Down with CHEZ MARIA!

Marrying different kinds of food in one place is often times a very hard task to achieve...

I believe that what makes a fusion place successful is not only the combination of food on their menus, but the coherence of their particular concept throughout that facility.

People visiting a fusion restaurant must be able to read that particular food concept from the minute they set foot on that place. They must see it on their décor, their ambiance and, needless to say, on their menu.

This is the case of CHEZ MARIA. They have a fantastic Mediterranean menu, which is truly representative of that region. But I personally think that they have failed at delivering this concept throughout their restaurant.

As soon as you enter CHEZ, you are hinted at the golden days of this place. Two bars, inside and outside dining, servers posted at the door to welcome the clients and mellow music.

Unfortunately, Chez Maria’s good 'ole days are gone and their brazen disregard is showing. Poor quality food, smelly napkins and tablecloths, plastic chairs, slow service, careless servers and disregarded clients.

My LAST meal there was a disaster. I was sitting at a big table with friends and we were not all served at the same time. I was really distraught at seeing that the place was almost empty and the servers were not efficient enough to take good care of ALL the guests… and there were quite a number of these SERVERS! This is clearly a management error and I would not want to imagine what would happen if the place were at least half full.

Although I think that their hummus is the best in town and that they are able to do better than my last experience, I prefer not to visit CHEZ MARIA again for a long time.

They need to have their place overhauled. We should not settle for less than better service and servers, better attention to detail and concept coherence all the way through.

So, my dear blog readers, when thinking to go to Chez Maria, think it twice. There are other options in Kingston where your dining experience will be far better.

Let CHEZ MARIA's people know that they have to take their business seriously or they will keep on losing clients.

Keep on eating ...and reporting!

CHILITOS (CHILL-EAT-OS) on Hope Road

JA-MEXICAN food!

What a clever combination!

I have been to Chilitos several times and my view has fluctuated every time I go. I was sold on this idea since the very beginning, because it seemed to be a new option among the scarce selection of fast food places in Kingston. But sometimes, I feel that I am not very attracted to the place itself.

Let me explain...

Chilitos not only did it present itself like a new option... it was a "cool" option. They have created a quasi-lounge ambiance in that old house located on Hope Road that makes me want to see where they can go. Unfortunately, they have not gone further.

This place gives you the option of seating at their verandah or even their at their porch listening to NICE music, which says a lot about their relaxed atmosphere. They also have a room filled with posters of music artists, some sofas, chairs and magazines, which reminds me of a nice bar that I visited once in Paris.

The Parisian bar in question was an eclectic mixture of furniture, music and drinks that was called Le bar sans nom (The Unnamed Bar) and it was characterized for a very laid-back and hip atmosphere. Once, I even saw Sydney Pollack entering that bar and I immediately realized that the place was set to be full of amazing stories.

Chilitos has the laid-back effect place (unintended comparison) and it's full of young people and music. The managers are very nice and the concept is attractive. However, even though I am fascinated with the idea of having a JAMEX (TEXMEX) restaurant and I am in tune with the lounge idea, I feel that Chilitos needs to pay closer attention to some details, such as lighting, tidiness, concept coherence and customer comfort.

We were lacking the variety of TEXMEX cuisine in Kingston and I believe this is a good start.

Nonetheless, go there, try their TACO SALADS, their FLAUTAS, their BURRITOS and their CHIMICHANGAS. If you find yourself spoilt for choice, ask one of the staff members and they'll be delighted to advise you about their options. Go with their FRESH juice options, which is far better than a soda pop.

If you want to take full advantage of the JAMEX experience, try Chilitos on a day where they have a live music group. You will be in awe at the mixture of Texmex food and Jamaican underground ambiance.

So, my dear blog readers... are you up for Jamex tonight? If so, drop by Chilitos and don't forget to let them know that we are expecting MORE!

Keep on eating and demanding good service!

Oh... TGIF!

I have given a try to TGIF several times, but it does not seem to conquer me. I was very enthusiastic about this place when they first opened in 2005 because it really offered a new alternative for a nice food at a good price. However, it seems that time has caught up with them and they have not made any effort o keep themselves up to date. Even this American food chain has tried to remain "cool" in the USA by adding new plates to their menus, improving their service formula and being creative.

Here in Jamaica they seem to be at a STANDSTILL. Although, servers really make an effort to keep their smiles ON at all times, the quality of the food has gone downhill. The famous TGIF's burgers are really meager and their steaks are almost invisible in size, just to mention a couple of examples.

I was there today, against my will, I should say, and it was SAD to see the level of deterioration that this restaurant has suffered. Worn out menus, damaged lamps, dirty wood boards... it was a SAD spectacle.

I went for a sure choice and ordered a fajita dish and I think that I was the luckiest on our table. My colleagues' dishes were not really appetizing and we rushed through our meals to get out of the place as soon as we could.

Notwithstanding, I have to say that the service was GOOD and the girl who served us was smiling and helpful.

I certainly believe that they need to rethink their place. Add some local dishes, TGIF style, reprint their menus, speed up the serving process, lower the music and give a in-depth clean to their place.

TGIF has a lovely location, but I think that it has not embraced Jamaica yet. We should demand that as customers... they need to be reminded that they have to keep up with our standards. We demand innovation, quality food, nice service and creativity and this has to be be part of the new GAME of the sports bar.

So, my blog readers, give me a hand in letting our dear TGIF people know that we still want of them, but we want them to be GOOD... not AVERAGE!

Keep on eating!