Join Mayor Wayne Messam and Blondie Ras Productions in celebrating the second season premiere of National Culinary & Travel TV’s ‘Taste of the Islands’.
The ‘Taste the Islands’ Experience 2017 will feature Caribbean Cocktails and Gourmet Appetizers in a tropical setting with beautiful people.
About 3 weekends ago, I visited the Blue Mahoe Restaurant for Lunch at The Spa Retreat Hotel with my husband. The Spa Retreat Hotel is by the West End Cliffs in Negril.
Parking was limited but the security guard was attentive and directed us to a staff member who happily guided us to the Restaurant.
It was about 3 in the afternoon after a shower of rain and there was only one other couple dining at the time. The sun came back out and we were seated at a table with a seaside view and could see guests chatting up a storm by the Bar outside.
I found that their Lunch menu was a bit limited to Salads, Sandwiches and Wraps with a small amount of Jamaican/West Indian cuisine. However, our waitress said we could request something from the Dinner menu as well and she would check with the Chef to confirm availability.
The Dinner Menu comprised of mainly Seafood, Pastas and Jamaican Cuisine such as Curried Goat and Chicken, Braised Oxtail and Bean, Jerked Pork, Steamed Fish, a Jamaican Platter (Curried Goat, Brown Stew Chicken, Oxtail, Bammy & Rice and Peas) and more.
Prices were what we Jamaicans would call ‘tourist prices’, that is, a bit on the high end considering our high exchange rate.
We both decided to have the Soup of the day, which was Red peas soup ($6USD) and the Fisherman Conch ($16USD). I ordered the Curried Conch and my husband ordered the Callaloo Jerked Conch. We were too early to get a side of baked or mashed potatoes, so we settled with rice and peas.
Red Peas Soup ($6USD+tx + 10% Service Charge)
The Soup was pricey for such a small cup but at least it was tasty.
The Rice and Peas that accompanied the Conch was not ready. There were a few crunchy grains with each forkful. We’re in Jamaica so you have to steam that rice and peas right Chef!
We enjoyed the Jerked and Curried Conch though. Well seasoned and savoury with the right amount of spice.
West Indian Curried Conch ($16USD+tx +10% Service Charge)
Blue Mahoe Restaurant is a modern establishment with a spectacular seaside view and good service. It was a convenient stop with decent food and hospitable staff for our Anniversary weekend. Suga will return and next time it will be for Dinner by the Seaside.
Randolph and Gabrielle Burgess at The Spa Retreat Hotel, Negril #sugaendorsed
Blue Mahoe Restaurant & Lounge Bar @ The Spa Retreat Hotel
Location: One Love Drive, West End Cliffs. Negril, Jamaica
Celtics’ Isaiah Thomas and Wizards’ John Wall embrace respectfully after Game 7
John Wall and IT went cold in the late 4th and Bradley Beal kept it going for the Wizards with 38 points. However, the unlikely hero of the night, Kelly Olynyk, came up big for Boston from the bench in the 4th, finishing with 26 points!
Boston will head to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 5 years.
Upcoming games:
Photo: ESPN Scorecenter
Warriors vs. Spurstonight at 8pm.
San Antonio Spurs’ Kawhi Leonard has been ruled out to play vs. Warriors in Game 2 after aggravating his ankle injury twice in Game 1’s 3rd quarter.
The 2nd time he aggravated the ankle, was by landing on Warriors’ Zaza Pachulia’s foot that slid slyfully where his injured foot would and did land. This occurred after Zaza contested the 3-point shot. Suga thinks it was a dirty play pulled off in a smart way. Cosigned by Stephen A. Smith who took a while to say it was ‘questionable’.
Coach Popovich says Zaza’s closeout on Kawhi was ‘unnatural’.
Zaza has responded saying he is not a dirty player.
The Spurs definitely do not have a chance versus the Warriors without Kawhi.
Celtics vs. Cavstomorrow at 7:30pm.
It suits the NBA to have a Cavs-Warriors Final and that will be the likely outcome.
The ball is round though and the Celtics have risen to every occasion up to this point. So can Boston as underdogs upset the fairytale ending?
Stay tuned. Don’t you just love this game!
By: Gabrielle Burgess
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The Semi-Finals have not finished as yet but I am ready for the Cavs-Warriors rematch in the Finals!
Although you have to take match-ups into consideration, the other teams struggled in their series.
Spurs vs. Rockets
Photo: www.expressnews.com
The San Antonio Spurs struggled without Tony Parker who will be out for the rest of the postseason with a leg injury and the Houston Rockets were able to level the series at 2-2. The Spurs came firing back on Tuesday night winning an epic game in OT but they had their star, Kawhi Leonard’s ankle injury to worry about. Leonard sprained his ankle in Game 5.
The Kawhiless Spurs played in Game 6 as if they had no worries though. They closed out the series in 6, sending the Rockets home in a blowout, 114-75! How did they do it? Well, they have won without Kawhi before and truth be told, we should not have doubted them nor Coach Popovich.
It was a total team effort and they played the Spurs way. LaMarcus Aldridge finally came up big with 34 points. Patty Mills filled the spot of Tony Parker remarkably. Rookies, Jonathon Simmons and the future of the Spurs, Dejounte Murray stepped up and played well too. Not to mention Pau Gasol, the other big in the paint and Danny Green who was everywhere last night.
The Spurs completely shut down the Rockets from the 3-point line, which is their strongest area.
Well done Spurs and Congrats to Coach Gregg Popovich for eliminating all teams that exist in the West in the Playoffs. This was his first meeting with the Rockets in the Playoffs.
Where was the Beard? MVP who? Definitely not with that embarrassing performance. At the end of the first half, James Harden only scored 5 points and had 5 turnovers. I think based on the great number of turnovers for the Rockets last night, it was a bad decision to wear grey. It was if they were colour blind passing the balls to the Spurs who were in black.
Check this video out. What was Harden doing?! Watch “Harden’s Struggles | May 11, 2017” on YouTube here:
According to Stephen A. Smith, Harden looked like he was comatosed and Hall of Famers said he quit. I agree. Harden ended with 10 points (2/11 FG; 2/9 3-point line). He said he takes responsibility for their loss and isn’t quite sure what happened. He blamed the rhythm of the game.
James Harden taking responsibility for the Rockets’ loss in his Post-game interview
Celtics vs. Wizards
In the East, John Wall and the Washington Wizards found a new life to level the series with the Boston Celtics 2-2. But when Boston returned home they took care of business to make the Wizards face elimination in Game 6 tonight.
Suga thinks the Wizards will have the same fate as the Rockets.
Cavs & Warriors
In the mean time, the Cavs and Warriors are sitting pretty with lots of rest. They have created history, where 2 teams have started out the postseason 8-0!
Warriors swept the Utah Jazz and Cavs swept the Toronto Raptors. After being eliminated by the Cavs in the Playoffs for the 2nd consecutive year, it is said that Raptors’ Kyle Lowry is thinking about heading over to the West side to have a better chance of advancing to the NBA Finals.
Key Factors that would make a Cavs-Warriors Final Different from last year
â— LeBron James is looking better than ever for the Finals and has improved his 3-point game.
â— Kevin Love is not out injured and is back in the game making shots, though inconsistent.
â— The Cavs acquired Kyle Korver from the Hawks. He holds the NBA record for the highest 3-point Field Goal % in a season with 53.6%.
â— The Warriors lost Andrew Bogut but they acquired JaVale McGee who is a beast in the paint and strong for their defense.
â— The Warriors also acquired David West from the Spurs who is a good shot-maker as well.
â— The Warriors have K.D! Will he get his first ring?
But first, the Warriors play the Spurs in Game 1 of the NBA Western Conference Finals this Sunday at 3:30pm ET!
Stay tuned!
By: Gabrielle Burgess
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GW Art has Framed Art, Acrylic Art on Canvas to hang, Framed Quotes and Decorative Bottles available as great gifts for Mother’s Day!
Prices for items are as follows:
â— Framed Quotes – ‘Home Sweet Home’, ‘But First Coffee’, ‘Live Love Laugh’ : $500.00JMD
â— All Decorative Bottles: $2500.00JMD
***Buy a set and discounts will be negotiable
â— Petals 2: $5000.00JMD
â— ‘Family and Love’ Acrylic on Canvas pair to hang: $9000.00JMD
â— Framed Mother & Child piece: $12000.00JMD
Contact GW Art to get your Gifts for Mother’s Day before it’s too late!
Follow GW Art’s new Instagram page, @gwartbygabby and you can also browse the GW Art Gallery on this website, www.sugalifestyle.com to see items from the Old and New Collection.
Randy Burgess (L) and wife, Gabrielle Burgess from Suga Lifestyle celebrating their 1 year anniversary
Sunday before last, I visited Smoked Marlin Restaurant in Hopewell, Hanover for lunch with my husband.
Apart from our traditional Sweet Potato Pudding stop in Priory, St. Ann, Smoked Marlin was our last stop after a relaxed, food-filled weekend in Negril before heading back to Kingston.
Our waitress was pleasant but could have been more attentive. The wait for food including the Appetizer of Fish soup was too long. The diners that ordered just after us complained as well.
The food was tasty but did not blow us away. Servings were sizeable and made up for the delay. We had a little space left for Dessert, but they did not have all the items listed on the menu including the Tropical Crêpe that I desired.
I thought it would be a more impressive visit, but it was still a delightful experience with a picturesque seaside view to up the ante.
Gabby from Suga Lifestyle mesmerized by the spread put out by Simo’s Bread and Catering and Miel & Meel
It was an absolute pleasure to travel from Kingston to witness Christina in her element at one of her family homes by Springfarm, Montego Bay along with her friend from Culinary school, Inemari Rabie of Miel & Meel. Inemari was based in South Africa and is now in France.
The presentation of their salivating spread of Pastries and other delights was so artistic that a few guests said the table was too beautiful to start eating what was on it.
