usvi-on-line
If you take food with you..What do you take?
If you take food with you..What do you take?
We will have six adults with us and that's more than enough to handle taking one or two small suitcases with food in them for our villa. What types of stuff work best and what stuff are we absolutely not allowed to bring with us?
We'd prefer to haul it with us to save a little money and not have to shop for everything when we arrive. Of course we'll eat out some too. Just looking for ideas/suggestions!
Thanks!
We'd prefer to haul it with us to save a little money and not have to shop for everything when we arrive. Of course we'll eat out some too. Just looking for ideas/suggestions!
Thanks!
Food!
We've taken food twice and LOVED IT! There is a definite split on the forum as to whether you should take it or not - I vote yes! We have taken pepper bacon (to help cure those "wow - too much rum" nights), steaks (our buther is to die for!), ground beef (spaghetti!), lobster tails, chicken, butter, water bottles. Anything you can think of! All stays frozen with no issues whatsoever! ENJOY!
Last year we took a bunch of food, because we were not quite sure what we could get on STJ. It turns out you can get just about anything we could want at the various stores on STJ, so we won't be bringing much food this trip. Most of our food was for snacks, not meat for cooking because we eat most dinners out. (I don't like to cook on vacation.)
Here's our list from last year for ideas.
- Gevalia decaf coffee (weren't sure if we could find good decaf coffee on STJ)
- Dry milk, cocoa powder and Splenda packets to use in coffee
- Pre-cooked bacon that is in those packages you don't have to refrigerate. Makes for easy breakfasts without greasy cleanup.
- Pringles and Doritos in the tubes (no need - tons of this on island)
- beef jerky (for snacks after snorkeling or hiking)
- pecans and soy nuts
- Balance bars
- lots of good quality chocolate (hubby is chocoholic), including choc covered nuts. This is totally unnecessary as we saw plenty of chocolate there.
- spices for cooking
- package mixes for salad dressing, taco seasoning and marinades (we'll try Ruth's spice store this year)
Some time in the last 2 years, someone who took lots of food posted a list in her trip report and I saved it. It was really extensive because they cooked most of their meals. I will pm the list to you.
Here's our list from last year for ideas.
- Gevalia decaf coffee (weren't sure if we could find good decaf coffee on STJ)
- Dry milk, cocoa powder and Splenda packets to use in coffee
- Pre-cooked bacon that is in those packages you don't have to refrigerate. Makes for easy breakfasts without greasy cleanup.
- Pringles and Doritos in the tubes (no need - tons of this on island)
- beef jerky (for snacks after snorkeling or hiking)
- pecans and soy nuts
- Balance bars
- lots of good quality chocolate (hubby is chocoholic), including choc covered nuts. This is totally unnecessary as we saw plenty of chocolate there.
- spices for cooking
- package mixes for salad dressing, taco seasoning and marinades (we'll try Ruth's spice store this year)
Some time in the last 2 years, someone who took lots of food posted a list in her trip report and I saved it. It was really extensive because they cooked most of their meals. I will pm the list to you.
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California Girl
One nice thing aboiut taking some food, is that you can have your dinner all there for your first night. We traveled with 13 people one year and it was nice to have a few meals all ready for that many people. The best thing was getting an nice big Honeybaked Ham and bringing it along...had that the first night and leftovers for sandwiches the next few days. Also brought homemade meatballs and sauce, frozen in zip lock bags. We didn't bring TONS of food, but had a few nights of dinner already prepared. If you don't bring anything, at least draw up a grocery list before you go, so you are not doing that when you get there. Depending on your arrival time, you coul d be really tired from traveling all day. And sometimes you don;t feel like going out as soon as you get there, let alone trying to get into a restaurant with a large group and having to wait.,
This upcoming trip is the first time we are bringing the full court food. We've surveyed the markets on island and know what we need to make things special. We are bringing a rolling soft side cooler packed with techni ice and the following:
steaks--I don't eat red meat, but John does--sometimes, and he likes a particular cut (bone-in ribeye) that we have not seen on island.
chicken--we only like the organic kind, and it's not available on St. John.
bacon--again, we like a particular type, not too smoked. We've only seen the Oscar Meyer type on STJ.
Sushi grade tuna--it comes frozen to -40 from whole foods, and so I think it will make the trip OK.
spices--I have always brought these. I use lots of spices in my cooking, and buy in bulk from penzeys. I bring down my spices in small metal containers from the container store, labelled, and then leave them at the last villa we rent. I don't know if they are kept for the next folks or not. I hope so!
olive oil--I always bring this wrapped in bubble wrap because I like a particular brand. FYI you can get colavita at Starfish.
pasta--the only brand I recall seeing is pastene, and that does not cook al dente enough for me.
I really enjoy cooking, even on vacation, so this will work best for us. In addition, my parents are joining us for one week of the trip, and as much as I like to cook, my Mom likes it even more (and she can smoke me under the grilltop--her food is awesome).
Here are some good things you can get on St. John that you might think about bringing with you: big shrimp (starfish market), mahi mahi (fish trap fish counter). The markets are well stocked with all of the staples and extras you would need, it's just the meat and vegetable areas that are somewhat lacking (nothing you can do about the vegetables!)
steaks--I don't eat red meat, but John does--sometimes, and he likes a particular cut (bone-in ribeye) that we have not seen on island.
chicken--we only like the organic kind, and it's not available on St. John.
bacon--again, we like a particular type, not too smoked. We've only seen the Oscar Meyer type on STJ.
Sushi grade tuna--it comes frozen to -40 from whole foods, and so I think it will make the trip OK.
spices--I have always brought these. I use lots of spices in my cooking, and buy in bulk from penzeys. I bring down my spices in small metal containers from the container store, labelled, and then leave them at the last villa we rent. I don't know if they are kept for the next folks or not. I hope so!
olive oil--I always bring this wrapped in bubble wrap because I like a particular brand. FYI you can get colavita at Starfish.
pasta--the only brand I recall seeing is pastene, and that does not cook al dente enough for me.
I really enjoy cooking, even on vacation, so this will work best for us. In addition, my parents are joining us for one week of the trip, and as much as I like to cook, my Mom likes it even more (and she can smoke me under the grilltop--her food is awesome).
Here are some good things you can get on St. John that you might think about bringing with you: big shrimp (starfish market), mahi mahi (fish trap fish counter). The markets are well stocked with all of the staples and extras you would need, it's just the meat and vegetable areas that are somewhat lacking (nothing you can do about the vegetables!)
It's like looking in your soup and finding a whole different alphabet.
When we cook on vacation we keep it simple. We usually cook burgers, sausages, that kind of thing. Can we find brats or other sausages on the island? I'm assuming we can find ground beef, but how about ground turkey? Since it's our first visit I think we'll make do with what we can find on the island, and then we can get more sophisticated if (when!) we go back. I have a feeling that we'll already be carrying way too much!
The hardest part for me will be not having my espresso machine! I'm already planning on bringing my home roast coffee, hand grinder and Aeropress, but it still won't be the same.
The hardest part for me will be not having my espresso machine! I'm already planning on bringing my home roast coffee, hand grinder and Aeropress, but it still won't be the same.
...ron
Time to start working on convincing the wife that we have to go back soon!
Time to start working on convincing the wife that we have to go back soon!
Ron, I second promoguy. Honestly, you can find lots of great stuff to eat/cook. After all, all those people that live on the island have to be eating something! 
The only reason I am doing the whole frozen food thing this time is because I know that I have to wait for the checked bags anyway (John is the unrepentant overpacker), and with my folks coming, it will be nice to have some really good quality meat of the type they are used to (they are meatatarians!).
The only reason I am doing the whole frozen food thing this time is because I know that I have to wait for the checked bags anyway (John is the unrepentant overpacker), and with my folks coming, it will be nice to have some really good quality meat of the type they are used to (they are meatatarians!).It's like looking in your soup and finding a whole different alphabet.
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Splasher54
- Posts: 69
- Joined: Wed Aug 09, 2006 10:12 pm
- Location: Central Mass.
We bring organic beef and hamburg , organic chicken and bacon. This year we brought more dry goods than last year..easy stuff like lasagna noodles (we like a certain brand) Pringles, Olive oil(double bagged in ziplocks), chocolate syrup, granola bars, rice, popcorn, peanut butter, mayo, tuna, bisquick etc. We still shop when we get there and one of things we always have trouble finding is good fruit and vegetables. This year we shopped at Dolphin Market and I was surprised at what a variety they had. We usually eat most of our meals at the villa and it makes it easier if we can shop just a few less times while we're there.