By Kaili McDonnough, Staff Reporter
Jack Sprat could eat no fat, his wife could eat no lean but at Jack Sprat, Treasure Beach, you'll lick your plate clean
IF YOU haven't heard the buzz, I am going to let you in on a secret. There is a quaint little restaurant in an unspoilt town in St. Elizabeth which, for more than a year, has been serving up the most delightful dishes.
Drive to Treasure Beach and ask anyone you encounter to point you in the direction of a restaurant serving up scrumptious meals and I am almost certain that you will be given directions to Jack Sprat. This beach- front bistro serves mouth-watering seafood and pizza.
Jack Sprat is the brainchild of Jason Henzell, of Jakes fame. Jakes, as you may already know, is the hip and trendy south coast hotel that caters to the Bohemian and artistic sets. Henzell says he developed the Jack Sprat concept because he wanted to "map out a niche where both the foreigners and the locals could mix."
Henzell, who has been in the hotel industry for more than 10 years, adds: "Often when you have a restaurant in a tourist destination the locals don't support the business as the prices are too steep." That's not the case at Jack Sprat he notes. "The locals love the place."
Jack Sprat's seafood comes from the surrounding waters. Many of the local fishermen who provide the catch are customers. The people and spirit of Treasure Beach have also inspired the menu.
While the restaurant has the pizzazz and creativity of Jakes, do not expect the same architectural configuration. Built on a small plot of land next door to Jakes, Jack Sprat looks more like your granny's or greatgranny's country cottage. Sun-kissed orange panelling lines the structure of the cottage and a beautiful ivory fretwork trim borders the edges of the roof. Inside the main dining area you will find the funkiest collection of furniture sprinkled randomly to give a feeling of circa-1972 Jamaica. With Island Records memorabilia also hanging on the walls a vintage The Harder They Come movie poster, Bob Marley vinyl 45 LPs, an original Peter Tosh album cover this restaurant doubles as a great place for food and as a mini-museum of classic reggae collectibles.
What's more, if you feel in the mood to soak up some rays while you eat, Jack Sprat gives you that option with an outside dining area that faces the beach.
FOODIES EXPECT THE BEST
Before I get into the details about the food, give me a minute to talk about the service. I was once watching the show Nigella Bites on BBC television when I heard food guru Nigella Lawson use the term 'foodie'. My understanding of a 'foodie' is some-
one who not only rates a restaurant in terms of the savoury taste of the victuals, but also in terms of the service. A 'foodie' can also be someone who dines out so frequently that he/she expecting the creme de la creme in all areas.
After watching that programme I dubbed myself a 'foodie' as my behaviour in relation to food falls under those umbrellas. Good service is often hard to come by in Jamaica, so knowing this I was not anticipating much from this beachfront joint. However, Fiona and Cassandra took care of me. What shocked me the most was that the minute I placed my knife, fork and remaining food to the right side of my plate, the two women were there promptly to clear the table.
The food, the food, the food. I have saved the best for last. The food was excellent! As I've mentioned earlier, the menu consists of seafood and pizza. My companion and I chose not to eat a traditional meal, but, instead ordered several entrees from which we picked and nibbled Spicy Conch Soup, tender Creole Lobster with bammies and festival, golden-crusted crab backs, a vegetarian pizza and a small garden salad topped with tangy honey mustard dressing.
Being a 'foodie' I usually find something to complain about but everything was just so tasty. OK, maybe the sweet peppers in the Lobster Creole were a bit on the soft side, but we all know it's common for Jamaicans to overcook vegetables. Beside that minor slip-up, the cuisine at Jack Sprat is first class and appetising.
A true 'foodie' will search far and wide in the pursuit of a tantalising meal. So if ever feel for a weekend drive-out to get some yummy grub, consider making your escape to Jack Sprat in Treasure Beach. Oh, and most days you can catch DJ Fabulous on the turntables spinning a mix of rocksteady and ska.
Treasure Beach Pizza Dough
10 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsb. yeast
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
1 tbsb. sugar
1 tbsb. salt
2 tsb. olive oil
Topping
1 can pizza sauce
1/4 lb. Mozzarella cheese
1 tomato, diced
1 sweet pepper, sliced
1 onion, diced
1/2 tsp. oregano
METHOD
Knead ingredients for the dough in a bowl and let sit for half-an-hour with a warm towel covering the mixture.
After half-an-hour weigh out the dough in three-quarter pound increments. From this you should get at least six circles of dough. Use only one circle of dough per pizza (The remainder can be refrigerated).
Stretch out the dough and place on a greased pizza pan. Bake crust for 5 minutes.
Remove from the oven and add pizza sauce and Mozzarella cheese, vegetable toppings and a sprinkle of oregano. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 400 degrees F until the crust is crisp and golden.
