Exotic You: Restaurant Week Rundown 2012 Part II

Hello everyone, I wanted to share my dining experience during Restaurant Week 2012 with you all as I think that the concept behind the week long event is absolutely fantastic! You get a chance to basically sample a variety of cuisine at a discounted cost and you definitely can't beat that.

Gloria's Seafood

Category: Tasty (JMD$1600)
Location: Port Royal
Type of Cuisine: Jamaican Style Seafood and Fish
Review: The bf and I hadn't planned on going to Gloria's for Restaurant Week, since we normally go on any other typical night, but friends of ours were in the mood for fish, so we basically went on a double date. We went to the restaurant located on the foreshore. I know that Gloria's typically gets really bad reviews in regards to the service, but luckily for both myself and my other girlfriend knew the waitress from childhood, so we got the 'royal treatment', so to speak. We didn't wait very long for our table and the food came out in good time. We all ordered basically the same thing; Conch Fritters, Fish and Lobster Medley, and Chocolate cake. The entree was definitely the highlight of our meal. The portion was very large and you know no one prepares steamed fish better than Gloria's, so that was delicious! However, I know of other persons who went to Gloria's during Restaurant Week and because of the bad service they received, it spoiled their experience. With that said, I would recommend the restaurant for the tasty seafood, but not for the service. (Shannon)
Rating: 4.5/5

Fish and Lobster Medley

Ristorante Baci - Wyndham Hotel

Category: Savoury (JMD$2200)
Location: New Kingston
Type of Cuisine: Italian
Review: 'Le sigh', what a disappointment! I went to Baci with a group of friends and I think we all left somewhat indifferent towards this restaurant. I think I went with such high expectations because I am a fan of Italian food, I believe it's one cuisine where you can't really go wrong. For my appetizer I had the Calamari Fritti, which was very good. My main course was the Chicken Parmesan which for me was 'blah'; I didn't end up finishing it because I got bored mid way eating it. My bf however got the Veal Prosciutto which I tried and it wasn't too bad. For my dessert I got the Cappuccino Cheese Cake which was delicious! The service was great and the best part of the evening was the company. I would go back to this restaurant, but I would certainly order a different main course. (Shannon)
Rating: 3.5/5

Left: Veal Prosciutto | Right: Chicken Parmesan

Cappuccino Cheesecake

South Beach Cafe

Category: Savoury (JMD$2200)
Location: 8 Lady Musgrave Road
Type of Cuisine: Fusion of Jamaican and International cuisine
Review: This was date night for me and my bf. We went there without making a reservation so we had to wait about 7 minutes for them to prepare a table for us which wasn't too bad. The hostess and the servers where very professional and did a fantastic job. I always loved the outdoor atmosphere of this restaurant, and the fact that the decor was modern and cozy made for a lovely romantic dinner for my bf and I. For my appetizer I ordered the Oakland Smoked Salmon; I was extremely shocked by the portion as it was only a bite size amount, however, it tasted really good. My bf had the Brompton Remoulade (crab and shrimp cake) and it was just as shockingly small. For my entree I ordered the Broiled Lobster with Saffron rice; this was the best part of my meal because it was really delicious. The disappointing part again was the portion size which was very small. The dessert was the worst part of my evening. I ordered the Dulce de Leche cheese cake, and not only was it extremely small, there was nothing 'dulce' about this cheese cake; it was bland and dry; it was the worse cheese cake I have ever had in my life! With that said, I do have mixed feelings about my experience at South Beach, as my entree was delicious, but I left hungry. However, I will be going back outside of Restaurant Week to see if there is any major difference particularly in regards to the serving size. (Shannon)
Rating: 3/5