It is remarkable how Anguilla has bounced back after Hurricane Irma, but there is a noticeable loss. Smokey’s at the Cove was our go-to place on Saturday afternoons. I remember our first trip to Anguilla, and walking down to Smokey’s from the CuisinArt. We heard the Musical Brothers playing Bob Marley tunes and Christmas carols, and it was as if we had found our heaven on earth. But Irma came, Smokey’s was heavily damaged, and the Gumbs family had no plans for reopening. We had pretty much given up on Smokey’s being anything but a memory. Then we found our way to The Place.
Rumor had it that “Smokes,” the chef from Smokey’s, was now at The Place, also owned by the Gumbs Family. It also turns out that The Musical Brothers were performing there on Saturday afternoons, so we knew where we would be heading. Following the signs off the main road, the first thing you see is the building with the painting of Jeremiah Gumbs. Jeremiah Gumbs was one of the leaders for Anguillan independence from the Federation of St. Kitts-Nevis- Anguilla. For a bit of background on the revolution, read here about the history of the Bay of Piglets. For a lovely tribute to Jeremiah, here is a good read which was published in The Anguillan upon his passing in 2004 at age 91.
The Place is located on Rendezvous Bay and the restaurant is airy with high ceilings and great views.
The menu had many of our favorites from Smokey’s, like my favorite, the jerk chicken.
Our daughter ordered her favorite, the curried goat, and my husband ordered the curried chicken.
The Musical Brothers are always a treat and this Saturday was no exception.
So it looks as though we have a new tradition — Saturday afternoons at The Place!
All images in this post were shot on the Canon EOS 1v using Fuji Provia RDP III and Kodak Portra 800, and processed and scanned by Richard Photo Lab.
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