Restaurant Week 2018 launches this Sunday at Devon House

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Restaurant Week Jamaica launches this Sunday at Devon House from 11am-5pm and Admission is FREE.

Enjoy delectable cuisines from some of the participating restaurants, browse and shop stunning pieces from the Fashion Village and buy fresh local produce from the Farmer’s Market.

It should be a fun Sunday. Enjoy and get your preview for Restaurant Week Jamaica 2018, which begins Saturday, November 10 and runs until Sunday, November 18.

By: Gabrielle Burgess

If you liked this Promo, follow Suga Lifestyle Online, on Instagram (@sugalifestyle), Twitter (@sugalifestyleja) or like the Suga Lifestyle Facebook page.

How was Picante for Jamaica Food & Drink Festival?!

Picante is the event on the Jamaica Food and Drink Festival (JFDF) roster that takes you through a world of hot, zesty flavours.

It was held last Friday night at The Ruins, Mona Visitors’ Lodge from 7-11pm.

Suga arrived early, at about 7:20pm to beat the lines and made her rounds.

Coca Cola had tasty cocktails upon entry. They had a creamy cocktail that suited the ladies and a White Rum mix that the gentlemen like my husband, Randy enjoyed.

Select Brands had sweet wines to cool down the spice and a refreshing Stoli Blueberi Lemonade that was the talk of many patrons for the night.

By the entrance, there was National’s Scotch Bonnet Butter Cheddar Popcorn stand with Popcorn bags by Chef Christian Sweeney. It was finished in no time. As usual, he created delightful bites to please the crowd.

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Chef Sweeney also had a menu of Spicy Chicken with Grilled Corn and Chick Peas Salsa. Thankfully it tasted better than it looked. Congrats Chef Sweeney, it was Picante. For those who returned later in the night like myself, Pan-seared Tuna was served instead of the Chicken with the Chick Peas Salsa and it was just as delightful.

Chef Shea Stewart had a menu of spiced Snapper with a Jalapeño, Chili and Scotch Bonnet infused Risotto, however the outcome was mild. The presentation was poor, but it was quite tasty nonetheless.

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Chef Shea Stewart’s Spiced Snapper en Papillote with Scotch Bonnet Butter served with Jalepeño and Chili Pepper infused Risotto Scotch Bonnet.

Chef Dennis McIntosh did a tasty seafood dish, but it was mild as well.

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Chef Dennis McIntosh’s spicy Caribbean Seafood Au Gratin.

Broken Plate’s dish was delicious and flavourful with a touch of spice, but I was still waiting on another dish to make me say, ‘Picante!’.

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Broken Plate’s Mustard Chili Pesto Rubbed Pork Loin with Crispy Bacon Orzo Pilaf topped with Asian mixed greens and Arugula Salad

Disappointing booths for the Night

Before I get to outstanding booths for the night, the majority of Chefs produced impressive dishes. However, there were two disappointing dishes for me. One was definitely worse than the other.

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The Cliff Hotel’s Chef Jonhoi Reid’s Mojo Braised Pork topped with Crispy Pork Belly with Black Bean Corn Yuca Cake, Smoked Scotch Bonnet Salsa Verde, Jalapeño Pico de Gallo and Cilantro Crema.

Chef Jonhoi Reid from the renowned Cliff Hotel in Negril was very personable, but had a sloppy display with Pork that was difficult to chew. I was excited to see Pork stacked on Pork, but the outcome was disappointing. The Black Bean Corn Yuca Cake didn’t save the dish for me, but was quite palatable beneath it all.

I observed that they were serving persons up to 11:20pm, when most Chefs left or packed up. Having so much food left may underscore my thoughts.

Then there was Walkerswood featuring Guest Chef from overseas, Patrick Simpson and UTECH. Sad to say, but it was the worst of the night. The Peppa Shrimp with Curried Vegetable Succotash was spicy a.k.a Picante, but the Pulled Jerk Chicken was terrible. Perhaps, Chef Simpson is unfamiliar with Jamaican sauces, but that sauce did not complement the Pulled Jerk Chicken well at all. It wasn’t spicy and it overpowered it completely.

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Walkerswood featuring Chef Patrick Simpson and UTECH’s Grilled Peppa Shrimps with Curried Vegetable Succotash (Top); Pulled Jerk Chicken on Bammy Round with Pickle Escallion Relish (below); Solomon Gundy Crostini topped with Roasted Corn and Tomato

Winners of the Night for Suga!

Suga had an overall winner, but there wasn’t only one winner for me, there were five Chefs who absolutely brought it to Picante!

Oji Jaja! Best Shrimp of the Night 

Chef Oji Jaja had Seared Scallops, but the hit with most patrons was the Seared Shrimp with roasted pepper Scotch Bonnet sauce and Micro Basil. It wasn’t spicy, but was the best Shrimp of the night for Suga.

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Chef Oji Jaja’s Seared Shrimp with roasted pepper Scotch Bonnet sauce and Micro Basil

Spiciest dish of the Night!

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The spiciest dish of the night hands down went to Chef George Matthews of Summertime Villa (Silver Sands, Trelawny; also cooks at Tryall). I couldn’t even say or scream Picante. My running eyes and nose said it all. Mission accomplished Chef Matthews.

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Chef George Matthews’ Thai Chili Shrimp with Breadfruit poppers.

Culinary Showman of the Night

Chef Mark Cole from The Jamaica Pegasus cooked with a lot of flare, literally. He cooked two dishes, including a stuffed spicy Potato, but he had one of the two longest lines of the night for his Picante style Salmon Hash. It’s jalapeno salsa made you say, Picante and it was delish! Bravo.

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Chef Mark Cole of The Jamaica Pegasus being quite a showman at Picante last Friday night.

Chef Mark Cole’s Menu:

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The Best Dish at Picante

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The other long line of the night with foodie, Sean Morgan looking on was for…

Drum roll…

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Chef Lisa Binns of Stush in the Bush serves up Suga her Picante dish, while husband, Chef Christopher Binns was on the grill.

For the Second year in a row, Stush in the Bush wins at Picante for Suga. We all know you can’t help but love Chris and Lisa Binns and the unique, savoury, delightful food they consistently produce, but without bias, although Chef Mark Cole came close, their dish was the best overall at Picante. Their dish made you hot and cooled you down at the same time with pickled watermelon radishes and pickled cucumbers.

On time/Flowing production – Check
Personality – Check
Presentation – Check
Theme (Picante) – Check
Flavours – Check
Textures – Check
Wow Factor – Check

Snaps for making Vegetarian look good! There were so many flavours and textures on one plate. Absolute perfection. Stush in the Bush showed up once again. Congratulations and Well done.

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Stush in the Bush’s winning dish!

Drinks and Desserts!

Other than more drinks provided by the Appleton Estate Bar, desserts provided were a great way to cool off the taste buds.

Sagicor’s booth with Chef Rebecca Karram had sweet and spicy treats. She did well. I enjoyed all of her desserts. The Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookie with a Chai Spiced Milk Shot was a crowd fave.

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Chef Rebecca Karram’s Menu
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Chef Rebecca Karram telling us what she prepared for us to enjoy at Picante last Friday night.

Wisynco’s Haagen Dazs Ice Cream booth was buzzing all night with patrons and when the night was over, they had brawta. They served one item from their menu at different points in the night. The items provided an added crunchy texture to the ice cream, with a touch of spice too.

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Wisynco’s Haagen Dazs Ice Cream booth Menu Items

Kudos to the organizers and sponsors of Jamaica Food and Drink Festival. ALL events were sold out and from what I heard, patrons enjoyed the majority of the events. Persons were disappointed with the smallest event, Crisp because it had less Chefs.

Jamaicans are a fickle bunch. So after a few successful stagings, I think that JFDF should change things up a bit, and replace Crisp with Seafood, perhaps call it Sea Breeze. It could be by Port Royal for a change of scenery or even in Portland or Ocho Rios. The event has been staged in Kingston for some time, but it is Jamaica Food and Drink Festival.

Looking forward to another great year!

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Gabrielle Burgess a.k.a Suga by the Haagen Dazs booth at Picante last Friday night at the Mona Visitors’ Lodge.

By: Gabrielle Burgess

If you liked this Article, follow Suga Lifestyle Online, on Instagram (@sugalifestyle), Twitter (@sugalifestyleja) or like the Suga Lifestyle Facebook page.

Jamaica Food & Drink Festival starts this Saturday with all things PORK!

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Jamaica Food and Drink Festival (JFDF) kicks off this Saturday with Pork Palooza at Hope Gardens from 7pm – 11pm. It will be an all-inclusive event with drinks and all the succulent pork you can eat for $7000JMD.

They have a stacked lineup of local celebrity chefs. Check out a few of who Suga is interested to see or hear about this Saturday, along with what most of them are cooking here!

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Chef Dionne Reid from Hanover’s Smoked Marlin Restaurant made quite an impact last year at Crisp. This year she will be showing her hand with Pork. She will be offering Pomegranate Glazed Ribs and Head Cheese Shooters.

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The popular and confident Chef Andre Sewell who caters will have:

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Chef Charissa Henry usually has something interesting up her Pink Apron Sleeve. This Saturday it will be:

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Moveable Feast’s Chef Michelle Williams has been in the culinary industry for some time now, but I have never had the pleasure of indulging in any of her dishes. I am interested to see how her menu turns out.

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Then there is Chef Christian Sweeney who is usually a crowd favourite. He is offering dessert with a touch of candied pork too!

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Ticket Information

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Enjoy!

By: Gabrielle Burgess

If you liked this Promo, follow Suga Lifestyle Online, on Instagram (@sugalifestyle), Twitter (@sugalifestyleja) or like the Suga Lifestyle Facebook page.

TGIF to the Variety of Vendors you will see at Conu’co Market this Sunday!

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Conu’co Market will feature over 70 talented local artisans who specialize in various disciplines!

Suga has never seen some of them before.

Check out a few of them here!

Ceramics and Pottery

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Pinto’s Pottery (@pintopottery)

Charities/Non-Profit Organizations

Mustard Seed Communities will also be there with Ceramics!

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Ceramics by Mustard Seed Communities

Leather Works

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My Old Man Leather Craft (@myoldmanleathercraft)

Handbags and Clutches

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Ayondae’s Collections (@ayondaescollections)
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ChelleMacBags (@chelle.macbags)

Home décor and accents

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Cheese

Check out Outland Hurders!

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(@outlandhurdersja)

Locally Grown Market Greens

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Garden goodies by Various Planters

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Cupcakes

Cupcakes from Alex Creations! They are divine!

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@alexcreationsja

Ice Cream

Treat your Dairy craving with Kande’s Delights!

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Kande’s Delights (@kandesdelights)

Arts and Crafts, Henna and Body Art, Photography, Stone and Wood Carved items, Jewellery and Accessories, Chefs/Restaurants, Condiments, Jams, Sauces, Spreads, Cakes, Candles, Oils and Scrubs, Hair products, Satin bonnets/wraps, Sandals, Smoothies, Organic Farm Products and  Spa/Massage Therapy will be there too!

ADMISSION is FREE!

Support Brand Jamaica!

Jamaica Land We Love

By: Gabrielle Burgess

If you liked this Promo, follow Suga Lifestyle Online, on Instagram (@sugalifestyle), Twitter (@sugalifestyleja) or like the Suga Lifestyle Facebook page.

CONU’CO MARKET IS THIS SUNDAY IN OCHO RIOS!

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What are you doing for the long holiday weekend?

Head over to Conu’co Market at the Cove this Sunday, October 14th from 10am to 5pm as they celebrate all things Jamaican made, grown and sewn!

Explore beautifully made crafts, food, art and produce from a variety of local vendors as you walk through the grounds at Grizzly’s Plantation Cove.

ADMISSION is FREE!

Support Brand Jamaica!

Jamaica Land We Love

By: Gabrielle Burgess

If you liked this Promo, follow Suga Lifestyle Online, on Instagram (@sugalifestyle), Twitter (@sugalifestyleja) or like the Suga Lifestyle Facebook page.

Save the Date Foodies!

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The Caribbean’s No. 1 Urban Food Festival starts Saturday, October 20! 

Save the dates and look into securing your tickets! Season bands are on sale this year too.

All days should be a treat. If you must choose, stay tuned to your favourite Chefs and Restaurants’ social media pages and see where they will be.

The website,  http://www.jafoodanddrink.com may feature them soon and tickets are on sale now on the website.

Here are your JFDF Ticket Ambassadors and Outlets:

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Did you know?!

> This year, JFDF will be 100% plastic free!

> Part Proceeds of the event will go towards UTECH’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management Hotel Facility

The Festival will sponsor the complete outfitting of UTECH’s demo kitchen.

Enjoy 7 World Class Food Events at 7 Iconic Kingston Venues.

By: Gabrielle Burgess

If you liked this Blog, follow Suga Lifestyle Online, on Instagram (@sugalifestyle), Twitter (@sugalifestyleja) or like the Suga Lifestyle Facebook page.

Suga Lifestyle and fellow Alumnae Donate to the I.C.H.S F/N Lab Reconstruction!

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Gabrielle Burgess a.k.a Suga of Suga Lifestyle handed over a $100,000JMD Donation to President Keisha-Ann Down and other members of the I.C.H.S Alumnae on behalf of herself and fellow alumnae towards the reconstruction of the Food and Nutrition Lab (Date: Sunday, September 9, 2018)
Gabby a.k.a Suga’s alma mater, Immaculate Conception High School, began reconstruction of its Food and Nutrition Lab on Monday, July 2, 2018 and fundraising has been ongoing. However, they are were short by about $750,000JMD at the beginning of the summer.
When I heard about this, as past Deputy Head Girl (2002-2003), founder and owner of the website,
www.suglifestyle.com, I had to help. I thought instead of giving a donation personally, I could make more of an impact by approaching fellow alumnae. It’s a good thing I did, because so many did not know about the reconstruction of the F/N Lab.
Suga Lifestyle is a brand encompassed on the blog, sugalifestyle.com, and is intended to inspire, educate and entertain via various types of posts categorized by; GW Art, Restaurant Reviews and Ratings, Brand Jamaica, Charities, Health and Fitness, Sports and more.
Since I do Restaurant reviews for my website, it would not only be towards supporting our alma mater, but the future of our Culinary Industry.
Many top Caterers and Bakers currently in the Culinary industry are I.C.H.S Alumnae. To name a few of them and their businesses, Observer Table Talk Food Awards Caterer of the Year, Celeste Gordon of Whip It Up, Pastry Passions, Charissa Henry of Pink Apron Ja, Kuk Up Kreations, Suga Buzz, Levy’s Goodies, Cake Couture Ja and I.C.H.S’s Hall of Famer, Thalia Lyn of Island Grill! Whether or not the idea of fulfilling their dream began at Immaculate, High School is where it all began for many and after all, serves as our very strong foundation.
I attended the I.C.H.S Alumnae’s Monthly Planning session last Sunday to handover the cheque from Suga Lifestyle on behalf of myself and fellow ‘Mac Girl Sisters’, and to become more involved as well. I am extremely happy we were able to help to support our bright future and our alma mater.
The F/N Lab looks fantastic for the opening of the new school year with a few finishing touches to be made. For instance the addition of blenders and other items.
Take a look!
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The newly, reconstructed I.C.H.S F/N Lab!
Thanks again to my Mac Girl sisters who helped to make this donation possible! 
Dr. Astrid Batchelor – 2004
Danielle Hammond – 2001
Gillian Jackson – 2001
Janelle Johnson – 2001
Jessica Fowler – 2001
Kadonah Davis – 2001
Lisa-Gaye Greene – 2001
Maxine Spencer – 1971
Michaelia McLean – 1997
Monique Morgan – 2001
Renee Davis – 2001
Sara-Lu Campbell – 2001
Sasha Innis – 2005
Shanique Cathey – 2001
Tony-Ann Lyew – 2001
Kudos!

 

By: Gabrielle Burgess

If you liked this Article, follow Suga Lifestyle Online, on Instagram (@sugalifestyle), Twitter (@sugalifestyleja) or like the Suga Lifestyle Facebook page.

TGIF to this Fish Ceviche and Shrimp Cocktail from Cayman!

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White Fish Ceviche and Shrimp Cocktail by Chef Gregory Gooden from the fine dining Island Prime Restaurant at Cayman Brac Beach Resort, Cayman Islands. (Photo Credit: Tameka Davis)
***Reservations Recommended***
Island Prime Restaurant, Cayman Brac Beach Resort
Location: 383 Channel Road, KY2 – 2001, Cayman Islands
Ph: 855.484.0808
***Open on Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday evenings***

By: Gabrielle Burgess

If you liked this Blog, follow Suga Lifestyle Online, on Instagram (@sugalifestyle), Twitter (@sugalifestyleja) or like the Suga Lifestyle Facebook page.

Save the Date!

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Oktoberfest has been teaching locals and visitors everything they need to know about German spirits and food for over 30 years. This year it starts from Saturday, September 22nd and lasts for 2 weeks, ending on Sunday, October 7th.

The Jamaican-German society usually celebrates years of existence with an annual beer and food extravaganza in Kingston. However, Simo’s Bread and Catering will be hosting an Oktoberfest event with Beer on tap, Meaty and Vegetarian food options on Sunday, September 23 in Trelawny! With the delicious and decadent treats that Simo’s will be offering, #simosoktoberfest is definitely Suga Endorsed.

***SPECIAL***

Buy 5 tickets and get 1 FREE until September 6th!

For more Information:

Christina M.B. Simonitsch

Location: Montego Bay

Email: [email protected]

Catering, Cooking Lessons & Staff Training

By: Gabrielle Burgess

If you liked this Promo, follow Suga Lifestyle Online, on Instagram (@sugalifestyle), Twitter (@sugalifestyleja) or like the Suga Lifestyle Facebook page.