USVI-On-Line

There is an article in the most recent Tradewinds that a new Italian restaurant has opened across the street from the Lime Inn:

http://www.stjohntradewindsnews.com//in ... 1&Itemid=1

I'd be curious to read reviews, if anyone gets over there soon. The article says it's dinner only for now.

that looks like the Infusion building to me - do I have that name right, the martini bar. Jeff and Russ reported on that a while back. Guess it took them a while to get up and running.

Molto bene! Thanks liamsaunt....Ive been wondering if it was ever going to open....looks as if it might be an added option for our upcoming Sept. trip.

mbw1024 wrote:
that looks like the Infusion building to me

That building for many, years was "Oscar's Convenient Store" it was a convenient store and guess rooms until an unfortunate fire. Than came a martini bar and now an authentic Italian restaurant.
St. John just seems to becoming more and more a fancy metropolitan island all the time!

We'll be checking it out for sure if they are open when we are down in a couple of weeks. Will report back!

They were open last week. We walked by it several times from Conrad's. They never looked very busy. It looks nice (tableclothes on the tables and everything ), but we never stopped A group of ladies were looking at the menu once and were murmuring about the prices. Gotta to pay for those tableclothes!!

Islandcat

We also passed it several times. Never seemed to busy, but mnaybe it was an off hour. I have to say though that I have a problem with paying that much for pasta. I have the same issue at Pannini Beach, I just can't help but get twisted about paying 25 bucks for something that costs .89 coming out of the box. Chalk it up to my itialian grannies I guerss.

sailorgirl wrote:We also passed it several times. Never seemed to busy, but mnaybe it was an off hour. I have to say though that I have a problem with paying that much for pasta. I have the same issue at Pannini Beach, I just can't help but get twisted about paying 25 bucks for something that costs .89 coming out of the box. Chalk it up to my itialian grannies I guerss.

Hmm, one hopts that a $25 pasta entree has fresh made pasta. It's a good bit of work, but the results are worthwhile. Add in some wild mushrooms, heavy cream, Parmigiano-Reggiano and your' closer to 30% or 40% food cost...

Cheers, RickG

Rick G wrote:
Hmm, one hopts that a $25 pasta entree has fresh made pasta. It's a good bit of work, but the results are worthwhile. Add in some wild mushrooms, heavy cream, Parmigiano-Reggiano and your' closer to 30% or 40% food cost...

Cheers, RickG

I got a look at the kitchen, no fresh pasta making going on there You're right it is a good bit of work, having done it many many times myself, but it was definitely not fresh pasta they ere serving at Pannini Beach that night.

Sorry, but I guess it's just my "thing". To me pasta is soul food,and IMHO it just shouldn't cost that much.

As an aside, I read a letter to the editor from the owners of Panini that they are not renewing their lease and will be closing $25 a plate pasto or no, we always had a great time at this spot and we will miss it.

It is a pretty spot, I'll give u that

The article did quote the owner as saying that he hopes to serve homemade pasta....maybe Leoni will use the profits from the $25.00 pasta entrees to buy a pasta making machine.
I am looking forward to having an authentic italian ristorante on St. John....$25.00 pasta entrees are the norm at some places in NY.
Perhaps this is no ordinary pasta...it may be imported from Italy....capiche?

I bet since he has a italian chef (straight from Italy) that he will have homemade pasta.....I would think he will get people who want authentic italian food to pay......I will say I paid less to go to Cafe Roma and that was authentic to me........

I think there could be a market for upscale authentic Italian on St. John. As far as the prices go, I guess it just depends on what you are used to paying. To me, a pasta dish for $20ish is acceptable. Not for just a plate of spaghetti with marinara sauce, but if it had seafood or other high quality ingredients, and if the pasta was cooked properly... I would not buy pasta marinara in a restaurant—I make it all the time at home.

Just out of curiosity, I compared prices for pasta at three upscale Boston Italian restaurants I’ve been to—Prezza, where all pastas are $28, at Mama Maria, they range from $25-32, and at Sorellina, where they range $22-29. Would I eat at places like this often? Heck no (not in the least because I don’t feel like getting dressed up!), but for a special occasion, and for me vacation counts as a special occasion, I would pay.

At my three favorite mid-range casual Italian places (Antico Forno, Pomodoro Boston, and Daily Catch North End), the pastas are pretty much in the $15-20 range. Again, that’s for things like linguini with (fresh) clams, or with jumbo shrimp, or squid ink pasta, or salt cod and artichokes…something different and interesting.

I would like to see a menu though…we’ve never been to Café Roma because so much of their stuff is “red sauce.” I love red sauce pastas at home, but it has never sounded appealing to me while on St. John.