When the Westin Resort and Villas restaurant Chole and Bernard’s shut its doors over the summer, it left a fine dining hole on the hotel’s property and on the island.
Next month that hole will be filled when Cruz Bay Prime opens at the location. The restaurant will be operated by Westin Resort and will feature prime U.S.D.A. beef as well as fresh seafood selections and locally grown produce, according to the resort’s interim general manager Kim Chappell.
“The beef is about as good as you can get,” said Chappell. “We’re working with our purveyors now and we’re also working to have our vegetables and produce grown locally just for the restaurant.”
Cruz Bay Prime will be open five nights a week for dinner and will also feature several appetizer options and traditional steak house family style side dishes.
While the menu is sure to be out of this world, the prices will be down to Earth, Chappell added.
“Price wise, we’re really working to keep things down,” he said. “The cost of steaks are high, but we’re going to make sure that everything is reasonably priced. We don’t want people to think that just because it’s a hotel restaurant the prices will be astronomical.”
“The menu prices will be similar to other first class restaurants in town, if not a bit lower,” Chappell said.
The restaurant will also be a causal affair, with no dress code, Chappell added.
“It’s going to be first class, but not fancy,” he said. “You can still come in and enjoy our food in shorts. It won’t be stuffy or fancy, it’ll be fun.”
Resort officials are currently hiring a chef and full staff and expect to have Cruz Bay Prime open by December 16.
With the new steak house restaurant on site, Westin St. John hopes to attract a loyal following of hotel and timeshare guests as well as locals.
“We’re really excited about this and we hope that it will become a restaurant where people are going to want to come back again and again,” said Chappell. “We want to accommodate our timeshare and hotel guests and attract locals as well.”
Cruz Bay Prime will feature live music on Friday and Saturday nights and will serve dinner from around 5:30 to approximately 10 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. For more information call the hotel at 693-8000.
