Up and down a winding road to this off the beaten path bar-restaurant at the Secret Harbour Resort serving some pretty good food. It is divided into two areas, a bar with tables and a separate dining room overlooking the water. We decided on the restaurant side and the eight of us were seated at a very quiet table.

For my starter I decided on the Conch Chowder. It was a true chowder with lots of vegetables nestled in a broth. It was delicious. The broth was light (bacon would have really elevated the broth) with a good amount of flavor. There was a scant amount of conch and it was more a vegetable chowder than a conch chowder, but it was still delicious.

I chose the Seared tuna for my entrée. The sesame crusted tuna log was sliced and fanned over juliennes of three peppers, green, yellow and red. A smidgen of edamame puree and a finger full of mango gastrique joined the tuna on the plate. A separate plate of soy, wasabi, pickled ginger and rice was part of the presentation, sorta a do-it-yourself sushi. The tuna was perfectly prepared to rare, maybe very rare, which was perfect for me. It was rich in flavor, but was screaming for a complementary flavor. A little wasabi and ginger plus a dip in the soy created a delightful combination. I am not sure why the chef included the mango and edamame, first because it was less than a ¼ teaspoon of each and second, it was a completely different profile than plate #2. But the one bite that included the mango and tuna was outstanding, and a larger portion of both in lieu of the soy-wasabi plate would have created a delightful presentation.

For dessert we decided to share an order of pineapple upside down cake and an order of cinnamon bread pudding. I thought both were good, not great. If you are looking for a powerful end, then order the pineapple and if you are a big fan of cinnamon, the latter.

Service was spotty. During the order process our server was spot on then he was the invisible man. Several times we needed to go to wine bucket and bring the bottle back and pour our own wine. Since we were 8 people the 20% was already in the bill so there was no incentive for anything other than minimal service.

Overall it was a fun night with very good food. Would I return? Absolutely, it is St. Thomas not NYC and for the island it was a wonderful location with pretty good food.

Several years ago we journeyed to the Old Stone Farmhouse for a memorable meal. The food was delicious and the surroundings beautiful and after dinner we enjoyed a small combo in the courtyard. We wanted to return. The drive to the restaurant from the East End is a bit harrowing on a dark, winding road, and the turn onto the driveway needs complete concentration, but when you enter the building it is well worth the last quarter-mile.

Since our last visit, the chef and the management have changed, and neither was for the better. The highlights of the latest meal were the building and the server, who was outstanding throughout the meal. We arrived at 730 on a Saturday and by 815 we were the only table still in attendance, a bad omen and it was strange that with three separate rooms ours was the only one occupied.

The menu is divided into three sections with appetizers, salads and entrees. To start, the table ordered a couple of flatbreads, with toppings that change daily. The toppings that the chef was using on our visit included beef, jalapeño peppers, onions plus other vegetables, topped with an Asian hoisin-style sauce. The combination was not to my liking. It felt as if the kitchen decided to chopped the remnants of the ingredients from other dishes and piled onto the flatbread. It was a mish-mash of flavors.

For my appetizer I ordered the Local Fish Crudo (it was Mahi Mahi on our visit) served with sweet chili aioli, pickled jalapeño, radish, and watermelon. The plate was an wooden mini-artist’s paint palate. The cubed Mahi was spread across the upper edge, topped with a few thin slices of jalapeño pepper and thinly sliced radishes. At first glance I did not see the fresh fish under the two other toppings. Alongside the fish were small cubes of watermelon. The fish was very fresh, and very lightly marinated, barely a hint of citrus was evident. The peppers added a little spice and the watermelon a touch of sweetness. It was a basic combination of some regular components; good but nothing special.

I ordered the Grilled Pork Chop for my entrée. It was served with a smoky garlic polenta, pickled peaches, roasted vegetables with a drizzle of a bourbon peach reduction. It should more accurately as a large pork filet, the bone was removed and it was cut into four thick slices, and served atop the other components. I ate one of the end pieces first, my first impression was that it was a bit over-seasoned with salt and pepper. As I moved to one of the interior slices I saw that one half of the slice was medium and the other half raw, I was not about to eat raw pork. I spoke with the manager and the server and she immediately removed it. When it returned the two interior slices were now well-done and the other end slice was still half cooked, half raw, the kitchen did nothing to correct that slice. I was not amused and it was removed from both the table and the bill. I would classify the kitchen’s attempt to repair their mistake a complete failure on their part and the manager never returned nor offered his apologies.

Others enjoyed their entrees, which including the scallops, duck, Mahi Mahi and the special of the evening the Bolognese.

For dessert I ordered the black cherry cheesecake. It was an individual serving with the berries both embedded in the cake and a couple of squirts of sauce on the plate. It was creamy and very good.

Overall it was an incredibly disappointing visit to the Old Stone Farmhouse. The flatbread was horrible and the crudo was not to my liking. But the fact that the kitchen saw the pork was half raw after slicing it and still served it and then compounded this mistake by knowingly overcooking two of the three pieces on its re-fire and again serving the original slice of half raw pork is completely and totally unacceptable. While the manager was quick to remove the offending plate, he had zero follow-up. When it was sent back a second time, he should have come to the table. We were literally the only occupied table in the entire restaurant.

Mistakes happen and how a restaurant handles that situation is important. Serving raw pork was strike 1, returning the dish with well-done and raw was strike 2 and the manager lack of attentiveness was strike 3. The one star that is earned by the restaurant on this visit was the server, the only professional on site the entire evening.

After a less than enjoyable lunch on the Willy T last year (no we were not expecting much) we decided to return to Pirate’s Bit this year for lunch. After docking the boat we wandered over to the newly rebuilt building and grabbed a table overlooking the water.

There were several large boats docking and we ordered quickly to stay ahead of these impending large orders. Even with our haste, the wait for the food to arrive was over 30 minutes, just a head’s up that you can easily plan for two rounds of drinks prior to the food’s arrival.

I ordered the grilled pork sandwich. It was served on a baguette and was delicious. It was accompanied by a spicy sauce and slaw, that added a nice crunch to the sandwich. French fries accompanied the sandwich and they were perfectly fried.

Service was excellent.

Overall it was a wonderful lunch on the beach on Norman Island on our way to the Soggy Dollar.

Each year when we visit St. Thomas we schedule our special dinner at Oceana. Located within an historic building on a southern point in Frenchtown, Oceana blends the beauty of the building with incredible food. According to the website, the estate was settled in the 1670s and in 1894 converted to the Russian Embassy.

Drink orders were taken and delivered and the bread service commenced. I was a little disappointed in the butter. They were butter pats individually wrapped in the gold foil, a la a NJ diner. At these prices it was a major flaw in the dinner and management should be ashamed of itself for this decision.

For my appetizer I ordered the KURABUTA PORK BELLY AND DIVER SCALLOP, described as “Molasses Braised Pork Belly, Brown Butter Seared Scallop, Baby Spinach, Crispy Parsnip and a Spicy Tomato Jam.” It arrived on a long rectangular plate with the scallop and belly occupying the ends, respectively, and were separated by a dollop of spicy roasted tomato gastrique. I decided to work from the lighter side and started with the scallop. It was delicious, perfectly seared on both sides and when lightly dipped in the tomato jam created a wonderful combination. I was less enthralled with the cube of pork belly. The meat was flaccid and flavorless and there was barely a hint of the molasses. Dipping in the sauce made it barely passable, nowhere close to its plate counterpart. It was completely out of character with the preparations I have enjoyed over the years.

The special entree for the evening was a surf and surf, freshly caught red snapper plus seared gulf shrimp, served with purple potato mash and butter beans. The snapper was excellent, beautifully seasoned and prepared, with a touch of crispiness on the exterior while moist and juicy on the interior. They worked perfectly with the potatoes and beans that added a touch of earthiness. The issue with the shrimp was that they were sitting next to the snapper. They were very good, maybe a little under-seasoned, but the snapper was just outstanding.

Others ordered a variety of entrees and one needs a special mention, not for the centerpiece but the accompaniments. The garlic shrimp were served with “Asiago Grits” and a “Local Season Pepper Gastrique.” The grits were outstanding and the sauce was spectacular. The sweet and spicy balance was divine; this was one of the best gastrique I have ever tasted.

I ordered a trio of ice cream for dessert. Be advised that the amount of the trio is probably half in total of a regular order of ice cream. The three flavors were chocolate, apple-cinnamon, and almond. The chocolate was a light chocolate. My favorite was the apple cinnamon which was delightful.

Service was exceptional, spot on and not invasive.

Overall it was a wonderful dinner. Many restaurants back in the US can learn excellent food and service from Oceana.