USVI-On-Line

Hi all,

Fulfilling a dream to come back to St. John's after being a day visitor in 2001. Bringing my life partner with me--he's a San Francisco native who I am delighted to finally share the caribbean with.

We booked a villa (Unicorn) and have our 4wd (we both have owned stick shifts, and in SF I think we have some hills...)

Thanks to all who have already been so helpful--we are obsessive pre trip planners so having these practical tips makes a huge difference.

Rick and Pia, you'll know me as "notyourusualtourist" on the TripAdvisor forums.

Okay--cutting to the chase:

What do you all do for basic spices when in St. John? Do you need to buy salt and pepper? Beyond that? We have a few of our favorites (Tony Chachere's for example) that we thought we might take in small containers, but we weren't sure what to expect in a villa.

I've seen St. John's spice online in Cruz Bay, but some tips from the regulars would be helpful!

I'm particularly considerign the shipping option I read about on the other thread. It seems worth it just to not have to do checked baggage for lotions and stuff! Us Airways is charging $15 for the first bag anyway, seems like it might just be easier to ship.

Thoughts? We'll be there starting March 7th, so send me an email if you want.

Melinda and Frank

The villa is probably have salt and pepper. I make sure that I have Cruz Bay Grill Rub from STJ Spice and use it for everything I cook on island; eggs, chicken, steak, whatever. It is an all purpose spice.

It depends on how much you are going to cook on island for me it is my time to be creative so I cook most nights eat out lunches unless it is a villa gravity day. I pick up cruz bay at STJ plus cumin there I take dill weed down with me and go from there. With the new starfish gouremt you can get anything you would need.

I'm guessing that Liamsaunt will weigh in here. She is a seriously wicked cook....see evidence on the Off Topic forum thread called "Food Porn". She once posted a photo of her travel spice kit. Very cool, maybe she will repost it for you.

Everywhere we've stayed has had at least salt and pepper....even Gallows Point and Lavender Hill. Many private villas are pretty well stocked but if you have a favorite spice I'd bring it.

Welcome to this side of the Internet!

I tend to bring spices in individual ziplock bags, packed in a single gallon ziplock bag. Villa agencies have different policies from leave it all there to clean out every single item. What seems to work best is bringing the stuff you really need and working from there.

My best find in a villa was an 8 oz bottle of wonderful smoked Spanish Paprika with a big $$ price tag on the side. It was great on the BBQ!

We shipped a box for the very first time in November. Someone else picked up for us, but it really wasn't worth the effort for me. I can buy all of my consumables at Chelsea Drugs. Ladies that have cosmetic addictions seem to feel differently.

Cheers, RickG

First of all, you are going to love your time in STJ.

As for spices, I'm quite certain that Unicorn will have all of the basics but, if you have specific preferences, bring them. And, as X suggested, stop by St. John Spice for some really great spices and sauces.

Now, about Unicorn. We stayed there for years and years, before they did the remodel. Then, we watched the remodel and toured it. The new owners have put a lot of energy into upgrading it! It's a lovely villa. The kitchen is open to a dining area so you very well might find yourselves cooking in a fair amount. The views are amazing.

One minor thing, due to the fact that it is so open, you will probably benefit from some good bug spray. This is not a bad thing, just a part of life on the island.

Enjoy!!

Otters wrote:We have a few of our favorites (Tony Chachere's for example)

Haven't tried Ruth's spices but this isn't a bad start!

Welcome to the forum!

thanks for all the tips! And the Tony Chachere's porn....

seriously if anyone here hasn't tried TCs, check it out. I got a recipe from a Texan friend of mine for "Big A$$ Burgers", which is essentially, take 1/2 pound of 85% lean ground beef, and coat it in TC's, liberally, almost like a crust. Then grill. The spice tastes AMAZING. Great on fish and chicken as well.

I think we'll go to the villa first, see what's there, then make a list and come back into town, a good excuse for a libation!

T minus 9 days and counting!

Tony Chachere's is good on fried eggs as well, scrambled, not so much

Anything on the grill, A+

When we rented through Caribbean Villas the kitchen was bare except for about 1/4 of a bag of sugar. When we rented through Vacation Vistas and Island Getaways the kitchens had stuff in them. So definitely check on everything (including the liquor) before you hit the grocery.

nothintolose

p.s. I am with Wakey on using Tony's on eggs; I like them on scrambled too though. Tony's is great on just about everything if you ask me, but eggs are a definite.

i suggest bringing any v.i.p. spices with you. once you get on stj, go to the villa first to see what's there then head out to buy what ever else it is that you need.

we've stayed in places that have have nothing and also places that have had several salt & pepper options, olive oil, vinegar, cinnamon, nutmeg... you get the picture.

hope you have a fantabulous time!

Hi Otters,

Welcome to the forum!

If you know that you are going to use specific spices in your cooking, I would bring them with you. Why spend all the $$$ to buy full sized spices at the grocery? You won't use it all, and the cost will really add up.

I bring my spices down in small metal containers that I got at the container store. They were around $1/each, and I have two sizes--one holds about 1 tbsp. and the larger size holds maybe 3 tbsp. That's more than enough, even for a long trip. I pack them into a foodsaver bag so that there's no chance of them spilling into luggage. You can fit about 15 of these tins into a quart sized foodsaver bag. It does not take up much room in your luggage, and it's really convenient.

Rick G's ziploc idea is great also. I would still pack the bagged spices into a foodsaver bag or similar, in case of spills.

We cook pretty simply at the villa, so we've never bothered to bring anything with us. A bag of Cruz Bay Grill Rub from St. John Spice is a must-have. It would be tough to know what to bring, since we don't bring food with us, and you never know what's going to look good (or not) at the market, so we don't know for sure what we'll be cooking. It might be a bit of an adventure going through customs with a bunch of baggies containing dried herbaceous substances in your luggage.

One tip I've seen mentioned here before is, if you buy any spices or condiments on-island and you're leaving them at the villa, mark them with the date of purchase. It's nice to find a jar of dried oregano at your villa, but you don't know how many Caribbean summers it's sat through.