THINGS TO DO: IN GRENADA

Winning over tourist hearts—and thereby, dollars—through their stomachs is a win-win. At Laluna, the Italian-Caribbean fare sticks to our ribs, the menu’s homemade ravioli, pastas and risotto propped up by deliciousness like lionfish smothered in butter and grilled barracuda with pineapple salsa. We drift into dessert watching the bats dive-bombing the pool to take sips.

Over at the bustling Coconut Beach Restaurant, dishes like curried conch and ginger lobster get the full French Creole treatment, right down to the pumpkin soup. And at Aquarium on Magazine Beach, a whirl of waiters swirl around with tray after tray of gorgeous seafood—roasted black cod, curried conch or “lambie,” tuna tartare, tandoori shrimp. We are in heaven, snapped out of the reverie by a steel drum band. How they manage to play so quietly I’ll never know.

WHERE TO STAY: IN GRENADA

The main reason Grenada’s menus hit the spot is thanks to the many spices the island is well-known for: nutmeg and mace, turmeric, cinnamon, pimento, bay leaves, cloves and ginger. As well, the tree-to-bar chocolate is beyond good. All of the above made it into my luggage, treats for everyone that pack flat. We actually stop into the House of Chocolate twice and hope they don’t remember us the second time. They do, but they don’t care.

GRENADAGRENADINES.COM

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THINGS TO DO: IN BARBADOS

I first tried cou-cou at Lemon Arbor Village Bar in St. John parish in Barbados. Lunch there included all kinds of traditional foods and the takeout window of this place was on fire it was so busy. I was on a food tour through the countryside with Chef Michael Harrison, who walked us through Cheapside Market, the Bridgetown Fish Market (complete with drunk fisherman giving drunk tours of their boats), Village Bar and lastly Country View Bar. It was like a little pub crawl with food lore mixed in—my two favourite things.

WHERE TO STAY: IN BARBADOS

Here is a recipe from Barbados.org.

1. In a bowl, combine 8 oz. of cornmeal with enough water to cover the meal. Set aside. 2. Cut the tops and bottoms off 3 oz. of okras and slice into rings. Place the sliced okras in a saucepan with water, one medium-sized chopped onion and salt. Bring to a medium boil for a few minutes until the okras soften. 3. Strain the okras into a bowl, setting aside the liquid.  4. Add about a quarter of the okra liquid back into the saucepan and add the soaked cornmeal. You’ll need a whisk or wooden stick to stir the cou-cou as it cooks. In Barbados, they use a flat wooden spoon known as a cou-cou stick. Stir constantly.  5. Add more of the okra liquid gradually. You can tell you’re nearly finished when the cou cou starts to bubble gently at the surface. At this point add in the cooked okra slices and continue stirring for another two minutes.  6. Remove from the heat and stir in 3 tbsp. of butter.

VISITBARBADOS.ORG

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