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Lucky Strike Lounge for the Tasty Category for RWJ!

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The Restaurant Week Ambassador Lyme was held last Friday evening and Suga got to Dig In and preview what is coming for Restaurant Week.

For Appetizers, their Deep fried Mac and Cheese balls with codfish drizzled with a Tamarind glaze is tasty and has an interesting sweet aftertaste.

Entrées that look like winners are the Chimichanga (Slivers of jerked pork wrapped in a warm tortilla served with guacamole, salsa and sour cream) and their famous Fried Chicken and Waffles, tender finger grips on fresh Belgian Waffles! Yum!

Note that the Chef loves to make things spicy so that Jerked pork may be hot hot hot like their Seafood bowl that they serve on Wednesday nights.

For Dessert they have Cuban Bread Pudding served with a warm coffee caramel that I hear is quite small in size and more Waffles! A warm Belgian waffle served with your choice ice-cream topped with a warm fruit compote.

So Dig In at Lucky Strike for the Tasty Category, costing $1850JMD (Beverages, G.C.T and Gratuity not included). You may choose any one Appetizer, Entrée and Dessert along with your salad.

Lucky Strike Lounge

Location: 195 C Constant Spring Road (Manor Centre), Kingston 8
Ph: 876-631-9980, 876-631-9797

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JERKAZ Restaurant off the Grid

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Last October 15th before the Heroes Weekend holiday, Jerkaz was visited by my fiancé and friends. The Jerk Chicken costed about $500JMD inclusive of tax and the bill was $4000JMD for 3 people and soup was ordered with one of the meals. So reasonable to an extent.

Service was alright but they were the only people there, so hard to judge versus if there were more diners present.

The serving size was decent and provided value for money. However, their style of cooking is by smoking the chicken, not jerking. So why not call it Smokaz?

JERKAZ Restaurant has a lot of potential to be a nice chill spot to have some drinks and affordable food. Perhaps they should participate in Restaurant Week next year in the Tasty category for more exposure. Until then, a different marketing strategy needs to be used and they should ensure that they are prepared for an increased amount of diners.

JERKAZ Restaurant

55 Old Hope Rd. Kingston 6

Image: lecremedelacrumb.com

How to Make Healthy Flatbread Pizzas

Image: lecremedelacrumb.com
Image: lecremedelacrumb.com

How to make your Healthy Flatbread Pizza:

● Use a whole grain tortilla/pita bread (Ends up looking like your own Personal pan pizza!)

● Spread some vegetable salsa/homemade tomato sauce/vegan pesto

● Add toppings that complement each other such as:

– spinach, red peppers, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms and zucchini

– arugula and low-fat feta/grated Parmesan

– broccoli, mushrooms, reduced fat mozzarella and onions

– green peppers, olives, tomatoes

● Add healthy meat toppings, such as small pieces of grilled Chicken or baked Turkey breast

● Part skim and reduced fat Mozzarella/grated Parmesan/low-fat Feta cheese could be used

Have fun eating healthy!

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Turkey Bijou Panini from Fromage!

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Last Saturday, I needed a quick, light bite that was somewhat healthy because of the Sunday binge ahead at the Restaurant Week launch (Review coming soon folks!).

I quickly realised I was due a visit to Fromage Gourmet Market and made my way there a few minutes before 3pm.

I received the usual pleasant greeting and good service. I already knew I wanted a Panini, so ordered instantly, choosing the Turkey Panini Bijou over the Smoked Marlin Panini. I was happy to hear I had the option of having my Panini with wheat bread. Fantastic!

I had to wait 5 minutes more than I would have liked to though, because I do not think a Panini should take more than 15 minutes, but it arrived hot and was quite flavourful with the blue cheese.

The mason jars for drinking water or juice and flesh flowers on the table added a refreshing touch.

My Panini was also quite affordable and filling, costing $900JMD +tx. Thanks to Pop Up Gourmet Jamaica, I could use my Advantage card there for my 10% discount, so my bill did not go over a $1000JMD.

I am delighted that Fromage has maintained a high standard of service and food quality and also revise their menu so patrons never get bored there.

Fromage Gourmet Market

Ph#: (876) 622-9856

Address: 8 Hillcrest Ave., Kingston 6

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Gabby from Suga Lifestyle has won the Jamaica Gleaner’s Restaurant Week Ambassador Competition!

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Suga Readers from Jamaica, USA, UK, Cayman, BVI, USVI, Haiti, Turks and Caicos, St. Marten, St. Martin, Greece, Australia, Brazil, Indonesia, India, Ireland and more, it’s official: Gabby from Suga Lifestyle is now one of Jamaica Gleaner’s Restaurant Week Ambassadors for 2015.

I would like to express tremendous gratitude to all readers, family, friends, Immaculate Conception High School Alumni and Rotaractors from District 7020 for voting extensively these past few weeks, resulting in a landslide victory.

Suga will start out by attending the Restaurant Week Launch this Sunday and will soon attend various dinners and outings.

Set your calendars and look forward to ‘Dig In’ with Gabby from Suga Lifestyle this November 13-21 during Restaurant Week!

Have a look at some of Suga’s faves for Appetizers, Entrees and Desserts. More to come!

Appetizers

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Entrees

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Desserts

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The Journey Continues for Jamaica rising as a Foodies Paradise and Suga Lifestyle will be there every step of the way.

FOLLOW https://sugalifestyle.com/ to get reviews and ratings of Restaurants, Sports Updates and more or LIKE the Facebook page, Suga Lifestyle.

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The Pegasus Burger!

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For only $960+tx and service charge ($1214.40), ‘The Pegasus Burger’ served with fries from The Blend Bar and Lounge is fantastic!  Spicy and succulent to the core with jalapeños, mushrooms, cheese, bacon and more.

Suga gives it 4.5/5 stars but just because the bread broke up a bit too much while eating.

Fatty b

ut wholesome. Worth a day of make up in the gym.

The Blend Bar and Lounge

Ph#: 876-926-3690

Address: The Jamaica Pegasus, 81 Knutsford Boulevard, Kgn. 5

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Throwback Thursday to the Garlic Shrimp Appetizer from The Wine Shop!

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The Wine Shop 

Ph#: 876.620.5098

Address: Shop 7B, Southdale Plaza, South Avenue

Did you like this Promo? VOTE for Gabby from Suga Lifestyle to be 

The Jamaica Gleaner’s Restaurant Week Ambassador!

Go to http://go-jamaica.com/rw/ambassador

You have 10 votes per device and wifi connection until October 2, 2015. Just Refresh the page after each vote as instructed. Much love!

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Gabby from Suga Lifestyle checks out Food and Drinks from The Terrace at 100!

Last Saturday, Suga went to check out the early vibe at 100 to see if service and more would be better than a Friday night. Although I wanted to go for lunch time, I made it for dinner. I arrived at about 6:50pm.

My other half and I were pleasantly greeted by a waitress who we are familiar with from other bars, who seems to be doing more supervising now. We were seated in a comfortable area with some plush, colourful cushions. I loved the modern decor and lighting. Colours were mainly grey and white with splashes of colour and the staff looked neat in their uniforms. Music was not loud either. We were even asked if the volume was suitable for us.

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Then suddenly, I was in First class on a plane. We were offered damp rags to wipe off our hands. They weren’t warm though, but definitely a nice touch. When we reached America, we were asked if we wanted lemon in our water. Keep it up 100, keep it up. It got even better, we got Complimentary Chips and salsa while we decided on what to order.

Our waitress was Cardia, who had a very sweet, humble personality. She was not sure of the costs and availability of everything off of her head but being new with such a large menu, she did well considering. She was also quick with following up on requests.

We didn’t order any Appetizers but they had Wings, Tuna stacks, Meatballs, Pita chips and dip and Quesadillas in the $750 to $1200JMD+tx range. Soups were also available for $400JMD+tx.

For a more Sports bar vibe, they had a variety of Flatbreads, Pizzas, Sandwiches and Burgers available mostly for $1200JMD, that went up to $2000JMD+tx.

For a proper dinner, there were Pastas ($1600-$2600JMD+tx), Chicken, Lamb, Beef, Salmon, Shrimp and Pork in the range of $1700 to $3200JMD+tx.

The Drinks menu had a wide range of choices as well. But the prices! $800+tx for a Blended drink and $1339+tx cue of V/X.

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Service time and Quality of food? Quick service within 15 minutes. Supervision of staff was obvious. I ordered the Beef & Reef ($3200JMD+tx), a 6oz filet mignon and a skewer of grilled shrimp, served with a chimichurri sauce, garlic mashed potatoes and roasted veggies. My other half ordered the Beef au Poivre, an 8 oz filet mignon with a peppercorn sauce served with garlic mashed potatoes and roasted veggies ($2400JMD+tx). Neither of us felt like switching it up to test other items on their menu, so Beef all the way to check their consistency. There is lots of time to return. We both requested our Beef to be cooked medium rare. Mine was on point but my other half’s was slightly overcooked, obvious by the difference in colour and texture when cut. His White rum and tonic was a standard shot so tasted a bit weak. Good for him to know for the future. My Hummingbird was tasty with a twist. Wait, what’s a Hummingbird? Suga was introduced to the Hummingbird back in the day when TGIF was poppin with popular bartender, St. Aublyn the Kidd. When you don’t feel for the cliché Piña Colada or Strawberry Daiquiri, especially at all-inclusive resorts on the North Coast, it’s perfect. A Blended mix of mainly banana, vanilla ice cream, vodka and kahlúa or tia maria. Each bartender has their special touch. 100’s twist was a first, they added chocolate. Not bad at all. It was not overwhelming because I could still taste the banana.

The skewer of shrimp was not that impressive, it needed some flavour. Also, where was my Chimichurri sauce as described in the menu? It was MIA. Stush in the Bush needs to hook them up. That would have given my dish an excellent finishing touch. So, overall, similar to Rojó at Spanish Court’s serving size and price, aka ‘likkle bit’ and the meal assumes you had an appetizer, but lovely plating and presentation. The quality was good not great.

For a restaurant that is not within a hotel, is not fine dining and is more of a bar with a casino feet away, does it really need to be so fancy and expensive? Probably not. Especially if people would be consuming a lot of liquor and need some affordable, wholesome ‘grub’. For instance, Monte Carlo’s tasty burgers for $900JMD does a great job satisfying just that.

What’s going on for the rest of the new hit spot? – The Lounge, Gaming Lounge and Island Bet

Suga took a tour. The TV logistics of The Lounge was excellent. Great for sports and A/C for the hot times. There was also a screen that covered the whole side of one of the walls behind the bar, it was huge, bigger than the Projected screen at Cuddyz.

People seemed to be gambling casually in the Gaming Lounge. It wasn’t crowded. Probably not as popular yet. BUT I know what will be popular soon! ISLAND BET. Again, a familiar face. They got one of Just Bet’s competent employees, Marc-Anthony Pinnock who patiently took me through how Island Bet works. No paper or scratch pads. Purely Electronic. Print outs with the odds are not available as yet, but will be soon. Otherwise, the odds are available on the monitor they have there for customers, including a wider range of bets. Just Bet would have to have their employee take about 10 minutes to check the system online or just say it isn’t available as yet.

Here comes the best part. Island Bet will offer Live betting so you won’t be blocked by Just Bet who change their odds quite often. You will also be able to create an account, add money to it and BET ONLINE. How convenient! Ha! Of course there is an up side and down side to that, but wonderful when you don’t have to leave your house. Also, bets will be made in US dollars. But fret not, the payout is in the US equivalent as well. So if the dollar slides more than the day you bet, you get more money than expected if you win.

One monitor for logging in would not work for a crowd betting on the World Championships for example, but they are finetuning their logistics so that betting is not a hassle and there is time before the Olympics!

Suga senses an exciting Sports season ahead and will be returning.

100

Location 100 Hope Road. Kingston 6
Ph: 876.665-3BET (3238)
Instagram: 100hoperoad
Facebook: 100 Hope Road

By: Gabrielle Williams

If you liked this review, FOLLOW https://sugalifestyle.com/ to get other reviews or LIKE the Facebook page, Suga Lifestyle AND VOTE for Gabby from Suga Lifestyle to be 

The Jamaica Gleaner’s Restaurant Week Ambassador!

Go to http://go-jamaica.com/rw/ambassador

You have 10 votes per device and wifi connection until October 2, 2015. Just Refresh the page after each vote as instructed. Much love!

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Have you been Eating the right Cereal? Get your Guide here!

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Tips to pick out your healthy cereal:

– The first ingredient should always be some form of WHOLE grain, e.g. whole wheat, whole oats etc. Keep it whole, so you can be ‘whole-hearted’

– Keep it low in sugar, less than 10g or preferably 8g of sugar per serving

– Go for lots of fibre to keep you fuller for longer, at least 3g of fibre per serving

– Stock up on more than 5g of protein, so you do not feel the need to overeat some hours later. If there is not enough in the cereal, have some 90/100 calorie Greek Yoghurt with it.

– Measure Measure Measure! Be careful when pouring straight from the box. Keep conscious of your serving size according to what is recommended on the box. If you are not having yoghurt with your cereal, adding a few slices of banana will help to bulk it up if necessary.

This is why Suga recommends Oatmeal. Oatmeal is best on its own. Healthy and full of fibre! A bit tasteless for you? Add a shake of cinnamon or nutmeg and even a sprinkle of raisins. Remember sometimes healthy is an acquired taste so give it a few tries first.

Here are some of the other good ones. Can you find your cereal? If not, check the recommended servings of protein, sugar and fibre stated above and see if it fits in the recommended category. Also, avoid the famous Corn Flakes and Honey Bunches of Oats! They are made from Refined Grains.

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– Oatmeal crisp (All Brands)

– FOSKA Oats : Low in sugar with just 1g and high in fibre, 4g. Support Brand Jamaica!

– Post Shredded Wheat : Tasty, 100% natural WHOLE grain with honey and almonds baked in

– Muesli

– General Mills Cheerios (The no added sugar one, Not the Honey nut!) : Just 1g of sugar, WHOLE grain oats and 3g fibre!

– General Mills Total : 100% WHOLE grain!

– General Mills Wheaties : Just 4g sugar and 3g fibre

– Kashi cereals eg. Go Lean, Heart to Heart Honey Toasted Oat, Cinnamon Harvest Whole Wheat Biscuits

– Quaker Honey Nut Oatmeal Squares : a little sweet with 9g sugar, but high in protein and very crunchy with 4g fibre

– Quaker Life

– General Mills Chex, Wheat or Multi Grain

Lastly, don’t feel like Cereal is just for Breakfast, if on a diet, you can mix it up and have a shake for breakfast and cereal for dinner. It’s easy, especially if you are coming home late after an evening workout.

Also, please do not make your cereal unhealthy by adding whole milk (that’s not making you whole-hearted!), 1%, 2%, condensed or evaporated milk! Use skimmed milk or almond milk.Â