Best of Four: Mustique

 

The mystique of Mustique lies in the fact that most people haven’t heard of it. That’s because there are no scheduled flights or ferries to reach it; many think it’s a paradise accessible only to celebs and considering that only those with the deepest desire for serenity and privacy should go to Mustique that just might be true. While you can sail to it on a private yacht or take the commuter flight from Barbados, returning may not be so easy.  You may never want to.

 

STAY Cotton House

With the Caribbean Sea on the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the Cotton House is an 18th Century warehouse and sugar mill that was converted into Mustique’s only full-service hotel on an island filled with exclusive villas.  Designed in Caribbean character by Oliver Messel, there is a surprising lack of formality and the casualness appeals to the celebs.  Sip a cup of afternoon tea by the Lily pond, dive into the plunge pool, and enjoy a candlelit, al fresco dinner for two under the stars to the soundtrack of crashing waves.  Sound like paradise yet?

www.cottonhouseresort.com or call 800-223-1108 (U.S. & Canada) or 0800-894-057 (U.K.)

 

EAT Basil’s Bar & Restaurant

Basil’s on Britannia Bay is the island’s only restaurant on the pier with the lapping waves, strong rum punch and ‘today’s catch’ on the long menu.  Enjoy curried conch or a juicy burger on a terrace on stilts as time stands still and greedy seagulls anticipate your leftovers.  Basil’s is also home to Mustique’s annual Blues Festival.

 

Sunset at Firefly

Decorated with Balinese flair, Firefly is perched on a cliff and the place to be seen. The restaurant offers the best view of the island’s sunset and is home of the exclusive “Mustique Martini Club” (you must drink fourteen to be a member). All the martinis are pretty and potent, named after bugs like “Tetsi fly” and “Jitterbug”.  A favorite is “Praying Mantis” an exotic infusion of lemongrass and ginger-infused vodka and cointreau.  Cheers!

www.mustiquefirelfy.com

 

ENJOY Macaroni Beach

Powered by a mule (a Kawasaki golf cart, not a donkey), residents glide over the gentle, green hills to visit the white sand beaches.  Located on the east coast of the island, Macaroni Beach with the whitest of white sand and clear blue water is hands down one of the top ten strips of beach in the Caribbean.  Well-equipped gazebos provide comfortable picnic tables and Cotton House will provide a picnic-to-go on short notice. In this private sanctuary you can also rustle up a game of beach volleyball, and follow it with a swim in the caressing, warm waters.   

 

- Anjali Mansukhani

 

 

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Everybody Knows

SHARON ROBINSON

 

Already renowned in the music industry, this Grammy winning songwriter/producer has had many of her songs recorded by the likes of Patti Labelle, Randy Crawford, Chris Botti and Diana Ross. And after decades of collaborating with the legendary Leonard Cohen in countless projects, Robinson has stepped into the spotlight with her first solo CD titled “Everybody Knows”.

 

Sharon’s soulful voice is perfectly showcased in this impeccable labor of love that reminds us of an era when lyrics carried a punch and actually had a message, and the melodies resonated long after the CD stopped playing.  Take the first track, “Invisible Tattoo”, in which she describes the mark certain people leave on our lives long after they’re gone.  Or the smooth, melodious tune of “Secondhand.”  There’s no need to wait for the next Sade or miss the impact Oleta Adams had with her debut.  Robinson’s here and her offering is nothing less than extraordinary.

 

Everybody Knows (Sharon Robinson) at www.sharonrobinson.net

 

- Victor Riobo

 

 

 

 

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THE AMERICAN WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL - Since its inception in 1982, the Puck-Lazaroff Charitable Foundation has supported the American Wine & Food Festival, raising more than $15 million for the Los Angeles Chapter of Meals On Wheels. This organization serves thousands of meals each day to Los Angeles’ homebound, senior and disabled citizens. If you missed last year's event here's your chance to make a difference, this year's event will be held on October 3, 2009.

www.awff.org

 

 

MACY'S PASSPORT - In 2007 Passport celebrated its 25th anniversary, surpassing $27 million raised for the HIV/AIDS organizations that serve our local communities. One of the best-loved fashion theatre events in America, it's also the one with the biggest heart. For information on the 2009 event visit the Macy's Passport site for updates.