February 26, 2015, Dinner at Maya's

[amyb]

It is always fun to get to Maya's and to be welcomed back by the ever smiling and energetic Dora.

A mixed salad with lettuces, endive, sliced apples, walnuts and soft goat cheese in a vinaigrette dressing was a beautiful and tasty starter.



The fresh wahoo cerviche/sashimi was sliced thin and the dressing was a zesty citron and olive oil



Delicious crisp and cold spears of asparagus with Parmesan shavings and the tastiest little cherry tomatoes was another great starter


The fresh yellowfin tuna tataki was sensational. It was dressed with sesame seeds and lightly seared and served with soya sauce, haricort verte, sticky white rice and pureed squash



The grilled shrimp brochette came with an olive oil and red pepper sauce if desired.


Another satisfying dinner at the water's edge. The place was packed and the staff handled it all with style and grace.

 

[GramChop]

Another SCORE for Mayas! Everything looks SO yummy. Meals like this in that particular environment make for a wonderful night's sleep! Thanks for reminding me of what's to come.

 

[cec1]

Food, view, ambiance, staff, & service . . . an ever enduring combination for a successful evening.

 

[stbartshopper]

Beautiful plates and we are great fans of Dora!

 

[LMAC]

Roger Best, from Toronto, does not post but he asked us to share his experience.

"It was beyond awful. It was so bad I am still talking about it two weeks later. To add insult to
injury it cost 250 Euros for two of us."

 

[GramChop]

Roger Best, from Toronto, does not post but he asked us to share his experience.

"It was beyond awful. It was so bad I am still talking about it two weeks later. To add insult to
injury it cost 250 Euros for two of us."

Oh my. That's not good. So sorry that Roger had this experience.

 

[andynap]

Roger Best, from Toronto, does not post but he asked us to share his experience.

"It was beyond awful. It was so bad I am still talking about it two weeks later. To add insult to
injury it cost 250 Euros for two of us."

I know Roger and for him to say that takes a lot.

 

[da dude]

The Glitz and The Glamour

It has been 31 years since we first wrote our names on the pad outside of Maya's when Randy would greet you and be pleased to see any diners at he and Maya's new restaurant Unfortunately the restaurant has become enamored with the rich and famous and we have not returned in 10 years. We have not missed going to our beloved SBH for our 2 weeks in March since 1984. Maya's is no longer a part of our visits. Bravo Roger!

 

[julianne]

Welcome to the forum, dude. Thanks for weighing-in on Maya's. Many different opinions here anout that restaurant. We happen to like it and we are not rich and famous. Went a couple of weeks ago with our daughter (who discovered it for us in the 1980s) and reminisced with Randy and Maya about the times when hardly anyone knew about it and one had to leave handwritten reservations at the door. They were friendly and gracious. Randy visited every table and there was a mix of locals, visitors, children, etc. Food was fresh and delicious. It is expensive but no more so than many other places. The setting is lovely--who could not enjoy being serenaded by the gentle sound of the surf. I'm sorry Roger and Maggie didn't have a good experience. I hope Randy monitors the forum and takes note of their reaction and yours.

Since you have been visiting the island for many years, it would be great if you could share a list of your favorite restaurants. Merci!

 

[rivertrash]

I am troubled. Before speaking out about it, I have, as my dad counseled, "slept on it" and I'm still troubled. Maya's is one of those hot-button topics that pops up once in awhile and draws lots of opinions, both positive and negative. I have been on both sides of the argument. Hopefully, when I have stated an opinion it is supported by facts and not just conclusions. What troubles me about this edition of the Maya's discussion is that it starts with the bare assertion that "it was beyond awful." What was beyond awful? "It was so bad." What was bad? Maya's, which is far from my favorite restaurant, is being smeared with criticisms that cannot be answered, and for that reason, I am troubled.

 

[andynap]

Dick I think the problem with Rogers comment was it wasn't specific enough but since he used a proxy to post that's understandable. I'll see if I can get more info.

 

[amyb]

Thanks for helping clear things up, Dick. Puzzling attack. Looking forward to more info on the story.

 

[pascaleschmidt]

I am never one to listen to opinions of others... I go experience on my own and then decide....

 

[amyb]

I like your spirit, Pascale

 

[GramChop]

I am never one to listen to opinions of others... I go experience on my own and then decide....

Moi, aussi. While I want everyone to share the wonderful experiences I have had, I am saddened when they don't. Mainly because most "bad' experiences should be addressed and could possibly be rectified on the spot!

 

[MIke R]

I am never one to listen to opinions of others... I go experience on my own and then decide....

I agree with that 100%....we are going to Jost next month and I haven't been since I lived in St Croix 35 years ago and I haven't spent one minute in a blog or site reading what others think of restos there or anything else on the island for that matter..we are perfectly capable of figuring it for ourselves once we get there rather then relying on the opinion of one who we wouldnt know if they were right next to us on a grocery store line...but as always...YMMV

i guess my experience with Maya s can be summed up best with a Charles Dickens line..it was the best of times it was the worst of times

I go all the way back to the very beginning with them....enjoyed many a fine meal in a great atmosphere...good food...good prices...great location...perfect...I too remember the days of signing the pad outside for a rez...not having children we were twice a year island visitors then and went to Mayas every time

We went one night and it was different...the food was boring..bland....lacked flavors...portions paltry... and the service was -indiiferent....and the bill was much higher then usual for a typical dinner there.....

so OK...everyone can have an off night and although i usually don't give a joint a second chance that isn't a neighborhood joint I frequent regularly......we decided to anyway...so the next year we went back...

only it was worse....bland boring unimaginitive food....and even higher prices...and still paltry portions....only this time it appeared that there were clearly tables getting preferential treatment over others in terms of service....our service was again indifferent.....hard to not take that personally when you ve been with them since the very start....so I asked to speak to Maya on my way out ( Randy was not there )....I was told she is "too busy to see me"......hey no worries..we re out the door never to return and life goes on for us all....you make your choices and live with your consequences....we understand our unwillingness to want to be BFF with islanders, who already have their fill of tourist BFFs, may work against us in situations like that...but que sera?..sera..

so we haven't been back since and probably will never be....

whats sad is it wouldn't have taken much to "fix" this...but then looking at it now they have clearly changed their business model from what it was and we wouldn't have liked the new atmosphere very much anyway ....so it really worked out for everyone....

when I read my resort blog and the rare time I read someone unhappy with one of my shops...I immediately reach out privately to try and make it right for them....thats the way I run my business....but I get that everyone who puts his or her money down certainly has the right to run their business in whatever manner they wish....

onward and upward

 

[didier]

a very well thought out response mike. I respect your opinion as I do others on this site. I have not had a bad experience at maya's, its always been beyond my expectations. However, I do not go often as it is expensive, There are so many fine restaurants on the island with exceptional food and reasonable prices. L'entracte for one is always a pleasure. We went there with Jeanette & Dennis when they were here last month, a first time for them and they said they would be back. We always love going to Eddy's too. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but we enjoy it, they have new items on the menu this year.

I see a lot of reviews on here with lots of pics, they all look yummy and I am sure the restaurants were great. Most of the pics are from restaurants that are expensive. Except for andy's & Le Carre, the other more affordable restaurants with great food are for the most part left out.

Are there ever any food photo's from Eddy's, L'entracte, Le Repaire, La Cantina, Le Creperie, L'Isoletta, there is a long list, but all that I see posted seem to be the same places all the time.

 

[andynap]

Are there ever any food photo's from Eddy's, L'entracte, Le Repaire, La Cantina, Le Creperie, L'Isoletta, there is a long list, but all that I see posted seem to be the same places all the time.

I post photos whenever we go to some of those places. Haven't been this year so no current photos.

 

[tim]

I think I've seen photos from Eddy's and Le Repaire, but my memory isn't that great. How would you like to cover the others; your photos are quite good. Cantina and Creperie are a couple of our favorites, and I'm sorry we missed them this year.

 

[da dude]

Deja Vu all over again

Senior Insider: Bravo! C'est vraiment! Merci.