Bo's Plaice

Back when the GH was dragging himself around the island with a black eye and many stitches to keep his chin attached to his jawbone, we came upon this beautiful patio in Speightstown and had a wonderful cup of coffee here, watching the waves roll in and feeling glad to be alive.

Back then, it was the Cassareep Cafe. When we went back this time, we found it operating under new management and a new name—Bo's Plaice.

The first meal I had here seemed just so-so. The breadfruit chips I ordered with my marlin steak seemed a bit dry; the marlin steak itself was similarly lacking in moisture. But the service was good, and the patio exuded an air of rundown elegance that, to me, is what Speightstown is all about.

A couple of nights later, we came here again. This time, I ordered some flying fish and plaintains—all very juicy—and came away a very happy customer indeed. Unfortunately, I had already written my review on Trip Advisor (incidentally, the official TA photo for the restaurant is the one you see above, submitted by yours truly!) and droned boringly on about my marlin on the dry side.

So, here is my chance to make amends to the chef of Bo's Plaice. You're great! Everyone should eat your food! I'm coming back again next year!

Neville A. Edwards' A1 Appetiser

Our grand favourite hot sauce is that made by Neville A. Edwards, of Long Gap, Spooner's Hill, St Michael.

It is "made from the finest selected Peppers, Onions and Radishes. Also Salt, Mustard and 5 per cent Alcohol." I think it is the combination of mustard and alcohol that gives Bajan hot sauce its incomparably flavourful piquancy.

We have a long list of hot-sauce dependents. People from as far away as Singapore, Arizona, New York and Unionville, Ontario, depend on us for their hot sauce supply. My mum likes to have it with her Bak Kut Teh. So I guess this means we are duty-bound to return to Barbados every year for as long as we live.

We had a bit of a scare this year when we went along to our usual supermarket in Holetown and couldn't find a single bottle of Neville A. Edwards on the shelves. It was definitely a face-blanching moment. Luckily, we found the next day that Jordan's of Speightstown was well stocked in the stuff, so we came away with eight bottles.

A few days later, we went to the Holetown supermarket again, just to have a look. Sure enough, the A1 Appetiser had been restored to its rightful place on the shelves, so all was well in the universe again.

It must have been a hiccup in their supply chain. Either that or someone very like myself had just hit the place ahead of me.

Hot Sauce, Hot Sauce, Hot Sauce!!!

I can't believe it. I have been writing this blog (admittedly intermittently) for three years, and I have not posted on hot sauce.

I first tasted Bajan hot sauce when my friend The Curmudgeon brought some over to dinner—oh, about twenty years ago now. Coming as I do from Southeast Asia, with its fiery sambals and curries, tom yums and laksas, I thought "Yeah, whatever." But as soon as I tasted some, well, I literally ran around my kitchen whooping for joy.

This picture was taken surreptitiously in a Holetown supermarket. As you can see, Barbadians take their hot sauce (sometimes called pepper sauce) SERIOUSLY. Over the years, we have found that an excellent way to break the ice with Bajans (who can be a little shy) is to ask them which brand they like the best. We have tried several kinds—Delish (meh), Aunt May (meh to good), Country Boy (pretty good), S-Bend (pretty damn good).

The Curmudgeon's Mum (bless her heart) likes Windmill. We always buy her a bottle, but have never tried it ourselves. We're sure it's great.

And then there is the off-label, home-made kind that some restaurants commission from their own private suppliers. I'm sure you could write an entire book about those.

But our favourite brand of hot sauce deserves a post of its own ...

Tropical Winds Hotel

So the Sam Lord's Castle bus actually goes a little beyond Sam Lord's Castle, but we asked to be let off at the Castle and fetched up at the Tropical Winds Apartment Hotel.

It was a welcome sight to a hot and hungry tourist. But even though the hotel was very clean and attractively appointed, we seemed to be the only people there apart from the staff.

The restaurant was completely empty. If it had been anywhere in Southeast Asia (Mersing, say), this would have been a thoroughly lugubrious experience. But our waiter's cheeriness more than made up for the lonely situation, and we had a very respectable dolphin sandwich.

The waiter thought our plan of walking all the way to Bottom Bay seemed ambitious, but we assured him that we were good walkers. So we are, but as it turned out, we would have been better off staying on the bus to the very end of the route.

What of Sam Lord's Castle itself? It is closed, after a spell as a hotel in the Marriott chain.

Hot Legendary Fish Cakes at Oistins

These are kind of nice. Doughy, spicy, and fishy. They make a tasty appetizer before your main plate of fish.

The Oistins Fish Fry

The Oistins Fish Fry takes place every Friday night and is well worth visiting if you are at all fond of fish! We are told that a quieter version of it occurs on Saturday nights too, but Friday night is the happening night.

Situated right next to the Oistins Fish Market, the Fish Fry is a collection of stalls and tables, rather like a Singaporean hawker centre but all--yay!--devoted to fish.

A plate of fish and side dishes (grilled vegetables, macaroni pie, rice and peas, mashed potatoes, etc.) costs about BBD 35.00. You can have your pick of grilled dolphin (mahi-mahi, not the mammal), marlin, swordfish, flying fish, and seafood kebabs. Some stalls are better than others, but we haven't yet figured out which one we like best.

I'm usually somewhat conscientious about eating seafood in an ethical way, but I figure by the time I've racked up the carbon emissions to fly to Barbados, I may as well indulge. (Plus, we get around ever so virtuously by bus!) I haven't looked into it, but my impression is that Bajan fishing practices are pretty low-impact. It's all local seafood, too!

Valentine's Day in Barbados

So this is what the GH looked like on Valentine's Day, 2010.

That's okay. When I thought of all that could have happened--a concussion, an abraded cornea, lost teeth, or even a broken neck--I was happy just to have my Good Hubby by me, even if he did look a little more colourful and puffy than usual.

The main inconvenience was that, to avoid disturbing the many stitches inside his mouth, we had to switch to a diet of mushy food for the rest of our visit.

What? No more dolphin (mahi-mahi), marlin, flying fish, or swordfish steaks? It was a cause for genuine dismay.

Luckily, we had already made our annual pilgrimage to the Oistins Fish Fry, just the night before.

The Soup Bowl Cafe

The Soup Bowl Cafe functions as an informal bus terminus for Bathsheba. After arriving from Speightstown and Bridgetown, buses sit across from the Soup Bowl Cafe for about ten minutes before beginning their inbound journeys.

The cafe is so named for its proximity to a famous surfing cove known as the Soup Bowl. I knew this--nevertheless we headed in here one afternoon in hopes of having a nice chunky fish stew or something like it for lunch. You can't say the phrase "soup bowl cafe" to a food-minded person like me and expect me to think of gnarly waves.

Unfortunately, it didn't seem that there was any food to be had in the cafe at all. It is, however, a nice enough place to sit and sip a cold beer or a can of pop. Not that we're surfing types at all, but I believe you can rent a surfboard from here (or the place next door).

According to The New York Times, the Soup Bowl is set to become one of the world's great surfing destinations. I hope not. I like Bathsheba as it is--sleepy and somewhat underpopulated.

Dina's

This is hands down my favourite place to eat in Bathsheba. We had a couple of fantastic fish dinners here, including one featuring steaks from a swordfish that Dina casually remarked had been caught just hours before.

Dina herself is quite a delightful host. She doesn't open every night, she told us, because she is a professional dominoes player and she sometimes has important games in another parish. However, if you call ahead and let her know you're planning to visit, she'll make sure the restaurant's doors stay open.

To phone ahead: (246) 252 5453 or email adinahg[at]yahoo.com

Seaside Bar

For a small place, Bathsheba has several pretty good eating spots. The Seaside Bar isn't exactly haute cuisine (and you certainly won't encounter fawning waiters here), but it's a good place to get a picnic lunch if you're planning to hike up the coast towards Barclays Park.

The usual Bajan goodies are on offer here: flying fish, fried chicken, macaroni pie, and so on.

Our picnic lunch from here last year was so hefty that I see I made a note to myself to split one portion between us next time.

Sea-U Guesthouse

The Sea-U Guesthouse in Bathsheba is a great place to stay if you can get a room. It's actually about a five-minute walk uphill from the rest of the town, but its elevated position affords great views of the ocean and a stiff, constant breeze.

Breakfast is provided, as is dinner, if you add your name to a list before 11 am. The food is very good (though I usually require more fibre at breakfast)--one night we had an eggplant appetizer, flying fish and macaroni pie.

There are two cats on the premises. They are both very sweet and not at all shy about begging. One has a perpetual grimace on its face, as if to say, "Come on ... but why not?" From the dining area, which overlooks a thick tangle of mangroves, you can see them picking their way over vines and gnarled, adventitious roots. I'm glad our cat Eddie doesn't come with us on holiday or he would think his indoor life very ignominious.

We also had daily visits from a pair of sparrow-like birds called grassquits. The female was quite bold--she would hop her way into our room while her husband watched anxiously from the doorway.

The long verandah with its Muskoka chairs (or Adirondack, depending on where you're from) and the common dining arrangement makes this a rather social place to stay. This is good or bad, depending on what you think of the other guests. Luckily, we liked most of the people we met and came away feeling we had made a few friends.

Andromeda Botanical Gardens

Just before the bus from Speightstown descends into Bathsheba, it stops at the lovely Andromeda Botanical Gardens.

Like everything else in Barbados, the gardens are small but full of charming surprises. Here's a picture I took of a frangipani tree that happened to be in blossom--but out of leaf--at the time of my visit.

There are brochures that guide the visitor on walks through the gardens, and a cafe where you can stop for a light meal.

The bus back to Speightstown leaves Bathsheba on the even hours, so watch for it to pass by Andromeda Botanical Gardens at about five minutes past.

If you are a good walker, it's possible to make the rest of the journey to Bathsheba on foot. It's not a busy road and Bajan drivers are good at looking out for pedestrians, but remember to walk facing oncoming traffic.

And while you're chomping down ...

This is the view from the dining area of the Fisherman's Pub in Speightstown.

The Fisherman's Pub, Speightstown

The Fisherman's Pub in Speightstown is a great place to have an affordable, authentically Bajan meal.

It's hard to miss if you head towards the beach from the bus terminal and then turn left to walk south along the shore.

Here's the drill: You join the line in the front of the restaurant. If it's a long line, you can while away the time by watching a cricket match on the wall-mounted TV.

When you get to the glass-covered counter, behind which are trays and trays of traditional Bajan dishes, you point to what you want and a server will dish it onto a plate.

It can be hard making yourself heard through the glass but in general the folks at Fisherman's Pub are more than happy to explain what each dish is.

Definitely point to the flying fish.

When your plate is ready, you bring it to the bar and someone will decide what you should pay for it.