Okay, so it's been a few months since I've reviewed any restaurants, hasn't it? Well, hopefully the frequency with which I am able to try new places is going to change, and I intend to share my experiences with all of you. For now, I'm going to start with an establishment I visited last weekend, and which served some truly excellent food: Jamaican Gates.
The place: Jamaican Gates is your typical hole-in-the-wall restaurant, which means that there isn't a lot of emphasis on decorating. The walls sport pictures of (presumably) the owner's family, flags from across the Caribbean Islands, and some Bob Marley icons. Since I happened to be there on a Saturday, I was treated to some live music. The music, while enhancing the Jamaican atmosphere, did make conversation difficult, since the restaurant itself is not very large. But, all and all, a pleasantly relaxed and homey place.
Oh, I almost forgot to mention: You can also see several images of Guy Fieri and his Food Network TV show, Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. That's right, Guy came to the restaurant, ate the food, and loved it so much he even signed the wall with the legend "Guy ate here." So, yeah, I guess you can say Jamaican Gates has the official Seal of Approval for quality and tastiness.
What I ate: For appetizers, we had fried plantains (pronounced plan-tins in the islands) and beef patties. The plantains were soft and sweet, while the savory patties reminded me a lot of meat-filled empanadas. I also had a bottle of Kola Champagne, which tasted like a fruity cream soda, and a glass of their freshly-squeezed lemonade. The lemonade was, interestingly enough, sweetened with brown sugar instead of white, which added a complex earthy flavor in a way I never would have conceived.
For my entree, I ordered the Kingston Trio. The Trio came with jerk chicken, oxtails, and curry goat (yep, goat!), along with a side of rice and peas. I found the jerk chicken to be very tender and juicy, with the perfect amount of spicy jerk seasonings. The oxtails were also quite tender, with the meat sliding right off the bones. Think almost of a good brisket, but then add a spicy (but not really hot) savory sauce and some butter beans. The goat, with which I was the most intrigued, was gamey, stringy, and fatty, but oddly enough not in a bad way. In fact, it was probably the best part of the meal. Like all the meat, it was extremely tender and full of flavor. Overall, I was quite satisfied.
My thoughts: With a simple (but not simplistic) atmosphere, a friendly waitstaff, and some truly delicious food, I rate Jamaican Gates at a 4 out of 5, or maybe even a 4.5. I would definitely eat there again, and I think next time I'm going to try the Brown Stew Fish, which also looked to be very tasty. If you ever get the chance to eat there, I would highly recommend taking advantage of the opportunity. Caribbean food may be a bit different than what most folks are used to, but in my opinion unfamiliarity should not be a hindrance. At its core, it's just good home cooking with a tropical flair, and I call it good food.
Anyway, thanks as always for reading. And as always, opinions on how I'm doing are very much appreciated. But that's all for now! Go forth and eat well!
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