Last Night Buffet
- Thread starter didier
- Start date
stbartshopper
Senior Insider
We love sitting seaside with the kitties wandering the tables; hearing happy sounds and enjoying good food there.
My first night -- last night -- always is at Maya's. There were half a dozen tables (about 20 people) . . . not crowded, but a comfortable, quiet buzz. Mostly American . . . 1/3 French. I enjoyed a pasta starter (soothing after a day of travel), great fresh "vivaneau" (red snapper) in broth, with black pearl rice and sauteed snap peas and thinly slide carrots, and Maya's incomparable orange and flour-less chocolate cakes. A vodka gimlet (shaken & "up"), with some red wine. What's not to like?
Perfect description of our favorite restaurant.
KevinS
Senior Insider
I've never worried about the Red Snapper/Vivaneau served in St Barth for ciguatera, which I'm very aware of. Some of the Vivaneau is local, some comes up from the waters between Martinique and Venezuela. I do lean more towards Tuna, Mahi, and Wahoo though.
GMP62
Senior Insider
Perfection Dennis!!
I’ve been attending Maya’s closing night dinners for 30+ years, & I’ll say that last night was perhaps “tops” among them. One reason was that it was so “orderly,” by which I mean that every seat in the house filled over a 90 minute period . . . without a big “crush” at any time. As a result, diners filtered to the buffet in a similarly-paced pattern . . . with no long wait to be served. It also meant that the kitchen was able to smoothly meet the continuing demand, with serving dishes being immediately replaced with new options each time something ran low.
On some past occasions, the scene was crowded with many guests coming without reservations . . . everyone chaotically showing-up at once & wanting to eat at the same time.
Food offerings ran the gamut of Maya’s favorite items — fisherman’s soup, tomato & mango, calamari, bun bun, shrimp, pasta, and tomato & basil salads, purées of Christophine & carrots, sautéed green beans, rice (Black Pearl & Basmati), mahi mahi, wahoo, blanquette de veau, roasted chicken, skewers of chicken satay . . . and others that I missed as I decided “to save room” for dessert. More classics — orange, coconut, & flourless chocolate cakes, with six flavors of sorbet (dessert was served to each table, though the buffet was available for second helpings). On the way out the door, everyone was offered a slice of orange cake to take home.
Early in the evening (7:30 - 8), the winds were very strong, so plastic shades were lowered for a while. Then they were lifted for the evening “floor show” of lightening that very brightly filled the sky, with occasional blasts of thunder, for at least 90 minutes . . . illuminating small boats & a few yachts, rocking in the churned waters of the Harbor.
Finally, I would add that the crowd seemed to be unusually elegant last night. Some women in stunning dress (Dolce e Gabbana, perhaps) & jewelry . . . everyone — men, women, children . . . shorts, long pants, linen, cotton, synthetics, t-shirts, long sleeves, loafers, flip flops — smiling and laughing. A cross-section of “locals,” visitors from France, and a soupçon of Americans. Even the occasional small, fluffy white dog, excitedly running amongst tables, clearly had a good time! As usually, hostess Dora was stunning in a (beautiful) form-fitting, beaded black dress. Randy & Maya we’re everywhere — managing, greeting, offering appreciation to guests for coming & their patronage, talking about holidays, and accepting kudos for a successful return to the fine dining scene after the ruin of Irma. Not a mosquito in the house!
We (a table of six) left about 10 . . . and the party wasn’t over — with coffee & other beverages, many continued to savor a memorable evening of grand food, company, conversation, setting, & Nature “doing its thing!”
On some past occasions, the scene was crowded with many guests coming without reservations . . . everyone chaotically showing-up at once & wanting to eat at the same time.
Food offerings ran the gamut of Maya’s favorite items — fisherman’s soup, tomato & mango, calamari, bun bun, shrimp, pasta, and tomato & basil salads, purées of Christophine & carrots, sautéed green beans, rice (Black Pearl & Basmati), mahi mahi, wahoo, blanquette de veau, roasted chicken, skewers of chicken satay . . . and others that I missed as I decided “to save room” for dessert. More classics — orange, coconut, & flourless chocolate cakes, with six flavors of sorbet (dessert was served to each table, though the buffet was available for second helpings). On the way out the door, everyone was offered a slice of orange cake to take home.
Early in the evening (7:30 - 8), the winds were very strong, so plastic shades were lowered for a while. Then they were lifted for the evening “floor show” of lightening that very brightly filled the sky, with occasional blasts of thunder, for at least 90 minutes . . . illuminating small boats & a few yachts, rocking in the churned waters of the Harbor.
Finally, I would add that the crowd seemed to be unusually elegant last night. Some women in stunning dress (Dolce e Gabbana, perhaps) & jewelry . . . everyone — men, women, children . . . shorts, long pants, linen, cotton, synthetics, t-shirts, long sleeves, loafers, flip flops — smiling and laughing. A cross-section of “locals,” visitors from France, and a soupçon of Americans. Even the occasional small, fluffy white dog, excitedly running amongst tables, clearly had a good time! As usually, hostess Dora was stunning in a (beautiful) form-fitting, beaded black dress. Randy & Maya we’re everywhere — managing, greeting, offering appreciation to guests for coming & their patronage, talking about holidays, and accepting kudos for a successful return to the fine dining scene after the ruin of Irma. Not a mosquito in the house!
We (a table of six) left about 10 . . . and the party wasn’t over — with coffee & other beverages, many continued to savor a memorable evening of grand food, company, conversation, setting, & Nature “doing its thing!”
stbartshopper
Senior Insider
What issues if any have been reported health wise over the years from consuming any fish on the island? We are not aware of any problems?
GMP62
Senior Insider
Thank you, Dennis, for a lovely description of a fine evening for everyone in attendance. Your excellent details of the food, the people and staff, the weather and lightening show with boats bobbing in the waves made me feel as if I’d been there myself! Love Maya’s!
:blush-smile:
:blush-smile:
GMP62
Senior Insider
Oh, me too, Amy!! Dennis is such an eloquent writer...he’s like the Hemingway of our Forum!!
