Cuzzin's St. Thomas 6 $$$

Cuzzin’s
This Restaurant is supposed to epitomize the local cuisine of the Caribbean. But located in busy down town it looked more like a tourist trap than a favorite of the locals. Here the food is made as authentically as possibly while still being palatable to tourists. What that meant to me was that it was non of the dishes had any of the spice, kick or flavor the Caribbean is known for.
I ordered the Cuzzin Nemo, a conch, shrimp muscle and lobster stew over angle hair pasta with a side of fried plantain and provisions. Provisions being mashed sweet potatoes. The provisions and plantain were the best part. Anytime I had ever had plantain it was bitter and crispy like a chip, in St. Thomas, plantains are fresh and ripe before they are battered and fried. They come out hot, sticky and sweet on the inside with just the right taste of banana while being crunchy on the outside. The provisions were sweet and were kicked up with large dashes of cinnamon. Really it tasted more like dessert than a vegetable side dish. In contrast the stew tasted more like seafood stroganoff. The creamy sauce was just that, creamy and flavorless. The seafood may have been fresh and juicy and tender but drown in all that cream who knows what it really tasted like.
Kris’ conch stew with sweet chili sauce and pineapple was similarly disappointing and tasted like sweet and sour conch from the local hot wok express. Sweet and otherwise flavorless.
For taste I give Cuzzin’s a 6 their side dishes having saved them from a even worse ratting.
Price is $$$ for two people. Entrees are more than enough food including a salad course.
The atmosphere was actually cute. Old brick building in down town, Cuzzin’s is picturesque in that Caribbean way.
Overall I give Cuzzin’s a 7.