Figure 38: Official event to start the reconstruction of the pier
6.10.
Restaurants
Fish still has an important role in local culture. Local restaurants carry local fish and fares. Conch soup, conch stew, fried kingfish, fried fish and others are quite common. Eating fish and buying fish (despite its scarcity) is a quintessential activity in St. Croix. Salted fish is served almost every day, but it is more commonly served on Fridays. Local stores do have salted fish for the local population. We visited La Montaña, a Puerto Rican owned general store (colmado) for an interview, and the number of West Indians buying what we call “verduras y viandas” (yams, sweet potatoes, cassava, vegetables) and salt fish was impressive. The smell of bacalao (or to be true to the fish, abadejo, or pollock) was overwhelming. Restaurants are key markets for fish. One fifth of the local catch is directly sold to restaurants, although the percentage may be higher as some restaurants buy fish directly at landing sites or through retailers. However, most of the fishers we interviewed said that they had their list of clients to whom they sold fish on a weekly basis, and restaurants were the most prominent ones. There are large numbers of local restaurants (Cruzan, Puerto Rican, Dominican, Continental) that buy fish locally; for example, Harvey, Paulina, Villa Morales, and Amigos, among others. At any Dominican “fonda”34 in Christiansted one can find local fish served for lunch or dinner. Harvey’s, a local restaurant that serves fresh fish everyday, cooks fish in a variety of ways. This place is visited by locals, as well as by tourists who venture into the local culture. Conch, mackerel (both local and imported), salted fish (from Canada) are standard fares at this restaurant.
34
Fonda: A small restaurant serving lunch or dinner.
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