"I had no reason to think it could," says Zac Pelaccio, founder of the New York-based Fatty Crab chain which opened a branch on the island earlier this year.
Writing in Food and Wine magazine, the island villa owner remembered that he and some friends were vacationing while "Hopping from beach to beach ... repeating to ourselves, "There's no way this island could support a Fatty Crab." Too few people, 4,100 year round; least developed Caribbean island, no golf course or airport.
About a year later, Fatty Crab opened, getting great reviews. Trip Advisor gives it 4 1/2 stars.
Partnering with a New York wine distributor, Pelaccio said he wanted the island edition "to have the same scrappy independent vibe" as the Gotham eateries. "That meant local ingredients, plenty of spicy flavors, high-acid wines and rock and roll played just a little bit too loud."
"St. John is such a small island that once people heard about us, they started showing up at the back door with bags of mangos, papayas, tomatoes, limes and stalks of lemongrass, which grows wild on the hillsides," he said.
Now, Pelaccio says, " St. John is a perfect place for a restaurant."