Mel Cooke, Freelance WriterWESTERN BUREAU:
'BRUNCH' IS a mild term for the feast laid out at the Grog Shoppe Restaurant and Pub, Devon House, on Sunday.
The treat for the stomach came complete with music from Colin Shirley on vocals and Ozoune on keyboard, delivering well-chosen songs, in an ambience of flora and a chuckling waterfall that put nearby Waterloo and Hope roads in St. Andrew light years away.
It was never a full house on Sunday, but rather a steady flow of diners who came away from the buffet line filled from the weekly all-inclusive affair.
CONTINUOUS MUSIC
While they were required to take a couple steps inside for the food, the music came to them as they dined in the open, the volume of the sound as well as the delivery of the vocalist and musician appropriately restrained, though clearly audible. And, inside or out, the service was top-class attentive, yet not intrusive.
The music starts promptly with brunch at 11:00 a.m. and, save for a few breaks for the pause that refreshes, continues until the line is closed at 3:00 p.m. At 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, under bright sunshine, Shirley welcomed all to the food, music and relaxation affair and rejoiced "what a day this has been/what a mood I am in/it's almost like being in love."
Whether it was a case of full hands and mouths or dining decorum, the applause throughout was sparse, as Shirley and Ozoune, with drum, bass and other instruments supplied via CD, touched on the Nat King Cole and Diana Ross catalogues, the keyboard player taking an extended solo on Good Morning Heartache.
APPROPRIATE SELECTION
"At this time we need a lot of love in our society," Shirley said, doing No One Else Could Love You More. Shirley went into a lower register, eyes closed on the refrain "let her smile, for she is a lady", swaying to the beat. As it got a little overcast, Shirley commented: "It is cloudy, then sunny, then cloudy again, a kind of temperamental day. One wonders what will happen."
What A Difference A Day Makes was probably an appropriate selection for the moment.
The duo went uptempo to close the segment with You Make Me Feel So Young, Shirley leaning the microphone on the stand as he got into the piece.
Recorded music resumed with Rambling Rose and The Gleaner turned full attention to its choices, which included roti, bammies and Johnny cakes, chick peas and potato, callaloo and escoveitched fish, topped off with Jew plum juice.
The taste buds hinted at what the lady in charge of the fare, Lisa Gobay, confirmed, that it was homestyle cooking with no powdered seasoning, hence no MSG and such the like, as it was an all-natural approach, with the grease level kept minimal. The level of service was underscored by the replacement of a half-full glass of water in which the ice had melted with a fresh glass.
Back on the stand, Shirley and Ozoune went through Fly Me To The Moon, Under The Boardwalk and Lately, the latter getting the very slow treatment, the sun winning the contest with the clouds as he did the chirpy Let's Fall In Love.
The Gleaner left the Grog Shoppe on All Of Me, cutting a covetous eye past the tempting desserts of gizzada, plantain tart, chocolate cake and lemon-apple sponge cake, among other gastronomic treats, sauntering its way back out to the real world of a semi-sleepy, Sunday afternoon Kingston.
