Jamaican food

Owner of Codman Square restaurant admits he did a bad, bad thing in bid to get his license back

adamg — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 02:16:27 +0000

Ed. note: The amount of Graham's bounced license check was $2,219, not $134. The amount has been updated in the post; apologies for anybody misled by the incorrect figure.

Christopher Graham says he found himself in pretty dire straits the weekend of Jan. 7. The day before, a police detective had seized the food-serving license of his Lorenez Island Kuisine because the check he used to pay for its renewal had bounced. And as the detective, Robert Mulvey warned him, without the license, he had to shut immediately.

With no money to pay for the license, Graham told the Boston Licensing Board today, he panicked and held an illegal after-hours party that began early on Jan. 8 and ended when police, responding to the latest noise complaint about the 657 Washington St. restaurant, arrived around 2:55 a.m. and shut him down.

Graham raised enough money to pay for his license - more than $2,000 - but the move may well backfire on him: The licensing board votes Thursday whether to strip him of his license altogether or suspend it for a period of time. This is at least the second time Graham has bounced a check to the board.

The secret hiding place of the best roti in Massachusetts

adamg — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 12:48:33 +0000

UPDATE: Post has been taken down. Pretend you never saw this.

Way better than even at Ali's Roti in Mattapan, Boston Guru reports. But Underground Roti is only open for lunch just two days a week, in a shed behind somebody's house on a Jamaica Plain side street, so he's not giving out the address, because, well, you know. But he says he'll e-mail it to you.

On my first trip to Roti I found myself a little uncomfortable walking up the driveway; hoping this is the right place. Then I saw the line of people waiting and smelled the curry emanating from the shack... I knew I'd found gold. ... UR is one of those places where you get your hands on the food and devour while moaning and saying "this is sooo gooood!"

Oh, mon: Hyde Park now has two places for Jamaican food

adamg — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:14:10 +0000

Konteki Kitchen opened last week at 1238 River St. in Cleary Square, featuring a variety of curried and jerk meat (goat? of course), chicken and shrimp, along with the obligatory meat patties.

It's right around the corner from the African Cuisine on Hyde Park Ave., which started serving Jamaican food a couple months ago. One difference: Konteki is strictly takeout - they don't have any tables. Also, they serve smoothies (which is important with a kidlet in the family).

I got a small chicken curry and a meat patty. I prefer the African Cuisine version of chicken curry, because it has some ~~crack~~ spice that I really like, and a sauce with which to mix with rice when the chicken's all gone. But Konteki's version had a satisfying spicy note of its own, as did the meat patty, and if the African Cuisine weren't nearby, I could happily eat my own weight of the stuff (over several days, of course). It was $6 for a small version (good enough for lunch) and $8.50 or $8.75 (I really should take a notebook with me) for a large.

Hours: 11 a.m. - 7 p.m., Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. - 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, closed Sunday. 617-333-9989.

Currying favor in Hyde Park

adamg — Sun, 03 May 2009 14:30:28 +0000

I don't know enough about Jamaican food to judge authenticity, but I do know that the chicken curry at The African Cuisine, 1248 Hyde Park Ave., is addictive. It's probably a good thing I have a saner wife and kid, because otherwise, just writing this might make me rush over there now and I'd only be disappointed since it's Sunday morning and they're not open yet.