February 3-9 Trip Report - Part 3

lvbookworm

SBH Insider
We have very fond memories from our last trip in 2010 of spending the day on loungers at the beach with lunch at La Case de L'Isle. Since then we promised ourselves that we would go back if we ever returned to the island. Needless to say, it was one of the first reservations we made prior to our trip. After what has now become our daily stop at Petite Columbe for croissants, we arrived at 10:30 and were setup with beach loungers and an umbrella. We were one of four couples enjoying the beach, so we had a very relaxing morning reading and listening to the waves.

When it was time for lunch we wandered up to check in with the hostess. She profusely apologized that the outdoor tables were set aside for hotel guests and politely offered us our choice of two tables inside. We assured her we understood, and felt like she must get a lot of grief from customers since she made such a big deal out of apologizing up front. We sat down at a table next to a large potted palm, and quickly realized that we were in the middle of a swarm of gnats. (We requested to move to the other option.) After we were seated, I looked around at the other tables and noticed that they all had small footstools for the ladies' purses and totes. Perhaps it was the confusion of us changing tables, or perhaps someone determined that my hot-pink canvas Lands' End beach bag wasn't worthy (haha!). Regardless, on the floor it remained.

We ordered a bottle of Pouilly-Fuissé and proceeded to peruse the lunch menu. When the sommelier presented the bottle, I realized it wasn't the wine we ordered. Out of all the years ordering wine in restaurants, it was the first time this has ever happened. She proceeded to insist that it was the same, until I pointed it out in the menu. Back she went and five minutes later returned to say they didn't have the wine we ordered, but assured us the wine she presented was quite similar. It was similarly priced, so we agreed. After tasting it we realized that it was much heavier than the one we wanted, but by this time we just decided to go with the flow and drink it anyway.

For an appetizer we shared the vegetable platter. (Sorry - I can't find my picture of the menu, and I can't remember the official name of the dishes we had.) The presentation was beautiful, but it was too large and more appropriate for four people vs. two. Also, some vegetables such as the asparagus would have been more palatable had it been blanched and chilled prior to serving. It was accompanied with four dipping sauces: an avocado sauce that resembled guacamole; a mayo-based sauce that was a bit bland; a tomato-based sauce that, while flavorful, was too oily to stick to the vegetables; and a fourth we can't recall.

For the main course I ordered Thai noodles with shrimp and vegetables. The sauce was a bit spicy, but other than that it was not well seasoned. I usually look forward to Thai-inspired dishes for the complex flavors, but sadly this didn't fit the bill. Once again, neither my husband nor I can remember what he had to eat. All in all this lunch was disappointing. Perhaps our expectations were too high, but the lackluster food combined with a very high price tag left us wishing we had gone elsewhere. On a separate note, the service (other than the sommelier) was outstanding.

We declined dessert, paid the bill and returned to our loungers on the beach. By that time the umbrella wasn't in a position to provide any more shade, so we decided to call it a day and go back to our villa for a swim.

The swim turned into a nap on the deck, and when we awoke decided we were hungry for pizza. I remembered reading Phil and Amy's reviews for Les Bananiers and, since it was so close to our villa, we decided to give it a try. When we arrived the restaurant was about half full, and I apologized (in what was now my self-conscious version of french) for not having a reservation. The hostess was very gracious and seated us at a table where we could enjoy the cool evening breeze.

As we looked over the menu we each enjoyed wine by the glass (our usual - white for me, red for my husband). I appreciated the fact that the prices were very reasonable, and that there were so many options without having to purchase an entire bottle. After ordering, we noticed that the restaurant was starting to fill up, and I realized that I recognized a face at one of the tables. The patrons were mostly what appeared to be french-speaking locals, so I hesitated but eventually went over to say hello (hoping that it was indeed who I thought it was and, if not, they'd understand my french and forgive the intrusion). Thank you again, Phil and Amy, for allowing me to interrupt your meal with friends.

We enjoyed:
Mixed green salad - the height of simplicity with tangy dressing. It hit the spot.
Pizza Campagnarde (with crème fraîche, lardon, fresh mushrooms, onions and mozzarella) - I can say without hesitation that this was my favorite meal the entire week! My husband was stationed in southern Belgium for three years, and this pizza reminded me of the wonderful tarte flambée we often had during our travels in Alsace. I couldn't finish the whole thing, and am proud to say I enjoyed it the next day...cold...for breakfast. It was just as good!

As usual, my husband couldn't remember what he had. (Hmm...me thinks this is becoming a trend. Perhaps I need to start taking pictures of his meals or confiscating the line-item receipts.)

For dessert - we shared the banana crumble which was a satisfying combination of warm banana with ice cream and a sweet, crunchy topping. My husband had a hard time keeping up with me, and I'm pretty sure our dessert-splitting ratio wasn't exactly 1:1. You know what they say: "If you snooze, you lose!"

It was a perfect way to end a perfect meal...and another perfect day.
 
You have wonderful writing skills. I thoroughly enjoy reading your reports. Keep them coming. We love Les Bananiers also!
 
Love Les Bananiers. We always share the Fermiere pizza, which is similar, but with goat cheese and honey. May can't here fast enough!
 
On my next visit to Bananiers I think I will try that favorite of yours, the Fermiere.
 
We, too, are big fans of Bananiers...glad you had an enjoyable meal there! Looking forward to your next post!
 
The Fermier was my second choice - and one that I will definitely try on our next visit. And - great news - I just found out today that there may be an actual "next visit" this November! :party: All of a sudden I have a whole new set of questions, so I'll start asking on other forums. I'm a little concerned about the weather that time of year, but that hasn't deterred me from starting the initial research.
 
The Fermier was my second choice - and one that I will definitely try on our next visit. And - great news - I just found out today that there may be an actual "next visit" this November! :party: All of a sudden I have a whole new set of questions, so I'll start asking on other forums. I'm a little concerned about the weather that time of year, but that hasn't deterred me from starting the initial research.
For many years we would fly the Mon of T'gving week, & stay till close to rate change date...Then with Irma damage to rental villa, we had to choose another & other dates. Nov/Dec was fun, water nice, just the Christmas winds that made me nervous during the Winair flight & landing/diving. Shops getting in their Christmas goods, windows decorated & the lights...pretty & festive time of years before the season.
 
Love Les Bananiers. We always share the Fermiere pizza, which is similar, but with goat cheese and honey. May can't here fast enough!
PeterLynn that does sound good ! Off our ship for the day 1/31 we headed to Bananiers for pizza & beer lunch. pepperoni & Heineken on tap. My favorite is the 4 cheese. See you in Paradise !
 
For many years we would fly the Mon of T'gving week, & stay till close to rate change date...Then with Irma damage to rental villa, we had to choose another & other dates. Nov/Dec was fun, water nice, just the Christmas winds that made me nervous during the Winair flight & landing/diving. Shops getting in their Christmas goods, windows decorated & the lights...pretty & festive time of years before the season.

Ooohh - I hadn't even considered the possibility of Christmas items in the stores. When do they start decorating and stocking items? Something tells me it's not the same timeline as here where we get bombarded with jingle bells the day after Halloween. We're looking at either 11/9-16, or 11/16-23.
 
Sorry about Cheval Blanc. Sounds like they have some work to do!
Les Bananiners is consistently good and reasonable. Others similar on the island we think are Eddy's, Isoletta, the Creperie, Entracte and the Cantina.
 
We’ve been visiting around the Thanksgiving holiday for years and think it’s a great time to go. No concerns about the weather at all.
 
lv,

We always visit around Thanksgiving. There are a few Christmas items in the stores, but not a lot. The island's Holiday Lighting starts to go up the weekend after Thanksgiving. At one time we could find island-themed Christmas Cards, but we haven't been able to find any for years. They may exist at places where I've stopped searching, but I haven't found any lately.
 
It’s also a time to celebrate Kevin’s birthday . . . and this year, a landmark anniversary for Le Select! The time could hardly be better!
 
It’s also a time to celebrate Kevin’s birthday . . . and this year, a landmark anniversary for Le Select! The time could hardly be better!

It's just a mundane birthday for me, but a significant "0" birthday for Le Select, the 70th year of Marius' bar. I've just tacked an early 3rd week onto my annual Thanksgiving trip, and whatever the plans are for Le Select's 70th, I'll be there.
 
Kevin . . . maybe not a ”landmark” birthday, but just as every SBH trip is a special occasion, every “anniversaire” on our favorite getaway spot offers so many celebratory opportunities. As our friend Phil notes, “so many restaurants, & so little time!” Looking forward to being there with you . . . at least for an always-much enjoyed coupe de champagne ​together.
 
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