THE STORY OF UNCLE SAM

When we think of a sunny day at the beach we immediately associate Maracas Beach with the world famous Uncle Sam Bake & Shark. This much anticipated local, culinary delight is sought after by thousands of beach goers who journey along the scenic north coast on any given day to relax and have a day of fun in the sun.

The world famous recipe was created over fifty years ago by one Adelta Pierre, mother of Michael Pierre, now known as the ever popular Uncle Sam. Mrs. Pierre had seven children, and in order to feed them, she would approach the fishermen who came in with their daily catch and collect all the sharks they were about to throw back into the sea. This she would give to her children after cleaning and cooking them. She began experimenting with different ways of preparing the fish on her coal pot, and evaluated her cooking by offering shark and hops bread to the taxi drivers and their tourist charges who came to the area. Everyone loved her shark & hops bread and she began to charge six cents for it, later raising it to eight cents. At the beginning, like many pioneers, she was highly criticized, as the villagers believed a long-standing myth that sharks sometimes eat humans, therefore, they themselves were not fit to be consumed by humans. Adelta however, continued preparing meals and discovered a new and exciting dish- “The Fried Bake & Shark.” She then added condiments which served to enhance the taste of her new discovery. Over the years, her popularity grew and she was able to provide a better standard of living for herself and her children. She even saved enough money to purchase the property where the Maracas Gas Station now stands. Now, more than five decades later, the famous coal pot where it all began, can be seen at the Uncle Sam Restaurant & Bar, Upper Maracas beach.

While his mother was struggling to make ends meet, Michael was having a hard time himself at school, dealing with friends who liked teasing him with a nickmane, Sambo, which they got from a reading book. By the time he left school and started working as a lifeguard, everyone was calling him Sam. At age 22, Sam was married and owned a small, run-down shop on the same spot Uncle Sam now occupies. He and his wife, Kamini, decided to add his mother’s Bake & Shark menu to the other items they were selling and taking the $280 he

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