Brunching Outside at CRU Bar & Kitchen!

Suga’s Ratings for CRU Bar & Kitchen
Date and time of visit: Saturday, March 20, 2021 at 2:30pm
No. of diners: 2
NB. Ratings fill 5 stars maximum

Parking: ★★★★★
Ambience: ★★★★☆
Décor: ★★★★☆
Comfort: ★★★★☆
Service: ★★★★☆
Speed: ★★★☆☆
Food quality: ★★★★★
Serving amount: ★★★★★
Plating: ★★★★★
Value for $: ★★★★☆

Suga’s Comments: 

Suga enjoyed the weekend before lockdown with hubby, Randy at Cru Bar & Kitchen’s Saturday Brunch.

Rooftop dining is quite sunny in the early afternoon, but we had a bit of breeze and some seating areas were partially covered or shaded. I welcome back the fans anytime though.

I appreciate the Scan Barcode menu anywhere I go. #SugaSnaps #CopingwithCovid

We enjoyed their consistently tasty and authentic Murray’s Curried Goat, as well as their Grilled Salmon along with refreshing Cocktails. We had two rounds of the Blue Lagoon Mojito and Whiskey Sour.

Murray’s Curried Goat served with handmade roti, bammy and steamed veggies (J$2100 +10% serv. charge +tx)
CRU Grilled Salmon with mashed potato, steamed veggies and sweet cilantro, lime glaze served on the side (J$2800 +10% serv. charge +tx)

Service was slow, but our waiter was attentive and we were just thankful for being outside, listening to the DJ play and seeing and waving to people from a distance. Seeing a few younger millennials in action was entertaining as well. The lighting on the rooftop seemed to be perfect for selfies.

Looking forward to returning to Brunch at CRU after the lockdown weekends.

…Until next time!

CRU Bar & Kitchen

Location: 71 Lady Musgrave Rd. Kgn. Ja

Ph: 876-571-1168

Reservations: 876-667-2323

Instagram: @crubarjamaica

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

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

Freshly made Food, Local Beer and Good Coffee from Ragamuffin Coffee Bar!

Earlier this year, hubby and I enjoyed Ragamuffin Cafe’s freshly made Miso-Hungry Beef and RFC (Raga Fry Chicken) Burgers, local craft Beer from Trouble’s Brewing (Ig: @troublesbrew) and some good Coffee from Deaf Can! Coffee (Ig: @deafcancoffee) !

Miso-Hungry Beef Burger (J$1800 incl. Tx)
RFC (Raga Fry Chicken) Burger (J$1500 incl. Tx)
Sweet Potato Fries (J$400 incl. Tx), regular Fries (J$400 incl. Tx) and local Craft Beer (1 Pint – J$1000 incl. Tx) from Trouble’s Brewing.

They also have healthy options from Dream Bowls Ja (Ig: @dreambowlsja) and more.

Cute, cosy café to sit down away from it all with decent customer service. Ragamuffin Coffee Bar is #SugaEndorsed.

Ragamuffin Coffee Bar

Location: 74 Lady Musgrave Road. Kingston, Jamaica

Ph: 876-332-9876

Instagram: @ragamuffincafe

Open 8 AM – 5 PM, Mondays to Saturdays

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

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

TGIF to Pavlova from Tea Tree Crêperie!

Pavlova from Tea Tree Crêperie [📸: Suga Taster, Ashleigh Arnold]

TGIF to this yummy Pavlova that Suga Taster, Ashleigh Arnold enjoyed from Tea Tree Crêperie! Service was decent too👍🏽

Fun fact: Pavlova is a meringue-based dessert named after the Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova.

Enjoy the Weekend! Stay safe!

Tea Tree Crêperie Restaurant

Ph.: 876-978-7333 

Location: 80 Lady Musgrave Rd. Unit #2. Kingston 10, Jamaica 

Email: [email protected]

Website (includes menu ): http://www.teatreecreperie.com

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

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

Dream Bowls Ja at Ragamuffin Hostel every Wednesday to Saturday!

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Dream Bowls Ja are now at the Ragamuffin Hostel & Coffee Bar at 74 Lady Musgrave Road, Kingston every Wednesday to Saturday from 8 am to 5 pm.

You can also now choose the eco friendly option and enjoy your bowl in store.

Remember to limit or ensure the toppings and bowl content fit into your daily fruit servings (2-4), because you could easily go over, adding too much sugar to your daily diet.

[1 serving of Fruit is equivalent to One medium sized fruit (apple or orange), 1/2 cup of canned or chopped fruit, or 3/4 cup of fruit juice]

Note that Coconut shavings are high in Saturated fat and Granola is high in sugar.

Control and portions are key. With Dream Bowls, you are in charge. Get your Dream Bowl today!

By: Gabrielle Burgess (Certified Personal Trainer & Sports Nutritionist)

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

TGIF to these Macarons from the Newest Hot Spot in Town!

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Strawberry and Vanilla Macarons from the AC Lounge at the AC Hotel Kingston.

The Macarons at the AC Lounge are delish.

The AC Lounge at the AC Hotel Kingston is the newest hot spot in town and is great for light food and cocktails. Stop by and have a great weekend!

AC Hotel Kingston

Location: 38-42 Lady Musgrave Road. Kingston 5. JA. W.I 

Ph: 876-750-3000

Website: http://www.achotelkingston.com/

By: Gabrielle Burgess

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

 

How is the AC Lounge at the NEW AC Hotel Kingston?!

 

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Suga Taster, Craig Fleming’s Ratings for AC Hotel Kingston

Date and time of visit: Friday, June 21, 2019 at 1pm

No. of diners: 2 adults

NB. Ratings fill 5 stars maximum 

Parking: ★★★☆☆

(Should improve with the completion of the multi-level parking garage)

Ambience: ★★★★★

Décor: ★★★★★

Comfort: ★★★★★

Service: ★★★★★

Speed: ★★★☆☆

Food quality: ★★★☆☆

Serving amount: ★★★★☆

Plating: ★★★★☆

Value for $: ★★★☆☆

Suga Taster, Craig Fleming’s Breakdown!

The new kid on the Kingston hospitality block, AC Hotel had its official opening two weeks ago. From the Laura Facey and Andre Woolery commissioned Art installations displayed throughout the lobby to the open air interior design, the AC Hotel (a collaboration between local hoteliers Sandals/ATL Group and the international hotel conglomerate, Marriott Bonvoy) is a beauty in contemporary design and aesthetics.

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Laura Facey and Andre Woolery commissioned Art installations displayed throughout the Lobby.

It’s located on the same compound as the BMW/MINI showroom. The open air feeling makes guests feel welcomed with outdoor/indoor music. Guests can look forward to Starbucks, a multilevel parking garage and potential establishments along the mini boardwalk in the near future too.

I decided to check out the AC Lounge last Friday for a quick lunch. It consists of a HUGE wraparound bar, outdoor pool bar and a cozy, but intimate dining area. If you are like me and have lodged at any other AC Hotel location, you would know what to expect from the millennial targeted brand: simple tapas, basic, but tasty libations, all wrapped in an affordable package. The newest Kingston location does not disappoint in that aspect.

Upon entering the lobby, the hotel staff will direct you to the quaint dining area located directly beside the open bar and you will have a choice to either sit alongside the sound padded cushioned walls or adjacent to the breakfast buffet area separated by a sliding glass casement.

Appetizers

My friend and I started with a simple request of Club soda and lime alongside bottled water, which was promptly sent to our table. We perused the limited menu and being a quintessential foodie, decided to start with Appetizers.

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Mini Potato Bites

We got the mini Potato bites with sea salt, scallions and garlic+paprika aioli and the Arugula Salad with shaved parmesan, prosciutto and salami. The Potato was fried perfectly, but my only vice is that the aioli be served on the side rather than beneath the mound of fried Potatoes.

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Arugula Salad with shaved parmesan, prosciutto.

The Arugula Salad had the perfect amount of prosciutto and parmesan. They did not have the salami as advertised, which normally would be problematic, but it truly was not necessary for this salad. I also loved that the dressing was not drizzled on it beforehand, as my personal preference is to pour it myself. The server promptly apologized for the unavailability of salami and we continued to order our next lunch course.

Main Dishes

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Garden Salad served with toast.

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Panko Fried Snapper Fillet with butter sautéed root vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, carrot and Brussel sprouts) and garlic remoulade.

I found the Garden Salad to be more basic than usual, but the Panko Snapper was really tasty. The Fish was flaky, NOT overcooked like a lot of establishments and the panko crust was golden and crispy as it should be. It went well with the butter sautéed root vegetables and garlic remoulade. This was surely the highlight of the meal. The so called parmesan fries on the other hand, were tasteless, limp and one of the worst I have ever had. Pathetic.

Dessert

The Dessert choice was no better. The Molten Chocolate Lava cake tasted like a Betty Crocker cake mix topped with cheap chocolate sauce, far from the expectations of what an actual molten lava cake is supposed to be – decadent and yummy.

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Molten Chocolate Lava cake.

Advice: order the Macarons or the Cheesecake.

We ended our meal with Coffee which appeased my disappointment with the fries & Lava cake.

The AC Lounge is a great locale for Drinks and quick bites after work. Hopefully they will follow suit with the other global locations and have discounted Happy Hour drinks and appetizers. There are a few quirks to iron out from the first few days of opening, but the customer service from the get go has raised the bar positively, which is in line with the expectations of the AC Marriott mantra.

AC Hotel Kingston

Location: 38-42 Lady Musgrave Road. Kingston 5. JA. W.I 

Ph: 876-750-3000

Website: www.achotelkingston.com/

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[Photos and Review contributed by Suga Taster, Craig Fleming]
Edited By: Gabrielle Burgess (Founder/Owner, Suga Lifestyle)

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