On a vacation with the family in Barbados, Mel and Bob Blanchard (of the Vermont-based Blanchard & Blanchard specialty foods company) stumble upon a tiny restaurant/shack on a Caribbean beach:

I marveled at the ingenuity of the set-up. A secluded spot, sand like flour, customers arriving in bathing suits. The guy barely lifted a finger, cleared at least $35.00, and gave us a lunch we'd remember forever.... The man had sold us a frame of mind. So begins the Blanchards' 10-year pursuit of the illusory notion of "island time." In a literary heartbeat, they abandon the "concrete jungle" that was Vermont and open a restaurant on a little-known island in the British West Indies called Anguilla ("rhymes with vanilla"). Narrated by Mel Blanchard, A Trip to the Beach dispels tired notions of the Caribbean--the steel drums, the lush landscapes, and acres of swaying palm trees--and instead focuses on the understated elegance and easy rhythms of the sublimely "flat, and scrubby" island. Though lacking the richness and finesse of Frances Mayes, and the wit and wisdom of Peter Mayle, Mel Blanchard nonetheless forges a new path in travel writing as the Martha Stewart of the Caribbean. A remarkably intuitive and inspired chef, Mel writes poignant passages on running a kitchen in Anguilla. Here she exposes the meat of the story, sharing her many outrageous adventures--how to cater to pampered and demanding guests, how to cook for a full restaurant in the darkest of island night with no electricity, how to prepare for recurring and utterly devastating hurricanes that wipe out your business. In these chapters the writing is as good as her cooking--inspiring, colorful, and easily digestible. Although she sometimes relies heavily on well-worn clichés and expresses naïve and rather privileged assumptions--"Why would anyone choose to live surrounded by concrete and traffic rather than fishing boats, water and palm trees?"--discerning readers will see the true nature of this tiny island--a place of simplistic beauty that struggles to maintain its independence while it depends on tourism for its livelihood. With a strange concoction of anecdotes, island politics, recipes, and sweet memories, the Blanchards seduce readers with the allure of "island time," bringing Anguilla home to the rest of us. --Daphne Durham


From Publishers Weekly
To those weary of the rat race, the prospect of moving to a tropical land and opening a bistro sounds like a dream: balmy weather, blue skies and not a care save for which number sunblock to wear. Melinda and Bob Blanchard couldn't pass up the chance to live out that dream, and their resulting adventure is recounted in this prosaic memoir, presented as a slim volume narrated by Melinda. These two Vermonters, burned out from their ownership of a specialty food company, impulsively decided to go out on a limb and move to the Caribbean island of Anguilla to open a restaurant. Upon their first foray into negotiations with the locals, they nearly scrapped the plan and returned home, but perseverance and their own acceptance of "island time" customs helped them to stick it out. The authors tell of the obstacles involved in launching a business in a place where goats crossing the road can be a town's major daily event. Chapters relate typical issues of negotiating rent, finding building supplies and locating such ingredients as free-range chicken and baby squash, always ending in a sigh as the restaurant staff wraps up yet another fabulous night at Blanchard's. Despite a moderately gripping third section that details a fierce hurricane, the action moves along at a languid pace; even with the inclusion of some savory recipes, this bland tale lacks an original and appealing hook. Author tour. (Oct.) Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
Following their dream, the Blanchards sold their specialty food business, Blanchard & Blanchard, and moved to a favorite Caribbean vacation spot, Anguilla. Here is the story of how the couple ended up running a successful restaurant on Anguilla that is frequented by celebrities. The narrative vividly describes how they set up the restaurant, now simply called Blanchards, from signing a lease, receiving work permits, and trying to locate building and food suppliers to the nervousness and near disasters of the first weeks of business. In one case, the local laundry service marked all of their table linens with black marker to distinguish them from those of other locations, requiring immediate and expensive replacements. Mouth-watering descriptions of old and new recipes that have made Blanchards a popular dining spot are mingled with descriptions of their neighbors, the climate, and their activities. Absorbing and well written, this is most suitable for public libraries.-DAlison Hopkins, Queens Borough P.L., Jamaica, NY Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From AudioFile
Walking away from one's home in Vermont to open a restaurant in Anguilla sounds both frightening and fascinating. But husband and wife team Melinda and Bob Blanchard took the plunge. Melinda gives a delightfully honest account of their struggles to open and manage a restaurant on an island that has very little of what is needed to accomplish the task. Overcoming near impossible circumstances with restaurant supplies, employees, weather conditions, and demanding guests, Melinda discloses the love they discovered for Anguilla and its inhabitants, as well as the deep happiness and satisfaction they found in achieving their dream. B.J.P. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine


From Booklist
The Blanchards, husband and wife, operated their own specialty-food company in Vermont, and after several vacations on the Caribbean island of Anguilla, they realized that "one of the most enviable Anguillian traits is the innocent ability to relax." Wanting to take advantage of the fact that stress is not an Anguillian concept, the Blanchards decided to open a restaurant on the tiny island paradise. For a while, though, it looked as if their endeavor was going to be living proof of the old axiom: be careful what you wish for. The restaurant they bought to remodel was "a disaster." Building materials had to be brought from the U.S., as did all the kitchen and dining room equipment, and staff had to be hired and a menu devised. And once the restaurant was open, there was a devastating hurricane to contend with. But all's well that ends well, for recently their restaurant was given an award of excellence by a wine connoisseur magazine. Their experiences make delightful armchair reading. Brad Hooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

FROM OUR EDITORS

Our Review
A Labor of Love in Paradise
Melinda and Robert Blanchard, authors of A Trip to the Beach, have made every traveler's fantasy their reality. After a lifetime of sun-kissed vacations on the gorgeous Caribbean island of Anguilla, they decided to trade their life in snowy Vermont for an existence of sea breezes, sandy beaches, and spectacular sunsets.

But don't get too jealous of the Blanchards' move to paradise -- it wasn't all palm trees and trade winds. That's because the Blanchards' decision to move included a unique twist on the familiar tale of the couple that ditches the rat race for a more laid-back way of life. The Blanchards, lifelong gourmands, decided to move to Anguilla to open a restaurant.

Getting a restaurant up and running is backbreaking work no matter where you are. But when you're on an island where the national pastime is "limin' " (sitting in the shade watching life go by) and every piece of equipment for the kitchen and every ingredient for the menu must be procured by traversing international waters, opening a restaurant that will cater to the world's most discriminating palates is an unfathomable task. To say the least, the Blanchards had no idea what they were getting themselves into.

For the Blanchards, the successful proprietors of the Blanchard & Blanchard specialty food business, planning the look of the restaurant and the dishes on the menu came naturally. But for foreigners living and working on the island, navigating the local rules and regulations was a real challenge.

Anguilla operates on "island time," a far cry from the pace the Blanchards were used to. But the countless frustrations they faced were mitigated by their carefully cultivated friendships with a compelling cast of island natives. With lots of help from their friends, Melinda and Bob were able to create an award-winning restaurant and transform themselves into true islanders.

Melinda and Bob's experiences with building, opening, and running Blanchard's make for a delightfully delicious and entertaining read. Tales of navigating customs, shipping building supplies from a Home Depot in Miami and importing food and wine from around the world are great comedies of errata, as are the amusing stories about pleasing discriminating diners and trying to serve a spectacular meal during a blackout.

The real highlights of the book are Melinda's mouthwatering recipes, taken directly from the restaurant's menu. If you can't get to the Caribbean anytime soon, try whipping up a crispy-crusted snapper with Thai citrus sauce with a side of the venerable Uncle Waddy's favorite corn bread. Thirsty? Try some rum punch, or the Blanchards' bartender's favorite drink, the banana cabana.

A Trip to the Beach is a wonderful a story of a labor of love that will make you want to hop the next flight down to Anguilla for a day on the island's gorgeous beaches and a night of fine dining at Blanchard's.

Emily Burg is a New York-based freelancer who burns, not tans.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

This is the true story of a trip to the beach that never ends. It's about a husband and wife who escape civilization to build a small restaurant on an island paradise — and discover that even paradise has its pitfalls. It's a story filled with calamities and comedy, culinary disasters and triumphs, and indelible portraits of people who live and work on a sliver of beauty set in the Caribbean Sea. It's about the maddening, exhausting, outlandish complications of trying to live the simple life — and the joy that comes when you somehow pull it off.

The story begins when Bob and Melinda Blanchard sell their successful Vermont food business and decide, perhaps impulsively, to get away from it all. Why not open a beach bar and grill on Anguilla, their favorite Caribbean island? One thing leads to another and the little grill turns into an enchanting restaurant that quickly draws four-star reviews and a celebrity-studded clientele eager for Melinda's delectable cooking. Amid the frenetic pace of the Christmas "high season," the Blanchards and their kitchen staff — Clinton and Ozzie, the dancing sous-chefs; Shabby, the master lobster-wrangler; Bug, the dish-washing comedian — come together like a crack drill team. And even in the midst of hilarious pandemonium, there are moments of bliss.

As the Blanchards learn to adapt to island time, they become ever more deeply attached to the quirky rhythms and customs of their new home. Until disaster strikes: Hurricane Luis, a category-4 storm with two-hundred-mile-an-hour gusts, devastates Anguilla. Bob and Melinda survey the wreckage of their beloved restaurant and wonder whether leaving Anguilla, with itsinnumerable challenges, would be any easier than walking out on each other. Affectionate, seductive, and very funny, A Trip to the Beach is a love letter to a place that becomes both home and escape.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

To those weary of the rat race, the prospect of moving to a tropical land and opening a bistro sounds like a dream: balmy weather, blue skies and not a care save for which number sunblock to wear. Melinda and Bob Blanchard couldn't pass up the chance to live out that dream, and their resulting adventure is recounted in this prosaic memoir, presented as a slim volume narrated by Melinda. These two Vermonters, burned out from their ownership of a specialty food company, impulsively decided to go out on a limb and move to the Caribbean island of Anguilla to open a restaurant. Upon their first foray into negotiations with the locals, they nearly scrapped the plan and returned home, but perseverance and their own acceptance of "island time" customs helped them to stick it out. The authors tell of the obstacles involved in launching a business in a place where goats crossing the road can be a town's major daily event. Chapters relate typical issues of negotiating rent, finding building supplies and locating such ingredients as free-range chicken and baby squash, always ending in a sigh as the restaurant staff wraps up yet another fabulous night at Blanchard's. Despite a moderately gripping third section that details a fierce hurricane, the action moves along at a languid pace; even with the inclusion of some savory recipes, this bland tale lacks an original and appealing hook. Author tour. (Oct.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|

Library Journal

Following their dream, the Blanchards sold their specialty food business, Blanchard & Blanchard, and moved to a favorite Caribbean vacation spot, Anguilla. Here is the story of how the couple ended up running a successful restaurant on Anguilla that is frequented by celebrities. The narrative vividly describes how they set up the restaurant, now simply called Blanchards, from signing a lease, receiving work permits, and trying to locate building and food suppliers to the nervousness and near disasters of the first weeks of business. In one case, the local laundry service marked all of their table linens with black marker to distinguish them from those of other locations, requiring immediate and expensive replacements. Mouth-watering descriptions of old and new recipes that have made Blanchards a popular dining spot are mingled with descriptions of their neighbors, the climate, and their activities. Absorbing and well written, this is most suitable for public libraries. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 6/15/00.]--Alison Hopkins, Queens Borough P.L., Jamaica, NY Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.\

AudioFile

Walking away from one's home in Vermont to open a restaurant in Anguilla sounds both frightening and fascinating. But husband and wife team Melinda and Bob Blanchard took the plunge. Melinda gives a delightfully honest account of their struggles to open and manage a restaurant on an island that has very little of what is needed to accomplish the task. Overcoming near impossible circumstances with restaurant supplies, employees, weather conditions, and demanding guests, Melinda discloses the love they discovered for Anguilla and its inhabitants, as well as the deep happiness and satisfaction they found in achieving their dream. B.J.P. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews

A you-gotta-hand-it-to-'em story of building a new life and business in a foreign land that sinks in a quicksand of logorrhea.