I remember my first experience with jerk food so vividly. My girlfriend (now my wife) and I went into Bridgetown Grill in Little Five Points ATL in 1992 for lunch when we got tired of looking at crystals, bongs, dashikis, and whatnot. The restaurant seemed really cool, with a back room with a 30 foot high glass ceiling. We dropped into the booth and our waitress came by the table. I asked what was good and she said the jerk chicken plate and a Red Stripe. Done. Fifteen minutes later the plate arrived and I stared down at a blackened chicken breast, black beans and rice, and a pile of cucumbers, tomatoes, and red onions with a little cup of purple stuff (raspberry coulis). Nerves grabbed me. This stuff looked entirely weird. I took the first bite of the chicken and was knocked over. Sweet, hot, savory, and holy shit HOT. It didn't take long to figure out that you could knock the heat back with the rice and beans or a dip in the raspberry coulis. I immediately ordered another Red Stripe. I was in L.O.V.E.
That 30 minute lunch was one of a very few defining food moments for me. I don't know if all of you out there on the HyperWebs have thought about this, but there are certain meals I will remember forever because they changed my life - launched me down a path I never saw coming. Over the years, the Bridgetown Grill expanded their menu and their number of locations and eventually collapsed due to rumored debt and mismanagement. Thankfully, I ate a lot of meals there and spent much time trying to rip off the recipes. In the process, I managed to find the closest commercial spice rub to match Bridgetown's and worked up a really nice facsimile of my favorite dish - Jerk Chicken Burritos. Continue reading Jerk Chicken Burrito recipe here....
That was my first jerk experience too, though I didn't bring my girlfriend-now-wife until 1994 or so. Bridgetown was also my first plantain and my first chipotle chile...thanks for reminding me.
Speaking of their expansion...this also reminded me that I lived upstairs from the Bridgetown Grill for a year during a misguided stint at the Georgian Terrace in...1993? There was a BG right outside, below the, uh...Groove Yard? Point being, that was indeed some good food then....
Posted by: Mark | October 25, 2009 at 08:23 AM
Hey Bro, made these today for lunch. Outstanding, as usual. They will now be in regular rotation for us! :)
Posted by: kara | October 25, 2009 at 01:51 PM