St. Lucia: Julietta’s
Our search for good food began the moment we stepped off the airplane. Driving through narrow, windy roads, in between bracing ourselves and gasping at the closeness of the oncoming cars, we asked our driver where he preferred to eat. “Julietta’s” he immediately replied. He named a few others, but he came back to Julietta’s. “You’ll have a great meal at Julietta’s.”
As soon as we could we made a reservation at Julietta’s, located at the top of the hill in Marigot Bay. The view greeted us when we got there and we were happy to have made early reservations in order to catch the breathtaking sunset that filled the sky with pinks, oranges, and reds contrasting against the still blue sky.
The setting was simple, as was the service. Seeking a more authentic experience, I actually preferred that.
Fresh fish and seafood filled the menu, prepared simply and accompanied with plenty of ground provisions - the term used for what we would say, “root vegetables.”
Conch fritters and fish cakes arrived beautifully golden and wrapped in a light batter that highlighted their freshness. With a generous squeeze of lime and dip into an herby and bright tartar sauce, it felt genuine to the flavors of the islands.
Our Mahi Mahi was simply grilled with lemon butter with a side of Creole sauce - a tomato based sauce, perfectly spiced and deeply complex.
We were honored to have met with Julietta after she had prepared for us an incredible St. Lucian feast. She spoke humbly about her skills, but was bursting with pride as she gushed about the bounty of produce and fresh ingredients available to her directly from the island.
She spoke softly as she described her simple application of lemon, butter and white pepper to the Mahi Mahi. But, when speaking of the freshness of the fish, her face lit up and she beamed as she spoke of all the hard-working locals who deliver their produce and seafood to her every day.
We walked away from Julietta’s feeling delightfully full from a great meal and a better understanding of the culture surrounding the food on this lush island.
