Good to know the Islands has reopened. I used to really like their old location, was particularly fond of the curried goat. However, the last time I went there, maybe three or four years ago, I was a bit surprised when a man arrived from outside carrying a big tray of food... it seemed to me that some of the food was not in fact being cooked in the tiny kitchen on site, but somewhere else... maybe in someone's apartment? This kind of turned me off. But now that the kitchen is bigger, maybe the actually do the cooking there, which would be more appropriate, I think. I shall return!
1
All Jamaican food is delicious. But this review makes me want to go try this restaurant. One quibble - the writer mentions - "demerara sugar." I believe it should be Demerara. Demerara is a province in Guyana, South America. The British who were the former colonizers of Guyana, established Demerara as a sugar plantation to produce sugar and rum. The British made Demeara sugar famous and now many other sugar exporters call their sugar "Demerara sugar" even though its from elsewhere like South Africa, Fiji, etc. Makes me upset because I'm from Guyana. But, I love Jamaican food.
7
Go now!
1
I disagree with only one point: their jerk chicken and stewed cabbage would be my last meal. Love The Islands!
7
Love The Islands. One geographical quibble: don't you mean east to Ralph Avenue?
What I love about Wells' reviews, besides his exquisite writing, is how he manages to criticize with kindness and good intent. He has really hit the sweet spot in criticism in these times when most go out of their way to be witheringly nasty. I look forward to visiting this restaurant.
23
The Islands was wonderful in it’s tiny former space, and it’s equally wonderful in the new space. The review text seems fair, but the star rating feels less so. I respectfully submit that three stars feels more accurate, and better reflects the reviewer’s words.
7
The star rating system for restaurants is not like the rating system for movies or what you see on Yelp. It’s not an assessment of how successful an establishment is at doing what it sets out to do; it’s a metric of comparison among all the restaurants out there. (If movies were rated this way, it’d mean that a film would have to be on the level of Citizen Kane or The Godfather to get four stars.) No stars, for example, doesn’t necessarily mean a place is horrible; it just means there’s nothing exceptional about it. For a place like this a one-star review is very good, a true badge of honor that they should be proud of.
20
Thanks very much for your clarification!
3
I fear that most of the restaurant eaters do view the rating system as something of an absolute. Who can judge the differences in tastes and expectations of Mr. Wells vs. the inspectors of Michelin or Gault-Millau?
1
I'm SO happy to hear that The Islands has reopened! The food is unparalleled. It's true Caribbean cooking that reminds me of my Trini grandma. I loved watching Marilyn stir the coal pot in their tiny original space. I'll be the new location weekend for sure. Welcome back!
10
I used to live across the street from the original Islands. The food was always excellent and very spicy. Most of all, the vibe inside was consistently great - the women who run the place are incredibly welcoming, chill and happy. So glad to see them thriving still - and excited to check out this next incarnation of The Islands soon.
9
I have eaten at both locations. The food is good, but much of it comes from the food being way too salty.
1
This review does The Islands justice.
I first went to the original Islands on a date and was a little hesitant walking in considering the location was basically a small, overused kitchen behind a counter with three tables in a hot stuffy attic up a crooked flight of stairs.
But when the mountain of jerk chicken, rice and peas, and fried plantains was delivered and that first bite of chicken fell off the bone in my mouth, I understood the hype. It was a near-religious experience. When Ms. Reid came back up the stairs, she made it feel as if we had known each other for years and that she had invited us into her own home to serve us a holiday meal.
When I heard the original location would be closing, I was devastated. I learned they were opening up the street months later, but the new location had been delayed so many times, I thought it would never happen. I'm happy to say that when I went back this past Spring, the new digs had not taken away from the homey vibe that the old location had one bit. I'm so glad that Ms. Reid and Ms. Letchford finally have a restaurant location fit for the wonderful food they serve.
24
The Islands reads like a very nice neighborhood restaurant of a regional cuisine. Kudos to the two proprietrices for not giving up in the face of urban uglification, a.k.a. urban renewal. Of the slides shown, garlic shrimp appealed to me most.
8