Jamaican Americana in Missouri

[Perd Hapley]

Well, this is unexpected.

I need new boots, so right after work I headed west, to a big boot and Western wear store (St Peters, MO). I noticed there was a place nearby called the Main Street Diner, so I came in to down a burger before I spend the next few hours trying on boots.

The place is fully decked out in typical "Americana" decor (rifles on the wall, photo of Elvis, Route 66 signs, etc). But the staff and menu are (apparently) Jamaican. There's reggae music playing, and a photo of Bob Marley right outside the front door.

Hmmm...

Never had jerk before. Guess this is my chance.

Still want a burger, though.

[Bogie]

What size boots do you wear?

[Perd Hapley]

What size boots do you wear?

12 or 13, depending. My worn-out pair are 11.5 Thorogoods.

[Bogie]

A couple of years ago, I bought a pair of composite toe 12EE carolina loggers.
 
Very comfy for my left ankle, but a bone spur on the right foot does not haz the happy...

[Perd Hapley]

I have an old pair of Carolina loggers, but I could probably use another. PM me, please.

[zxcvbob]

Never had jerk before. Guess this is my chance.

IIRC, jerk means grilled chicken seasoned with allspice and habanero (or scotch bonnet) peppers.  Sounds good to me, but I'd rather have a decent burger.

[Perd Hapley]

IIRC, jerk means grilled chicken seasoned with allspice and habanero (or scotch bonnet) peppers.  Sounds good to me, but I'd rather have a decent burger.

It was really good. Not enough meat, so a burger would have been more filling.

But good.

The sides were cabbage, and beans & rice. Not my favorite.

I'm assuming they just bought the place, and haven't redecorated. Two of the guns on the wall were very rusty Krag–Jørgensens, of all things.

[RocketMan]

A new Jamaican restaurant just opened here in Hickory, the "Durty Thumbs".  Supposed to be authentic.  It's on my list of places to try.

edit: Had to change the name of the restaurant.  "Dirty" in their case is spelled "Durty".  It's on their sign.

[Ben]

A new Jamaican restaurant just opened here in Hickory, the "Durty Thumbs".  Supposed to be authentic.  It's on my list of places to try.

edit: Had to change the name of the restaurant.  "Dirty" in their case is spelled "Durty".  It's on their sign.

https://youtu.be/7vy2tudlkW4?t=5

[French G.]

Last time I had good jamaican it was in a closed down Waffle House which is how you know you are in a good neighborhood. LAdy had a wood fire in the back and roaches in the front. Food was excellent though.

[Ben]

The last time I had Jamaican was in the Caymans in the 90s. I'm pretty sure I liked it.

Out of curiosity, I did a search and there are apparently no Jamaican restaurants in Idaho. Interestingly there are several Ethiopian places. I used to get Ethiopian a good bit whenever I went to DC for work. I didn't expect to like it the first time coworkers took me out for it, but it was REALLY good.

[230RN]

I like all food.  Protein is protein.  Only reason I went to different restaurants was because I was dating, just to vary the mix.  Only restaurant I disliked was a mideastern one where you sat on the floor and there were no utensils.  You had to eat with your fingers, there were NO knives and forks allowed.  My date and I both hated it and the awkwardness of it all destroyed any sense of how good or bad the food actually was.

I'm surprised they didn't have a camel around for "authenticity."

Protein is protein, but not when you had to eat with your fingers.  Way orbital.

Terry

[RoadKingLarry]

I'm surprised they didn't have a camel around for "authenticity."

What the heck do you think you were eating?

[K Frame]

A camel?

In Jamaica?

Whut?

[zxcvbob]

A camel?

In Jamaica?

Whut?

Terry was talking about a Moroccan (?) restaurant, not Jamaican.  Ethiopia has also been mentioned.  It's sometimes hard to keep up with the thread drift 

[K Frame]

Yep, my bad. I missed the hemisphere transition.

I've not had Moroccan in a long time. Damned good food.

[Ben]

Terry was talking about a Moroccan (?) restaurant, not Jamaican.  Ethiopia has also been mentioned.  It's sometimes hard to keep up with the thread drift 

Moroccan food is great plus I dig the belly dancers. I used to hate lamb, but was set straight in a Moroccan place.

[zxcvbob]

Moroccan food is great plus I dig the belly dancers. I used to hate lamb, but was set straight in a Moroccan place.

I think I have a pound of ground lamb in the deep freezer that has been in there forever.  I need to find it and make some moussaka.

[K Frame]

There's a Greek-owned diner up the road from me that has the best moussaka I've ever had.

When I was a kid my Mom used to make green bean moussaka. Loved that stuff.

[grampster]

We have a Turkish restaurant a few miles away.   My favorite dish = —  Lamb Mediterranean  —
Lamb Sauteed in Tomato Sauce, Green and Red Bell Peppers, and Onions, a Mediterranean slaw and rice.  A glass of Yakut and Turkish red wine.

[RocketMan]

I like all food.  Protein is protein.  Only reason I went to different restaurants was because I was dating, just to vary the mix.  Only restaurant I disliked was a mideastern one where you sat on the floor and there were no utensils.  You had to eat with your fingers, there were NO knives and forks allowed.  My date and I both hated it and the awkwardness of it all destroyed any sense of how good or bad the food actually was.

I'm surprised they didn't have a camel around for "authenticity."

Protein is protein, but not when you had to eat with your fingers.  Way orbital.

Terry

There was a mid-eastern restaurant like this in Colorado Springs.  My ex-wife and I went there a time or two with friends.  We all enjoyed it because it was so different than anything we'd done before.

[K Frame]

When I first moved to Virginia there was a Turkish buffet restaurant near my house... Topkapi Palace.

Place was absolutely fantastic. My ex and I loved it.

[230RN]

Moroccan food is great plus I dig the belly dancers. I used to hate lamb, but was set straight in a Moroccan place.

Ditto on the belly dancers.  There was a Greek restaurant in Boulder called the Taberna Terzakis which a group of us used to go to. We'd order a rack of lamb ahead of time. I noticed, over time and repetition, that the belly dancing seemed to encourage my date(s)...

Ah well, back to topic, whatever it was.  Sorry about that, Chief.

Terry, 230RN

[dogmush]

Trivia point:

Camel is a delicacy in the mid-east and not very common in restaurants. It's also super expensive if you find it.  The best part is the hump, which is very tender and well marbled.

They are more common as pack animals and symbols of wealth.

[Perd Hapley]

There's a Turkish place near here. Great stuff.