Mason Jar Dining/Parking Lot Sex

tim

Moderator
It was seven o'clock last evening when I drove into Gustavia and quickly realized I was in the middle of a huge crowd. Sure I'd seen the typical wedding cake-shaped mega-yachts docked stern to the quay, but I didn't think THE SEASON had suddenly started on Saturday, December 3rd. That was my immediate topic of conversation as I sat down to dinner with friends who told me the crowds were due to the evening's Firemen's Ball which attracted hundreds of residents. Indeed our restaurant was filling with locals, and some were even seated at tables out front in the street before we left.

A quick scan of the menu showed me a dish, "Poisson vapeur avec legumes," that sounded good, and I so ordered. My friends were told their pizzas would take thirty minutes which was fine. Their pizzas arrived on schedule shortly after which the waiter approached the table with what appeared to be a mason jar on a fancy plate and a smile on his face in reaction to my puzzled look. Closer inspection of the jar revealed the proud signature of the Mason family, and an opening of their ingenious metal clasp revealed their standard red gasket and my delicious hot meal of "Poisson vapeur avec legumes." Since most readers know me to be supremely cuisinely challenged, I must ask if there was a culinary purpose for this vessel, or was it just another affectation of the quirky owner who annually morphs his restaurant upward but still includes a full sized lighted blue coconut tree among its emblems?

When Mickey's big hand next approached seven, I was bicycling through the parking lot at Saline when I passed a parked Samurai with an unusual motion. After making my standard 180 to exit the parking lot, I couldn't help seeing through the open door of the rocking jeep a nude couple energetically making love.

Tim's first reaction (loaded with guilt) - Gee, I hope I didn't interrupt their rhythm.

Second reaction (with less guilt) - Looks like they'd at least close the door if they wanted some privacy.

Third reaction (with much clearer objectivity) - If the door was open in broad daylight with joggers and others about, perhaps being seen was part of the plan.

If theatrics was what the couple had in mind, I'm happy to have played my rolling role in their proverbial hay roll, but I didn't linger and rolled onward.

My next role was as the punch line of a joke for two falling down drunks in the village of Columbier. I had just turned down a drive seeking the almost invisible path that leads from the village straight down the mountain to Flamands when I encountered these two and asked if that was the path to Flamands. Drunk #1, already crawling on his hands and knees in the dirt, said no. Drunk #2, barely standing and staggering wildly, said yes it was the path I was seeking. With that assurance I proceeded down the hill to quickly discover a dead end. Climbing back up to the location of the two drunks, drunk #2 started laughing so hard that he quickly joined drunk #1 on the ground. Although declining a drink from the bottle offered in an up-stretched arm, I lingered a while to laugh with them and did eventually get directions for the path. Une autre question, why is it that falling down drunks so rarely spill the liquor in their bottles?

Only in St. Barth
 
I thought your "chickens herding dogs" story was rich with mental imagery. One really can observe life from a different perspective on two wheels.
Thanks for you in-depth reporting :)
 
I assume you are referring to L'Entracte with the fish and bean in a jar meal..and although I've never heard of it ( was there any liquid in the jar?),,,the quirkyness of the owner and his brother the cook comes as no surprise to me and is what makes us so fond of them...mainstream is sooooooo boring.......LOL....as to the Saline experience....let me just say that contrary to catholic beliefs of only making love to procreate and only in missionary position...some people go for that kind of quirlky fetish.....at least thats what I've heard :)))))))....and good for them.....mainstream is boring....great report...get ready Tim...theyre all coming soon!!!!!

have a great Sunday.....too cold and windy and snowy to ski so we re staying in pajamas and putting on a big pot of soup today , putting up the Christmas tree, and watching football
 
The title Mason Jar Dining was interesting but you had me at 'parking lot sex'!

Amazing the goings on within 8 sq miles. I can ride 50+ around the house and my main excitement is getting chased by dogs.....

Ride safe, GP
 
When I saw the title I immediately thought of an old Guy Clark song, Out In The Parking Lot:

Oops there's a couple
who could not wait to get home
They're probably in love
so let's leave them alone
Out in the parking lot
 
MikeR,

Your comment about their coming soon may be right on. I just returned from March
 
Kevin,

I'm still pondering whether the energetic couple I saw this morning wished to be left alone or wanted an audience. Maybe I should have asked....
 
GP,

Most of my rides are similarly uneventful if one discounts the gorgeous scenery I generally encounter, but I do have an advantage of rarely being bothered by dogs. I pedalled for almost four hours this morning so it was nice to have some diversions along the way.
 
Very nice report Tim. Nice visuals too. Anyway, on the question of the fish jar, my guess is that it was a take on steamed fish and veggies in parchment paper which is classically French. Then it could have been taken to the next level and using the parchment concept, put it in a jar instead and then put into temp controled boiling water the same way one would sous-vide.. That is purely a guess. Creating a visual pleasure is part of the challenge and it seems the attempt was made here.
 
In Season

Here is the REAL reason I dont go In Season:

Because I can't.

Hand me Da Money such that I could quit my Day Gig and poor Tim would run into me on Grand Fond about 200 days a year. Unless that happens, work here to vacation there.
 
Re: In Season

Here is the REAL reason I dont go In Season:

Because I can't.

Hand me Da Money such that I could quit my Day Gig and poor Tim would run into me on Grand Fond about 200 days a year. Unless that happens, work here to vacation there.

try "liviing" in a high season resort environment 6 months out of the year and then tell me what you think.....and no I dont want sympathy...the pleasure is surely worth the pain or we wouldnt be doing it... we just had a pre season ski season, the likes of which most people in their lifetimes will never get to expereince....so everything has a tradeoff in one form or another... but all that aside...you can have the crowds...you can have the traffic...you can have it all with my sincerest blessings....after alll....think about this...if the majority of vacationers had our tastes and preferences, there would be no low season to enjoy... viva la minority....LOL
 
Mike -

L' Entre'acte was still undergoing its pre-season sprucing up for much of my visit, and I never made it there. They did open up during the last few days that I was on the island. A quick driveby didn't show any obvious changes - a lot of white and a blue coconut tree were what I saw.

I too am interested in what Tim's impressions are.
 
so tell us about L'Entracte????.....the decor??..the menu????

MikeR,

Excellent food and jammed full last night of local folks to the point of overflowing the tables out on the main street. The owner still doesn't allow any of the wait staff to take food orders and takes them personally. I can't recall major items that have changed in the decor from last year, but it looks better, cleaner, more upscale. Menus aren't my thing, but I would have definitely recalled if previous meals had been served in a mason jar. My Poisson Vapeur was 18 euros, beer 4, 2 glasses of wine at 6, and a desert at 7 euros gave me a grand total of 41 euros. Seems like that's a bit higher than I recall but definitely worth it. The pizza oven is still a significant fixture, and with a thirty minute wait for pies, one that continues to be popular. Since the place has only been reopened for a couple of weeks, they impressively have gone from closed to slammed in remarkably short time.
 
I expected to hear nothing less ....tres bien......next time you see Jean Louis..please send him a Joyeaux Noel from Mike and Wendi
 
Miker - Might you know why L'Entracte does not serve it's famous Pizza at lunch? We went there at noon time with a serious hankering for Pizza and they told us "sorry, no Pizza till dinner". What's up with that?
 
Miker - Might you know why L'Entracte does not serve it's famous Pizza at lunch? We went there at noon time with a serious hankering for Pizza and they told us "sorry, no Pizza till dinner". What's up with that?

Pizzas require their own oven which is hotter than heck and can really heat up the cooking area (because it is open at both ends). Also, some places have one guy doing nothing but pizzas. As such, it doesn't pay to fire up the hot pizza oven during the heat of the day and have an extra fellow come in during lunch if they can fill their tables otherwise.
 
If you want pizza in Gustavia at lunch then give La Saladerie a try. They are located on the other side of the harbor from L'Entracte, and have very good pizza. And of course, there's always Andy's Hideaway...
 
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