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Category Archives: Uncategorized
STJC_Policies
Policies:
Please read this carefully.
You will be asked to verify that you have read this when you request a reservation or place an order.
When booking an event, please print this page, sign the bottom, and return to the St. John Catering staff. Thank you.
Our Policies
- Reservations and orders are based upon availability. All reservations must be confirmed by St. John Catering. Please do not assume that your order is placed unless you speak with an STJC representative.
- STJC will do everything possible to accommodate any order- however, short-notice orders may be denied. For the greatest chance of success, please plan ahead. We appreciate at least two weeks notice for Private Events and Provisioning and at least two days notice for our Drop-Off Service.
- Preliminary Deposits: To secure a date before details have been arranged, we gladly accept a $500.00 deposit for parties of 20 and under, $1000.00 for parties of over 20, and $1500.00 for parties of 30 or more. Once preliminary details have been established, we will charge the remainder of the 50% deposit due.
- Deposits: ALL DEPOSITS ARE NON-REFUNDABLE. A non-refundable 50% deposit is required to secure any Private Chef Event, Wedding / Banquet, Gourmet Delivery, Provisioning or Equipment Rental. For custom provisions, an estimate will be given based on your list of items.
- Balances Due:
- Private Chef Events- full balance is due on day of completion.
- Weddings / Banquets- final head count and payment are due 30 days prior to the event.
- Gourmet Deliveries- full balance is due day of delivery.
- Provisioning- full balance is due prior to delivery (day of).
- Equipment Rental- full balance is due prior to delivery (day of).
- STJC reserves the right to return a deposit to any client for any reason and release the reservation.
- There will be a 5% Credit Card Processing Fee (if applicable) added to each transaction.
- Payment Methods:
- We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover for your convenience. Please have your cardholder name, card number, expiration date, security code and billing address on hand. We also accept Certified or Cashier’s Check, Money Order, Local Check, Cash, or Traveler’s Check
- Please remit check or money order payment to: St. John Catering PO Box 1039 Cruz Bay St. John, VI 00831-1039
- STJC is not responsible for cancellation due to acts of nature, transportation difficulties, death in the family, change of plans, or illness. All deposits are non-refundable, however STJC will honor a deposit for up to one year if the guest needs to make a change of plans.
- Event Duration – In-Villa Chef Services are to be no longer than 5 hours of on-site time and larger events are to be no longer than 6 hours, to include set up, meal time, and cleanup. Extended staff hours are billed at $75 per staff member for each hour and each partial hour.
- A chef’s fee of $350 may apply for a la carte services (breakfasts, brunches, lunches, boat trips, charter jets, etc.).
- A sous chef may be required for parties of 10 or more. The fee is $250 for up to five hours including setup and breakdown. Additional hours will be billed at a rate of $75 per hour.
- Servers may be required for some events and will be billed at $250 for up to five hours including setup and breakdown. Additional hours will be billed at a rate of $75 per hour. The following are the guidelines for staff members:
- All Formal Chef Events (1 per every 10-12 guests)
- Informal Chef Events (1 per every 20 guests)
- Buffets (1 server per every 20 guests, 1 chef for every 25 guests)
- Cocktail Receptions (1 per every 20 guests, 1 chef for every 25 guests)
- An Event Manager is required for all large events (20pp+). This individual is your “Point Person” for the event and will communicate with the kitchen staff, floor staff, and coordinator (when applicable), as well as be present at your walk-through to review flow, timeline, and other pertinent details of your event. The fee for this individual is $350.00.
- Additional staff: bartenders, live station attendants, bussers and hosts may be required for some events and will be billed at $250 for up to five on-site hours including setup and breakdown. Additional hours will be billed at a rate of $75 per hour.
- Dishwashers are required for any event of 10 or more guests with rentals of china, glass or silverware and will be billed at $250 for up to five hours including setup and breakdown. Additional hours will be billed at a rate of $75 per hour.
- Holiday Fees: A $500.00 Holiday Fee will apply to any On-site Event and a Holiday Fee of $100.00 will apply to all Deliveries booked on the following dates: 12/24, 12/25, 12/31, 1/1. Please note that this is in addition to our regular rates.
- Delivery Fees Apply for Equipment Rental. Fees dependent upon volume of order, distance and ease of terrain. Average fee of $10 per guest for full rental package.
- Delivery Fees (as listed below) apply for food Provisioning and Gourmet Drop-off:
- Cruz Bay to Gifft Hill Road $65
- Rendezvous & Fish Bay $65
- North Shore Road $85
- Centerline Gifft Hill to Columbo’s (North Shore Junction) $85
- Past Columbo’s, Coral Bay and beyond $95
. For St. Thomas events, please inquire.
- A Transportation fee of no less than $75 for In-Villa Chef Services may apply in addition to our regular rates to Villas on the East End of St. John, Calabash Boom and beyond. Transportation fees may also apply to St. Thomas.
- Gratuities are discretionary, with the exception of an auto-service charge on parties booked through vacation clubs or of 20 people or more, with additional gratuities welcome at your discretion.
- Last-minute changes are subject to a $500.00 convenience fee PER CHANGE, billed at the discretion of STJC. The term “last-minute” refers to any time frame less than 24 hours prior to the event for parties of less than 20 and any time frame less than one week prior to the event for parties of 20 or more. Changes may include but are not limited to menus, guest counts, timelines, rental needs, location, and food restrictions.
- We love kids!!! However, it is recommended that to maximize your enjoyment of the evening and to avoid being billed for extended staff hours, Formal Events should be child-free or you should plan on a start time that is after the kids go to bed.
- Children 11 and under are billed at half price of the adult service level for the event. Children 2 and under are not billed for the event if we are not feeding them, but we still appreciate knowing of their presence in advance so that we can provide the best possible service. Children have the option of eating half-sized portions of the adult menu or kids menus can be accommodated, but we request that all of the kids in the party have the same menu (Chicken Fingers, Burgers, Plain Grilled Items, Pasta, Mac and Cheese, Mashed Potatoes, Steamed Veggies, Salad, Cookies, etc.).
- Equipment Rentals are priced for a 24 hour period unless otherwise stated on your invoice. Additional fees may be charged if rentals are kept longer than this.
- In the case of our Event Packages where rentals are included and staff is present, it is understood that STJC will knock down and carry away all of the rentals that same evening when possible (extended staff hours may apply). If the client chooses to have the rentals at the venue for an extended period without the staff there, a fee of $275.00 minimum, may be assessed if STJC needs to come back for a followup knockdown and pickup. The client may avoid this fee if cleanup from the event is done, linens are bagged, and the furniture/rentals are clean and stacked in a neat and orderly fashion, available for pickup in an easy to load location (no stairs or access to the inside of the villa needed, etc.).
When booking an event, please print this page , sign the bottom, and return to the St. John Catering staff. Thank you.
Signature Line: _____________________________________________
Group / Company Name (If Applicable): ___________________________________
Date: __________________________
Happening in March: Full Moon Dinner and Hit Makers & Rum Chasers
This March the chefs from St. John Catering are taking part in some amazing, inspirational and one night only events happening both on island and on the mainland including a Full Moon Dinner on March 19th and the 2019 Hit Makers & Rum Chasers musical series.
First, our Chef Fabio Zaniboni is taking the lead for the March Full Moon Dinner at Lucky Chops Lounge (in the former Fish Trap space in downtown Cruz Bay). He’ll be bringing a taste of his homeland of Italy to the dinner having designed a five course menu showcasing authentic Italian flavors and cooking techniques (menu below). Themed Italian Five Seasons, the menu is available only beneath the full moon on March 19th starting at 6pm. Make your reservations now by emailing us at office@stjohncatering.com or call the office at 340-777-5464. $95 for dinner or $125 for dinner with wine pairings.
Also happening in March is Hit Maker & Rum Chasers, which St. John Catering is once again honored to be a part of this year. Hit Makers & Rum Chasers is a series of musical events benefiting The Charley Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides support to charitable agencies addressing the critical needs of children. The series of shows, which is held across America and on St. John, feature hit songwriters telling the stories behind their popular tunes. 2019 dates and cities include:
- March 7th – New York, NY
- March 8th – Boston, MA
- March 9 – Cambridge, MD
- March 20 – Charleston, SC (flyer pictured below)
- March 21 – Washington, DC
- April 13th – St. John, USVI
And to accompany the musical performances each guest can enjoy not only world-class rum cocktails but also a first class, island-themed dinner, the menu for which was designed by our own Chef/Owner Mathayom Vacharat.
For more information on Hit Makers & Rum Chasers or to get your tickets visit their website at www.HitMakersandRumChasers.com.
St. John Catering: 6 months after the storms
From destruction comes opportunity, and for us at St. John Catering & Mathayom Private Chefs, we have certainly borne witness to this truth. Having experienced both the destructive forces of the 2017 hurricane season on St. John as well as the new growth and rebuilding efforts on island that came as a result, we are proud to share our progress with you.
In September 2017 we lost our Windy Level Event Space in Hurricane Irma, a category 5 storm which along with Hurricane Maria ravaged the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. In the months since we’ve been working hard to rebuild under the guidance of Owner/Head Chef Mathayom Vacharat operating first briefly through the Little Olive Food Truck in Cruz Bay before moving to our new permanent home at Lucky Chops in the former Fish Trap restaurant (scheduled to open in Spring 2018).
Our new space at Lucky Chops has afforded us a new home with larger kitchen and storage facilities, plus a newly renovated space for events right in the heart of Cruz Bay. We have indoor and covered outdoor seating, as well as a private, 800 square foot, air-conditioned bar, where we can host upwards of 100 guests. We will be serving fast-casual Asian inspired appetizers and small plates, and the vibe will be relaxed and spacious.
The new location will also serve as home base for St. John Catering and Mathayom Private Chefs. The kitchen is up and running, which means we are now ready, willing and 100% able to handle any catering or private chef needs for the 2018 season and beyond. Our prices will remain unchanged for this season, and we plan to revise our catering menus over the summer.
So please keep us in mind for all your catering needs from intimate in-villa dinners to extravagant beach weddings, and as the new culinary destination coming soon to Cruz Bay. We are here to serve the community of St. John and the Virgin Islands, and are extremely grateful to still be doing so.
Little Olive, our temporary home after the storms
Owner Mathayom Vacharat leaning out the back of the Little Olive Food Truck, a new venture for his business St. John Catering. Inset picture shows Windy Level Event Space, his old establishment that was leveled by Hurricane Irma in September.
The 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season is over, but it will not soon be forgotten. It transformed St. John and the Virgin Islands as one of the most destructive seasons in the Greater Antilles with damages estimated to be in the billions across the Caribbean. The storms changed both the physical landscape of the region as well as the lives of everyone who has come to live on or love these tiny, emerald islands.
With a resilient island spirit, St. Johnians would not wallow but rather rallied and days after Hurricane Irma struck reconstruction efforts were already underway. However, we’ve found that rebuilding after the storms hasn’t simply been about recreating things exactly as they were before because St. John will never be exactly as it was before. Instead we’ve had to adapt to unexpected opportunities and changes that arose in the wake of the hurricanes.
One of the most exciting opportunities we’ve had is to temporarily take over the Little Olive Food Truck in Cruz Bay (DMV parking lot). With Chef Shelly McElligott making breakfast and lunch daily we’re able to continue producing delicious food reflective of our dedication to rich flavors and the utilization of changing local ingredients.
Open weekdays from 11-5. Follow our Facebook page for daily menu specials and any changes to normal operating hours.
August 2017 Full Moon Dinner – Crucian Collaboration #1
When I went to St. Croix for their annual Taste of St. Croix this year, http://tasteofstcroix.com/ I was once again taken aback by the level of talent that the chefs there have on the regular, as well as the relationships that they cultivate with the local farmers. The agriculture community on Twin Cities is very in touch with the culinary world, and the final result is a food scene that is mature and robust.
While we do have our maintain our own garden next to the kitchen, have an organic farm in Coral Bay, and work with local fishing charters for product, the variety of locally sourced ingredients on St. Croix simply eclipses what we have on St. John.
As I was sitting at breakfast with other guest judges and one of the main organizers and producers of the event, Jane Watkins, and was expressing my jealousy of the chefs on our sister island having such abundant access to locally grown produce, she suggested that I try to find a way to collaborate with some of the passionate restaurateurs and chefs there. So I took her suggestion.
It has taken some time to organize, but this month, we welcomed our first guest chef of what we hope is many. Ryan Bennett is a former co-worker of one of our chefs, Vince Alterio, from back in their Chicago days, and has the culinary background to stand up with the best of them, including time working in some premier restaurants in Chicago, such as Gather and Graham Elliot before moving to St. Croix.
He is currently at Brew STX, an establishment not necessarily known for fine dining, but Ryan designed a menu that was both eclectic and familiar at the same time. We joined forces with Paul Kessock at Bellows International to pair a trio of Rose’s with the courses.
August’s menu was 90-95% locally-sourced and featured Caribbean-inspired flavors. Here’s what our guests had to look forward to:
Sofrito Shellfish Consommé: Butter Sauce Conch / Avocado Puree / Salt Fish Lavash / Pickled Green Papaya / Fresh Racao
Pairing: Miraval Rose’
Roast Goat Roti: Crispy Roti /Tender Goat / Sweet Potato Puree & Chip / Mint / Turmeric / Coconut Rice
Pairing: Montes Cherub Rose’
Fruit: Mango ice cream / Pineapple Johnny Cake / Coconut Crunch / Lemongrass Gastrique / Basil / Crispy Plantain
Pairing: Josh Cellars Rose’
In addition, Chef Ryan and Chef Vince treated our patrons to some “one-bite” amuse bouche style plates. This was the first time I got to attend as a guest, and although I won’t divulge what those one-bites were, I can tell you they were delicious! OK, I may have had some wine and can’t remember properly at this time, so instead I will distract you with pictures of food.
Ryan, Isabela, and Vince
Chefs at work
Soup, pre-broth
The soup course was meticulously plated prior to being dropped in front of the customers. The broth was a concoction of Thai Basil Tea and Habanera Peppers, and was poured table side from French presses after the bowls were set down.
Goat “roti”
Plating in the kitchen
Chef Ryan sourced out locally made roti shells on St. Croix, and chose to plate with braised local goat, sweet potato (two ways: chip and puree), mint, turmeric, and coconut rice. All of the guests completed decimated their plates.
“Fruit”
“Fruit” dessert: As promised, a combination of tropical flavors that seemed to explode on the plate, as well as on the palate.
We look forward to welcoming Chef Frank Robinson, a St. Croix native, in November for the second in our Collaboration Series.
Special thanks to St. John Inn for housing our guest chefs and providing a special rate for anyone wishing to stay the night and attend one of our dinners. Check them out here: http://www.stjohninn.com/?gclid=CKO144bo8NUCFUxahgod9ckDAA
September’s dinner will be around the Harvest Moon and feature foods from the Great Midwest. Friday, September 8th, so call us to reserve early! 340-777-5464.
July 2017 Full Moon Dinner – Thai One On
Sorry for the late post! We have been working very hard in what is the busiest July I can remember, which is great, of course, but also comes at a cost: less time for the beach, friends, music, exercise, and obviously, blog posts.
We did still have time enough to throw together a Full Moon Dinner, and it was our most popular ever, with 70 guests. Since I had just gone to Thailand and Vietnam to visit some family and had brought back authentic spices and ingredients, it seemed fitting to share that with our guests, especially since there are no real Thai or Vietnamese restaurants in the Virgin Islands, at least that I know of. To keep the experience even more authentic, and to make it (a little) easier on ourselves, we decided to make the dinner family-style, since most meals in Thailand and Vietnam are served this way. I guess that’s why I always want my girlfriend to split entrees with me when we go out. I like variety.
Courses came out one after the other, and since we were in the kitchen getting things out in a hurry, I completely forgot to take any pictures of anything. So, to fill whatever visual cravings you might have, I am going to post some pictures from my trip instead. The trip inspired me to connect with more of my roots and family, and was an opportunity to show my son another side of the world.
We paired up with Southern Glazer’s and brought in a few different Sierra Nevada Beers as well as some Suntory Whiskey for the event.
Here is the menu we designed for July 10th, 2017:
Great print job!
We added on to this menu
In addition to the Curry Trio (Massaman, Panang, and Green), Green Papaya Salad with fresh, local Papaya, Spicy Beef Salad, Vietnamese Spring Rolls, Fish Cakes, Son-in-Law Eggs, Sticky Rice, Jasmine Rice, and Teas, we also had some some Bun (Rice Noodles), Tom Ka Soup, and array of sauces and pickled vegetables. We also finished with a Thai Iced Tea Popsicle.
All of the food was born of the idea that we wanted to treat folks to an experience as close to what they would get in Southeast Asia as possible. The extremely hot weather certainly helped us achieve our goal!
Here are some of the places, faces, and flavors that helped this idea come to fruition…
‘Pon de River!
The mountains above Chiang Mai
Chatuchak Market
Reclining Buddha
Heart to the sky
Our journey to us first to Bangkok, where my son and I met up with many members of our family. It was his first time meeting my father’s side, since we live so far away. From there, we headed to Chiang Mai to spend some time connecting with even more family (28 members in all made it to this part of the visit).
Lyric, Hua, and Nick enjoying lunch
A quick few days in Vietnam took us from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi to Halong Bay, and back to Ho Chi Minh.
Dragon Fruit plays center stage
Turmeric & Ginger
Stinky Durian
Coconuts, iced down for your pleasure
With markets all over the place, it was hard to resist filling our suitcases with fantastic flavors. We definitely did not bring back any fresh fruits or vegetables, as per the USDA regulations. Wouldn’t want to risk losing our Global Entry statuses, after all.
Prawns
Dragon Fruit
Pho and Fresh Herbs
Whole Fish with Chili
Northern Thai Family
Mangosteen
Seafood Soup
VERY large pile of noodles
Throughout, it was an amazing trip filled with new experiences that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. Dreaming about going back as soon as possible and spending even more time there.
I hope that our guests enjoyed the evening and got the feeling that they were transported to another locale for just a few hours.
August’s Full Moon Dinner was another amazing time. Stay tuned for the next update, soon come.
June 2017 Full Moon Dinner – I Bahn Heh
Chefs: Mathayom Vacharat, Vincent Alterio, Patrick Ryan
Gardner: Mathew Gibney
The Crucian Dictionary defines the term ‘Bahn Heh’ or ‘Baan Ya’ as, “Born here. Native. Belonger. This expression, part of the vernacular since time immemorial, is increasingly heard as immigrant islanders assert themselves in the community. This is indeed unfortunate as one realizes that the most defiant shouters of ‘Baan ya’ are themselves children of an earlier wave of immigrants. [First seen in print in the St. Croix Avis, 18 Feb. 1868.]”
To that end, with St. John Carnival in full swing, we wanted the June Full Moon menu to celebrate what we felt was an amalgam of many of the different flavors that were brought to the Virgin Islands, added to the culinary melting pot, and presented as what are now considered local dishes. We also wanted to use what is sourced locally, as is custom practice for our kitchen.
Of course, we had to put our own twist on things as well, so non-traditional was the norm. We linked up with Bellows and West Indies to pick a variety of wine selections.
In keeping with our commitment to give back to the world community, we decided to match any contributions to our beloved Pan Dragons steel pan orchestra. Our patrons generously donated at total of $325, for a grand total of $650 donated! Thank you to everyone who gave. Feel free to continue showing the music program some love here: https://www.gofundme.com/st-john-love-city-pan-dragon-steel
Without further ado, here is the menu:
SLOW SEASON: Windy Level Baby Romaine / Smoked Eggplant / Stuffed Crouton / Coconut Hot Pepper Sauce
Pairing: Ferrari Carano Fume Blanc
Smoked Eggplant, Stuffed Crouton, Hot Sauce, and Baby Romaine
The greens, including baby romaine and Swiss chard, were picked from our garden and shocked in ice water. The eggplant came from the lovely ladies who have their produce stand in Cruz Bay Park, and we smoked it for about 2 hours. The crouton was seared and then stuffed with a Buttermilk-Herb dressing. The hot sauce was inserted into flavor injectors and positioned into the crouton. Voila!
CARNIVAL TIME: Wahoo Kallaloo / Lobster Dumpling / Saltfish Escabeche
Pairing: William Hill Central Coast Chardonnay
I see food and I eat it!
A semi-traditional Kallaloo was made with Okra from Ridge to Reef Farm in St. Croix, celery, onions, flavor peppers, malabar spinach, lobster stock, and lots of love! A dumpling with chunks of Rock Lobster tail was added at the end, and on the side, we served an escabeche of salt fish, topped with passion fruit from our vine, and placed under a glass dish filled with apple wood smoke. Oregano was chosen for the garnish.
CORAL BAY MASSIVE: Salt Pond Salt-Crusted Pork / Pumpkin Johnny Cake / Jerk Mushroom Sauce
Pairing: Domaine Carneros Avante Garde Pinot Noir
Kind of like an open-faced slider
Ribs are edible garnish
Salt Pond is a treasure trove for harvesting our local salt supply, and our crew brought back about a year’s worth last month. We decided to crust and roast a pork loin, then add a whole bunch of pumpkin flavor by way of pumpkin spice Johnny Cakes, pumpkin slaw, and pumpkin puree. We finished the plate off with a Jerk-seasoned mushroom sauce, the ribs that were trimmed from the loin, and fresh scallion.
DRUNKEN GOAT: Mango Beer-Braised Goat / Green Pea Pastry / Oxtail Demi / Spicy Tomato Jam
Pairing: Achaval Ferrer Mendoza Malbec
Ooooh, artsy!
Deconstructed Shepherd’s Pie
Braised to perfection
This dish is Rich like a Rockefeller
We ended up using mutton instead of goat as our main protein, but then after making the oxtail demi, decided to mix the oxtail meat in with the mutton to create a delicious partnership of flavors. Planning for something like a deconstructed Shepherd’s Pie, Chef Vinny took our peas and made a crispy flatbread from them. The spicy tomato jam cut through the richness of the dish with spice and acidity, while hints of mango perfumed the meat. A pistachio crust was then applied to brighten the plate and add a bit of crunchy texture.
RECOVERY AND THERAPY: Sweet Plantain Monfongo Napoleon / Champagne-Sorrel Sabayon / Chocolate
Pairing: Batsiolo Moscato Bosc D’La Rey
We have had an abundant fruit season this year, and so plantains also made the menu. Yes, it’s true that Mofongo is orginially from Puerto Rico, but since they are so very close and we are told to, “Love thy neighbor”, we figured why not incorporate the dish somehow. Ripe plantains were cooked, mashed, and seasoned with a bit of chili, then formed into cakes seared. Spiced Tuille Cookies were par-baked, cut, and finished off. The Champagne Sabayon was infused with Sorrel Liqueur from St. John’s very own Sharelle Francis. Plating involved Chocolate Ganache, and torching the Sabayon to create a burnt marshmallow flavor. Eating it was like taking a weekend trip to visit Boricua.
Next month, for July, we will be exploring the flavors of Southeast Asian cuisine, and serving a fantastic family-style menu with beers and Suntori Whiskey. Come Thai One On with us on Monday, July 10th. Call our office during business hours to reserve a seat for only $55pp 340-777-5464
We are also SUPER excited at the prospect of having our first guest chef appearance in August by way of Digby Stridiron of Balter in St. Croix! http://www.balterstx.com/ Saturday, August 5th is the date. Mark it in your calendars now; it’s going to be epic. We hope to have a guest chef about every three months.
We will be posting our upcoming concepts for the year very soon, so keep an eye on our homepage and our Facebook page for details.
Until next time, enjoy Carnival and the Holiday week!
May 2017 Full Moon Dinner – Kickin’ Ash: Smoked and Grilled
The May Full Moon represents, in many ways, a fresh start. It’s called the “Flower Moon”, “Milk Moon”, or “Planting Moon”. For those of us in the service industry on St. John, it usually marks a period when High Season comes to a close, and we are finally slow enough to take a rare break before Wedding Season and Carnival start kicking in. For many people in the States, it constitutes the end of the school year, the approach of Memorial Day and summer, and weekends outdoors with the family.
To that end, we wanted to do a dinner that was a tribute to the beginning of BBQ Season. What better way than to build our own Grill Pit for the occasion? The talented Chef Ben Lewis spearheaded our project from head to toe, with the assistance of Chefs Vince Alterio and Pat Ryan, and got the entire thing sketched, sourced, and built in less than a week’s time! Our space just got a Redneck Upgrade in a very cool way.
Gardener Mathew Gibney and Chef Ben Lewis
Firing up The Beast!
We collaborated with Glazer’s Premier, who hooked us up with Hess Wines for this event. Take a look at the menu and pairings:
Folks were actually texting us about how excited they were for this dinner, especially the meat portions! Let’s take a look at the courses in detail.
Course 1: Full Nest Syndrome
Grilled Quail / Chorizo-Date Stuffing / Sweet Potato / Smoked Pepper Sauce
We decided to build this plate like the bird was sitting in an actual nest, so we threaded and fried the Sweet Potato, perched it on a plate that was dusted with Moringa Powder, and accented it with our Smoked Pepper Sauce. The Quail was par-grilled on our new toy and finished in the oven prior to plating. Sekhem, Mathew’s son, was thrilled to help stoke the fires!
Young Master Gibney
Marking off the Quail
Salt-Crusted Driftwood from Salt Pond
Quail Plate (angle1)
Quail Plate (angle 2)
Quail Plate (angle 3)
Course 2: Day and Night
Day: Morbier / Quail Egg / Lardon / Grilled Brioche
Night: Morbier Fondue / Short Rib Skewer
Here, the goal was to create a dish that used the same ingredient in two different ways. We chose Morbier because of it’s duality.
From Wikipedia: “Traditionally, the cheese consists of a layer of morning milk and a layer of evening milk. When making Comté (cheese), cheesemakers would end the day with leftover curd that was not enough for an entire cheese. Thus, they would press the remaining evening curd into a mold, and spread ash over it to protect it overnight. The following morning, the cheese would be topped up with morning milk.”
The Quail Egg was a simple sunny side execution, and the Lardon was Apple Wood Smoked Bacon that was grilled and then thick cut. The Fondue was actually more of a Mornay, but we weren’t splitting hairs that day. We did a 13 hour Sous Vide on the Short Rib prior to slicing and skewering, and dusted it with Smoked Paprika.
Breakfast for Dinner!
Cheesy Sauce, Aerial View
All pretty in a row
Course 3: Dust in the Wind
Smoked Wahoo / Lime Ash / Windy Level Greens
Fairly straight-forward and clean flavors dominated this plate. Even though the Wahoo was smoked, we brightened it up and made it into a salad with Radish and Preserved Lemon, then stuffed it into Baby Romaine from our garden, tied with Lemongrass.
There were two types of Lime Ash on the plate. One was rich and dark, made from the rinds, with almost a roasted coffee feel. The other was dehydrated Lime Juice, which added the tart, citrus notes.
We finished the plate with Charred Tomato, Preserved Lemon, Green Goddess Dressing, and Nasturtium Petals.
Artsy-Fartsy Salad
Course 4: Table Top Luau
Al Pastor Roast Pork / Taro / Charred Pineapple
Chef Ben Lewis really wanted to take charge of this main dish, so we gave him free reign to cook the pork as he envisioned. Marinated slices of Pork Shoulder were layered and skewered, wrapped, then set in a water bath for 18 hours. After chilling it to retain it’s shape, they were then wedged in between Pineapple tops and bottoms, brushed with a spicy balsamic reduction, charred, and roasted to bring back to temperature. We served these standing up, surrounded by a nest of Grilled Pineapple, Fresh Thyme, and Chicharrones.
Side dishes to complete the Luau feel were Taro for Caribbean Poi, Forbidden Black Rice, a Jalapeno Bread Panzanella, and a Roasted Beet “Poke”. We gave each communal table a knife and designated one of the patrons to be the carver. I think having guests participate in the action gave every table more of a family feel and some easy talking points.
Stand up and be counted!
Caribbean Poi
That pork has a loud bark
Black Rice / Banana Leaf
Chef Pat’s first FMD 🙂
Panzanella
Beet Poke
Course 5: Go Nuts, Go Bananas
Grilled Banana Bread Tamale / Cinnamon Ice Cream / Smoked Pecans
Usually by the time dessert comes around at our dinners, our guests are full and happy. So we have gotten into the habit of reducing our portion sizes a bit with the hope that no one leaves overstuffed. We purposefully made our sweet treats more lightweight this time, especially considering that some of our dishes were on the heavier side of the palate.
Taking Banana Leaves from our garden, we softened them in hot water and rolled cigar-sized tamales. After baking them, we set aside and grilled them to bring them back up to a nice, warm temperature, as well as add that light smokiness we were using as our central theme. After pairing it with a small scoop of Cinnamon Ice Cream, Smoked Pecans, and Smoked Maple Syrup, we sent it out into the dining areas.
Oooh La La
Tamale Time
Simple yet elegant
Overall, guests seemed to be pretty thrilled with everything. Our front of house team crushed it (AGAIN), and in the kitchen, we had a ton of fun. So much so that we forgot to take a group photo! C’est la vie, no?
Join us on Friday, June 9th for the next exciting edition of the Full Moon Dinner! I Bahn Heh: Local Flavors and Ingredients (5 courses). Call us at 340-777-5464 to reserve your space, or just say hi. It can get lonely behind a computer screen all day…
After that, we are planning some really special treats for the 2017-2018 Full Moon program, including possible collaborations from some guest chefs! Keep an eye out for the schedule of concepts, and we hope you’ll be able to experience one for yourself sometime soon.
April 2017 Full Moon Dinner – Raw Deal: Uncooked and Cured
April’s Full Moon is sometimes called the Pink Moon, and when I think of pink food, visions of rare or raw meat come to mind. This was the premise for the FMD menu in April, and our chefs Vince Alterio, Ben Lewis, and Pat Ryan took the idea and ran full steam ahead with it! This menu didn’t have as many items from our garden as last month, but Mathew Gibney has begun the replanting process. We are also planning some changes for the garden space (more on that next month).
We don’t usually delve into the world of raw foods too deeply, but it’s so much fun to experiment and try new things. Variety is the spice of life, right? Check out the bill of fare we put out:
- Beet-Cured Salmon / Cold-Smoked Salmon Roe / Shaved Egg Yolk / Green Goddess / Beet Chips
- Chilled Raw Tom Ka Soup / Fresh Local Catch Ceviche / Coconut / Lime / Hot Pepper / Nori
- Duck Breast “Bacon” / Iberico Jamon / Beef Carpaccio / Spicy Mustard / Pressure-Pickled Vegetables / Dehydrated Vegetable Crackers / Lettuce / Sundried Tomato
- Compressed Fruit / Almond Milk Glace / Local Fruit Granita
I read somewhere that, technically, you aren’t supposed to heat any food over 108 degrees Fahrenheit. We used a good amount of raw fruits, vegetables, and grains, with the idea is that heating food destroys its nutrients and natural enzymes, which is bad because enzymes boost digestion and fight chronic disease. In short: When you cook it, you kill it. Some fans of raw food diets believe cooking makes food toxic.
We also wanted to keep things interesting and so employed a variety of techniques that allowed us to use the foods in different ways. Dehydration, curing, compression, and acidity were all weapons of the team’s arsenal this month.
And lucky us, we had the inimitable Holly Chipman along for the ride to help us out with some fantabulous mocktail concoctions. However, it was reinforced and made apparent once again that St. John is far from a dry town, and most guests asked to have their mocktails “upgraded” to a full on adult beverage. Holly incorporated the Raw concept into her drinks, and paired the flavors beautifully with the dishes. She named them after restaurants she admires.
- Russ and Daughters: Cucumber Water / Dill / Local Grapefruit / Lemon
- Tram’s Kitchen: Lychee / Thai Basil / Ginger Limeade
- Dish Osteria: Black Tea “Sangria” / Cinnamon / Cloves / Allspice / Star Anise / Angostura / Pomegranate
Without further ado, here is the food porn, sans drinks (because all of us were too busy to remember to takes pictures of them). But trust me, the drinks were BEAUTIFUL!
The color on the Beet-Cured Salmon just pops so well. We topped it with the dehydrated beet and cured egg yolk, and finished the plate with avocado, cold smoked salmon roe, and local greens with green goddess dressing.
The Raw Chilled Tom Ka Soup, accented with Mahi Ceviche, Chili Dust, Cilantro and Thai Basil Flowers, Coconut, and Lime. We realized at the last minute that Nori is actually toasted, so we chose to omit that piece in order to keep the dish truly raw.
For the protein plate, we cured duck breast for nearly three weeks, pressed it, then added a cold smoke to it to give it a bit of extra flavor. We sliced the Iberico Ham razor thin and instead of the beef carpaccio, decided to do a beef tartare. For the pickled vegetables, we put them inside a chamber vacuum sealer to force the pickling liquid into the produce rather than cooking them. The dish was accented with truffle aioli, spicy whole grain mustard, sun dried tomato salsa, and moringa powder.
Chef Ben (left) and Chef Vinny plating dessert
Raw Dessert Trio
Dessert was kept simple. Again using our vacuum chamber, we compressed fresh fruit to give it a different texture and paired it with Passion Fruit Granita (garnished with fresh Soursop), as well as an Vanilla-Almond Milk Shooter.
All in all, another phenomenal dinner by our team of talent. We also got to celebrate a birthday with one of the guests! Next month, we will be Kickin’ Ash: Smoked and Grilled. Pretty much the exact opposite of this month…
Thanks to all who participated and worked this event, and see ya next time!
It’s Jill’s birthday!
St. John Catering 