By: Gabrielle Burgess
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Suga revisits Blue Ridge Restaurant in the Mountains
Suga’s Ratings for Blue Ridge Restaurant and Cottages
Date and time of visit:Â Sunday, August 12, 2018 at 3:30pm
No. of diners: 4 adults
NB. Ratings fill 5 stars maximum
Parking: ★★☆☆☆
Ambience: ★★★★☆
Décor: ★★★★☆
Comfort: ★★★★☆
Service: ★★★★☆
Speed: ★★★★☆
Food quality: ★★★☯ï¸Â ☆☆ (3.5)
Serving amount: ★★★★☆
Plating: ★★★★★
Value for $: ★★★☆☆
Comments: Panoramic view of the mountains, good service, tasty cocktails and savoury dishes and desserts with excellent presentation at a high price. Prices could be reduced for full value for money. Also, quite a few items were unavailable from the menu. Perhaps more preparation should be made for busier periods when the cottages are full and persons drive up to escape the heat on the flats.
Suga’s Breakdown
After some disappointing visits earlier this year in April and May from Suga Bears with regards to poor quality food and slow service, I was relieved to have a pleasant experience last Sunday from start to finish. I was impressed with my first visit to Blue Ridge Restaurant almost 3 years ago, so I was curious about what could have changed. I was told that one of their Chefs is no longer there for about two months now. We may not know for sure, but that could be one of the reasons. General Manager, Zoe Alexander was present and seen overlooking operations of the restaurant. Kudos to her and her courteous staff for a memorable visit.
What did we have?
Appetizers
My husband, Randy and Suga Bear friends, Ashleigh and Tennyson Arnold, started off with a tasty Tortilla soup, tomato based with black beans, corn, carrot and Chipotle seasoning, topped off with crunchy tortillas and cheese ($850 JMD + Tx+S.c).
However, I think everyone was quite jealous when I had the very last Creamy Crab dip that the restaurant had to offer. It was served with artichokes and roasted garlic ($1600 JMD +Tx +S.c). The taste of the crab was rich and it was delicious.
Cocktails
The cocktails were excellent. We had Sangria, Mojitos and Moscato infused Strawberry slushies.
Entrées
Tennyson enjoyed his Land and Sea Special, which was Chicken breast stuffed with seasoned crab topped with grilled shrimp and creamy garlic sauce ($4300 JMD +Tx+Sc).
My husband Randy enjoyed his Shrimp pasta. The sauce was not too heavy and was zesty with the right amount of herbs.
Ashleigh and I had the Salmon fillet in cilantro cream sauce ($3800 JMD + tx+Sc.) with a side of garlic mashed green banana ($400 JMD tx +Sc.).
Potatoes may be scarce at this time of year, but the mashed green banana as a side needs to be replaced. It was too chunky with no evidence of garlic.
We were quite satisfied with the healthy serving of well cooked Salmon served on veggies, that was enough on its own.
Dessert
I was going to pass on dessert, until I took a bite of Randy’s Oreo Cheesecake and ordered my own to pile on those calories that were definitely worth it.
Ashleigh and Tennyson fought it out too. It was a similar situation, where Ashleigh probably regretted ordering the Hot Chocolate, although she enjoyed that too.
It was a great day out and a refreshing break from routine activities and the humidity of the flats. If you decide to head up there and give them a try or revisit, ensure that you go up early to make it back before night-time and in a vehicle that can handle the rocky road.
Make the best of the rest of summer and head on up to Blue Ridge Restaurant, because they are once again, Suga Endorsed!
***Reservations recommended***
Blue Ridge Restaurant and Cottages
Location: Salt Hill Lot 9 East Rural, St. Andrew, Blue Mountain
Ph: 876-562-7580
Website: www. blueridgeja.com
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @blueridgeja
By: Gabrielle Burgess
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TGIF to this Funnel Cake from Jamaica Liquor Warehouse!
Jamaica Liquor Warehouse, Deli & Bar
Location: 17 Lindsay Crescent, Kingston
Ph: 876-925-9427
Instagram: @jamaicaliquorwarehouse
***Closed on Mondays***
By: Gabrielle Burgess
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Healthy Lunch, Fresh Fruit, Smoothies and Shakes delivered to you!
Oh-J’s Fresh Fruit and Smoothie delivers Fresh Fruits, Smoothies, Shakes, Wraps, Sandwiches and Salads to you!
You can customize your Smoothies and Wraps like myself to suit your diet and save tonnes of calories for the day.
Their Chicken wraps have adequate amounts of Chicken with salad to satisfy your hunger with no guilt trips. They are a perfect combo with their freshly made Smoothies. You can get a Chicken wrap, with a bit of fresh fruit on the side and a Smoothie delivered to you on time for under $1000JMD! Depending on how close you are of course, but definitely value for money.
Give Oh-J’s Fresh Fruit & Smoothie a try today!
Oh-J’s Fresh Fruit & Smoothie
Location: 26 South Camp Road. Kingston. Jamaica.
Ph: 876-513-3857; 876-339-9990
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @ohjsmoothie
By: Gabrielle Burgess (Certified Personal Trainer and Sports Nutritionist)
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Fromage Owners Open another Cafe Dolce at KIG, Spanish Town Road!
A new Cafe Dolce is officially open for business at Kingston Industrial Garage (KIG) on Spanish Town Road.
Check them out!
By: Gabrielle Burgess
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Lunch Specials are Happening at Hajarie, Phoenix Avenue!
Hajarie has an ongoing Lunch Special from 12 – 3pm. Take advantage and get your Lunch Special to go for $700JMD or get 20% off select Pastas.
You can even top your meal off with Dessert. They are offering 50% off their house special Ice Cream.
Go get these delish Lunch Specials while you can!
Hajarie (The Teapot JA) – Tearoom • Winebar • Bistro
Location: 9-11 Phoenix Avenue. Kingston 10
Ph: 876-634-9937
Instagram: @hajarie.jamaica
By: Gabrielle Burgess
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Broken Plate or Broken Teeth? New Restaurant in Town
Suga’s Ratings for Broken Plate
Date and time of visit:Â Saturday, June 2, 2018 at 8:15pm
No. of diners: 3
NB. Ratings fill 5 stars maximum
Parking: ★★★★★
Ambience: ★★★☆☆
Décor: ★★★★☆
Comfort: ★★★★☆
Service: ★★★☆☆
Speed: ★★★☆☆
Food quality: ★★☆☆☆
Serving amount: ★★★★☆
Plating: ★★★★☆
Value for $: ★★☆☆☆
SuGa Endorsement: ★★☆☆☆
Comments:Â
New restaurant with modern décor and comfortable indoor and outdoor seating by a faux garden. It was an expected full house on a Saturday night, 3 weeks after opening. I think the full house affected the attentiveness of the staff and the speed of the kitchen. The quality of the food was fair, borderline poor and at the end of the night I felt like I made a bad gamble in Vegas and lost. A Wine and Spirits list is currently available. A Bar with Blended drinks and Cocktails are in future plans. The Restaurant has potential and I will probably return, but I am in no rush to do so.
Suga’s Breakdown
Appetizers
We started off with the Spicy Rosemary Mussels and Duck Bruschetta. The Mussels were flavourful, succulent and indeed spicy. The Duck was tasty, but the bread was over toasted. It was deeply charred instead of golden brown. We could not bite into it. The use of tomatoes, which are traditionally added to Bruschettas was absent.
Entrées
The Oxtail Bolognese only had a trace of Oxtail and was predominantly minced Beef. When two of us ordered the Oxtail Bolognese, we were told it would have some minced Beef in it. We said no problem, but when it arrived, although it was savoury, it was predominantly minced Beef with a trace of Oxtail. I told our waiter, Chris that they need to rename the dish on the menu. Maybe they ran out of Oxtail too, but if so, we should have been advised.
Thankfully our friend who was just returning from Cabo and tasted authentic, richly flavoured Tacos enjoyed her Seafood Tacos even though she said the shrimp was a bit salty.
Dessert
The Maple Glazed Bacon Cookie Sandwich and Crispy Duffle Sandwich for dessert was tough as rocks. No wonder it was served with a kitchen knife. Note that we made that choice for dessert because the Fruit Parfait looked like a mixture of yogurt and canned fruit. But we still didn’t win. Tough cookies. Literally.
Service
I could see that with the full house, they tried and probably did their best, but the full house affected how attentive they were. Appetizers took too long to come out as well as our bottle of wine. The Wine we wanted was not chilled, so we told Chris that he could bring it out with the main. He seemed to have forgotten, so by the time we got his attention, we were almost through and just asked for a glass.
Suggestions from Suga
★ Hire additional staff for the Opening rush.
★Revise the Dessert menu.
★ Have the supervisor or manager take a walk around the restaurant now and then to get honest feedback from diners.
Good Luck to Broken Plate because I understand the concept and vision. We need more Restaurants that think outside the box, breaking away from the traditional menu in Kingston!
Broken Plate
Location: 14 Canberra Crescent off Munroe Road. Kgn. 6. Ja.
Ph: 876-667-6891
Email: [email protected]
Opening Hours: Mondays to Saturdays, 11am to 10pm
Facebook & Instagram: @brokenplateja
By: Gabrielle Burgess
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Suga hits the North Coast and visits Seaside Dutchie!
Suga’s Ratings for Seaside Dutchie
Date and time of visit:Â Sunday, May 6, 2018 at 3:00pm
No. of diners: 2
NB. Ratings fill 5 stars maximum
Parking: ★★★★★
Ambience: ★★★☆☆
Décor: ★★★☆☆
Comfort: ★★★★☆
Service: ★★★☆☆
Speed: ★★★☆☆
Food quality: ★★★★☆
Serving amount: ★★★☆☆
Plating: ★★★★☆
Value for $: ★★★★☆
SuGa Endorsement:Â 3.5/5
Comments:Â
Rustic, but refined Restaurant tucked
away on Altery Beach in Priory, St. Ann. Seaside Dutchie has comfortable dining options with a seaside view and courteous, attentive staff. They specialize in Jamaican cuisine and both the food and drink menus have a wide variety of items to satisfy whatever craving you may have. Service time is reasonable, the preparation and presentation of their food in Dutch pots is unique and dishes are flavourful. Reasonable prices and value for money. #SugaEndorsed
Suga’s Breakdown
I took pleasure in the rustic ambience and comfortable seating with a seaside view. It was so comfortable, I was quite alright with sitting by the Bar with my husband, Randy. A small wedding was about to start, where they had a room reserved with food and tables for the reception. Free entertainment was ahead with music playing already.
Their Starters looked interesting for the most part. For instance, they had Johnny Be Good listed that included four Deep Fried Johnny Cakes stuffed with spicy Shrimp and Callaloo for $500JMD+tx or Black Beans and Corn Salsa for $400JMD.
Sweet and Sticky Wings that consisted of Pineapple Flavoured Chicken Wings with a hint of Molasses for $700JMD+tx caught my eyes too.
I had been craving the Conch Fritters with Escoveitched mayonnaise ($500JMD+ tx), but I was stopped in my tracks before ordering when our server, Demonia a.k.a Mona listed a few items that were not available on the menu.
I had the Tostones.
The Coconut Curry Saltfish had a sharp, but delicious flavour, while the Pressed Plantains were on point! They hit the spot.
Randy had the Rasta Man Soup, which he enjoyed. Everything arrived in Dutch pots. Loved it!
There were countless options for the main. They had Wraps, Burgers and Sandwiches ranging from $600-$1000JMD+ tx. Salads, Pizzas and Pastas were available too for less than $1400JMD+tx.
Being on the North coast, Island favourites are a must. They had Jerk Chicken and Pork, Curried Goat, Oxtail, Fried Chicken and Fish done any style ranging from $800-$2200JMD+tx.
If you felt like stepping things up, gourmet dishes such as Steak ($3000JMD+ tx) and Pan Seared Blackened Salmon ($2000JMD+ tx) were available.
A wide range of reasonable beverages accompanied the food options, including Blended Cocktails that can be whipped up by the Bartender.
We chose to dine Island style. Our main had an interesting preparation and presentation. I had Roast Fish and my husband, Steamed. We were told when ordering that they would debone the fish, then fry the bone.
I felt robbed of some of my fish meat, but it was still satisfying. If you desired the best of both worlds, you could peck away some fried fish.
Interesting, but enjoyable experience. Suga will return.
Seaside Dutchie
Location: Altery Beach, Priory St. Ann. Jamaica
Ph: 876-367-9277
By: Gabrielle Burgess
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Jamaican Breakfast in the Mountains
Suga’s Ratings for EITS Cafe at Mount Edge Guesthouse
Date and time of visit:Â Sunday, April 1, 2018 at 10:30am
No. of diners: 2
NB. Ratings fill 5 stars maximum
Parking: ★☆☆☆☆
Ambience: ★★★★★
Decor: ★★★★★
Comfort: ★★★★★
Service: ★★★★☆
Speed: ★★★☆☆
Food quality: ★★★★☆
Serving amount: ★★★★☆
Plating: ★★★☆☆
Value for $: ★★★★☆
SuGa Endorsement: ★★★★☆
Comments:
Exquisite ambience and scenic view with hummingbirds in full flight while you wait for your food made fresh to order. Menu items were quite reasonable in cost. My husband and I had the Jamaican breakfast that included Ackee and saltfish, along with sides of our choice. I thought that they needed more filling in their Fritters, but their Ackee and other sides such as boiled banana were spot on.
The father-daughter duo who run EITS, Michael and Robyn Fox, were hospitable, making us feel right at home.
Their high standard as a must-stop on the Blue Mountain culinary trail has been kept. Suga snaps for EITS.
EITS Cafe at Mount Edge Guesthouse
Ph#: 876-944-8974
Address: 17 Mile Post, Newcastle. St. Andrew Jamaica
Stay tuned for 2 spots that have gone downhill on the Blue Mountain Culinary trail for Suga Bears next week!
By: Gabrielle Burgess
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Lunch at Café El Centro!
Suga’s Ratings for Café El Centro
Date & Time of Visit: Saturday, March 31, 2018 at 2:15pm.
No. of diners: 2
NB. Ratings fill 5 stars maximum
Parking: ★★★☆☆
Ambience: ★★★★☆
Décor: ★★★★★
Comfort: ★★★★★
Service: ★★★★☆
Speed: ★★★★☆
Value for $: ★★★★☆
Suga Endorsement: ★★★★☆
Comments: Manager, Tina Newman continues to be an exceptional hostess, making you feel right at home. The Smoked Marlin Salad was tasty and quite filling for a salad. My Grilled Sea Trout that was made to order, came out in 20 minutes as I was told it would. It was well seasoned and cooked. The mango salsa complemented it well. I was given the option of potato mash instead of the bammy and also had a freshly tossed vegetable salad on the side with their house-made vinaigrette. Cosy spot with satisfactory service and food. Value for money. #SugaEndorsed
Café El CentroÂ
Location: 8 Hillcrest Avenue
Ph: 876-927-8415
Opening hours: 9am – 10pm
Email: [email protected]
By: Gabrielle Burgess
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