In the Caribbean, More Resort Restaurants Go Local

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When guests enter their suites at the CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa in Rendezvous Bay, Anguilla, they’re greeted by a small bowl of perfectly ripe cherry tomatoes. It’s a curious amenity for a place where swan-shaped towel sculptures, hibiscus strewn beds, and complimentary bottles of rum are the welcome gifts of choice. But the tomatoes, grown on the property’s hydroponic farm, act as tiny ambassadors for CuisinArt’s attempt to change guests’ perceptions of resort dining.

Speak to any chef who has spent time cooking in the islands and you’ll inevitably hear the words “hotel food.” It is easy to blame the ‘60s tourism boom for the prominence of bland continental cuisine in the Caribbean: These were islands deeply steeped in their own unique food cultures before multinational hotel groups landed on their shores.

Somehow, even with an enviable array of seafood, produce, herbs, and spices, the hotels, resorts, and restaurants catering to tourists opted to source ingredients from the states and populate their menus with, for lack of a better term, hotel food. According to Caribbean food historian Candice Goucher, as of 2010, the Caribbean is the seventh-largest export market for U.S. foods. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations reports that Caribbean nations currently import $4 billion worth of food annually, a number that’s growing. Goucher points out a heartbreaking example, citing the Courtleigh Hotel in Kingston, Jamaica, which phased traditional saltfish and ackee off of its breakfast menu in favor of eggs and bacon.

 But for some chefs, the idea of maintaining those traditions has become a passion project and priority. At St. Lucia’s Ladera Resort, chef Nigel Mitchel of Dasheene, considered one of the islands’ most well-loved restaurants, has cultivated relationships with nearby farmers for more than 18 years, making a concerted effort to keep both his food and his staff local. By utilizing native ingredients, his menu is packed with only-in-St. Lucia plates, like yam gratin with coconut rum sauce, green banana and saltfish salad, and a palate-cleansing soursop sorbet. Using native ingredients insures the restaurant’s longevity by cutting the cost of importing ingredients — and inviting guests to experience dishes that can only be found in this particular island.

More and more, chefs are following Mitchel’s lead, returning to the region’s culinary roots. They’re tapping into the Caribbean’s bountiful supplies of seafood, produce, and herbs and spices, instead of placing massive orders for goods from the mainland. These chefs are working in and out of the kitchen, cultivating gardens and menus that aim to give visitors a real sense of place, at the same time creating a sustainable system that benefits both the islands’ resources and guests alike.

Source: http://www.eater.com/2016/11/22/13682244/caribbean-resort-restaurants 

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