Anguilla XV: Straw Hat, Tasty's, and Another Day of Sheer Perfection

Passing showers during morning coffee

Despite the late night (by my standards anyway!), I rose with the dawn on the first day of the year and read while Michael slumbered a bit longer. Before long we were  both feeling a bit hungry, but Roy’s is closed on Mondays, so we broke our fast on with coffee and granola bars that we brought from home. We checked with Wayne first to make sure it was okay, and then brought our coffee downstairs to the closed restaurant to enjoy by the water.

We would not have wanted a full breakfast anyway since we had luncheon reservations at Straw Hat at 12:30. After it stopped raining we took a shorter walk up and down the Sandy Ground beach but the direct sun with no ameliorating breeze was starting to get a little too intense for my husband, who hails from northern stock much better suited to the cold.

Gorgeous Meads Bay

Looking for a change of scenery, we decided to take our chances to see if Straw Hat might have chairs & umbrellas available and packed up our beach bags to head to Meads Bay early. Luck was with us as we checked in and inquired whether they had anything left and we got the last set of chairs & umbrella in the front row facing the beach – huzzah!

With more than an hour before our reservation, we alternated between reading, hanging out in the water, and simply enjoying the breeze. Other times of year Meads can feel a little still, a little hot, but on this particular visit it was all bliss. We ordered a couple of Tings to enjoy and then eventually wandered up for our lunch table.

Sea Rueben

Banh Mi - minus cilantro

It’s always so hard to make up my mind what to eat at Straw Hat – I’ve never had a bad meal there, and their menu has changed so often that I’ve never fallen into any kind of food rut – but I have never hesitated when it comes to my drink order, and that’s their Ti punch. It’s one of my favorite rum drinks anywhere – not too sweet, and each ingredient gets to shine. Michael ordered the Island Passion, and then we decided on the Sea Rueben (him) and the Tuna Banh Mi (me), after I was gratified to learn that it could, in fact, be made without cilantro.

The whole experience was basically sublime. Our original plan for the day was to scoot somewhere else by 2:00, but we were experiencing a serious gravitational pull there. My husband’s preferred way of doing things is to stick to whatever plan we may have (it’s a plan – that’s what it’s for!), but even he seemed delighted with my proposal that we just stay put. Meads Bay was tossing up waves that were just large enough to demand our full attention when in the water so that they wouldn’t crest directly on our heads, and so our afternoon was spent in rotation between that glorious water, reading on our loungers, dozing off, and repeating.

This book pubs in May. It's SOOOO good.

Peter and Anne stopped to chat with us and we caught each other up on the broad strokes of our lives in the last couple of years, and then Peter mentioned that Waves had moved down to Sandy Ground and that it was amazing and we should try it out since it was so close to our home base at Roy’s. Around 4:00 pm we settled up our beach tab (which is separate from the main restaurant) and made our way homeward.

For this trip we were trying to alternate bigger ticket meals with more moderate ones, and so originally we thought we might pick up take out for dinner from Blanchards Beach Shack since we were in the neighborhood. After some discussion, however, we determined that we really wanted to sample something new-to-us and so we decided to give Tasty’s POV a try.

We arrived while it was still light enough to appreciate the view over Sandy Ground and were only the second table occupied. I think this is the second occasion on the trip where our server may have forgotten to put our order in, because we were there for nearly 30 minutes before she came back to say that they were out of a key ingredient for the drink I ordered. Again, luckily, we had not arrived hungry and we were in no rush whatsoever, so it was no hardship to sit and enjoy the view, the breeze, and the music which had started up in the interim.

I’m happy to say that our drinks arrived immediately after that, with our food not long to follow, and it was all worth waiting for. Michael had the seafood pasta, which was delicious (although not beautiful to photograph), while I chose the coconut crusted fish, coconut rice, and roasted veg. We loved it all and frankly it was hard not to lick the plate. Our bellies were full and happy, and it was a fantastic ending to a perfect day. 

Anguilla, or There and Back Again: Part V

Blooming ixora on Turtles Nest grounds

Wednesday arrives and I’m inevitably sad. It’s my last full day on the island, and thanks in part to Delta’s scheduling gaffe, there are still too many of my favorite Anguilla things that I haven’t done and I’m actually a little bit stressed at the thought of fitting them all in. Good thing I spent my time last night making a list.

The first thing I do after making a few pictures of Turtles Nest flora (looking vibrant after the light rain in the night) is hightail it to Village Bake House, which has been closed for the last two mornings and which I’ve been eagerly waiting to try. Located in the new-old Geraud’s location in South Hill, it has ample parking and outdoor seating for those patrons who wish to partake of the delectable pastries on site.

I selected a blueberry pastry and an apple tart, along with an iced latte. That’s when I learned that the Village Bakehouse has a fairly high credit card minimum (US $25, I think?). I didn’t want to dip into my cash because I was a little concerned about having enough for boat fare, departure tax, and a tip for housekeeping the next day, and ATMs are sometimes a little finicky on the island. So I proposed to the woman since I planned to come the next day for breakfast that I go ahead and pay for tomorrow, too, and then we’d be square.  Anguilla being Anguilla, she happily agreed to my proposal but the whole time I was struggling to place her face.

In the meantime, I took my pastries and coffee outside to the shaded patio to enjoy while trying to remember where I knew her. The deliciously flaky and buttery pastry crust must have jogged my memory just enough, because BINGO! It was Susanne from the former Bonjour Cafe in Sandy Ground.

At one point she came out to see if I needed anything else, and as she turned to go, she asked if she knew me in almost the same breath as I asked her if her name was Susanne. It seems that she’d been going through her own mental Rolodex to place me, too. We both laughed and then she lingered for a few minutes while we checked in to see how the ensuing years had treated us since we last crossed paths.

After breakfast, I headed back to Turtles Nest to enjoy the beach for a little while. Mostly I was simply biding my time until the morning was sufficiently advanced to head up to Ocean Echo to spend a few hours in the company of Andrea. No trip to Anguilla would be complete with a nice, leisurely visit with Andrea!

I squealed a little bit when I walked up and saw her behind the bar. Luckily I was the first guest at Ocean Echo that day, so we could have a proper catch up. She asked me where I wanted to sit, and when I replied, “In the breeziest spot,” she sat me at the corner of the bar.

I know that lots of folks love The Rumzie, Ocean Echo’s signature drink, but it’s a little sweet for my personal preference, so Andrea created this beverage for me.  Passionfruit, raspberry vodka, lots of fresh lime juice, and a touch of sparkling water.  Delicious!

A good hour passed while sipping my drink, chatting with Andrea, and reading my book while she was tending to various tasks. My adult beverage went down with tolerable ease, but I needed to pace myself. In the interest of avoiding plastic bottles, I opted for a Ting instead of a bottled water. Eventually, though, I grew hungry enough to place my lunch order for a fish burger.

The fish burger was deliciously seasoned and despite missing the French fries, I was glad I made the sensible choice and requested the green salad as my side. Meanwhile, a lovely American couple who own a home in Anguilla had arrived and she recognized me from this blog and from the TripAdvisor forum, so we had lots of things to chat about.

Looking west toward Four Seasons

Originally I had packed a beach bag with the intention of setting up shop on Ocean Echo’s comfy beach chairs, but that part of Meads was feeling a tad warm, so after making a few photographs on the beach, I was happy to head back to the bar for the rest of my visit. Andrea made me a margarita to help slake my thirst while finishing up my book. 

Looking east toward Straw Hat

Turtles Nest seen from Ocean Echo

Alas, I still have miles to go before I sleep, so sometime in the late afternoon I regretfully bid adieu to  Andrea so that I can keep my other commitments for the day. First up: a bit of shopping at Devonish gallery. I almost always come home from my Anguilla trips with one of his carvings/sculptures because they’re the ultimate affordable piece of art and this time I needed a little somethin-somethin’ for my colleague who was doing some of my work for me whilst on vacation. 

From Devonish, I headed east so that I could get in a visit with Pamela from Sea Spray. Here I picked up a t-shirt for my beau and made friends with her new feline companion, who is a real sweetheart. Sea Spray always has a nice array of casual jewelry and island-themed Christmas ornaments suitable for people even in my tax bracket.

Typically I would have ordered Pamela’s famous rum punch, but since my plans for the evening also included a sundowner in Sandy Ground, I opted for a smoothie instead.

I always enjoy catching up with Pam and hearing her news.  She was still getting readied for the upcoming season when I stopped in, and of course we spent some time talking about our cats, dogs, and AARF. Before long, though, I had to hie myself down the hill to Sandy Ground so that I could catch the sunset from a new vantage point. 

I arrived at Sand Bar just in time to settle in at my table and order a drink. There was one other couple seated there when I arrived, and they were of a friendly bent, so they invited me over to chat. They’d been to Anguilla a few times before and were also active on one of the travel forums. We discussed our favorite restaurants and they asked me the pros & cons of renting a villa vs staying in one of the resorts. 

Ahhh, so refreshing

Soon enough, though, it was time for me to think about heading home to clean up for my last dinner on the island.  Last dinner on the island generally can mean only one thing for me: Straw Hat.

My 7:00pm reservation put me the first to arrive in their dining room that night.  I think it was the very first dinner there where I wasn’t seated in Armel’s section, and I was very sorry in retrospect not to have requested that.  Still, the young man taking care of me was capable and friendly.

As difficult as it is to believe, I hadn’t had crayfish yet on this visit, so I made amends.  Skipping the appetizer because I’d just had one of Pam’s excellent smoothies just three hours ago seemed like a wise decision, and even so, I left half of a crayfish behind on my platter.

In the meantime, Doris, Peter, and Armel all took a moment to come over and chat, which made me very happy, indeed.  I ordered a second glass of wine while contemplating the rain and my choices for dessert.  I’d had my heart set on the warm coconut tart with rum raisin ice cream but it wasn’t on offer that night, so I had to consider my other options very carefully. In the end, I opted for the layer cake served with (if my memory is accurate) a homemade ginger ice cream and a rich caramel sauce.

While perhaps not strictly as satisfying as the coconut tart would have been, it was delicious and a very fitting end to my last evening meal. I was, in fact, sad when leaving and if there were tears in my eyes, then so be it.

Next up: a farewell tour of the west end and trip report wrap-up.

Anguilla, or There and Back Again, Part II

They don’t call it Rainbow City for nothing

While I do not strictly identify as a morning person, I transmogrify into one when I’m in Anguilla.  There’s something about the brightness of the morning, the clarity of light, that makes me rise with the dawn. Sunday was my first morning waking up on the island, and there was a light shower right after sunrise, so I turned off the a/c, threw the windows and balcony doors wide open, and got back into bed so I could listen to the raindrops on the palm fronds outside.

I made coffee and sipped it while reading in bed. A little after 7:00, the rain stopped so I got dressed and went for a walk. My early venture was rewarded with a beautiful rainbow.  With the breeze, I was actually just the tiniest bit chilly and wished I had brought my coffee to the beach with me.

Sidenote: I had the most glorious weather on this trip of any of my many trips to the island.  This was my third November visit (I think) and it was sheer perfection.  There wasn’t a single time where I felt uncomfortably warm, no matter where I was on the island.

After a walk along the beach, a swim, and hanging out under the umbrella to read, it was time to get cleaned up for lunch. My destination for the afternoon? Straw Hat for an early lunch and then to while away a few more hours reading in their complimentary chairs. As always, the staff was so welcoming and solicitous of my comfort.

After much deliberation, I decided to order the blackened lobster and and shrimp tacos with mango creme fraiche and chipotle aioli.  It was just as amazing as it sounds.  I also enjoyed some iced tea (I wanted to hydrate but avoid ordering bottled water) and two ti punches whilst enjoying my book.

Emma Straub is a fellow bookseller and a very good novelist.  Her new book will be published in May 2020, so request it from your library or indie bookstore now! Pulling off a coming of age story for three generations of a family is no small feat and Straub manages it with style.  Whether we have family who aren’t really friends, or friends who are definitely family, we all need second chances at forgiveness, not least of all for ourselves.

After a few hours enjoying everything that Straw Hat has to offer, I ambled back to Turtles Nest for a brief nap before sunset.  Thanks to a tip from somebody on the TripAdvisor forum, I walked east on Meads to get a better vantage point in order to see the sun set into the sea instead of behind the Four Seasons. Well, aside from the fact that I neglected to put any bug repellant on my legs, it was totally worth it.

In front of Jacala, facing inland.

The face of Meads Bay has changed considerably since my first stay there in 2009, when Carimar was my home base. At that time, Turtles Nest stood out a bit like a sore thumb, taller than any other structure on the beach. Now, though, there are humongous luxury villas that intimidate the beach in the same manner, plus the new accommodations under construction at Frangipani which loom a tad higher than Turtles Nest does.

Not creepy. (Said no one, ever.)

 What at first promised to be a somewhat subdued sunset turned into a true spectacle.  I think it’s one of the best I’ve seen in many trips to the islands, and I even caught a tiny glimpse of the green flash!  I’ll include a video here, but I’m not sure how worthwhile it is.  It gets rather shaky in spots because I was alternating standing on one leg while scratching my leg with the other foot because the sand fleas find my ankles delectable.

As soon as the sun sank below the horizon I walked double-time back to Turtles Nest just to keep those damn sand fleas off of me.  I had time to enjoy a glass of the complimentary white wine and to clean up from my beach time before heading off to Dolce Vita for dinner. This was the first dinner reservation I made for myself back home before the trip when I carefully laid out my grid for where to dine on which night. Abbi, the owner, wrote me back the sweetest and most gracious confirmation, so it was with a true spring in my step that I drove to Sandy Ground for my first real dinner on the island.

This photo is from a previous visit, not this trip

So imagine my surprise when I walked in to see a young couple being seated at my table. My surprise turned to shock when the host could find no record of my reservation at all.  He rushed to assure me that they could accommodate me, but I was just bewildered and a little bit mortified that they would think I’d just show up for dinner unannounced, as it were.  I grabbed my phone and quickly skimmed through my emails to find proof, when my jaw dropped.  Apparently I’d made my reservation for Monday night.  Mystified how I’d made that mistake, I checked on the website and realized: the little calendar that one clicks on to select the desired date for a reservation runs Monday-Sunday, not the usual Sunday-Saturday that many Americans are accustomed to.  I hadn’t checked closely enough to see what date I’d selected; I used visually reckoning to select what I thought was the first Sunday of the month but inadvertently clicked on the first Monday.

Lesson learned.

Though disappointed not to have one of the beachfront tables (which were being reserved for people who weren’t too idiotic to book the correct day of the week), I had one nice consolation: I was seated in the second row underneath one of the lamps that gave me ample reading light. I sheepishly explained to Argen, my server, what my gaffe was and he was very kind about it and was very attentive for the rest of the night.

I usually opt for the arugula and bleu cheese salad to start. Not only is it delicious, it’s a sure-fire way to ensure I actually eat a few vegetables. They had no arugula, so I decided to try the tuna tartare.  Alas, it was not for me.  The tuna was a little stringy and the avocados were just shy of being ripe. I ate about half of it before deciding that was enough.  Besides, I had the world-famous lasagna coming for me entree, and we all know that it’s filling enough on its own.

Despite not completing my appetizer, I was not able to finish this delectable bundle of meat, cheese, and béchamel, so I wrapped it up to take home for leftovers later in the week. Which is not to say that I was too full for dessert.  No, sir!  I ordered the pear poached in red wine and accompanied by a white chocolate mousse.

It may not be much to look at, but it’s my favorite dessert I’ve ever had at Dolce Vita and one of the best desserts I’ve ever had on Anguilla, full stop.  It was the perfect ending to a perfect day, and it completely redeemed the lackluster tuna tartare as far as I was concerned. I drove back to Turtles Nest with the windows down to enjoy the feel of the night breezes on my skin, where I tumbled into bed to finish my book.  Yes, I could definitely get used to endless days like these.