No Reservations Season 7 Episode 1: Caribbean Island Hopping
Season 7 premieres with Tony visiting the Grenadine Islands in the Caribbean. Tony tells the audience he has been to the Caribbean many times before and is glad to have a chance to visit the Grenadine Islands. Tony mentions that in the Grenadine Islands there is no TV, no airport and no communication, just the way he likes it.
Tony visits a remote beach accessible by boat, and enjoys lunch with friends at Beach Bar & Eat. The proprietor grills up fresh marlin served with a veggie slaw and plenty of rum punch, followed by margaritas.
Next Tony visits L’Auberge de Grenadines for a meal created by chef and owner Vanessa, a CIA-trained Vincentian, who cooks a wonderful menu of christophine au gratin seafood casserole, conch gratin tart and Yardie coq au vin.
Tony is taken on a locals hunt at night for a rodent-like creature that resembles an opossum. Tony tells the audience they plan on eating their catch but he is not interested in partaking of the tail since its too much like rat for him. The men warn Tony that the animal can be dangerous if it bites you since it won’t let go. The men scramble up trees to harpoon their targets as Tony and the camera crew watch below, the scene shown through night vision goggles. Once the men have caught enough of their prey, they cook them over a fire, make a stew with dumplings and drink as they eat their catch. The hunt is a local tradition that ends up being a good excuse for a guys night out.
Tony is back on a boat speeding over water the next day. Tony tells the audience that speed boats drive up to your vessel and sell all sorts of items for use, including bread and ice. Having imbibed too much the previous day at Beach Bar & Eat and the rat hunt, Tony’s stomach is queasy as he meets his friend Clement for breakfast at Tante Pearl, a family-run restaurant. The proprietor’s husband grills as she cooks. She serves up a fish head dish, conch curry and pickled pig parts, all of which Tony loves.
Back on the boat with some of the locals, Tony tells the audience fishing scenes for the show are lethal. This particular day the waves are very strong, compared to yesterday when the waves were placid. Tony feels seasick as the boat members are bounced harshly and the boat speeds along its way. Lines are cast out and Tony manages to catch a barracuda, a triumph for him since typically the show’s crew must purchase a stunt fish from a local store for these types of scenes. Tony hangs with the neighborhood guys who cook up his ocean catch for him to eat.
Tony is taken by a local guide through the bush to taste cocoa from its pod and to dive for crawfish. Tony, crew and guide dive into the waters, catching crawfish using small nets. The guide cooks up a crawfish stew with grated coconut and spicy peppers, accompanied by grilled plantains, which Tony proclaims is delicious. On another sea adventure, Tony dives with dive master Kay Wilson and gets a close up view of the sea life in the area.
Tony’s final meal is what is considered on the wrong side of town, a dangerous area that apparently has numerous fans of the show at the restaurant. Bullie’s Bar serves up a meal of callaloo with hot sauce, a Caribbean dish, accompanied by bread fruit and plantain. Next Tony enjoys cowhead soup, which Tony says has a really nice flavor. As the film crew joins Tony at the bar, a montage of clips from the episode shows the wonders of the Grenadine Islands that Tony aptly calls “paradise”.
