The native foods of Dutch St. Maarten in the Caribbean reveal touches from the French who have shared the island for more than 350 years-and even from the Spanish, Holland's bitterest enemy during the Eighty Years War.
For Americans, the biggest surprise is bound to be the culinary vision of Holland itself. When the everyday image is Hans Brinker, wooden shoes and Rembrandt, there's room only for a dark northern country both insulated and isolated. Yet during the golden centuries of discovery, the Dutch claimed and cultivated strategic pieces of land as far west as St. Maarten (and yes, Manhattan) and as far east as Indonesdia. All of these colonial dealings are reflected in the island's cookery. After a grueling day of tanning, sailing or relaxing, the evening is its own elixir in St. Maarten as a feast of intriguing options await. You can roll the dice, dance the night away and then sip rum cocktails where the surf rolls ashore. And while one of the most difficult decisions you'll have to make when you visit St. Maarten is where to eat, there are no wrong choices. Recognized as the "Culinary Capital of the Caribbean", St. Maarten doesn't disappoint.
For creative contemporary cuisine The Simpson Bay Yacht Club's Saratoga. If you want authentic Caribbean and Creole fare, there The West Indies restaurant.
If you need a red meat fix, the Frigate steak house or La Pampa with Argentine-style steak should more than satisfy you. If you are truly adventurous, you may want to sample the exotic wild game dishes served up at Le Perroquet on Airport Road. And if you prefer a moveable feast, take the Lady Mary's Starlight Dinner Cruise for a beautifully prepared dinner and champagne cocktails. Or take the sleek Gabrielle, 1 46-foth ketch for a picnic and sailing and even snorkeling. The Island's Caribbean and European flavor blend best when the sun goes down. That's when the casinos, clubs cafes and discos really cut loose. For more information contact the St. Maarten Tourist Office by calling 1-800-STMAARTEN. |
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Recipe for a great vacation. Combine two complimentary cultures, French and Dutch and then blend them gently on a Caribbean Island. The result? Well, try it for yourself. 
Familiarity may breed many things, and in St. Maarten recipe-swapping is clearly one of them. There are 47 different ethnic groups who have made delicious contributions to this Caribbean Island's culinary history. 
A casual stroll along Front Street brings you to Da Livio's and Dario's for Italian, L'Escargot for French and Wayang Doll for Indonesian. I tasted the traditional rjivstaffal..or rice table at Wayang Doll-a traditional combination of 15 dishes of meats and vegetables that are served over rice. This is something that is no available everywhere in the world..so don't miss it if you get to St. Maarten. 
But my favorite entertainment in St. Maarten is the King Beau Beau Show at Lynette's at Simpson bay. Be sure to check which night this weekly calypso review is being performed because it is a don't miss. King Beau Beau is bursting at the seams with boundless energy . I was lucky enough to see the review on my first night in St. Maarten and it got my trip off to a great start with a warm island welcome that quickly got me into the spirit of things