Victor's New Hideout

Well we finally found it!

We moved here two years ago today and just this past weekend found Victor's.

They were setting up for a wedding reception on Saturday night, so it is apparently a bit of an institution...

the restaurant overlooks Crown Bay Marina...

I went with the Curried Tofu....

The Tofu was breaded, so probably not vegan. Wish I could rave. If De Coal Pot was in this locale, it would the utlimate place for Island Cuisine. As it is, we dont see much reason to return.

As I mentioned, we moved here two years ago today, and there is still so much we havent done: Blackbeard's Castle, the Synagogue, Magic Ice, Parasailing....this list goes on and on...

Trying to get a good pic of Calvin and Scrat poked his nose in. Thanks for looking. Bye for now.

Meals and Mangoes

Some recent meals of note...

my first time adding Tofu to the Mango Avocado Salad at Mafolie. Wasnt as spectacular as I had hoped...

Polenta with Fried Tofu and Stewed Garbanzos for brunch at Shoreline Bar and Grille. Really good, but next time I will take half home, it was a colossal amount of food...

Shoreline is known for the huge Tarpon swimming in front of the restaurant. They are cool, but this visitor also came by while we ate. I was in heaven.

Feta-less Greek Salad at Jen's Island Deli. A surprisingly light and fresh Salad for a place that leans more towards comfort food, just what I needed. (Thanks again, Unknown, for telling me about these).

So tons of Mangoes have been hanging off the trees the past few weeks. We have a couple small Mango Trees in our yard, but none are big enough to fruit. Fortunately, a neighbor has been putting out his extra Mangoes for passers by...

see, he has so many coming down...

At first, I thought he was giving them away cuz they are so small, they are worthless. Turns out, you just need about ten of these little ones cut up to get a nice big meal. When Mangoes are free, cutting them up is much less stressful and I have become rather adept at it. 

A Skink at Phantasea Botanical Gardens. Sadly, these passive reptiles are endangered due to habitat destruction and predators. That is all. Thanks for looking. Bye for now.

Thirteen

Doesnt look like much on the outside, but this is the number three restaurant on TripAdvisor...

after almost two years of reading rapturous reviews, I finally ate dinner here last night. To say my expectations were high is a major understatement.

The bartender, Mary, could not have been more friendly and attentive. Explaining the difference between the Bar Menu and Restaurant Menu to us took patience, but I think we finally got it. I opted to indulge in one of their many inventive cocktails - the 'Spicy Prickly' Martini $13 made with Jalapeno-Infused Vodka (hot!), Cruzan Pinapple Rum, Sour Mix, Fresh Lime and Cilantro. Nice and strong!

My 'Leafy Greens' Salad - Arugula, Shaved Fennel, Kale, Red Onion, Parmesan, Pickled Blueberries, Onion Crunchies and Lemoncello Vinaigrette. I asked them to leave off the parmesan, but they didnt do it, so that was a bummer. Tasty Salad anyway and a good value for $14.

The Mr. said his 'Garlic Chili Edamame with Togarashi Sprinkles' $7 was overcooked. Didnt even eat it all, which is unusual for him, he loves Edamame.

While waiting for our mains, they sent out a little treat - Tortilla Chips and Beet Chips with Smoked Tomato Aoli. I can only vouch for the Chips which were good.

My main 'Sesame Tofu' $26 Soba Zucchini Noodle Salad, Miso Vinaigrette, Cilantro, Smoked Corn, Radish and Peanuts was completely meh. Hardly any seasoning on the Tofu, overcooked Soba, six bland Radish Slices for color. This is not a dish I can recommend, possibly wasnt even vegan, fortunately there wasnt much of it.

Additionally, most of the reviews rave about the view, and I guess if you look straight out it is good...

but looking down, I was majorly concerned by all the (assuming) homeless cats I saw. These are just a few...

also wasnt expecting to be looking at this apartment building from our table, another one of my assumptions was that the restaurant had an unobstructed view of the water. So in summation: while my expectations for dining at Thirteen werent quite met, I will continue to carry out  their cheeseless Veg Head Pizza because that has always been stellar.

Completely unrelated, an Egret on a motorboat in Frenchtown. Thanks for looking. Bye for now.

Louie's Market

Louie's is a recently renovated and expanded market in Smith Bay...

looks much better than it used to, but it never would have crossed my mind to shop there...

till the Mr. noticed the word 'vegan' on their scrolling neon sign...

Fully expecting to be let down, we entered and lo and behold! 

they prepare two hot vegan food items daily!

my first order of Dogs and Cabbage with Pasta was super delish!

yes, they used Loma Linda products, but I happen to like that stuff...

another day was Fungi and Veggie Burgers...

this was my first time ever enjoying Fungi. Even the Okra in the Fungi was good!

today I picked up more faux mystery meat and some Pasta Puttanesca...

this is my kind of eating! Any vegans coming down to St. Thomas and heading to Coki Beach should stop at Louie's for a platter. Highly rcommend!

An orchid at Phantasea Botanical Gardens. Thanks for looking. Bye for now.