Food & Fun on the Fairway!
As the kick-off event for the St. Croix Food & Wine Experience, Cuisine on the Green is a fun, outdoor afternoon which combines gourmet food with a golf tournament at Carambola Golf Resort’s scenic Robert Trent Jones golf course. While many golfers participate in the tournament, there are quite a few non-golfers (or ‘tasters’) that attend as well. As a taster, you get to enjoy zipping around the beautiful Carambola golf course on a golf cart and stopping at the tees where some of St. Croix’s favorite restaurants provide samples of their best offerings!
Each participating restaurant sets up a covered area where they prepare and serve their dishes, as well as a complimentary wine, beer, or cocktail. The participating chefs are happy to talk to the attendees about the dishes they have prepared, and they get to enjoy lots of positive feedback and kudos from the crowd. The servers at each station are friendly as well as informative about the dishes and beverages being served. The year I attended, celebrity chefs Sam Choy and Billy DeSimone participated in the event. Both chefs were extremely friendly and approachable, and both seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the event themselves. Chef Choy even participated as a golfer!
2014 Cuisine on the Green competitors and their delectable offerings:
- Renaissance St. Croix Carambola Beach Resort & Spa offered a refreshing Pina Colada Diver Scallop Ceviche Shooter topped with a Jalapeno Herb Oil and served with sweet Eppa White Sangria
- The Waves at Cane Bay offered a crowd pleasing Seared Ahi BLT Crostini with an optional Wasabi Drizzle, Limoncello Cheesecake with Minted Strawberries, and a sampling of Kendall Jackson Chardonnay
- The Buccaneer was my personal favorite of the day, offering a Pan Seared Scallop with Yellow Curry Sauce, Spicy Grapefruit Salad and Micro Arugula and Cilantro Salad paired with a ‘Cheftini’ (a refreshing martini made with Bombay Sapphire Gin, St. Germain Elderflower Liquor, and cucumber simple syrup…shaken, not stirred!)
- Beach Side Cafe at Sand Castle on the Beach offered up charcoal grilled Caribbean Sliders on soft Coconut Rolls with a fresh Mango Chutney and paired with Coors Lite (or bottled water) in true barbeque fashion!
- No Bones Cafe did a spicy and sweet theme with a Fresh Wahoo Poke with Spicy Tobiko served alongside an amazing Pomegranate Grapefruit Martini
- Greenside Grill took local to another level with their Fried Soft Shell Crab Johnny Cake Slider with Fresh Micro Greens, Smoked Tomato and a Sweet Chili Aioli served alongside Eppa Red Sangria
- Eat @ Cane Bay served up one of the sweeter restaurant offerings of the day with their Pineapple Ginger Bread Pudding served with La Marca Prosecco
- Darna Grill provided Falafel Wraps, Shawarma Beef Gyros and Salads served with Carnivor Big Red Blend
- Last, but definitely not least, Dulce Cupcakery offered amazing Mojito Cupcakes paired with Enjoy Citrus Mint Soda.
Another fun tidbit is that this event includes the ‘Taster’s Choice’ award of the Food & Wine Experience week. Once attendees return to the clubhouse, completely sated I might add, you get to vote for your favorite offering of the day. In short, it is a wonderful day of food and fun which raises money for an amazing local organization, the St. Croix Foundation. If you are considering participating in this year’s St. Croix Food & Wine Experience, I highly recommend you consider attending Cuisine on the Green! For the most up to date information on the St. Croix Food & Wine Experience events, or to purchase your tickets online, please visit our Event Page.
– Jennie Ogden, Editor
St. Croix Foundation
The St. Croix Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation which fosters economic and social development on St. Croix and throughout the US Virgin Islands. The Foundation recognizes that the problems facing our territory require more than mere grant making,...
