When a well-renowned restaurant closed its doors on St. Croix in 2020, the entire community was left with a void that many were unsure could ever be filled. Less than two years later, the doors to this former popular eatery opened again. This time, a locally owned fine dining restaurant was discovered on the other side of its doors. With clean, minimalist decor and a warm, inviting ambiance, the true surprise is what awaits guests once they cross the threshold.
Unda de Gooseberry Tree is the vision of owner Michael Rey. “The focus for Gooseberry – as it’s affectionately called – is to keep our local heritage, culture, and traditions alive through food,” said Rey. “As the richness of Caribbean flavors continue to spread across the world, we want to remind everyone – locals and visitors alike – of where the explosion of taste began.” No stranger to hard work in the kitchen, Rey has had his fair share of successful restaurants on St. Croix. From the delicious slices of piping hot pizza slices from Pizza Mar to the hearty, home cooked meals of Oceanview Caf, Rey has fed St. Croix masses for over 20 years. Once he learned that the former restaurant’s location was available, he stepped in to start the process of revamping the space to give it a modern look and feel. “We want guests to have more than a delicious meal, but also a restaurant atmosphere that provides an overall dining experience that keeps you coming back for more.”
Gooseberry focuses on preparing food that combines recipes passed down from generations with bold, new pairings highlighting the darling tangy fruit, the gooseberry. The Caribbean gooseberry differs from other gooseberries found around the world. Green in color and tart in flavor, it is often cooked down into a stew and sweetened with brown sugar, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves. Rey has successfully incorporated the fruit in a variety of dishes ranging from appetizers and entrees to cocktails and desserts. Gooseberry opened to the public on February 14, 2022. Much like its predecessor, the restaurant hopes to be around for decades to come as the backdrop for their guests’ most memorable moments. Unda de Gooseberry Tree is currently open for dinner Thursday through Saturday from 6pm to 9pm. To make a reservation, visit their website at www.gooseberrytree.com or call (340) 690-5115.
Article written by Anquanette Gaspard (agaspard@cruzanfoodie.com) for Coldwell Banker, St. Croix Realty
The Office of the Lieutenant Governor recently had banking board meetings held with local banks territory-wide which include Oriental Bank, Bank of St. Croix, FirstBank, Banco Popular, Merchants Commercial Bank and the Economic Development Bank. The banks reported that they have been approving more construction loans and increasing collaboration with the V.I. Housing Finance Authority which has programs aimed at aiding locals with homeownership. According to the VI Consortium, “the increase in approval of loans tied to home construction and homeownership in the territory follows complaints from lawmakers who argue that while local banks store hundreds of millions of government funds, they have not done enough to make funding accessible to locals looking to become first-time homeowners.” Read the full article here.
Starting today, the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s HOPE Crew (in partnership with the Nature’s Conservancy) will be having a two-week masonry training at Estate Little Princess St. Croix. The Estate Little Princess was established in 1749 and is a historically and culturally important site. The HOPE Crew program brings preservation and preservation trades to a younger audience. In partnership with CHANT’s (Crucian Heritage and Nature Tourism) Invisible Heritage pre-apprenticeship program, HOPE Crew will focus on training five local youth in masonry techniques. Read full article on the St. Croix Source here.
The St. Croix ground lizard is so rare. Since 1969, the indigenous lizard had not been found on St Croix, having been eliminated by mongoose, rats, and degraded habitats. Recently, the Department of Planning and Natural Resources has experimentally returned the namesake St. Croix Ground Lizard to St. Croix for the first time in 50 years. It is one of the world’s most endangered reptiles!
In an effort to help recover the species from being endangered, the Division of Fish and Wildlife has reintroduced two experimental populations to St. Croix. Since 2020, a big cooperative project with different partners have tried to create an environment more friendly to the indigenous lizard population.
Organizations involved in the project include: Division of Fish and Wildlife, the University of the Virgin Islands, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. National Park Service, DPNR Coastal Zone Management Division, St. Croix Environmental Association, California Academy of Sciences, and Texas A&M University.
In March, Governor Albert Bryan announced that he plans on making St. Croix 100 percent solar-powered by partnering with a major energy firm that could build and maintain a solar plant powerful enough to easily energize the 84-square mile island. He cites that the rising cost of fuel could cause utility bills to go up and this could threaten the economy. He hopes to accomplish this in months and said, “I told my people think about it as we need to get the whole island energized in 90 days…” and avoid the high utility costs that the island experienced in 2008 and 2009.
The Virgin Islands Consortium also reported that Governor Bryan why he is prioritizing St. Croix for implementation. He said, “The reason why we’re looking at St. Croix is because it’s the easiest in terms of topography. We already had a 25 megabit plant that we were looking to install here, so it’s just fast-tracking everything.”
The newest addition to the retail space in downtown Christiansted is all about elevating style and fashion in sustainable ways. Introducing Southern Saint! Southern Saint is a premier island lifestyle brand founded on the shores of the U.S. Virgin Islands. It began as a shared vision three years ago by two entrepreneurs: Matthew Ridgway, owner of Caribbean Sea Adventures and contemporary artist Briana Casale Cox. From there, the idea between these two entrepreneurial minds further developed into creating clothing and swimwear that fit the unique personality of the islands: boat wear with a flair made of fabrics you want to live in. All items are designed on island in the studio by Briana and her assistant designer, Coral Hamilton and produced around the world.
“The name of the brand truly reflects the U.S. Virgin Islands,” said store manager and buyer Haylee Duke. St. Croix is the southernmost island of the three U.S. Virgin Islands “Saints” and the brand’s logo features the ever-popular mongoose; the animal originally brought in by the Danish to resolve the rodent problem on sugar plantations.
In the making for over three years, Southern Saint’s merchandise was ready to roll out at the start of the pandemic. Products were initially carried at St. Croix Surf Company before opening its doors of their retail space in September 2021. Here you will find swimwear for all shapes and sizes that allows ease of movement while working and playing on the water. There is no shortage of fashionable men’s wear either. According to Duke, Southern Saint is focused on giving men options to elevate their styles. “We noticed there was a gap in men’s fashion options on the island and we try to close that gap with Southern Saint.”
Sustainability is key for this luxury lifestyle brand. All clothes in the store are made from natural fibers like bamboo, linen and 100% organic cotton hand dyed with natural ingredients like roots and berries. The bathing suits are made from recycled materials, towels are made from discarded plastic water bottles and there is even a line of shorts made from coconuts! To shop their collection, visit southernsaintvi.com or check them out in person at their retail location on the corner of Queen Cross Street & Strand Street.
Article written by Anquanette Gaspard (agaspard@cruzanfoodie.com) for Coldwell Banker, St. Croix Realty
