Ensconced behind the U-shaped mahogany bar, Murph pours a pair of Chardonnays and sweeps them across to us in one fluid motion. The gregarious bartender has only the one name; a surname would be superfluous - everyone on the island knows Murph. He holds forth at Craig & Sally's, a primary connection on the coconut telegraph and the place to mingle and gossip if you're a local, and to eat whether you're native or not.
Craig and Sally do have a last name - Darash - and their restaurant is a fixture in Frenchtown, Charlotte Amalie's waterfront hip strip. The building, a watering hole since the 1880s, has foot-thick walls made of blue bitch, a local volcanic stone. The atmosphere is casual and homey, the perfect stage for informal but highly creative cooking.
Connecticut natives, Craig and Sally are stars of the local scene. Sally is the chef and takes pride that her menu is never the same two days in a row. ''We tried to set a menu back in September, but gave it up. We missed the challenge to innovate,'' says the soft-spoken blonde. The other half of the ''we'' she refers to is Richard Ade, who works with her in the kitchen.
''Before we go home each night, we look at what's on hand for ideas for tomorrow,'' Sally explains. ''Usually, it's the side dishes we plan first.'' An assortment of rices becomes a five-rice blend; lentils are combined with fresh herbs, and all-American mashed potatoes are a blank canvas. The next morning, the menu evolves further following a familiar tap at the kitchen door. A French fisherman offers a rainbow of fresh-caught fish.
''We serve fish every day, though we rarely prepare it the same way,'' Sally says.
True to form, we order for dinner sautéed yellowtail swimming in a mango, Key lime and habanero sauce. Later, we see a copy of the day's lunch menu and find the same fish pan-seared and served in a Chardonnay sun-dried tomato and basil butter sauce.
The final addition of a sauce, novel preparation of fresh vegetables and a touch of exotic ingredients tie selections together to create unique meals.
While Sally is the master in the kitchen, Craig is the wizard with the wine list. He has won awards six years straight from Wine Spectator magazine for his superb wine list, which features over 300 global selections ranging from a basic $19 white to a $250 granddaddy red like Sassicaia. Twenty selections are offered by the glass. ''Wine adds another dimension to the meal. It clears the palate and lets you retaste the meal anew again and again,'' Craig explains.
As we nibbled a few ginger snaps, Murph catches our eye from the bar. He is already pouring two glasses of a rich-looking port.
Craig & Sally's (340-777-9949) serves lunch Wednesday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dinner is served Wednesday though Sunday from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Mango-Lime Sautéed Yellowtail Snapper
Serves 4
- 4 yellowtail fillets
- Flour
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh
- lime juice
- 2 tablespoons habanero
- hot sauce to taste
- Salt and black pepper
- 1 cup fresh or frozen chopped mango
- Garnish: minced cilantro, diced ripe banana and lime wedges
Dredge yellowtail fillets lightly in flour. Heat oil and butter in a nonstick skillet until foamy. Add fish fillets; sauté 2 minutes on each side. Add garlic, lime juice, hot sauce, mango, salt and black pepper. Sauté until fish flakes easily with a fork and sauce is bubbly, or about 4 minutes. Top fish with cilantro, banana and lime before serving.
Posted online 12/20/01.
