1. JoshB informs us that the NY Times dining section just reviewed The Islands in their $25 and under column. Excerpts:
“The quirks make the Islands feel like a home kitchen. Ms. Letchford, a longtime professional chef, and Ms. Reid, who worked in the corporate world, sometimes sip wine as they mince and chop. They quiz customers about their spice tolerance and tickle their children.”
“But quirks don’t make it worth the visit; the food does. The women prepare meals with such unwavering care that the one night my friends and I received anything subpar – a partially cold roti and Calypso shrimp sauce with an irksome texture – Ms. Reid apologized without any of us having to complain…”
“If you don’t feel like waiting for food downstairs or outside under a canopy of fairy lights, there are steep stairs leading to a dining loft, lighted with candles and decorated with seashells, parrots and floral prints. It feels like a secret hideaway, with just four tables and ceilings so low that most diners slouch to their seats. Once there, you’ll want to sip brown-bag wine or beer, or homemade concoctions like gingery limeade sweetened with brown sugar, and sorrel so heavily steeped and spiced it seemed spiked.”
2. The Blog That Stirs The Drink writes about cashing in the Dinner for Four at The Islands Grand Prize he won in that DAILY HEIGHTS happy hour/raffle that you missed:
“The food was really, really, really good. Did I mention I liked it? They gave us complimentary rum punch, which was very tasty and a nice refreshing change from the party punches I usually drink, which are usually pretty nasty and make you go blind if you drink too much of it. Then we got our appetizer plate with BBQ chicken, plantain and some kind of fried cod thing. You know, I’m not going to go into this whole thing, because reading about a meal someone had is like reading about a dream they had. In other words, dull. So, I’m just going to say I heartily recommend this establishment. I’m not just saying that because I ate for free, either.”
ALSO NOTABLE: Also in the NYT: A brief take on Delicacies.
