Dining At The Gap Café

The entrance of The Gap Café

Tucked away deep in the Jamaica Blue Mountains is a small cafe called The Gap Café. This quaint rustic restaurant is located in Portland Gap, twenty one miles away from Kingston. However, the journey certainly feels longer as the mountain road to this well elevated restaurant in narrow, windy and is a very rough ride, so you may want to prepare your self mentally for this long drive. Nevertheless, if you are longing for rustic dining in the clean mountain air away from the noises, the hustle and bustle of city life then this journey will worth the trip.

Directions along the winding road.

Milestone at The Gap Café

Driveway to the café from the road

The rustic charm and board structure of this restaurant and cafe definitely blends in with the natural look and feel of it's rural location and is reminiscent of a old country house. It is perched on the side of the mountain overlooking the lush green forrest that carpets the Blue Mountain Range, perfect for that rural dining.

The back balcony or The Gap Café

One of the many plants outside the café

View of Holywell from The Gap Café

Once you enter the cafe you cannot help noticing the blue and white inside of the main inner dining area and lobby is decorated with white and cream furniture with framed pieces of Jamaican history mounted on the blue board walls. If you are looking for even more of a natural rustic dining experience the balcony overlooking the blue mountains will definitely fulfill that desire.

Interior of the café

Interior of the café

The food was pretty good, and I especially enjoyed the oxtail which was season to the bone, full of flavour and the meat fell right off the bone with stroke of a knife. My dinner date had a variation of Chicken Cordon Bleu, chicken breast stuffed with callaloo and cheese.

Chicken Cordon Bleu with Rice and Peas

Oxtail with Rice and Peas

My highlight of the evening though was the French Pressed Blue Mountain Coffee which was absolutely delicious with that wonderful freshly brewed coffee aroma. We had it with a slice of chocolate cake which was not as wonderful as I had hoped but definitely the coffee made my day.

French Press Blue Mountain Coffee

French Press Blue Mountain Coffe and chocolate cake

If you are looking for a good drive out in the hills on a Sunday evening and want to dine in a rustic country atmosphere then The Gap Café is worth a try. And be sure to end your evening with some French Pressed Blue Mountain Coffee!

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Toscanini - Italian Dining Experience in Jamaica

Toscanini Resturant at night

When you think of Jamaica you think of jerk chicken, jerk pork, oxtail, rice and peas and the many colourful and delicious Jamaican meals guaranteed to tantalize the palate. Fine dining to delicious Italian and Mediterranean meals prepared with fresh local produce would most likely not be the first thing to come to mind. But as the motto of the island of Jamaica states, "Out of Many One People", the same goes for the diverse mixture of cuisines that can be found here in Jamaica. Italian food is one that has found it's niche in the Jamaica culinary landscape. One of the leading pioneers charting their way in local Italian and Mediterranean dining is Toscanini.

Interior Dining Room

Veranda dining area

Toscanini is a quaint restaurant located at Harmony Hall, just a few miles outside of the resort town of Ocho Rios. The restaurant charms it's diners with it's rustic indoors and varanda dining area and provides a relaxing setting to enjoy the tastes of Italy and the Mediterranean. As we entered the restaurant we were warmly greeted by the owner Lella, who escorted us to our table and easily made us feel welcomed and set the tone for a wonderful dining experience. We also met the man behind the meals chef Pierluigi, called PG, who introduced himself to us as well as his Canon film SLR as he had noticed my Nikon D7000 resting on the table. He related his experiences as an avid sports photographer, his other passion.

Chalk board menu

The first thing that we notice that was different was that the traditional menu books that are handed to us by our servers. Once seated we were presented with two large chalk boards with the restaurants menu hand written with chalk, definitely not the type of menus I have seen. Lella then explained each item on the menu which consisted of appetisers, entreé and desserts. I greatly appreciated this as with most restaurants I have been to I have had to ask what is in the meals they are serving. So this was very helpful in deciding what I wanted to eat instead of the awkward fifteen minutes of trying to figure out what my meal should be.

Garlic Herb Butter

Focaccia

Olive Oil with Scotch Bonnet pepper

Cream of Pumpkin Soup

Zucchini Gratinate

To start off the dining experience we ordered the Cream of Pumpkin soup and the Zucchini Gratinate which went well with the warm Focaccia which came with Garlic Herb Butter and Olive Oil mixed with Scotch Bonnet pepper.

Fettuccine Florentina

Pappardelle Boscaiola

One of our servers, Julie adding freshly ground pepper

Up next was Entreé, so we decided to go all Italian and selected the Fettuccini Florentina made with  Breast of Chicken and Callaloo Alfredo Sauce and Papperdelle Boscaiola made with Prosciutto Ham and Portobello Mushrooms in a creamy Tomato Basil Sauce. This was finished with Parmesain cheese and a sprinkle of pepper done at our table by our servers. To make the food go down well a glass of fine Merlot and lime squash were great choices. The meals were delicious and combined with appetizers and continuous servings of warm homemade Focaccia quite filling as we barely had space for desserts!

Chocolate Profiteroles

However, dessert was a must for this rare dining occasion so we ordered up a serving of the delicious Chocolate Profiteroles, cream filled buns with a warm chocolate sauce. This was perfect way to end this dining experience as it was not too sweet but had that right amount of sweetness to satisfy the palate.

Chef Pierluigi PG

Lella Ricci

Our servers: L-R: Julie and Omar

We then had a wonderful conversation with Lella, who told us about the history of the restaurants and showed us here guestbook with kind words from her many international celebrity diners who have stopped by to sample her culinary dishes. This book of celebrity testimonials reaffirmed the many food awards plaques that decorated the interior dining area.

Lella's celebrity guestbook

One of the many testimonials in the Toscanini guestbook

Observer Food Awards

The three course meal for two came up to under $JM8000 which is about the average rate for such dining in Jamaica. Toscanini is definitely worth trying if you are in the mood for some italian or Mediterranean dishes with a relaxing, rustic ambiance.

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Rojo for Restaurant Week 2012

Restaurant Week 2012 menu at Rojo Restaurant

The annual week of culinary celebration, restaurant Week Jamaica, has arrived once again promising taste morsels of palette tantalisation at a lower than the regular price. If there is one thing that is welcomed by Jamaicans these days, it is dining out at a lower cost! With this in mind and the promise of well decorated tasty dishes that showcase the best of Jamaica's restaurants many Jamaicans have descended on the participating restaurants.

Rojo Restaurant Spanish Court Menu cover

This year Restaurant week features restaurants in the regular categories Epicurean, Delectable, Savoury, Tasty and Nyam & Scram. This year for the first I dared to head to the top of the chart and decided on sampling a restaurant in the Epicurean category. I selected Rojo Restaurant at the Spanish Court Hotel to do the honours of pleasing my taste buds for my Restaurant Week 2012. But what would Rojo Restaurant have to offer?

Goat Cheese & Olive Tapenade Roll

Feta Cheese And Kalamata Olives Salad

I decided to start off my meal with  the Goat Cheese & Olive Tapenade Roll while my date for the evening had the  Feta Cheese And Kalamata Olives Salad. Both served with garlic buttered bread. They proved to be tasty appetizers and a very good prelude to what was to come.

Herb Crusted Salmon

Grilled Black Angus Filet Mingnon

Complementary Drink Options

After the tasty appetizers it was time to get to the real meat of the matter, the entrées. I opted for the Herb Crusted Salmon and my date chose the Grilled Black Angus Filet Mingnon. The salmon was well seasoned  and succulent and a went down well with the soft sautéed potatoes. The beef, despite being well done, was still soft and juicy and took little effort to consume as it was pleasingly seasoned. Dinner was served with a choice of complementary beverages courtesy of Schweppes and Appleton. Diners have a choice of Spicy Special or Schweet; so I chose the Spicy Special.

Mixed Berries Cream Mousse

Chocolate Mouse Cake

Blue Mountain Coffee curtesy of Café Blue

Now that entrée was quickly consumed it was time to satisfy that sweet tooth with some dessert. I selected the Chocolate Mousse Cake and could not resist the complementary coffee from Café Blue. My date for the evening had the Mixed Berries Cream Mousse which comprised of layers of smooth vanilla cream and cherry compote with almond biscott. Both desserts proved to be a great closing curtain for my dining experience.

The final Rojo Restaurant Week Jamaica 2012 price for dinner for two

L-R: Our server Rochelle Sweeney and Chef Lamarsha Mitchell the person behind the meals

I was pretty satisfied with my Restaurant Week experience this year, as Rojo Restaurant delivered. This Saturday is the last day of Restaurant Week Jamaica so it's not too late to still go out and sample some of the culinary delights and Rojo Restaurant Spanish Court is definitely a good option.

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Kuyaba - Negril Beachside Dining

The Kuyaba sign at the entrance of the property

On a recent trip to the popular Jamaican tourist destination, Negril, I stopped by Kuyaba for lunch. Kuyaba is a hotel and restaurant that lies right on the beautiful seven mile beach of Negril. The rustic wooden structures of the property gives the feel of being at a real island getaway at a remote location on the beach.

The view of  Negril beach from the Gazebo at Kuyaba Restaurant

The view of the deck and thatch roof of Kuyaba Restaurant from the gazebo

The wooded structure and thatch roof of the restaurant gives the place that relaxed feeling and complements the whole idea of dining on a beach. The restaurant consists of four areas: a covered dining area which sits under the large thatch roof; a bar which is also located under the thatch roof; a large outdoor balcony for those who want a real outdoor dining experience; and for those who like a little exclusivity and a great view of the beautiful Negril beach there is a gazebo that seats four and overlooks the restaurant and beach. All dining areas however provide a lovely dining ambiance as one's senses are stimulated by the gentle sea breeze and the soft crashing of the waves of Caribbean Sea. Nevertheless, there is no guessing where I decided to have my lunch! Up in the sky baby!

Grilled chicken wrap and a serving of fries

Grilled chicken salad served with a tasty dressing

Freshly made fruit punch with Jamaican rum

After being ushered up to the gazebo by my waitress for the day and perusing the lunch menu I decided to try the grilled chicken wrap while my date for the day tried the grilled chicken salad. For drinks we had freshly made fruit punch with some good old Jamaican rum and piña colada respectively. The wrap  was made with fresh vegetables and succulent grilled chicken strips and a creamy sauce, served with a side of crispy fries. The grilled chicken salad was also made from the same fresh garden vegetables and tender grilled chicken, but the highlight was the tantalising sauce that was served along side the salad. Both dishes were very tasty and combined with the view and gentle breeze made a wonderful lunch experience!

Buddy one of the birds at Kuyaba

Charlie one of the birds at Kuyaba

This was not my first visit to the restaurant as I have had dinner there once while in Negril for a destination wedding. I indulged in one of their pasta offerings and I was not disappointed as it was quite a tasty meal. Kuyaba restaurant serves all three meals of the day: breakfast, lunch and dinner and at a very affordable price! Don't worry about gaining a few pounds after indulging in what they have to offer as the beach is right there for those who want to take a swim in the beautiful blue Caribbean Sea that caresses the lovely white sand Negril beach. So if you happen to be staying in Negril or passing through Kuyaba restaurant is definitely a stop worth considering! And don't forget to say high to Buddy and Charlie, the resident birds, while you are there!

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