Carnival Village – St. Thomas

Every year Carnival comes to St. Thomas. People parade through the streets, a queen is crowned, and nightly performances of live music really add some life to this little island. And with large-scale celebrations like this one, it takes a village. This village just happens to be bordered by colorfully painted food booths. Ranging from French fries to tofu to roti, this village easily houses some of the best food options on this island. Some are hits, some are misses, but overall, I’d eat here every day if I could.

I don’t give a Flying Fish about your food-stand qualms. These people from Barbados are clearly onto something. Flaky like cod, darker than butterfish, firmer than tilapia, this breaded filet packs some serious flavor. And no food is complete without a slice of fried-dough Johnnycake, and at a dollar a pop, there’s no reason to miss out.

This King Fish had potential. Meaty fried fish resembling a non-pink salmon steak looked like a sure thing, but this one was fried tragically dry.

Well the Stewed Whelks were a mistake. Too much stewing and no other flavor turned these giant snails into a giant disaster. Snails already sound gross, why try extra hard to make them taste that way? The Shrimp in Butter Sauce was solid but nothing to write home about, and the Rice & Beans were pretty tasty. Overall, not a bad deal for $9.

Sometimes it’s all about the simple things. I’m never too chicken to try something new, but sometimes a perfect Chicken Wing is all you need. I’m not sure if the island chicken is less processed or more farm-raised, or both, but these wings have an amazing flavor – probably the best chicken wings this southern girl ever had. Now if only they sold it with syrup and waffles…

Fresh out of empanada country, I decided to give the Caribbean pate a try. Pronounced like mashed up liver, this flaky pastry shell held some serious potential. The Conch Pate was chewy with a sauce that I can only describe as salty, savory, and darkly delicious, but they skimped on the filling just a bit. The Shellfish Pate was stuffed full of shredded crab, and the Chicken Pate had flavorful marinated meat.

Sadly all good things must come to an end, and carnival ended only a day ago. And with it went some of the best food I’ve had in St. Thomas. I’m hanging onto the hope that the food will get better, but I’m not hanging onto much. I’m sure I’ll find some chicken wings elsewhere, but I’ll miss that flying fish.