USVI-On-Line

I'll start by apologizing for not having any photos. I am big on pics for reviews, but this was a splurge and I really wanted to just savor the meal and not worry about documenting anything. It was all about relaxing, taking in the stars, the company, the food, and the conversation. All aspects were perfect.

We booked Ted for our most recent visit to St. John during our stay at South Shore Villa. It wound up being convenient as he lives just down the hill (more on that later).

We've never had a chef come to cook for us while on St. John before. It was one of the best decisions we have made and wound up booking him for a second night prior to him leaving the first evening. It far exceeded our expectations and due to our special travel companion, we felt it was worth eating in a few more nights and having Ted come again. There might have been a third supper for us, had he not been completely booked every other night (hint: book early).

The convenience of being able to thoroughly enjoy a few drinks, and not having a parking headache is really just a secondary perk of this service. The food was amazing. Ted caters to what you want. It can be casual or formal. We chose the casual route. We sat at the bar in the kitchen (the kitchen at South shore villa is quite nice!), for the appetizers. He set the table outside for the mains and dessert. I enjoyed watching him prepare the food and he entertained my novice cooking questions.

We are very laid back and I didn't feel at all awkward in taking a mid-meal siesta on the deck lounge at the villa between the main and desert. He really makes you feel comfortable and at home. Ted didn't seem to judge me at all for over-stuffing my belly and requiring a quick nap between courses. Or, for seating our pup on our lap and sharing with her. Heck, it was her vacation too. And after 11 years of unconditional love (OK, If we are being completely honest, sometimes it was conditional but luckily for her she is cute) she deserved something special too.

Our Meal: We started with tuna dumplings in a ginger dipping sauce. Salad was served with a cast iron baked bread (pesto, fresh tomato, and parmesan) that we used for soaking up sauces and dressings. We should have written things down, but it is all a bit blurred at the moment. I think the mains included steak, shellfish, lobster, chicken, mahi, etc. Sides included, haricots verts, asparagus, mushrooms, fingerlings, assorted squashes, tomatoes, and the most delicious citrus fennel salad I've ever tasted. The point isn't necessarily what we chose, as you create the meal with him prior to his visit. For both nights, we each chose something different and shared with each other. The first night our desert was a rich chocolate lava cake, the second night it was a key lime tart of some kind.

We were inspired by Ted and at home we added an heirloom cast iron pan to our collection from a relative. Since then, we have used it several times for steaks, chicken, and fish.

It just so happens that Ted was in the finishing stages of a rental villa just down the road. We made trip down to see it a few days later, and let's just say he is a VERY modest man (it was far more beautiful than he had described). The villa was spectacular and as you can imagine, the kitchen is the heart of it. I have never seen such a gorgeous kitchen on island. You really have to see it, and hopefully his site will be up soon, because it would be impossible for me to put into words what a special place it is. Some special items that stood out to us were the sunset colored, diagonally set, mexican tiles, the hand made kitchen (I mean, ABOVE and beyond!), the comfy couch and large TV. Amazing outdoor eating space with views of Fish Bay and a huge, long, handmade table with plenty of seating. Handmade (carved) doors, closet system, and master bed. I believe it will be fully air conditioned (central air). There are also incredible gardens and palm trees he started years ago from seed.

You can just tell when someone has put their heart and soul into something. For Ted, it seems he shared the wealth and put his stamp on both his mastery of ingredients as well as his thoughtful planning of the perfect vacation rental for two.

If you are a couple and need one bedroom I would hold out on renting a villa until you have a chance to check it out online. If we travel alone next trip, and his villa is available, we plan on staying there.

Having Ted make dinner for us is still on my bucket list. Your meals sound delightful, and his rental villa sounds intriguing; please let the forum know when it comes on the market. Thanks for sharing!

http://www.tedssupperclub.com

The meal Ted cooked us for our 25th anniversary in Oct. was the best meal we had in STJ . I laughed at the comment I fell asleep between courses as my husband fell asleep 30.min. after Ted left our villa . We were so full but couldn't stop eating cause it was THAT GOOD !!!! The next day we ate the leftovers & they were delish .
Do you have any idea when Ted's villa will be ready to rent ?

Sounds like a villa built for Liamsaunt!

Do you mind sharing how much it cost to have Ted come and prepare your meals? Did you tip?

I have dreamed about doing this but afraid it may be more than I can afford. There will be 8 (4couples) of us there in June. Wish I could talk them into it !

In Oct. the cost was $230.00 for the 2 of us .

Hi needmesomesun! I am curious about something. Was it just the two of you? It seems like you were able to have a wide array of choices. We had Ted cook for our group of 6 in 2012 and we were asked to choose 2 entrees and 2 desserts. Cost including tip ( he had a lovely young girl serving ) was $150pp. We all enjoyed it but I have had better meals on STJ and frankly, I could have made most of the things he made.

OP - that sounds like a lovely evening. That is great that you were able to pick different dishes.

Doing a chef is something we looked into every trip but didn't find one with that sort of flexibility. Our groups ranged from 7 to 9 and we could not agree on common selections so we always ended up going out instead.

To answer some questions, yes it was just the two of us.

I didn't want to get into cost, as I believe it varies based on several factors. If you have a large party, you are going to need a server and that might increase your cost. I don't know by how much, or if it is just a gratuity. We didn't need a server, so I can't help you there. Honestly, he is just the nicest guy, just give him a call if you have questions about cost. We bumped into him walking his dog Bailey in the Fish Bay area and I remember commenting to my husband on how his zen spilled over to his dog. I can't say I've ever seen such a calm dog. Anyway, my point is, don't feel weird about calling him if it is something you are just considering.

Also, depending on your location on island he might have a really long travel time and this might increase your cost (but I think this is only for places that are extremely far out there). You really need to call him and work it out with him, but If you ordered all the things we did in a restaurant, I believe it was more than fair and would have been the same. Think about what it would cost in town at a nice establishment to order four appetizers (you always get the dumplings), two salads, (not to mention a specially cooked huge bread with enough leftovers for two days), two mains, and two desserts. We've never even considered ordering that in town, so I can't even guess

As far as our selections, we had the same options as Donna. But we had him come two nights, so that doubled everything. If it seems like we had more vegetables, it might be because my husband is really picky when it comes to this, and I'm not, so he was welcome to serve me whatever he had (asparagus and mushrooms are two things my husband won't eat, so he didn't get those and instead got something else within his vegetable comfort zone. We emailed him a list prior to our visit). Also my mains listed above were wrong as I now remember one of us had a chop (I can't remember if it was veal, lamb, or pork) one night, so clearly I have thrown something extra in there. I think the first night it was steak and mahi, and the second it was a chop and something else. There was so much food, I really have no idea.

I think this is the usual:

tuna dumplings
appetizer
bread
salad
main
veggies/starch
dessert

If you check out his website, he has sample menus and you can gather how it works:

http://tedssupperclub.com/tedsfood.html

So, multiply all that by two nights, and the fact that we both had a different main to share (as well as me giving him creative freedom on my veggies), yes it sounds like a lot, and it was. The shellfish mentioned was probably part of the appetizers, not the main (so perhaps that is where the confusion was). I could hardly breath I ate so much on both nights. I will say that this food was the best I have had on island in a very long time. But we all have different palates, right?

Ted is incredible. He cooked for our family of 6 adults and it was a highlight of our trip! We have already booked him for two nights when we return in June!