By Rosemary Parkinson, Freelance WriterAND SO it came to pass that I had to wend my way into Negril. You see, (Hurricane) Ivan left me with a little fork lightening in one eye and Negril Vision's Dr. Thomas Mirabile, in-house from New York, beckoned me.
Funny little something this flash of light in my eye every now and then. However, a good look into the depths of my retina showed there was not a thing wrong except perhaps too much stretching - the gym has had me on its treadmill for the last couple of weeks bringing with it health and, obviously, other little twitching problems.
Life is great. If it's not one thing it's another. Suffice it to say that I also required new everything when it came to my eyewear. And so it came to pass that my ocular shopping made me hungry.
Now, who better to have lunch with than physician (in case the lightening bolt in my eye fire dung mi head) Dr. Eva Seither? As the good doctor did not have much time, we sneaked into Pirate's Cave on the West End Road for a quick bite. There to greet us was Sandra Martin who, with her husband Tom (formerly of Rick's Cafe fame), opened this lovely spot about two years ago. We chose our spot carefully (a view of the sea and Rock House all at once), taking time to have a refreshment, make our orders and drink in the spectacular sight. It was a glorious day. The blues on the Negril waters were outstanding. It's as though Ivan wiped away a lot of 'grime and dirt' from the waters of the west coast because, on the whole, they have been amazingly glorious.
While a catamaran drifted slowly into the little cove underneath the cliff side, and visitors began their perfunctory jump into the crystal clear waters, I went off on one of my visionary trips. You see, there's a stairway at Pirate's leading to a cave that opens out to the sea. If you will, a sort of doorway from water to land that brought to my idle mind all manner of tales. For instance, I wondered if it was indeed here that Pirate Calico Jack Rackham - the Terror of the Caribbean Seas - dropped anchor that fateful day in 1720 when he was caught by one Captain Barnet during a lapse of concentration. Perhaps too much merriment and most probably too much 'rum punch' in celebration of his arrival in Jamaica.
My interest in this particular pirate has always been compounded by his relationship with two notorious 'lady-pirates' - Mary Read and Anne Bonny, the latter supposedly the mistress of the terror himself. It is said that these two women defied convention by living out their desire for adventure in a man's world. History reports that on this particular onslaught by Barnet, they were the only two members of crew who fought ferociously right to the end for the ship's liberty. Yeah! Guys eat your heart out. Here's another testament of strength from the female crowd.
AT LAST , A CHEF WHO
UNDERSTANDS THE VAGARIES
OF CONCH
Back to the present as our order (just appetisers) was put before us. We had Stuffed Crab Backs drizzled with garlic butter. It could have had a little less stuffing and a little more crab but all in all it was very pleasant. The Fish Fingers with Tartar Sauce was absolutely excellent. I was so pleased to see fish fingers made in-house with local fish). The Jerk Chicken Wings with Pirate's Jerk Sauce was excellent and will be included in my soon to be published Jerking Around Jamaica book. We also had Conch Fritters with Cocktail Sauce - at last a chef who understands the vagaries of conch. It was not too soft or too chewy. Just perfect. A lovely wheat hardough garlic bread was served on the side with a small salad.
The menu, written on a blackboard that is in fact brought to the table for perusing, had other offerings such as Rasta Pasta (ackee, vegetables and tomato on pasta), Bar-B-Q Mini Ribs, Whole Red Snapper, King Fish Steak and Grilled Lobster (in season), to name but a few.
The desserts offered included banana splits and frozen cheese cake while the drinks blackboard made mention of Pirate's Punch, Dirty Banana, Mud Slide, Sex On The Cliffs and other Pirate's Cave delights. I hear a drink here at sunset is a dramatic extravaganza of nature. How you like dem words eh?
The doctor, forced back to her office in fast and furious fashion, gave me time to visit Executive Chef Martin Maginley and his crew at Grand Lido Negril for a chat and surprise entree before returning from whence I came.
I spent a pleasant afternoon with this group of dedicated chefs - so full of life, so much creativity in their minds. Grand Lido can only be proud of its crew. Apart from watching them 'invent' and diligently (and deliciously) prepare a gourmet jerk dish for me - Grilled White Tuna with Jerk Mashed Potatoes, Coconut Mayo and Tropical Fruit Salsa - I had the opportunity to learn so much about their aspirations and their work.
I bet not too many people know that these 'wonder boys of Jah cuisine' travel every single year for months on end around the US taking this island's delicacies right into hallowed grounds such as The Smithsonian and feeding hundreds of people with tantalising morsels of Jah tradition. It was particularly heartening to talk to Sous Chef Sydney Wilson who told me that he was not only blessed to have been a part of the Grand Lido team for the last 16 years but to also find himself under the 'tutelage', so to speak, of Executive Chef Maginley. Wilson is evidence of how dedication, aptitude and a willingness to learn can bring success. Thanks guys for giving me an insight into your lives.
The minds of creative people should mix like milk and water, and finally organise into a harmonious Brotherhood, finding themselves in a great Ocean of Enlightenment.
- Adapted from The Teaching of Buddha by Bukkyo
Dendo Kyokai
