Blind tasting in progress to determine the winner of the Best Table in Saint-Martin.
MARIGOT--Les Galets, a gourmet restaurant in Orient Bay, emerged the winner of the “Best Table in Saint-Martin” trophy when results of the four finalists were announced at Friday night’s closing party for the 2024 Gastronomy Festival. Second place went to Sandy’s Creole Cuisine and third place to Coco Beach.
The four finalists – Les Galets, Le Savannah, Sandy’s Creole Cuisine, Coco Beach – were already winners in their own categories from the first round of judging and faced off against each other in the final competition at Fort Louis Marina on Thursday evening, watched by the public.
La Trattoria won the Best Mixologist contest when results were announced during the awards cere-mony and closing night of the Gastronomy Festival on Friday evening. (Robert Luckock photos)
Starting at 5:00pm each chef had 2½ hours to produce a dish from a mystery basket of ingredients that they did not see beforehand. They had a choice of cooking chicken or duck breast and to incorporate Guavaberry into their recipe. They also had a choice of vegetable, artichoke or christophene, or to use both.
Each chef had to prepare eight plates of the same dish for the eight judges who were blindfolded. At 7:30pm Le Savannah was first to be judged with the other three chefs judged every 10 minutes. The blindfolded chefs, who were placed in a tent away from the contestants, could only rely on taste and smell to make their decisions. Tourism staff assisted to guide the food into their mouths if they became disorientated.
Following the Best Table judging it was the turn of the Mixologists final. The winner was the bartender from La Trattoria with Alizé in second place, and Calmos Café in third place. Each bartender had to describe how they were making their cocktail before presenting it to judges Arthur Sutley, Mia Mastroianni and Phil Wills.
The result of the public’s favourite choice (Coup de Coeur de Public) first place went to Wonderfood, second place to Sandy’s Creole Cuisine and third place to La Terrasse.
The winner of Lycée competition, in which there were six contestants, was Sheaquan Liburd-Davis.
Préfet Vincent Berton, Député for Saint-Martin and Saint Barthélemy Frantz Gumbs and Collectivité First Vice President Alain Richardson each made congratulatory remarks about the festival. Tourism Office President Valérie Damaseau emphasised that Saint-Martin is now referred to as the “Culinary Powerhouse of the Caribbean.”
The special ingredient for next year’s festival was revealed to be passion fruit.
