Screenshot_20220526-054114_Video Editor

Pizza & Pasta for Suga & Hubby. That’s Amore!

by Restaurant Reviews & RatingsSuga TastersWhat's Hot

Watch “Pizza & Pasta for Suga & Hubby from Ciao Bella Art Cafe. That’s Amore!” on YouTube here: https://youtube.com/shorts/LcYdyVj404w?feature=share

Suga’s Ratings for Ciao Bella Art Cafe
Date and time of visit: Sunday, April 17, 2021 at 1:00pm
No. of diners: 2
NB. Ratings fill 5 stars maximum
Parking: ★★★★★
Ambience: ★★★★☆
Décor: ★★★☆☆
Comfort: ★★★★☆
Service: ★★★★★
Speed: ★★★★☆
Food quality: ★★★.5☆
Serving amount: ★★★★★
Plating: ★★★★☆
Value for $: ★★★★☆
Suga’s Comments: 

We visited Ciao Bella Art Cafe (Ig: @ciaobellaartcafe) on Easter Sunday in Taj Mahal Plaza, Ocho Rios, where my beloved Mama Marley’s used to be.

The service was up to par, the staff were pleasant and we enjoyed our Italian staples of choice, Bruschetta, Pizza & Pasta in their cosy ambience.

Puttanesca from Ciao Bella Art Cafe

The Pizza lacked a bit of authenticity for me though. I prefer Pizza from a Wood Fire oven and the use of more fresh garlic and herbs for flavour.

Delightful experience with more than satisfactory servings nonetheless. Value for money.

🇮🇹Fresh Mushroom & Goat Cheese Bruschetta + 24 Karat Global Beer
🇮🇹Proscuitto Pizza (medium) with cured Italian Ham, Arugula, Mozzarella & Marinara sauce + Da Luca Prosecco
🇮🇹Puttanesca with house made Marinara sauce, anchovies, olives, capers and parsley

Did you know?! 👀

Puttanesca is an easy sauce, briefly cooked, very fragrant & spicy. Puttanesca translates as “in the style of the whore.”  The name derives from the Italian word ‘puttana’, which means whore. Google this odd sauce history!

Ciao Bella Art Cafe

Location: Taj Mahal Plaza, Ocho Rios. Jamaica

Ph: 876.974.3733; 876.463.9998

Instagram: @ciaobellaartcafe

By: Gabrielle Burgess (Founder/Owner, Suga Lifestyle)

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

20200219_015936

Valentine’s Day Dinner at Cellar 8!

by Restaurant Reviews & RatingsWhat's Hot

20200217_124305_0000

Cellar 8 was the place Suga’s husband, Randy chose for the Valentine’s Day date!

He loved their menu, also endorsed by Suga and wanted to avoid places that felt too crowded.

20200219_013711

Cellar 8 seemed to manage an expected heavy flow of diners for the occasion well by having two seatings for the night, 6pm and 9pm. 6pm was a bit too early for a Friday evening, so we appreciate being accommodated for 7pm.

From the looks of it, appetizer servings seemed small, but we came out on top with the Chicken Marsala Kebab served over a mixed green salad and the creamy Seafood Bisque.

Screenshot_20200219-020640_Gallery
Chicken Marsala Kebab served over a mixed green salad.

Randy’s cut of Steak could have been bigger, but it was cooked to medium rare perfection and I thoroughly enjoyed my Seafood Thermidor.

20200219_020806
Thyme and Tarragon crusted Beef Tenderloin with mushroom cream sauce.

20200214_202158
C8 Seafood Thermidor with mixed greens and garlic bread.

Their Blackforest Cake and house made Gelato trio were a sweet ending to the evening.

With regards to cost, it was the usual high end price compared to if you chose from their regular menu, racking up a bill of about JA$20,000 for two if you ordered an additional beverage. Perhaps they could offer a Valentine’s Day special next year.

As a part of the earlier set of diners, service was managed relatively well. If there was any delay, we were made aware right away. The food was delectable and the ambience suited the occasion. Loved the brawta photo on the way out! Cellar 8, thanks for a memorable evening.

XoXo, Suga

By: Gabrielle Burgess

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

The Savoury (*$2800JMD) category in Ocho Rios is poppin! But EVITA’s is Leading

by Restaurant Reviews & RatingsWhat's Hot

All restaurants in the Savoury category in Ocho Rios look like they will be enjoyable. However, it is Evita’s Italian that looks the most impressive and may guarantee more value for money. They have an astounding range of mouth-watering entrees (11!) including Lasagna Bolognese, Seafood or ‘Rastafari’, Salmon Risotto, Lobster and Baby Shrimp Fettuccine and more.

 

If you feel like taking RW to the beach, Bamboo Beach Club is looking good and interesting with an Oxtail Bruschetta appetizer, a main course of Smoked Pork Chop with Guava spiced rum sauce, escallion curry rice and Rum & Raisin Bread Pudding or Coffee Cheese Cake for dessert.

The appetizers at Spring Garden’s Cafe do not look too appetizing, a bit too simple. However, they have some exciting choices for the main course including Seafood Thermidor, Lobster Primavera, Chicken Caprese and more. A warm Bread Pudding with Ice Cream for dessert is usually satisfactory as well.

Ochi here comes SuGa Lifestyle!

Remember you can visit http://www.go-jamaica.com/rw/ for more information.

* Prices of each category includes 1 choice of Appetizer, Main Course and Dessert. Beverages, GCT and Gratuity are additional.

The Wine Shop, not necessarily a place to wine and dine your date just yet

by Restaurant Reviews & Ratings

The Wine Shop is not the bar or one of those places where everybody knows your name, which is a good thing. So it is a place currently under the radar that persons can go for dinner and not only shop for wine. They are open until 11pm from Monday to Saturday, closed on Sundays and have both indoor and outdoor seating.

Their menu has a wide range of items and appetizers that go well with wines, for instance, Hummus and dip, Bruschetta, Smoked Marlin plates, Jerk Sausage, Lamb chops and Penne Pasta bowls with different choices of sauce and meat.

The service was good, not great. The Hummus and dip arrived in a reasonable period of time. The dip’s taste was quite basic. The entrees took too long to arrive, more than half an hour for 2 Pasta dishes and Jerk Sausage. The serving sizes were big so quite filling to make up for that wait if hungry, but the quality was mediocre. The Jerk sausage was decent, but slightly overcooked. The Shrimp Penne Pasta bowl with Cream sauce was salty and the Grilled Chicken Penne Pasta bowl with Cream sauce was bland. I was disappointed that they did not have Basil Walnut Pesto sauce for the Pasta bowl, maybe that would have been good.

In terms of the wine, they have a wide range available to choose from for groups or couples buying by the bottle or buying for the home, but for rum drinkers that just need to buy a glass with dinner before they hit a real rum bar, the choices were way too limited. Literally, a restriction to 3 or 4 types of wine, not even a Riesling?! Unacceptable.

So quite a cosy, inexpensive little spot, but though a wine shop, no pun intended, the quality of food can be improved upon.

 

Hummus – $450JMD +tx

Jerk sausage (with Lyonnais potatoes) – $950JMD +tx

Shrimp Penne Pasta bowl with Cream sauce – $1150JMD +tx

Grilled Chicken Penne Pasta bowl with Cream sauce – $1550JMD +tx

*Pop Up Gourmet Card accepted (10% discount)

 

The Wine Shop 

Ph#: 876.620.5098

Address: Shop 7B, Southdale Plaza, South Avenue

Date of Visit: 5/9/14

NB. Ratings fill 5 stars maximum

 

Parking: ★★★★★

Ambience: ★★★☆☆

Decor: ★★★★☆

Comfort: ★★★★★

Service: ★★★★☆

Speed: ★★★☆☆

Food quality: ★★★☆☆

Serving amount: ★★★★★

Plating: ★★★☆☆

Value for $: ★★★☆☆

SuGa Endorsement: ★★★☆☆

Fromage Gourmet Market continues to be a winner for dinner

by Restaurant Reviews & Ratings

Great service from entrance to exit. Props to our server, Dwight who knew how to handle a few troublesome ladies. Food arrived quickly. We were seated outdoors where the tables are quite small, so for groups that come that have to be seated outside, bigger tables need to be considered.

We had the Calamari starter, Blu Crab Cakes, Shrimp Scampi and Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo. All dishes are recommended, especially the Blu Crab Cakes that are consistently spicy and flavourful. The serving size of the Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo was small, compared to the Shrimp Scampi that was just $200JMD more.

The majority of their dishes are winners and costs reasonable, as entrees and pastas on the menu range from $1000JMD to $2000JMD, giving value for money. Specials are also available to break the monotony of the items listed on the menu.

Fromage Gourmet Market

Ph#: (876) 622-9856

Address: 8 Hillcrest Ave, Kingston

Date of visit: 6/8/14

NB. Ratings fill 5 stars maximum

Parking: ★★★★★

Ambience: ★★★☆☆

Decor: ★★★☆☆

Comfort: ★★★★☆

Service: ★★★★★

Speed: ★★★★★

Food quality: ★★★★★

Serving amount: ★★★★☆

Plating: ★★★★☆

Value for $: ★★★★☆

SuGa Endorsement: ★★★★☆