The Prettiest Red Snapper

One fine Sunday morning Nik and I grabbed an opportunity and flew to the island of Nevis. I had never been to St. Kitts and Nevis, but others had told me that the smaller island reminded them of Bequia and I was therefore looking forward to the visit. It was a gorgeous day for flying, and I watched from my window with pleasure as we passed the islands of St. Lucia, Martinique, Dominica, Les Saintes, Guadeloupe and Monserrat. As we approached St. Kitts and Nevis I could see Antigua, Saba and Eustatius in the distance, their beauty reminding me of how fortunate I was to live in such a scenic part of the world.

We hired a taxi at the airport in Nevis, and asked the cheerful driver to take us to what he considered the best place on the island for a casual lunch.

“Sunshine’s on de beach”, he said, “home of de Killer Bee rum punch, and de food is good too!”

He took us to Pinney’s Beach, pointed to a ramshackle structure set back from the sea, and promised to collect us in two hours.

Well, Sunshine’s wasn’t much to look at, in fact the place looked downright shabby, but according to the taxi driver the food was good and the rum punch had a “sting”, hence the “Killer Bee” description! Picnic tables shaded with thatched roofs were situated on the beach, one of which was occupied by a lad feeding a tiny monkey with a baby bottle! We entered the dim, funky shack, and worked our way through hanging flags and t-shirts to the bar. To the obvious disappointment of the bartender Nik and I declined the “Killer Bee” rum punch, what kind of tourists were WE? However, the Carib beer was beastly cold and thirst-quenching, and we settled happily at one of the picnic benches to wait for a lunch menu.

The food choices were rather limited, but once the waiter told us that the catch of the day was Mahi Mahi the lack of choice didn’t matter – mahi mahi was by far my favourite seafood and I ordered it with anticipation – I could smell charcoal burning and that was a promising sign! Soon the smell of fresh fish being grilled wafted through the air, and my stomach grumbled with eagerness. The smell reminded me of De Reef in those early days when fish was grilled on a coal pot, such a heavenly aroma!

It wasn’t long before the waiter approached bearing a large platter loaded with two pretty and very large red snappers, which he proudly placed on the table with a flourish. When I pointed out that the fish wasn’t mahi-mahi he just shrugged, and told us that mahi-mahi was the fish tourists understood. Luckily, I love red snapper too and, as it was perfectly grilled, I didn’t mind that the waiter figured my knowledge of fish was close to zero – I WAS a tourist after all, what did I know? That pretty red snapper was by far the best I have ever eaten and I devoured every bit of it with gusto, after all these years it’s a fish lunch that stands out in memory.

Strolling along the beach after lunch I saw a large complex next to Sunshine’s, and discovered it was a recently-built Four Seasons hotel. La di da! I wondered how the fancy hotel with its monied guests got along with the neighbouring funky restaurant with its monkeys and laid-back style. Did they accept it for what it was, or would they try to erase it from the pristine beach? The hotel has had its struggles with hurricanes, in fact the damage caused by Omar in 2008 forced it to close for two years. On hearing this I assumed Sunshine’s was also adversely affected and I was right. The once funky restaurant is evidently wildly popular but now much fancier thanks to renovations, with a posh indoor dining area and an extensive menu.

Progress is usually a good thing and I’m glad Sunshine’s is successful, I just hope they don’t mess with their touristy mahi-mahi that looks and tastes just like red snapper, because that charcoal-grilled fish was divine!