NY’s Fatty Crab plans Cruz Bay outpost
Hinds Restaurant in Cruz Bay will not be back for high season, but in its place is a Cruz Bay version of a hot Manhattan restaurant called Fatty Crab.
The restaurant, with one location in the West Village and one on the Upper West Side, will serve Southeast Asian cuisine.
Chef Zakary Pelaccio (a very down to earth guy by all accounts) is Fatty Crab’s creator, and he says his St. John incarnation will draw on local flavors.
“I’m very excited to take advantage of the citrus and fruits that grow on the island, and of course the Caribbean seafood” Zak told us. (Read our brief interview with Zak and hear his thoughts on St. John, here.)
Renovations are in full swing, and Fatty Crab plans to be open in time for high season. You can check out the NY menus here.
So what is a big-time New York chef’s favorite meal on St. John so far? The goat water soup at Sheila’s Pot, he says.
The new chef would probably love some input from his audience. Any advice for the new place? Comment below.
October 6th, 2010 05:17
hi. I hope the best but I have a feeling that this guy has no idea what he is getting into.
Local citrus??? and local ingredients???? this is not a farmers market like union square. have fun dealing with merchants and their bad selection. you cant get half the stuff you will want for your dishes…
October 6th, 2010 07:47
Please have vegetarian options and consider have alternatives for gluten free – dairy free diets!
October 6th, 2010 11:56
love the idea and enthusiasm, like most new business owners have, but please please please at least do a little research ahead of opening: citrus and fruits that grow on the island? nothing grows on this island, everything is imported.
tell me about someone that wants to start a fruit and vegetable farm and now we have a good idea.
October 6th, 2010 20:31
I sure hope us posters can give this guy a good dose of reality. Hinds was empty quite a lot last year as vacationers are holding onto their money in the recession.
We ate at Hinds and the bill for two was 170.- that was during his soft opening. Fatty Crab CAN succeed BUT he needs CHEAP rent to survive, something that does not exist on STJ. Still I wish him the best and HOPE he makes it, for the good of the island.
October 6th, 2010 22:18
In addition to using the citrus and fruit that apparently grow somewhere on STJ, the owners hopefully will buy milk, cheese and ice cream from the local dairy farmers and beef from the local ranchers.
Restaurants fail with astonishing regularity on STJ, even those started up by people who have worked on the island for a while and have a good sense of its realities. This poor guy doesn’t appear to have done any research at all but has already started renovating. The plan so far seems based in fantasy rather than island reality. People used to running businesses in Manhattan could easily go insane trying to run one on STJ.
October 7th, 2010 07:05
Zak, it’s an island. If you didn’t bring it…you ain’t gonna find it here. The Asian markets of Hester St. are a long and expensive way away.
October 7th, 2010 07:53
I agree with the posters above – it sounds like no research was done about the area, especially regarding the “local citrus and fruit” on the island. (Well, unless he meant the menu will be genip-heavy)
I give them the tip o’ my good luck hat anyway. *sigh
October 7th, 2010 09:32
I guess some of you agree with my first comment. but bonnie give me a break with your veg and gluten free stuff. This guy is going to learn from our comments hopefully. It’s will just end up having the same old overpriced lame food that is available at all the other places. except La tapa. luv u and ur food alex!!
October 7th, 2010 12:44
Maybe he ought to check out “Don’t Stop the Carnival” by Herman Wouk, a novel about another New Yorker who tried to make a go of it on a fictional island based on St. Thomas …
October 7th, 2010 12:51
Way to keep it positive “locals”.
” I hope us posters can give this guy a dose of reality”? Really? Wow.
“Restaurants fail with an astonishing regularity on STJ” Again, really? A few have changed hands but 95% are still running just fine. Which is amazing with such a small population.
“nothing grows on this island, everything is imported.”
Josephine’s Greens has some pretty good locally grown items.
Maybe the locals that actually go out and dine on a regular basis and spend money in the St. John economy will support this new business.
How about we let the guy open, eat his food a few times then begin the critique, if it is needed?
C’mon Love City you are better than that.
October 7th, 2010 16:30
beachcomber, I agree.
In recent memory, we all heard the same things about Happy Fish and La Plancha – “they’ll never make it,” “they have no clue what they’re getting into,” “the suppliers suck,” and on and on.
Yet, despite serving sushi in a place where they have to import most of what they use, Happy Fish seems to be one of the most consistently busy restaurants on island, even off-season.
La Plancha is moving up to the Paradiso spot in Mongoose, and eliminating their only current drawback of location.
Restaurants with good food and good people can thrive on this island, but the learning curve is steep and both the Tripadvisor and locals groups decide quickly, and resolutely.
I say give em a good chance (or two!?) to prove themselves.
And Mr. Doe, i disagree with your lack of respect for the non-carnivores out there and people with other dietary needs, particularly since we have quite a tourist and local showing of veg’s and others who would like to see a little diversity on the menus. Picking up a little bit of the Maho crowd may be a great niche to fill, with places like Satyamuna closed… don’t worry, sitting next to a vegan won’t turn you into one, feel free to enjoy your steak.
October 7th, 2010 23:08
Good luck to the new restaurant. Seriously people! Who are the negative nellies above. It will be great to have a new and different place to eat, and I wish them all the luck. They will likely be tweaking this and that, but I hope that Love City is more welcoming and helpful than some of the people posting above. Can’t wait to give it a go!
October 8th, 2010 03:15
All of these comments make me giggle a little! It kind of goes along with what I tell every new guy on the block. KISS LOCAL ASS!!!! They can make or break you and you will do much better if you can get in good with the transplant locals. Tourists ask us all the time where they should eat, and if you have crossed us, we will pretend like you don’t exist, or if you are not so nice, bash you at every turn. This is not meant to be a blanket statement of all of the transplant locals here…but I’ve seen it enough to say that it happens a lot.
The guys over at La Plancha have done an amazing job at incorporating lots of local ingredients. Which we do have
It’s just that they aren’t things most state-siders have ever heard of. Johnathan is very knowledgeable in local produce and he is quite adventurous, so pick his brain a little the next time you are in there.
As for Happy Fish, they have a few things really going for them. An owner that is very very picky about his product, he has absolutely no problem saying, ‘we don’t have it’ when he can’t get the best product. He will even close down if he gets a crap delivery. The next thing is that he appeals to transplant locals AND local locals. My husband and many of my friends are Rasta, and good sushi is something we can all enjoy. It is one of the only places on island that I can say appeals to all segments of our culture, including tourists. It’s made sushi lovers out of many a skeptic.
As for this new place??? Well, I will wait and see. And wish them TONS of luck!
October 8th, 2010 20:13
Good luck Guy’s, it can be done…
Quote from above
“Restaurants with good food and good people can thrive on this island, but the learning curve is steep and both the Tripadvisor and locals groups decide quickly, and resolutely.
I say give em a good chance (or two!?) to prove themselves.”
Also I’d take Julie’s word’s to heart. My son is an executive chef and Raved on Happy Fish, the style, ingredients, Etc. now it’s where we eat on island at least twice a trip. Good luck Guys’
My advice
Don’t pull a Cactus Blu, I looked forward for months, and was really disappointed…….
Do your home work.
See you in February…
I hope you pull it off…..
October 8th, 2010 22:50
man, give us a break, we’ve researched plenty from Josephines Greens to how to import great wine. We realize there’ll be quite a few challenges but look forward to bringing the Fatty experience to your awesome island.
See ya soon!
October 8th, 2010 23:30
you guys will all be “happy as pigs” at The Fatty Crab!
October 9th, 2010 21:01
What? No goodbye to Mr. Hind? We had a lovely meal there- celebrated Mother’s Day in fine style. I enjoyed it….meanwhile wait and see. I kind of want to know what fruits and veggies he’s talking about. I get alot of stuff from Pius, the importer from Dominica at the corner of centerline road and 104, Josephine and my back yard. Not enough to base a restaurant on. Maybe he’ll serve blackened lionfish?
October 12th, 2010 11:29
Best of luck in this new venture, Fatty Crab people!
I am looking forward to something different on the menu.
Some of those negative comments (which I’d like to believe aren’t by people who actually live here) will make me root for you even harder.
October 16th, 2010 19:05
Your menu is cool in NY. I’m lookin forward to Feburary….. :]
October 26th, 2010 21:05
Huge fan of both Fatty Crab (and its sister restaurants in NYC, Cabrito and Fatty ‘Cue) and St. John. I know from eating at Fatty Crab that sourcing local, high quality ingredients is paramount. It seems that there is a growing source of these items in St. John. Of course, on this island of Manhattan things need to be brought in as well-these guys have found a way to open a handful of great spots in Manhattan and I’m sure their ethos and passion will serve them well in St. John.
The dining scene in St. John is in for a real treat. You guys should be stoked that you’re going to get a chance to try something new and exciting. The food is inventive and fun, it’s relaxed, and it’s even special in New York City, and I hope they’re welcomed with open arms by St. Johnians who love the special, the unique and the spicy. Also–the cocktails are most excellent and I know that’ll make more than a few locals happy.
December 21st, 2010 10:21
Hey, all you locals that responded to this post, how about your St. John favs for we tourists ? I would love feedback about what is good and what to skip. Thanks
January 25th, 2011 12:23
Good luck to Fatty Crab. I love the West Side Fatty Crab in Manhattan and was ecstatic to hear that the St. John location should be open when my family is there in August. Cannot wait.