Three, two, one ON THE AIR! …and the second LIVE remote was a happening from Brandywine Bay Restaurant, Tortola, British Virgin Islands. Malcolm Boyes, sitting in for Robin Hicks-Connors (who's off on a European trip of her own), and Chef Davide Pugliese in the guest seat, the good times began to role. At the top of the show, Radio Man, Talkin' Tourism host Gary Guertin gave shout outs to all the great folks that made the trip and the show possible, including Jerry from Jerry’s Car Rentals, our St. Thomas taxi driver, the Love Cab, and U.S. and BVI Customs and Immigration for a smooth entry. What are the Treasure Coast connections to the show? For one, Freddie “John” Wilson from Stuart, Florida, owner of Casa Allamanda, which has become Gary and Misti’s second home in the BVI. Thanks Freddie!
For listeners who may not have known exactly where in the world Tortola is, Malcolm provided a geography lesson and shared how easy it is to travel to this tropical paradise from the U.S. With geography lesson out of the way, the stories began to roll on when and how Malcolm, Chef Davide and Gary fell in love with the BVI. Remarkably, three very different people had eerily similar tales to tell. Each revolved around a woman and the love of the “Caribbean Way." Fast-forwarding to the present, Gary and Malcolm headed for the topic of the day, Culinary Tourism in the Caribbean. Chef Davide was certainly up to the task as he began to describe how he began his career, and what influenced him in the development of his style of combining classic Italian with the best of the Caribbean. Availability of product, creative use of standard (and not so standard) ingredients and passionate creativity all combined to create the Chef Davide “signature” that has become so popular in his restaurants in Tortola and elsewhere. A few questions listeners will hear answered when listening to the show include: Is the current food media hype in broadcast, print and elsewhere creating higher expectations for the dining public? Besides excellence in food quality and preparation, what is the second most important part of the dining experience?
Sprinkled in the mix of laughs and stories, was an assortment of more “Treasure Coast Connections," how Malcolm received his island name--Manpot--and from whom, and a discussion of the current state of affairs with the invasive Lionfish in the BVI.
Saving the best for last, Chef Davide explained his new creation for the ultimate culinary tourism experience, Wali Nikiti, located on private Scrub Island, BVI.
Before you listen to this part of the show, YOU HAVE TO VIEW THE PHOTOS! Then, and only then, will it all make sense. For example, how can a house have no walls, corners or windows? And, what the heck does Wali Nikiti mean? (BVI). With celebrity guest co-host
Thanks for listening! We know you'll have as much fun as we did doing it! And, for those of you with DIF (dreaded island fever)--you know who you are, fix yourself a rum drink, and get ready to escape to paradise, even if it's just for one hour. Here's the audio link to the show. And, below are several photo albums for your viewing pleasure.
See you for another fun-filled hour this coming Friday!
NEWS FLASH---The Talkin' Tourism crew was among the thousands impacted by the Spirit Airlines strike. We're 'stranded' on Tortola and return flights are a little hard to get, so we'll be in the BVI a bit longer than expected. The good news? We'll be doing another LIVE show this Friday, June 18, from the BVI. If you're on Florida's Treasure Coast, you can catch the show on your radio dial at WPSL 1590 AM. If you're anywhere else in the world, catch the show on the Internet at www.wpsl.com. The fun begins at 10 a.m.!
