St. Martin: The French Side

We are staying as well as spending the majority of our time on the Dutch side of St. Maarten this week. I have been fortunate to have visited the island of St. Maarten numerous times, ever since I was a child. No matter how many times we have been here, the days fly by, and there always seems to be something that we didn't get the chance to see or do. Our first stop was at the Loterie Farms, covered in a canopy of greenery, and different fruit trees all around you. You can pay to lounge at the gorgeous pool, sunbathing in their big lounge chairs. If you want a more adventurous day, try out the Zip Line, or even just grab some drinks and bites at their restaurant lounge.

Visiting the French side of St. Martin was high on the list, and almost as always for reasons revolving around food. This trip wasn't geared towards the high end restaurants, we wanted to make sure and visit the Lolos in Grand Case.

After we parked, we followed the smoke in the air, as we walked up the small streets, that are parallel to the beautiful ocean. Each of the outdoor grill restaurants have wood easels out that display their menus to the tourists and locals alike passing by. The smell of ribs on the grill is sure to grab your attention, and if you didn't think you were hungry before, stand there and try to resist heading to a table to grab a seat. Typically this string of Lolos offers the prices at one Euro to one Dollar, which is always nice.

We decided to settle for lunch at "Talk of the Town." As soon as we got seated at our picnic table, the crowds started to fill up the empty seats surrounding us. As you walk to your table, you can't help but gaze at the open grill filled with racks of ribs, and lobster tails. There is also a long table with pots filled with assorted side dishes. Take a glance at the menu, and choose from the variety of meat and seafood options, and those lovely sides that you just walked by. I can never resist starting off a meal, with an icy cold bottle of Ting (Grapefruit Soda), anytime that I am here. We started off our lunch with some light and fluffy Johnny Cakes. These fried cornmeal cakes are very common in St. Maarten, and the Caribbean. They were a favorite of Giovanni's, and if there weren't plates full of food coming, I know that we would have ordered some more.

My mom ordered the plate of grilled lobster, which comes in both half and full orders, with the market price ranging from $20-$30. The lobster meat was tender, full of butter, and slightly sweet. I mean how can you go wrong, with ordering that?

Antonio and I ordered the plate of grilled ribs and chicken wings. They both had a beautiful char on them, and were more than delicious. We chose cole slaw, potato salad, and rice and beans as our sides. I could easily eat at the Lolos, any day of the week.

We rounded out the day with a stop at Orient Beach. We were just stopping by for a drink this visit, so we didn't grab a group of chairs on the sand. There are various small eateries, and places to pick your chairs. We grabbed a seat at Ethnic, where my parents are actually friends with the owners. We enjoyed the panoramic views of the sea, while sipping a chilled glass of rose. The sweet tooth set in, and we ordered a dessert trio. Mini portions of Creme Brulee, Tiramisu, and Chocolate cake. The tiny spoons gave us each a little taste each, which were just divine.