Credit: John Kessler
Credit: John Kessler
Have you ever had that experience? The one where the waiter keeps sheepishly returning from the kitchen, eyes downcast, murmuring, "I've got some bad news..."
Such was our experience the other day at Negril Village , the latest restaurant to make a go of the lovely old fire station on North Avenue in Midtown. An offshoot of a New York restaurant, this place is a luxe looker, a vision of marble, brass, tile and intricate millwork on the mahongany-stained bar. The menu features traditional Caribbean, new Caribbean, and general upscale American dishes, and the bar pours cocktails that look colorful and tropical. We went at lunch, so I just enjoyed a glass of sorrel, the purple punch made from the sepals of hibiscus flowers.
The waiter informed us when we sat down that the kitchen was out of several items, including all the roti flatbreads. I was looking forward to trying the appetizer we ordered, fried green plantains piled with codfish and ackee, a creamy-textured fruit that Jamaican cooks pair with saltfish. But that was the first bit of bad news.
Credit: John Kessler
Credit: John Kessler
How about the carrot coconut ginger soup? The kitchen took another 10 minutes to deliver the bad news about that dish.
"Why don't you try the chicken wings?" he suggested. I didn't really like the idea of jerk wings followed by jerk chicken. Instead we got a very tasty quinoa salad filled with bits of roasted chayote squash, zucchini and carrot, then topped with arugula and toasted pumpkin seeds in a tangy vinaigrette.
I really liked the way the warm grain played against the cool greens. There was nothing particularly Jamaican about this dish, but I had no complaints.
My friend ordered decent fish tacos with pickled veggies, though she was bummed the plate came with a pile of straight-from-the-freezer-bag fries instead of the promised tostones.
Credit: John Kessler
Credit: John Kessler
As for the jerk chicken, I found more to enjoy in the crisp little leg than the cottony-dry breast. While a corn salad scattered over the top added some color, I would've preferred more allspice and scotch bonnet pepper in the tame sauce. I still mourn the jerk chicken from the now-closed Calypso Cafe downtown.
Negril Village has potential but if this lunch was any indication, it needs to get its act together.
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