Jambayz Island Grill - Nice weekend lunch

I heard about this place recently via email. The wife and I decided to check it out on a miserable rainy Saturday. Initially hard to find downtown, but finally came across it. Only one other party was in the small dining area, and we we were greeted by polite and helpful staff.

The decor was classic and not over-the-top. Although not a large dining area, the high ceiling made it seem roomy. The climate was perfect. The menu was slightly smaller than the website menu, but it had what we wanted. The waiter was very friendly and knowledgable and answered any questions we had with enthusiasm.

I ordered the Coconut water and the wife ordered a diet coke. The Coco-water was served in a coconut and had a nice refreshing and slightly sweet flavor.We then ordered the conch fritters as a appetizer, and put in our entrees of the Jerk Chicken and the Saltfish. The fritters came out hot and fresh, served with a mango chutney. They were good, but could probably use a little more seasoning. The pieces of conch were chewy but at least they had conch in the fritters, whereas a lot of places might just have conch-flavored bread.

The entrees came out a bit later. The Jerk Chicken was a thigh/leg combo and another leg. I ordered mine with extra spice. It came with a side of rice & beans and some plantain slices. The chicken was fall off the bone tender and juicy. The flavor was exceptional and spiced just right. The beans and rice were done nicely and were a good complement to the chicken. The plantains were perfectly cooked and melted in my mouth.

My wife tried the saltfish which was mixed with vegetables and ackee, served with breadfruit and plantains. She liked the fish, although the breadfruit was a bit too much starch to go with already starchy plantains and ackee. I'm not sure what ackee is exactly, but it reminded me of spaetzle. The flavors of everything were very unique and delicious.

Overall, the food experience was very positive and we will definitely be going back to try some of the other items.

Lastly, we ordered the sweet potato bread pudding with the rum/raisin ice cream. We got it to go and ate it at home. It was amazing. The bread pudding had a wonderful soft, but dense texture and tasted amazing. Not too sweet and cloying like some bread puddings. It went perfectly with the rum/raisin ice cream, which was a creamy scoop of Heaven in it's own right.

Again, kudos to the young man who waited on us, and to the chefs who put together this delicious food. I hope that business does well for them and they stay open for a long time.

White Star Ale House - Well kept Secret

"I'm so full, I'm miserable." That is what my wife said when we got home from White Star Ale House. We never heard of this place until we went to Jambayz, which is next door, and we saw that the same building housed this hidden treasure.

So after reviewing the menu online, I noticed that this wasn't just some ordinary tavern with the same old bar food. This was medium to high end fare at medium to low prices. We decided to try it out Tuesday night.

The decor was elgant and yet approachable. Definitely not suited for your Friday night fleabags who just want to drink and mow down some fries. The place had class.

We decided on some Wisconsin cheese wontons to start, along with some mojitos. The drinks were tasty by the way. We then ordered the pot roast for my wife, and the Ahi Tuna for me. Our son was along, and he ordered he flank steak.

The cheese wontons came out, and looked fantastic. Not the same kind as Zeppelins or ID, but lighter and filled with molten cheese. Served with a spicier mustard which still had enough sweet to make your mouth water. These scored a 10 out of 10.

The entrees came our shortly after. As the website specifies, these are moderately sized portions. Enough fo satisfy a normal person's apetite. The wife's pot roast was well recieved. Was nice and lean with savory gravy and a side of smashed potatoes. I hate pot roast, but I tried it, and even I was impressed.

My son ordered the flank steak and he ordered it medium-rare. It was already sliced when brought out, but was a little too rare for his liking. Admittedly, I tried it, and it was a bit on the raw side and kind of chewy.

The Ahi Tuna was phenomenal. I haven't had this good of tuna since I visited Miami. Charbroiled and cooked medium rare with a nice sear on the outside, yet pink and warm on the inside. It melted in the mouth coupled with the hot/sweet chili sauce. The cheesy potatoes that accompanied it was the perfect compliment, as well as a wonderful comfort food. Absolutely fantastic.

I would definitely go back and recommend this place for foodies who want more than bar food, but don't want to pay over $100 for some good quality items. Bon Apetite!