For eighteen years Liz and Jerry Buckalew welcomed guests to Entre Nous, their formal dining French restaurant. In October 1997, together with their good friend and Executive Chef, Patrick Bellantoni, they re-created the dining experience and became Banana Tree Grille, in the same location. The ambience is informal, welcoming and relaxing. Chef Bellantoni retired this year, we are grateful for so many wonderful years of food, memories and friendship.
Orginally from Monroe, Connecticut, Liz's Italian and Irish heritage and family background of radio and theatre have influenced her approach to the restaurant business. "A restaurant should be a place for family and friends to gather for luscious food and celebration. Where wine and chocolate abound, how could one not be happy!" Liz envisions the business as theatre. The curtain goes up every evening. You prepare for it, have a few hours to make it a hit and hope everyone loves it as much as you do.
Jerry grew up in Fair Haven, New Jersey and has a nightclub background. After bartending his way across the country and through college, he started his career as a history teacher, but fate led him to hospitality. While Jerry's focus is the "back of the house" and Liz's is the "front of the house", you will see Jerry visiting with guests during the evening, and is always available for a discussion about golf.
Orginally from Monroe, Connecticut, Liz's Italian and Irish heritage and family background of radio and theatre have influenced her approach to the restaurant business. "A restaurant should be a place for family and friends to gather for luscious food and celebration. Where wine and chocolate abound, how could one not be happy!" Liz envisions the business as theatre. The curtain goes up every evening. You prepare for it, have a few hours to make it a hit and hope everyone loves it as much as you do.
Jerry grew up in Fair Haven, New Jersey and has a nightclub background. After bartending his way across the country and through college, he started his career as a history teacher, but fate led him to hospitality. While Jerry's focus is the "back of the house" and Liz's is the "front of the house", you will see Jerry visiting with guests during the evening, and is always available for a discussion about golf.
We Welcome Executive Chef Kevin McCaffery! He comes to Banana Tree from New Orleans, and he lives and breathes food! Born in Baltimore, the family moved to New Orleans shortly thereafter. And so it began. Little did Kevin know when he received an Easy Bake Oven one Christmas this would begin a career path. After college he entered the corporate world and soon realized his passion for cooking would take him to culinary school. Classically trained at Delgado School of Culinary Arts, Kevin was hired by the famed Ralph Brennen Restaurant Group. After cooking for the "stars" and President Clinton at Bacco and Red Fish Grill he joined the legendary Foundation Room House Of Blues. This offered him a venue for expressing his love of jazz and blues through his cooking. His culinary journey took him to The Waterfront Trellis and The Oceanfront Trellis in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. Each year, while the restaurant was closed for vacation, a group of restaurant friends sailed a different part of the Caribbean, from the Bahamas to Trinidad. These adventures offered Chef McCaffery the experience of all flavors and colors of the local cuisines, which he loves to incorporate in his cooking. From there he found his way to St. Thomas, and Banana Tree Grille.
Kevin is a golfer, a sailor, a sports hound and a builder of model airplanes and helicopters, which he also flies. He is a lover of all things jazz and all things bourbon! He chefs with alacrity! And, he is definitely a character! You will often see Chef in the dining room chatting.
One of the things we really like about our staff is they want you to have a fabulous evening with us!
A welcoming smile will greet you and make you comfortable. We love food, wine and sweets (the key lime pie is amazing) and are happy to make recommendations. We enjoy helping you to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries and weddings, as well as romantic dinners for two at "the footsie table"!
As you step in to the restaurant, you can see past the bar into the kitchen. You will see Ricky, Jesus and Chef, Charlie and Jennifer. On the gallery page we introduce you to the "front of the house" staff.
~ luscious honey, as Hannah always said ~
A welcoming smile will greet you and make you comfortable. We love food, wine and sweets (the key lime pie is amazing) and are happy to make recommendations. We enjoy helping you to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries and weddings, as well as romantic dinners for two at "the footsie table"!
As you step in to the restaurant, you can see past the bar into the kitchen. You will see Ricky, Jesus and Chef, Charlie and Jennifer. On the gallery page we introduce you to the "front of the house" staff.
~ luscious honey, as Hannah always said ~
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Photographers:
Eric Johnson - Bridget Gallagher
Photographers:
Eric Johnson - Bridget Gallagher