Steve's Favorite (Undiscovered) Restaurants

As far as restaurants go, I am usually interested in good food at a good price more than snazzy decor or celebrity clientele. This spot is reserved for places I have found that aren't too well known. Enjoy. If you give any a try, please send your comments to me via e-mail.

on St. John, Virgin Islands:

My Dad has lived on St. John, USVI, for over ten years. It has given me a chance to find all the best places to eat, not all of which are well known to tourists.

Sogo's Restaurant, St. John, USVI: I have found the secret to fine dining in the Virgin Islands, Sogo's Restaurant in Cruz Bay, St. John.

The story:

For such a small island, St. John has a surprising number of places where a good meal can be had. The Lime Inn has a justly deserved reputation as one of the best. But that reputation means that the Lime Inn is always crowded. The secret is that just across the street, three doors down to the left is a quiet little place where the food is every bit as good and the prices are just a little bit better, and almost no one but the locals know about it.

Alfred Augustine, formerly chef at the renowned Caneel Bay Resort in St. John, opened up this cozy little place a few years ago. A master of both American and traditional West Indian cuisine, Alfred can treat you to a terrific meal of steak or seafood or pasta, or introduce you to the wonders of the local fare. The seafood is always cooked to perfection. (The conch is an extra special treat.) And the authentic local desserts make for a perfect ending to a perfect meal.

But the most wonderful thing of all is the treatment Alfred gives to the standard island side-dishes. West Indian cuisine includes a variety of slightly exotic vegetable dishes, plaintain, rice, and something called fungi. They are all wonderful and go together wonderfully as well as with the island main dishes. I have eaten them all over St. John and St. Thomas. No one does them better than Alfred Augustine at Sogo's.

Call ahead for large parties. Sogo's also caters.

So, next time you are in St. John looking for a place to eat and all the places you have heard about are packed (or even if they aren't), discover the island's little dining secret: