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

Results of food store war survey

It was not much of a contest. Starfish Market and the Pine Peace Grocery were the clear favorites of almost 350 voters in last week's survey.  Frankly, this looks like a victory for Pine Peace, given Starfish's greater visibility and its similarity to markets on the mainland. 

Pine Peace is more crowded and its inventory more limited, but for the day to day stuff like cereal, snacks, beverages and staples, it's fine and certainly beats Starfish on prices.

A surprise to me is the poor showing by Dolphin Market - could be the location, parking can be tough - and will only get more difficult with the roundabout construction. The owners' decision to open a location on the South Shore road, at the new shopping strip across from the Westin, is a very good move.

Where do you shop for food?

The Dolphin Market in Cruz Bay is planning to open a second store along the south shore.  With easy parking, it will be a convenient option for the timeshares of the Westin and dozens of rental villas at Great Cruz Bay, Chocolate Hole, Rendezvous and Fish Bay, and so on.  The new Dolphin will be located in the retail shopping strip being built next to Guinea Gut apartments, across the road from the main entrance to the Westin.

Which begs the question ... what's your favorite store for vittles? Feel free to add your comment here (great selection, best prices for wine, expensive for snacks, etc.).

American Airlines tops for VI's

This week's poll about the best airline to fly to the islands produced a lopsided victory. Among six airlines serving the Territory, American was the choice of 41%.  US Airways, Delta and Continental were distant competitors with less than 20% of the 300 votes. Spirit and (surprisingly - it's a major!) United were deep at the back of the pack.

Reading the comments, choices didn't seem about good service.  None said they'd had some.  Several told awful stories about being grounded 5-6 hours on a US Airways flight in Philadelphia or stranded overnight at the San Juan airport.

The bottom line advice: get a direct flight - tough to do if you don't live on the east coast.  "Because we live in northwest Arkansas, getting to St. John in less than three hops has been our biggest challenge," said Julsdd.  "Travel from Seattle is a journey," added Angie.  "We left on a Saturday night red-eye to Philly ... with a nonstop to STT ... and just barely made the 4 p.m. ferry on Sunday."

Tell the villa rental companies what you want!

Let's face it. Virtually every villa you can rent has a drop-dead view. Most have pools or spas. Cool evening breezes are a dime a dozen. But what you REALLY want is a Plasma TV and Surround Sound, right? Or maybe something else.

In this week's poll, tell it to the judges - the rental company managers. Choose any of the items below or spell out your own.

Got another suggestion? Click here to offer your two cents. We'll deliver the results to the Villa folks.  (Initial responses said Net access was important, to I've added that to the list.)

Tipping the Villa Greeter

There are a lot of outstretched hands looking for a tip between the St. Thomas airport and the Cruz Bay ferry dock, including baggage porters, taxicab drivers, and ferry luggage loaders. Is the person who greets you on St. John another one?

Greeters are part of the villa rental package. They meet you at the ferry dock, take you to a car rental pickup, and then lead you to your house. The greeter's service is worth $50. That's what one villa management company charges owners when guests arrive off-hours, like late at night or on Sundays.  If every thing's on time (on St. John?), it's about an hour's work.  So, that cost has been figured into your rental rate. Greeters are paid by the rental company.

Some island visitors wonder, though, "Should I tip the greeter?" 

What do you think? Make a comment here.

Lime Inn tops for moderate budget dining in Cruz Bay

The Lime Inn is the best bet for a reasonable night out for dinner with your sweetie and/or the kids, according to results of our week-long poll on Cruz Bay restaurants.Specializing in seafood, Caribbean lobster, and known for its Wednesday night Shrimp Feast, the Lime Inn has been an island favorite for almost 20 years.

Other old reliables finishing near the top of the voting included Morgan's Mango, featuring South American spicy specialties; Rhumb Lines, known for 'Asian fusion'; the Fish Trap, specializing in, what else?, fish and some imaginative Asian-inspired treatments of old favorites; Banana Deck and its solid bar food, and Cafe Roma, serving up pasta and pizza.

Here are the results of our poll:

• Lime Inn  24%
• Morgan's Mango 13%
• Rhumb Lines 13%
• Fish Trap 13%
• Banana Deck 11%
• Café Roma 10%
• Sun Dog Café 4%
• Inn at Tamarind Court 4%
• Happy Fish 3%
• Compass Rose (Pastory) 2%
• Satyamuna 1%
• China Shack 1%

Vote for favorite Coral Bay restaurant

While Coral Bay is rapidly developing ... 'cause that's where the available land is ... it's still kind of laid back and relaxed.  Which explains why its choices for a meal are all over the map. From a fantastic budget breakfast at the Donkey Diner to a moonlit, waterside dinner at Miss Lucy's, the variety is broad.

Frankly, Coral Bay is often a state of mind.  Its restaurants range from tacky to white tablecloth.  Enjoying Coral Bay is easy to do.  Sometimes you're in a rock-and-roll state of mind, other times you're looking for smooth and relaxing. So, in choosing a Coral Bay restaurant or bar, vote for the one where you have the most fun and the best memories.