News of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

Snap, Crackle, Pop

The annual fireworks capping the St. John Festival went off without a hitch Sunday night.

StJohnJason was on hand to video the doings, on a boat in the harbor.  The fireworks were also on the water, launched from a barge further out in Cruz Bay.

StJohnJason’s ‘coverage’ of the 2009 Festival

• Pan Dragons
• Fireworks part 1
• Fireworks finale
• Childrens Village

Police roadblock

Yep, those are police cars taking up four spaces intended for the public at the temporary overflow parking lot at the Winston Wells ball field in Cruz Bay. 

Inez the Deputy Inquiring Iguana spotted them there. 

The temporary lot was opened about a week ago because of the St. John Festival, which has made parking is more scarce downtown than usual.

It’s not enough the police park half a dozen of their huge SUVs in front of Headquarters, eh?

Why aren’t sone of those cars on patrol?

Sprucing up the old Subway

The old Subway restaurant space, across the street from Woody’s, has been spruced up in the past week.

Inez, a Deputy Inquiring Iguana, is hearing talk that it’s been prettified as part of the week’s St. John Festival activities.

“Sure looks like the Governor's parade viewing stand to me!,” she exclaimed. “Plus all of the weed-whacking and cleaning out behind the building to facilitate parking of government vehicles?"

Just speculation.

Summertime, and the closing is easy

Summertime, and the livin’s supposed to be easier in the US Virgin Islands.  It also means a slowdown in the pace of St. John and restaurant closings. 

The hazy lazy months are when a number of businesses try to give their employees, and their owners, a respite from living on a rock in the middle of the ocean.  So, some head for the mainland for refreshment, relaxation and, truth be told, to be out of harm's way during hurricane season.

St. John Ruth has become the unofficial chronicler of the summertime closings and she’s begun posting what she knows about the summer at http://stjohnspice.com/stjohnrestaurants.htm.  Several eateries, including the Fish Trap, Lime Inn and Skinny Legs are closing for a month or two.  Looks like it’ll be quiet in September, for sure.  (The last big storm that hit St. John came ashore Sept. 15th, 1995.)

If you’re planning a St. John visit this summer, check Ruth’s page before you arrive - and, of course, visit her Cruz Bay store, St. John Spice. 

New chef at Paradiso Restaurant

UPDATE:  Things move fast on a small island.

In a comment on this story, Laura said, “Sadly Nick left island last week due to a better job offer in the states. He moved down after his friend and former co-worker, Kyle, moved to St. John to take over the head chef position at the Balcony in Wharfside. I recommend the crab cake and the fillet Mignon or chicken entree (if they have it). The food quality has certainly gone up."

The St. John Sun Times reports Nick Faucher has taken control of the kitchen and knife kit at Paradiso in Mongoose Junction.  “I wanted a new challenge in my life,” he told the monthly newspaper a few weeks after he moved from New York to take the job.  He didn't even bother to make a get-to-know-you visit before signing on.

A slower pace on the job is one of the differences he’s noticed, he said: 45 meals a night compared to as many as 800 on a New York Friday night.  He’s also had to adjust to "the fact that good ingredients are not as easy to come by on the island,” Faucher noted. 

The menu is pretty much going to stay the same until the fall, with the possibility of adding daily tasting menus.

What will not change? Half-price appetizers at the bar will continue to be available all night long.

The last chef, Paul Trujillo, is reported now to be working as a chef on a private yacht.

Video: St. John at Festival time

Three new videos offering a tour of Cruz Bay have been posted on YouTube by StJohnJason. 

Jason Hubert told The Inquiring Iguana he's 22-years-old, just graduated college, and is now living on St. John. "I have loved St. John for as long as I can remember and have been reading your blog for quite some time now," he told the Iguana.

In one segment, it looks like Jason just got into an SUV, on the passenger side, started at the police station and drove through town starting with Woody’s, then down the one- way street that goes past the park, where you can see some of the booths and exhibits set up for this week of the Festival.

There’s also a ‘tour’ from Mongoose to the Dolphin Market which gives you a glimpse of the Roundabout construction. (Looks like the contractor did a fine job of resurfacing the road that was torn up along Boulon Center.)

Take the tours.  Click the links.

• Tour #1 Mongoose to Dolphin Market
• Tour #2 Woody's to the Park
• Tour #3 Park to Fish Trap