#FoodieFriday is here again and this week, let’s sink our teeth into the warm folds of a pate (pronounced Pah Tay)! You have not lived a full life until you have enjoyed eating a saltfish, beef or veggie pate with a passion fruit juice to wash it all down. I’m literally salivating as I type these words…

Don’t confuse Virgin Islands pate with Jamaican patties or empanadas or meat pies. Yes, they all consist of a meeting of some form of meat or fillings wrapped in dough. However pates in the Virgin Islands – specifically in St. Croix – are unlike anything I’ve had anywhere else in the world. These savory treats typically have this crispy, crunchy dough with a slight softness to it.

Your pate experience can be a complete failure if the dough isn’t done right. The same goes for the fillings. The usual suspects for pate fillings are beef, saltfish, chicken, conch or veggie. The beef has to be seasoned to perfection – not too salty, not too bland. The saltfish has to have the right balance of onions and peppers to fish with NO BONES! The conch has to be soft and tender. You get my point here, right? Great dough + delicious filling = a delicious snack that you can’t pass up!

Now that I’ve made you salivate, you’re probably wondering ‘where can I get a pate when I visit St. Croix?’ The best ones are found in the food trucks all around the island. Much like my directions from the Armstrong Ice Cream post, it’s going to be a bit challenging to guide you to these spots. St. Croix isn’t known for their abundance of street signs and clear directions. We’re more of a “take a left by the pink house and make the right after the mango tree on the left.” This makes the adventure to find these spots all the more exciting AND rewarding!

Here are three #CruzanFoodieApproved places to get pates on St. Croix from Monday through Friday!

Mr. Thomas Silver Truck – Christiansted

Recently featured on Andrew Zimmern’s Bizarre Foods on the Travel Channel, Mr. Thomas’s Truck is usually located on the street between the old Charles Harwood Hospital and Juanita Gardine Elementary School. However, Hurricane Maria has relocated him to the Pueblo Golden Rock Shopping Center. If this sounds absolutely foreign to you, find the nearest Crucian and they will direct you there! His pates are large enough for a full meal! He also has local juices like passion fruit, sorrel and chlorophyll to help wash down your hearty pate. The chicken is my personal favorite. Be sure to try it when you go!

Miss Rosa in Whim – Frederiksted

I honestly don’t even know HOW to begin to direct you to Miss Rosa. I’ll try my best to use my Crucian directions with this one. She’s across the street from the baseball field in the Whim neighborhood in Frederiksted. She’s open Monday to Friday (usually) but don’t be surprised if you pull up to her booth at the front of her yard and it’s all locked up. This is the epitome of island living – we’re open when we’re open and closed when we’re not lol

Miss Corine Food Truck – Christiansted

Miss Corine is parked under the big tree by the bus shanty by Water Gut in downtown Christiansted. Turn down the street directly in front of Singh’s Fast Food and you’ll meet her truck at the end of the street. Again, consult the nearest Crucian for directions or hit me up via email and I’ll do my best to direct you with a phone call! You have to get to her earlier in the day because her pates sell out quickly! She starts selling around 11am but by 1pm, her pates are usually sold out.

Have you tried pates on St. Croix before? Where are your go-to spots? Share them below and be sure to share this #FoodieFriday post on your social media channels!

Until Next Friday,

Q the Cruzan Foodie