to rocks & coral and made some photos, but the sun felt pretty brutal, despite the overcast skies. But I love the textures and the colors there.

It was really hot, so after making some photos and a short video of the sea, we walked back to Nat’s to order some Tings. We sat and chatted with him for a while, then got back in the car towards Island Harbour.

Coming down the hill into the fishing village and seeing that water will always take my breath away. I’m not sure what was happening with my camera lens here, but all of the photos I made with that lens now have those odd little superimposed squiggles. (Any tips what to do about that before I use my camera again?)

Seriously, how beautiful is that water?

Getting back in the car, we drove onwards looking for the new Anguilla Sea Salt company. We passed it before we realized what we had found and simply double backed. The man there was very kind and friendly, talking to us about the process they use to harvest the sea salt. He also let me walk out onto the miniature golf course to make some photos, including the photo of inside the  double hole that showcases some of Anguilla’s history.

We hit the road once more, this time with the Savannah Gallery in mind as our destination.  Frank welcomed us both to sit down on his back porch with a cold Perrier and we whiled away more time talking about island life, American politics, family, dogs, and upcoming changes to the island with the new season.  Then Frank led us through the gallery to showcase some new pieces he had acquired since my last visit:

We thought about stopping in at DaVida for a light snack, but  we decided we weren’t hungry enough to do that with our reservations for dinner at Veya that night.  So we went home to Villa Ella for a quick swim and a nap to get ready for our primo meal ahead, after a brief detour so I could show Michael my (and everybody else’s) favorite little pink chattel house on the island.

Our reservation was for 7:00, which I figured would give us time to get settled in and order a round of cocktails before Omari started playing downstairs. I thought we’d be on the early side, but the restaurant was packed when we arrived. We even had to back out into the drive to find a parking spot, their car park was so crowded. One of our servers brought us an amuse bouche of soup, which I think may have been pumpkin, and then I had to make a terribly difficult decision -- to order off the menu or to request the chef’s tasting menu.  

Our yummy soup

Vera’s signature sea urchin votive holders

The latter won out, despite the price increase since my last visit, and it wasn’t cheap then. (NB: Nor should it be, but I do have to think twice, possibly thrice, before spending that much money on a single dinner, albeit an extraordinary one.)  Michael, meanwhile, decided to try the Grilled Jerk Spice Tuna with a rum coffee glaze, stacked with caramelized pineapples and fried plantains -- which is quite possibly my favorite entrée there. The courses unfolded one by one, with his main course delivered between two of mine.  Despite the small size of each course in the tasting menu, I would not have been able finish everything if I had not been sharing. 

Mahi mahi ceviche with dill crème fraiche, ginger, and scallion

Simple grilled sea lice

Michael’s dish

Duck with Brussels sprouts, carrot purée and seasoning peppers,
Michael opined that it was his favorite duck he’d ever had.

Lamb lollipops

Our dessert course was good -- Michael chose the trio of creme brûlée and I was given a selection that included banana sorbet, hazelnut mousse bars, and what was supposed to be a coconut creme brûlée but which turned out to be a ginger one instead. I would most definitely have preferred the coconut, but that’s a minor quibble in the face of such supreme deliciousness over the course of the evening. Spectacular from beginning to finish, and a meal whose memory I will long treasure. 

Omari was just finishing up downstairs by the time we departed, and if I had had even one square millimeter to spare in my belly, I would have pressed to stay at Meze for a small nibble to enjoy the ambience. But alas, that was not the case, so we made our way home and rolled into bed to be well-rested for our next adventure in the morning.  

Magical Mystery Tour, Part Two

The rain didn't diminish the brightness of the flamboyant trees

The weather was just starting to clear up when we left Savannah Gallery and headed east. Our first stop was, I think, Sandy Hill beach.  Or "Andy Hill," as our map was marked.  I was interested in seeing the eponymous beach for the first time after drinking so many of its namesake cocktails at Veya. It didn't look its best under the overcast skies, but I can see how this long stretch of sand would be very enticing under other circumstances.

It was just starting to rain again, so we scooped up a wee bit of sand and headed back to the main road. From there, we decided to seek out Sea Feathers beach.  We followed a road by the same name through a residential area.  We followed a side road every now and again, only to turn back and retrace our steps.  We did come out very near the water but not at a beach. No sand, but we did stay a moment to watch the waves.

Then it was back to the car, in search of one more beach to collect before stopping for lunch. We decided to look for Mimi's Bay, so we turned right off the main just beyond the Heritage Museum and wandered around.  Even with a slightly more detailed map than what usually comes in the rental car, we had trouble.  The roads weren't in great shape, and there were so many more gravel tracks than are indicated on the map. We got out of the car at one point and could hear the surf, so we just started walking, and before long, there was a little footpath down to the sand.  So we think that it was Mimi's Bay, but it's possible it was someplace else.

The beach itself was largely rocky before giving way to a coarse sand.  The wind was up and there was a real wildness there. I was intrigued by all of the textures there.

We debated about trying to find Sile Bay but decided against it in the interest of lunch. We headed into Island Harbor because we wanted to try the new-to-us restaurant, Elite.  We already knew we liked the breezy location because we'd dined there when it was called Côté Mer, so the fact that they accept the Anguilla Card really clinched it for us.  Knowing that we would be eating Italian for dinner that night, we opted to keep our lunch relatively light. I ordered the salad with wild boar prosciutto, parmesan, and truffle oil while DH had the regular prosciutto and melon salad. Iced tea and a shared slice of key lime pie completed our meal.

The tree- and conch-lined entrance to Elite

I wasn't thrilled with my meal -- the truffle oil was administered with rather a heavier hand than I'd prefer, since a little goes quite a long way -- and I didn't think the pie was very good, but DH loved his dish.  The setting is very pleasant and it was fun to watch the goings-on in the harbor.  We stayed there for a while to read and enjoy the breeze and before long it was time to hit the road again.

Beautiful Maundays Bay

On our way back to Caribella we hit up a few more west end beaches: Cove, Maundays, Shoal Bay West, and West End Bay.  We had time for another swim and a walk on the beach before getting dressed for dinner and being in place for what turned out to be a truly outstanding sunset.  It was another Green Flash night, which surprised me, considering how overcast the entire day had been.

We headed out to Sandy Ground for dinner at Dolce Vita.  We were the first ones to arrive and so had our pick of tables. Selecting the one in the far corner, we settled in for what we knew would be a great meal. I always start off with a mojito there because they're the perfect balance between the lime and the generous amount of fresh mint.  I wish I could say that I branched out and tried something new, but alas, almost everything I ordered that night was a repeat of something I've loved there before.

DH and I shared the spinach & pear salad, which they kindly split onto two plates for us. Then I moved on to the eggplant rollatini (appetizer size) while DH had the gorgonzola gnocchi (also an appetizer size).  There's a damn good reason why we both ordered the same thing we'd had in the past: it's excellent.  I've never, and I mean never, had gnocchi anywhere before that was as light and pillowy as these.

This is half of a salad

Though disappointed that the limoncello cheesecake wasn't on the menu, I was game to try the new flavor: Nutella cheesecake with a coconut cream sauce. It was...okay.  I liked the first few bites fine, but ultimately I decided it wasn't my cup of tea.  The presentation was beautiful, and I did like the coconut cream sauce, but calling it a cheesecake was a little odd since neither the texture nor the flavor was anything like a cheesecake.  More like a silk chiffon pie.

The good news is that they still come 'round with the shots of limoncello for a post-prandial drink.  Abbi also stopped by the table a couple of times to say hi and say some kind things. By the time we left, every table was full and the atmosphere was most convivial.  We even ran into our new friends, Frank & Lori, on the way out.  All in all, it was a pretty perfect end to a pretty perfect day--combining new scenes with old favorites. And we'd get to do it all over again the next day.