Tucked beneath enormous shade trees in the rainforest of St. Croix on Mahogany Road is Nidulari, a licensed food business, housed in a homebuilt red and black mobile van.
Nidulari is a one-woman operation that specializes in freshly baked sourdough breads, cookies, cakes, pies as well as a variety of main dish menu items, local fare, Indian curries, tomato chutneys, desserts and vegan and gluten-free options.
The word Nidulari is the verb form of "nest" in Latin, according to Merryn MacDonald, the owner, operator and chef, who opened Nidulari in 2013 when she moved back to St. Croix to build a "tiny house" and live the simple life tending the land and feeding the community.
All the culinary magic happens in a shipping container repurposed as a commercial kitchen with a traditional wood-fired brick oven.
"The herbs, vegetables and eggs are homegrown or locally grown, and everything served is made from scratch with love," MacDonald said.
"What people are craving in this world of fast food, TV dinners and exclusive high-end restaurants is: food that is simple," she said. "Food that is real. Food that is made how your grandmother might have made it from fresh ingredients, with patience and care, served with grace but not with frills."
Hours of operation are Wednesdays from noon to 3 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., cash only.
A typical menu might include several items, such as chicken curry served over Basmati rice with local arugula, raita (an Indian condiment) and chutney; a roasted veggie sandwich or veggie salad; and a cottage pie with seasoned ground beef, topped with cheesy mashed potatoes and served with pickled, locally grown green beans, each for $14; a pint of coconut and roasted vegetable soup for $8, and a mini passionfruit tart or mini lemon cheesecake for $3. Beverage offerings range from basil or ginger lemonade to cold-brew coffee, $3 each.
Nidulari was closed for a time last spring when Covid first hit. "I did pre-ordered boxes for a while before fully reopening once the mask mandates were in place," MacDonald said.
This popular little restaurant is as authentic as they get. The business principle behind Nidulari is not to make a lot of money but to build and service the community as a whole while supporting a humble lifestyle, she said.
In between growing, harvesting, baking, roasting and grilling, MacDonald built herself a tiny home: a self-designed, 72-square-foot, wooden bow-top caravan.
"I continue to embellish the exterior paintwork in between rain showers, but that may go on for years -- in true historic form!" she said.
Follow Nidulari on Facebook and at www.nidulari.com.