Anguilla

HOW DO YOU SAY IT? The same way your southern grandmother would: (SXM). From there, it’s a 20-minute cab ride to Marigot Port in French St. Martin. Catch the ferry or A IInviting, cheery, low-key. In many ways, Anguilla is still the same place it was when I visited for the first time in 2004. Certainly, it’s a more popular destination than before, in part thanks to The Bachelor fame; resorts like the Viceroy and Cap Juluca, where A listers converge, also helped to put the island on the map. There are the requisite new developments, 18hole golf, and lazing on the beach, but shoppers and party hounds would probably do better elsewhere. However, if you are the type who “will travel for food”—get thee to Anguilla. When there, expect to have an epiphany of some sort. For me, it was rejoining the ranks of fish and poultry eaters after a 12-year stint as a vegetarian. There was no way I could leave without “been there, ate that” bragging rights; as a city girl, I couldn’t pass up the chance to sample fare that went from ocean to table in 60 seconds. Back in ’04, I made the rounds to E’s Oven, Straw Hat, and Santorini. But this time around I wanted to take a deeper dive and really get familiar with Anguilla. After all, the best way to get to know a country is through its food. Not unlike Eating Take a guided tour through the Caribbean’s epicurean epicenter. the history of African American food, Anguillan cuisine tells An-gwilla. Rhymes a charter boat to a story of perseverance and new beginnings. with vanilla. Locals Blowing Point. will gently correct When leaving To quote historian Colville Petty, “Life in Anguilla was very fancier-sounding Anguilla on your harsh for a long time.” The British government considered pronunciations like return trip, note the evacuating the island in the 1840s because of drought and Ahn-gee-yah. final Departure Tax.famine, and an unsteady economy persisted throughout the 20th century. Survival meant making do with whatever was GETTING THERE Have cash on hand on hand—especially in the kitchen. Rice was paired with Anguilla is not a for these travel grow-anywhere pigeon peas to become the national dish of “package deal” incidentals as charge rice and peas. Another national staple, fish and fungi, was type of island. Its cards are not taken. created by matching abundant local seafood with humble exclusivity makes it (USD or the Eastern cornmeal mush. a little harder to get Caribbean Dollar). there. The easiest No electricity, running water, or paved roads existed in way? Fly into St. Anguilla until the 1970s. The first trickle of monied tourists Maarten’s Princess started in the mid-’80s, and since then, the country has Juliana Airport become a playground for the well traveled.

BY CHRYSTAL PARKERA nguilla through the Caribbean’s epicurean epicenter. Scilly Cay’s Crawfish

Viceroy Anguilla

Where luxury resorts are found, talented chefs will follow. Anguilla’s homegrown chefs might have done stints abroad, but they hurried back to help the country stake its claim as a culinary superstar. The island’s food offerings are still true to its roots—but the basics have been remixed into traditional dishes that sparkle: Carib-Euro-Asian fusion, plus a new world of tastes from expats who now call the island home.

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TASTY’S Chef Dale Carty shakes hands with everyone who sits down for a meal at his restaurant Tasty’s. His cooking style is “West Indian cuisine with international flair.” Carty’s spin on Anguilla’s national dish of fish and fungi is snapper and polenta. Tasty’s draws a mix of local regulars (like the owners of nearby Blanchards Restaurant), in-the-know tourists, and hard-to-please critics. He is one of the nation’s culinary stars who started at the country’s first resort before going on to train in France, and then came back home to open his own venue. The conch salad is a popular lunch choice; at dinner, the kitchen pushes out order after order of coconut-crusted parrot fish in a spicy banana rum sauce. tastysrestaurant.com

OLIVER’S Go before or at sunset to take in the unobstructed view of Long Bay Beach. The ever popular seafood compote is a must-try—a stew made with the day’s catch in a rich lobster sauce served over two polenta cakes. Something else worth its weight in gold is the rice and peas—my dinner partners are still raving about it. The server responded to the praise with a “what did you expect” shrug of the shoulders. “Arroz con gandules is one of the national dishes.” He begrudgingly shared that coconut milk is involved, but I am convinced you just have to have Anguillan DNA to make it just right.

Geraud’s GETTING AROUND The hotel concierge can arrange for cab service anywhere you’d like to go, but keep in mind even short trips will quickly put a dent in your cash supply. Advice from a NYC couple who has been visiting annually for the last 10 years: rent a car. Cabs abound, but for vacationers who like to go off-grounds to explore, this is the smartest choice. You’ll have to buy an Anguillan driver’s license.

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