0 By. KIA GRIFFITH FOR VI CONSORTIUM
ST. CROIX — During opening week, Caroline’s St. Croix got outstanding reviews and recommendations concerning the food, wine, décor, and overall dining experience. Classic breakfast and brunch options are served daily from 7:00 am to 2:00 pm. The restaurant is located in Christiansted town next to Breakers Roar Tiki Bar or two doors down from the King Christian Hotel entrance.
According to assistant manager of Caroline’s Amaris Chew, the staff at Caroline’s is open to cater to tourists, businessmen, government officials, and locals near and far for breakfast in historic Christiansted.
Where are you headed for brunch this weekend?
“What a perfect experience it is to have brunch at Caroline’s and then jump on the boat to Hotel on the Cay,” suggested Wine and Spirits Consultant of CC1 Virgin Islands John Driscoll during an interview with VIC. Mr. Driscoll attended last Saturday’s first soft opening and looks forward to trying a savory crepe on his next visit. He shared that Caroline’s has “a great selection of crepes. The Gallete would pair with almost every Rosé on their menu.”
Eager to experience the food and coffee at Caroline’s, I had breakfast with a friend on Wednesday, the official opening day. I enjoyed the chef’s special breakfast sandwich, a hash brown, and a side fruit salad with two super sweet slices of Carambola (locally known as Star Fruit). My warm chocolate macchiato made with coffee from VI Coffee Roasters was this chocolate lover’s dream.
So far, the Denver Omelet appears to be a hit! Mr. Driscoll had a Denver during his first visit. My friend had it during our breakfast, and across the way sat Kim Hughes who had a customized variation. He shared that it was exactly what he wanted and gave the service at this tropical retro chic restaurant a resounding 9 out of 10, meaning that “it was pretty darn good,” he said.
Reflecting on the ambiance, Mr. Hughes said, “I like how there’s lots of room indoors. It’s air conditioned. I would bring family, friends or have a business meeting here.”
Early Thursday afternoon, the president and broker of Calabash Real Estate, Honnie Edwards, was doing just that. She appeared to be appreciating her hearty serving of the Traditional Cobb Salad while on an island-style outdoor business meeting. Ms. Edwards slipped me her business card as she summed up her experience as “absolutely wonderful!”
“It’s lovely out here. We went inside, and it’s lovely in there too,” expressed Denise Langevin as she finished off her Gallete crepe during her brunch with two other ladies on a clear skied Thursday afternoon.
Let’s not forget the cocktails! Jahmani Johnson, the mixologist who aided in the curation of the cocktail list expressed his thought process behind the curation of the cocktail menu. He referred to Coco Chanel’s quote: ‘Simplicity is the keynote of elegance,’ and explained, “We wanted to keep everything as simple as possible. The complexity comes in with the prep work.”
Mr. Johnson then detailed the behind-the-scenes makings of the King’s Wharf, a five-component cocktail consisting of Expresso, Jameson, house made chicory liqueur, pure maple syrup and burnt orange foam, dusted with cinnamon. The foam alone is an intricate multi-step process. How ideal that this mixologist’s forte is experimenting with ways to speed up processes while, he said, “it’s important to respect those who came before us as far as cocktails go.”
To tease your eyes and palate, check out their Facebook and Instagram pages. Better yet, visit Caroline’s for breakfast or brunch on this Super Bowl weekend. The restaurant suggests making reservations only for parties of six or more. If unable to dine-in, curbside pickup for takeout orders at the loop behind the historic Christiansted Scale House is conveniently available.
