The newest restaurant in downtown Christiansted is sure to invoke a sense of joy when you enter its doors! Introducing Jubilee by Yaadie in St. Croix, this fine dining space is the brainchild of Chef Ashley Ellis. Originally from Jamaica, Chef Ashley relocated to St. Croix in 2019 for a fresh start in a new place as a sous chef at one of the island’s resorts. Equipped with her bachelor’s degree in food service management and culinary arts from the University of Technology in Jamaica, she decided to add to her wealth of work experience. After all, she gained valuable experience at Sandals Resort and a prominent chocolatier in Jamaica followed by a well-known resort in South Florida.
Pop-up dessert sales were the beginning of her entrepreneurial journey on St. Croix. Shortly after, she started a weekly lunch delivery service, providing dishes inspired by her Jamaican roots with a unique twist. Fast forward to mid-2020, Chef Ashley’s lunch deliveries kicked into high gear during the pandemic, especially for hospital frontline workers who were still reporting to work daily. Private chef catering at on-island villas was the next step in her St. Croix culinary journey, providing freshly made meals and snacks for visitors to the island. From there, she dove into marketing her brand on social media with a more concentrated focus on food rather than desserts. As a result, Yaadie in St. Croix emerged with an assortment of culinary offerings including hosting pop-up events like Brunching on the Farm where 80 percent of the dishes prepared were locally sourced. Seeing the way her food and service brought joy to those she prepared dishes for led to her tagline, “Great food with good vibes.”
All these steps led to the grand opening of Jubilee by Yaadie in St. Croix on December 24, 2023 – 12 days after her birthday. While Chef Ashley notes that opening the restaurant has been one the hardest things she’s ever done in her life, she leans on her passion for culinary arts and lessons learned from her late grandmother to keep her going. “I learned about hospitality from my grandmother,” said Chef Ashley. “She was always making sure everyone had great food and were well taken care of when she entertained at her home in Jamaica.” Patsy Pasta is her favorite dish on the menu named after her grandmother who would make pumpkin every Saturday morning. Made with pumpkin cream sauce, fettuccine pasta is tossed together with lobster, spinach, and other veggies. “My grandmother was such a huge part of my culinary journey that having a dish named in her honor was a no-brainer,” recalled Chef Ashley.
Jubilee by Yaadie in St. Croix is in downtown Christiansted at 45 King Street. Their summer hours are Thursday to Saturday from 5pm to 9pm and Sunday Brunch from 10am to 3pm. For reservations, call 340-713-3205. You can visit their Facebook page for updates and specials at facebook.com/TheChefAshleyExperience.
We were delighted to come across a blog article from award-winning travel writer Candyce Stapen describing her recent vacation to St. Croix with her family that included grandparents, parents, and young children. She called the trip ‘magical’ and we can understand why. We’ve lived in St. Croix for over 20 years and we have seen multigenerational families vacationing on our beautiful island. Some friends of ours recently bought their children to visit St. Croix and told us how much fun everyone enjoyed sunny weather, water activities, and “less touristy” atmosphere. Another family we know on St. Croix often see their children and grandchildren visiting the island during school vacation weeks. We met their grandson last year and he told about the magnificent mangroves he saw and the bioluminescence tour (read here).
We recommend reading Candyce Stapen’s article here. She highlights her trip that included visits to these wonderful attractions:
The 3rd annual Emancipation art exhibition “Blackfullness” at Fort Frederik Museum celebrates USVI’s cultural heritage from July 12 through October 2024. The exhibition showcases a diverse array of artwork from local and regional artists, including Waldemar Brodhurst, Jeffrey Rezende, Victoria Rivera, Elisa Mackay, and many more.
“Blackfullness” is a word coined by the late Black feminist Audre Lorde to describe what she loved about her chosen home of St. Croix. Specifically, the Black community that provided her with a sense of great belonging and purpose that transcended place. The late artist and poet’s experience of St. Croix as a healing space and a source of inspiration is echoed in the works of many artists who have drawn from the island’s vibrant community and history.
According to the V.I. Department of Planning and Natural Resource, this year’s exhibition spotlights the spirit of resistance that is at the core of Virgin Islanders’ identity and that is etched into everything that makes Virgin Islands’ cultural production so powerful.
The V.I. Office of Disaster Recovery has announced the launch of the “Own a Lot, Build a Home” First-Time Homebuyers Assistance Program. This new initiative is designed to help Virgin Islands residents who own land but lack the necessary financing to construct a home. The initiative provides a zero percent interest forgivable loan to qualified applicants, easing the financial burden of constructing single-family homes on undeveloped properties. The program plans to utilize disaster recovery funding to help Virgin Islands subsidize expenses relating high construction costs.
The VI Consortium reported that the program provides 50 percent of construction costs to first-time homeowners. On St. Croix, the sum is capped at $498,257; $639,400 on St. Thomas, and $1,09,150 on St. John.
To apply for the landowners who have resided in the territory for at least three years must complete the first-time homebuyers program offered by the V.I. Housing Finance Authority and an application through participating lending institutions Banco Popular or Rural Development. Read more about the program in this VI Consortium article and this VI Daily News article.
Purchasing real estate is likely to be the biggest and most complex financial transaction a person will make in their life. A trusted real estate professional is a strong advocate who understands the information and the process. As experts with knowledge of the local market, we are well prepared to guide Buyers through all the practical details and potential obstacles which may occur during the purchase process.
We are your information resource, negotiator, advocate, problem solver, and calendar watcher. Even if you have bought property in the states, buying in the US Virgin Islands can be different.
Buying real estate is unlike buying anything else. It’s complicated. An experienced Realtor is the close professional ally who can make a world of difference for you. If you are considering buying property here on St. Croix, please contact us, and let’s start working together towards reaching your goals!
In the video below we walk you through the 15 steps to buying a home. Let us know if you have any questions!
