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SMOOTH GROOVES TRAVEL: Culinary Tourism In The Caribbean?
It Works At St. Lucia's First Food & Rum Fest
*Imagine yourself on a lush, volcanic isle in the sun, tasting flights of rums from across the Caribbean and noting their various flavor notes and levels of smoothness and finish.
Imagine that-as leaves fall, winds blow, and snow begins to sweep across parts of the U.S.--that in between your rum reveries, the most talented chefs from across the Caribbean Diaspora are preparing five-star, five-course meals expressly for your delectation at fine dining establishments at the most luxe resorts.
Then imagine that you are doing this over the course of five days and nights against a backdrop of sunshine, breathtaking ocean views, warm people, and live concerts, and you have the experience of the first annual St. Lucia Food & Rum Festival.
Chef Orlando Satchell during his cooking demonstration at Ladera's restaurant, Dasheene (for more photos, click the picture in the upper right hand corner)
The festival, which took place on October 26th through 29th in the Rodney Bay resort area, was the brainchild of island hotelier Allen Chastanet, whose Coco Palm Hotel and Ti Banane restaurant in Rodney Bay Village (www.coco-resorts.com) was the locale for many of the festival's events. Close by were the event's rum pavilion, cooking demonstration tent, and nightly concerts. With a mind to drawing attention to St. Lucia as a world-class culinary destination, the festival's organizers also looked to spotlight the diversity of hotels, resorts and particularly restaurants on the island. St. Lucia is already home to a May jazz festival billed as "the best party in the Caribbean," but now the island further polishes its image beyond a sea-and-sand destination with this novel event that appeals to the palate and helps promote island culture and industry.
Registrants could sip fine rums and other Caribbean-distilled spirits at the international rum pavilion, or attend cooking demonstrations and workshops. At the pavilion, which served as an entertaining expo center for the sponsors, I particularly enjoyed Barbados' 300-year-old Mount Gay brand's Mount Gay Extra Old and St. Lucia Distiller's own Element 8 light and dark rums as well as its powerful yet smooth Chairman's Reserve brand. Also representing at the rum pavilion were Trinidad & Tobago's Angostura label, Barbados' RL Seale, a number of Suriname Alcoholic Beverages, St. Vincent Distillers, and even the DIH brand from Guyana.
One of the more interesting demonstrations was one where no cooking was done. On Saturday afternoon Chef Duane Dove, a former sommelier who now owns and operates a cocoa estate in Tobago, fascinated and delighted a packed house at the Coco Palm's Kafe Kaiso with his explanation of how cocoa is grown, harvested, and made into chocolate. His demonstration included an explanation of the difference between the more common milk chocolate and the gourmet artisan chocolates created by small batch makers in Europe, and the delightful ways in which rums of various ages and makes can be paired with the sophisticated sweets. He then offered attendees a sampling of several dark and complex chocolates paired with shots of different rums, explaining how the two flavors--one enhanced by sugar and the other distilled from sugar--are a gustatory match made in heaven. (More information available at www.rumchocolate.com.)
Ian Williams, author of Rum: A Social And Sociable History Of The Real Spirit Of 1776, called the drink "the global spirit with its warm, beating heart in the Caribbean" during a presentation at the pavilion. He suggested that there should be even more cooperation between rum producers, governments and the tourist industry to promote Caribbean rum internationally, with the festival being a good start.
Highlights of the festival were the daily gourmet meals offered at various locales by five-star chefs, most of whom incorporated rum into their dishes or accompanying cocktails. A total of twelve different chefs participated in the event, hailing from the U.S., the U.K., Trinidad, Jamaica, but mostly the isle of St. Lucia. These culinary masters worked their wonders at such locales as the Ku De Ta, the Coal Pot, the Edge, and the Buzz restaurants, and at four different hotels.
On Friday afternoon, after a delightful boat cruise to my favorite mountainside resort, Ladera, on the south side of the island between the Piton mountains, we were treated to lunch prepared by St. Lucian chef Orlando Satchell in the resort's award-winning Dashene restaurant. The personable kitchen showman's offerings included blackened shrimp with lime lobster salsa to start, a unique chilled avocado cappuccino soup touched with the island's Javalatté liqeur, and a heavenly fillet of beef with callaloo (a kind of Carib greens) and sweet potato mash.
On Saturday evening I got to sample U.K. chef Andy Rose's exquisite Cuban-styled dinner at the Sandals Grande St. Lucian (which boasts a suite named after William Jefferson Clinton), which included red snapper ceviche with coconut & lime, a version of the classic "ropa vieja" dish with pulled duck and jalapeño crème fraiche, and a mouth-watering Langousta Thermidor, consisting of a baked spiny lobster topped with a rich Parmesan sauce.
A Sunday brunch at Ti Banane, the Coco Palm's hip open-air gathering place and bar adjacent to the pool, was one of the festival's final events drawing together attendees from across the islands, the U.K., Canada, and the U.S. Samplings included roti, beef stew, dumplings, fruits, and salads, accompanied by the sounds of a live reggae band.
The festival also incorporated nightly entertainment spanning jazz, reggae, and calypso--the perfect lineup for a Caribbean locale. Jamaican-born jazz pianist Monty Alexander performed on the Rodney Bay stage on Thursday's opening night, while Grammy-nominated reggae ambassadors Third World offered up a stellar performance of hits--including "Now That We've Found Love" and "Sense Of Purpose"--that was in no way marred by the intermittent rain showers that had revelers running for cover. Montserrat's SoCa king Arrow and his polished revue made things "Hot Hot Hot" for Saturday evening, proving that Buster Poindexter was wise to re-record the dynamo's enduring worldwide hit.
Visitors to the Food & Rum Festival could pay a full festival package fee with entrance to all events, or pick and choose from various meals, lectures, boat cruises and concerts a la carte. Sponsors for the festival included Air Jamaica and BET, which have long sponsored events in the Caribbean, as well as the St. Lucia Tourist Board, St. Lucia Bank, and the many rum makers, among others.
Chastanet, the executive director of the Coco Resorts and a founder the event, promises that there will be some changes to the 2007 festival in terms of the entertainment and how the demonstrations will be staged, but that the already successful operation will only be improved in future. A cheerleader for more sustainable tourism on the island, Chastenet's three catchphrases for enhancing St. Lucia's appeal are "boutique," "gourmet," and "premium." More information about the fest is available at www.foodandrumfestival.com.
I was fortunate to stay at the Sandals Halcyon Beach all-inclusive resort, the smallest of three Sandals locations near the Rodney Bay Village (the others are the Sandals Grande and the Sandals Regency). This cozy and picturesque beachside property offers quaint bungalows and unlimited meals, drinks, and activities. In particular, it specializes in entertaining honeymoon couples (www.sandals.com).
There was no way on earth I could sample every gourmet meal, culinary demonstration, or restaurant offering, but that fact simply demonstrates the festival's broad array of activities and choices, all designed to delight the senses. While the warmth, beauty, and diverse accommodations in St. Lucia have already made it one of my favorite destinations, I was further impressed during the fest with the commitment by all involved to showing off the very crème de la crème of what the island has to offer in terms of hospitality, service, and culinary excellence. The Food & Rum Festival is a superb way for the visitor to experience the island's various treats and leave you craving heaping second helpings.
Janine Coveney is head writer for Launch Radio Networks in Los Angeles.
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