One of the big disappointments expressed by many tourists who travel to the British Virgin Islands is the fact that the Territory has no fast food franchise. In a recent conversation with an American tourist I was told: “Man, I really like it here, its beautiful but I was asking this guy, he’s a local about why there’s no fast food here. There’s no KFC, nothing. The folks here don’t know what they are missing.”
I smiled to myself because those were my thoughts exactly. I was told that there are no fast food franchises so that local fast food businesses can maintain the monopoly. This was fine with me because, that’s what a vacation is all about right….abandoning the routine and trying something new. So I enquired about the alternatives to Burger King. I was told that I can get a burger at any of the hotels on the islands, but to be honest I really didn’t want to sit at table and enjoy a burger with a knife and fork. So I asked the receptionist: “Where would you as a local purchase a burger?” She said “Oh that’s easy Midtown Restaurant of course and the good thing is it will cost you a lot less than you would pay for one in a hotel.”
However, she told me that if I really wanted to enjoy local fast food I should visit the local round about in the evenings, and boy was I glad I did. While there is chicken and fries available I learned that the locals prefer to have their fried chicken with a Johnny cake. Which is bagel sized fried bread that is quite tasty. It is heavenly when served hot with melted cheese.
I incorporated this same strategy throughout my other island travels. Now that I eat where the locals eat, since then I found that the street jerks in Jamaica are the best, and one can have no better fried flying fish than that from the beach side fish fry in Barbados. Next time you are in the US Virgin Islands have a conch or whelk patty from a food van and tell me what you thought. If you are heading to Guyana don’t leave without sampling the fried local fish and plantain chips the accompanying sauce makes it out of this world.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Try the local fast food
One of the big disappointments expressed by many tourists who travel to the British Virgin Islands is the fact that the Territory has no fast food franchise. In a recent conversation with an American tourist I was told: “Man, I really like it here, its beautiful but I was asking this guy, he’s a local about why there’s no fast food here. There’s no KFC, nothing. The folks here don’t know what they are missing.”
I smiled to myself because those were my thoughts exactly. I was told that there are no fast food franchises so that local fast food businesses can maintain the monopoly. This was fine with me because, that’s what a vacation is all about right….abandoning the routine and trying something new. So I enquired about the alternatives to Burger King. I was told that I can get a burger at any of the hotels on the islands, but to be honest I really didn’t want to sit at table and enjoy a burger with a knife and fork. So I asked the receptionist: “Where would you as a local purchase a burger?” She said “Oh that’s easy Midtown Restaurant of course and the good thing is it will cost you a lot less than you would pay for one in a hotel.”
However, she told me that if I really wanted to enjoy local fast food I should visit the local round about in the evenings, and boy was I glad I did. While there is chicken and fries available I learned that the locals prefer to have their fried chicken with a Johnny cake. Which is bagel sized fried bread that is quite tasty. It is heavenly when served hot with melted cheese.
I incorporated this same strategy throughout my other island travels. Now that I eat where the locals eat, since then I found that the street jerks in Jamaica are the best, and one can have no better fried flying fish than that from the beach side fish fry in Barbados. Next time you are in the US Virgin Islands have a conch or whelk patty from a food van and tell me what you thought. If you are heading to Guyana don’t leave without sampling the fried local fish and plantain chips the accompanying sauce makes it out of this world.
I smiled to myself because those were my thoughts exactly. I was told that there are no fast food franchises so that local fast food businesses can maintain the monopoly. This was fine with me because, that’s what a vacation is all about right….abandoning the routine and trying something new. So I enquired about the alternatives to Burger King. I was told that I can get a burger at any of the hotels on the islands, but to be honest I really didn’t want to sit at table and enjoy a burger with a knife and fork. So I asked the receptionist: “Where would you as a local purchase a burger?” She said “Oh that’s easy Midtown Restaurant of course and the good thing is it will cost you a lot less than you would pay for one in a hotel.”
However, she told me that if I really wanted to enjoy local fast food I should visit the local round about in the evenings, and boy was I glad I did. While there is chicken and fries available I learned that the locals prefer to have their fried chicken with a Johnny cake. Which is bagel sized fried bread that is quite tasty. It is heavenly when served hot with melted cheese.
I incorporated this same strategy throughout my other island travels. Now that I eat where the locals eat, since then I found that the street jerks in Jamaica are the best, and one can have no better fried flying fish than that from the beach side fish fry in Barbados. Next time you are in the US Virgin Islands have a conch or whelk patty from a food van and tell me what you thought. If you are heading to Guyana don’t leave without sampling the fried local fish and plantain chips the accompanying sauce makes it out of this world.
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