Not so Bad at Northside Bistro – St. Thomas

Whomever chose Northside Bistro’s location must have been a hair stylist because the harrowing hairpin turns on the way to this Hull Bay haven would have deterred any other normal person. The winding hilltop strip proves to be a grueling vehicular hike, and our four-cylinder Corolla never stood a chance with the AC on. Good thing no one in the car had hot flashes. My one regret is that we did those hairpins in the dark. The lush green view from our screened-in terrace table must be amazing in the light.

The thing that made these harrowing hairpins somewhat gratifying was the Northside Bistro boasts the island’s only brewery. I did love trying their (right to left) Red Ale, Newcastle-esque Nut Brown, and chocolately Pacific Stout, but I can hardly act impressed that they’re the only…anything on an island this small.

We started with the Bruschetta when our ears perked up at blueberries and brie. Unfortunately, these little slices of toast were haphazardly topped with sloppy slices of varying sizes and a little drizzle of blueberry. This is the kind of thing I slap together at home within minutes, and although it tasted fine, it tasted more like two good things thrown together with none of the togetherness of a real bruschetta.

The Duck Breast was similarly done. The breast was seared separately from sauce and placed onto a plate of glaze rather than coming glazed, but the combination was still quite good so I can almost say no harm, no fowl. The duck itself was clearly a prime cut…that had been frozen and thawed. The slightly gamey, dark-meat duck was still delicious, the port wine demi-glaze had a nice raspberry tint to it, and the crispy skin was seared to perfection. Unfortunately, the texture of the duck itself was a bit rubbery, like the inside of a chicken nugget, and the inside was a slightly unappetizing dark gray.

Weaker duck aside, I do love that I get to choose my two sides. My risotto was a little too creamy for risotto, but the blend of fresh tomato and basil mingling with mozzarella and parmesan made my mind say no and my mouth say yes. My vegetable medley (not pictured) of julienned zucchini and summer squash was perfectly cooked but still crisp. This was probably my favorite side. Ever.

The Jerk Tofu made it a little more sweet n’ sour than I like, but I can’t complain about the firm, a little bit chewy-like-jerky texture, with a flavor that goes all the way through. I’d have to be jerk to hate that.

If an Indian and a Thai had a child, that child would taste like the sweet-laced-with-curry-powder Curry Tofu. Plus mixed children are notoriously attractive so I guess that explains why this sauce was so tasty.

Sometimes you try to create a home away from home with all the comfort of steak from a grill. Unfortunately, this mealy, barely mediocre NY Strip was quite the disappointment. A touch of overcooking didn’t help.

The Alfredo Pasta was loaded with the primavera and tossed in a creamy-but-not-too-creamy sauce. There was more sauce than I liked, but the fettuccine was al dente, and overall this dish was better than any pasta I could have cooked up at home.

It is with a twinge of guilt that I send Northside’s rating south. The quality and freshness of their food isn’t what I’m used to but seems pretty typical for the island. But after recently writing a post about what great foods the islands have, I realized how spoiled I’ve become. We come from the US, a country that never has to want. A country in which to not have something is a rare anomaly, to run out is unacceptable, and the words “out of season” mean nothing more than a few extra dollars tacked onto the price. I stand by with the review I gave Northside, but I encourage you to see the lesson in it too. Learn to cook your in-season food, and more importantly, learn to love what you already have.