in my GLASS
Gorgeous spot for a splendid lunch
A tasty dish and a spectacular view
Castries, Saint Lucia, is a great destination for a little culinary exploration.
I
BY » Trevor Burton | PHOTOGRAPHY BY » Trevor Burton
n the Caribbean, with just a little digging, you can come up with some, off-the-beaten-path locations that are off the normal tourist routes and that serve up some exquisite and local cuisine. Not rum bars and tee shirts but bistro-like havens from all that. That’s what we came up with on our last visit to Saint Lucia, the Pink Plantation. The Pink Plantation is a little way out of the capital, Castries. Getting there is its own adventure. You head up a very steep, very narrow, very curvy road. You have to be extra careful on the tight bends, a truck might be headed right at you. Actually, the steep road is part of the Pink Plantation’s attraction. The restaurant is situated high above the town and the bay and boasts a spectacular view. After an “interesting” ride you arrive at a narrow gate and go onto the property. Vehicular pandemonium turns to lush tranquility. Welcoming is just one of the attributes you enjoy at the Pink Plantation. Because of COVID 22 LimitlessMagOnline.com | April 2022
restrictions, we arrived way before our lunch reservation. This turned into a great opportunity. One of the restaurant owners suggested that we take a tour of the property’s vast gardens and introduced us to the gardener, Chris. A home run. Chris used to be a guide in the island’s rain forests and knew a thing or two about plants. In fact, we found out that he had planted a fair amount of the garden, himself. We had an exclusive and informed half hour wandering around this awesome place. Then we went from welcoming to accommodating. The restaurant opened its kitchen early, just for us. That turned out to have several side benefits. Because we were early, we were the only diners in the restaurant. As well as really attentive service, we were treated to what I thought was the prime table. Wow, what a view. We looked out beyond the lush foliage down onto the town of Castries and its bay. Out in the distance, through the haze, we could see the island of Martinique. And, as if by magic, there was a short rain storm. After the
rainstorm, all of the foliage glistened in the sunshine. Spectacular. Add to that, the fact that we were in for a great lunch. In the Caribbean I inevitably head in the direction of the fish-of-the-day. It’s generally local and freshly caught. The selection that day at Pink Plantation was a serving of grilled Mahi-Mahi along with rice and a salad. There’s no local wine in the Caribbean, its more likely to be local rums. I opted for a glass of Sauvignon Blanc and followed that with a Cabernet Sauvignon, both from California. My wife sipped on orange juice, I went with fermented grape juice. This was a captivating moment. An absolutely stunning view, a well prepared dish and a glass of wine to go along with them. As we were well into our lunch, other guests started wandering in. I’m sure they were in for a great experience but it’s hard to believe that it could ever match ours. We’ve spent a good bit of time in Saint Lucia. It’s a spectacular place. I’m sure we’ll be back and I’m sure that the Pink Plantation is high on our destination list.
