Spencer Williams, Contributor
This jazz and blues caf on Braemar Avenue in New Kingston needs a jolt back into the competitive ring of restaurants in Jamaica. There was a time when it was hip not only for its musical prowess, but also for the fabulous food served in the two cosy dining rooms, on the terrace, or down in the courtyard closest to the entertainment. Unfortunately, the man in charge at Redbones has let the food slide off the culinary chart into a salty oblivion. Therefore, the only things that really pull me there now are the bands and singers like Black Zebra, Rootz Underground, Katie Iver and Enola Williams.
I'm not implying that the meals there areinedible. I just think that they need some tweaking if they want to be keeping the interest of culinary buffs. Changing the menus every few months, or so, would also be well received by the regulars.
Healthy helpings are offered for starters, but only two things are worth ordering. The soups - I've always enjoyed the deliciously thick bisques with garlic bread to dip in; and the Greek salad - crispy lettuce and cucumbers with juicy tomatoes, onions, feta cheese and a tasty Mediterranean-style dressing one really can't go wrong in Jamaica when it comes to soups, good salads are few and far between.
While the smoked marlin itself is succulent, the slices in its salad are just a bit too chunky, giving the diner's mouth some work to get through! Smoked fish is highly flavoured and can overpower the mildness of raw vegetables. It wouldn't be too bad if it was served on or with wedges of rye or granary bread.
Wow
The Callaloo Strudel has potential - a large portion of phyllo dough filled with seasoned callaloo and cream cheese, topped with a mornay sauce - but wow, did the salt overrun the entire thing! Just imagine crispy pastry with soft cheese and fresh Jamaican vegetables inside - only to be ruined because the chef forgot how salty cheese can be on its own. Plus you've got the cheesy white sauce as well!
The main course only gets worse. First, you shouldn't stuff the chicken breast with the same thing you filled a starter with. Did you run out of ideas or what? So many things to choose from - bell peppers, pumpkin, lentils, ackees. And someone please listen when I say that the breast does not take as long to cook as the leg and thigh! No excuses here - it's not as if you are serving the whole chicken and don't want to cut off pieces of it as you roast along. The breast is travelling solo, so grill to perfection. You want to see the juices running out of it - as long as they run clear and not pink, the meat is ready!
As for the New Zealand baby (aka French cut) lamb chops, they should begrilled on a high heat to until the outside is deep brown, but still have the inside remaining warm and pink.
Advice
Provided you source a tender animal, the meat will practically dissolve in your mouth like sugar. There is nothing worse than having to chew one mouthful for 10 minutes! And a word of advice about the guava glaze and spicy sauce that accompanied them - try not to make it so much like Sunday lunch gravy with not even a resemblance of flavour to speak of (well apart from the only mineral people eat)!
Last, and this one truly upsets me, how is it possible to overcook such an expensive item? Did 'le chef poissonier' fall asleep in the small amount of time it takes to cook the cretins? Surely, you're going to take extra special care when dealing with your lobsters? I mean, those little creatures are overpriced enough as it is. To then go and turn them into rubber which could be converted into a sturdy pair of flippers, that's taking it all a bit too far.
(And I can't even bear to mention the sodium issue again - everything on the menu simply has way too much of it)!
