Green Roof Inn, Happy Hour & Dinner, May 10, 2008 (Saturday Evening)

Kendall and I decide to stop at The Green Roof Inn for a glass of wine and a sunset viewing. We drive past this restaurant/inn right outside the main town of Hillsborough, Carriacou every single day and never go in. A high, white wooden fence encloses the Victorian-style, gingerbread trimmed inn in a shroud of privacy and exclusiveness. But as soon as we swing through the gate, we see that this guesthouse, owned and operated by a young Swedish couple, is just a simple, Zen-like retreat. There are wooden platforms and comfy couches, big cushions and hammocks strewn in a lackadaisical manner that evokes an easy, living space. Indeed, the Inn is home to the couple and their two children, an eleven-year-old blond island boy and a new baby.

Guana and I sip glasses of wine, a Sauvignon blanc for me and a Cabernet sauvignon for him. The view is stunning. We can see Union Island to our right and Hillsborough harbor to our left. We watch as a trio of catamarans tie together to form a big party raft and another catamaran shows up and asks to join in.

The staff at the Green Roof Inn restaurant consists of island women who have worked there since they were teenagers. Lesley Anne, the chef, started as a waiter ten years ago. Susan is a bubbly, know-it-all, with a contagious smile and super-friendly manner. It is because of their inviting personalities, and the appeal of the tables set with simple linens, place mats and checkered cloth napkins with fresh picked flowers from the garden, that we ask to reserve a table for two for later. Both Susan and Lesley Anne know Kendall since they all went to high school together, so they giggle and tease in that “I’ve known you all my life” way. I share a recipe for a lime pie crust with Lesley Anne and we are soon bonding over cooking tips.

Kendall and I finish our glasses of wine, and head home to get ready. We decide it will be a special night for us. A romantic dinner for two and a chance to experience a new menu on our little island where we always believe we have seen it all until we unexpectedly stumble onto a new place, beach or people. The simplicity of just going somewhere new on Carriacou means we are singing and dancing to Bob Marley’s Jammin’ as we prepare for the evening out.

And we are not disappointed. The dinner is fabulous. We get our small table for two overlooking the harbor. Lights shine from masts of yachts anchored nearby. I order the grilled tuna with pine nuts and Kendall orders the pork nicoise with cognac sauce. The plates arrive and the food is presented in attractive expert stacks constructed with wedge potatoes on the bottom, then alternating with hefty portions of tuna and pork along with sliced carrots and green peppers as colorful trim. A side bowl of rice to share and a fresh green salad with ruby red tomatoes as well as a bread basket round out the meal for a satisfying good time. Although I order the tuna, I cannot help but sample Kendall’s pork nicoise. The cognac sauce is excellent, while the pork is a bit over-salted. I order the tuna medium and it is served medium well, but still delicious.

I have noticed a trend at many Caribbean restaurants to cook their entrees “more” than it would be done in the States. So, a “medium-well” steak is “well done,” and a “medium” steak is cooked “medium-well.” Just adjust your requests accordingly and all will be fine. Remember, you could always get it cooked more, if needed.

Dessert is out of this world. Lesley Anne’s chocolate tart (a rich chocolate cake) with a cinnamon ice cream is so mouth-watering, that poor Kendall, who orders it, barely gets a bite in, before I switch plates with him, passing over my austere lime pie to dig into his voluptuous dessert. Our waiter, Susan, takes pity on him and kindly reverses the plates, telling Kendall to eat up, to my chagrin. Hrmpf! But I’m writing a BLOG! I need to eat everything. Yeah, right, nice excuse, Miss Piggy! Check it out at www.greenroofinn.com.