Caribbean Heritage Restaurant may have only opened in the
beginning of March, but it was a long time coming. Owner Lorna Underwood
started a catering company called Mighty Good Food, LLC in 1996. Besides
“Mighty” being Lorna’s maiden name, it also describes the strength of her
passion for cooking and generosity. Over the years she’s had a loyal clientele
base, but she also had to balance her work with taking care of her family and
working full time in some unfulfilling jobs that intensified her smoldering
desire to open a standalone restaurant. The opportunity finally arose, and the
time was right to strike out. Everything seemed to fall into place as if by
providence.
Located less
than a mile from the Ford Street roundabout on Plymouth Ave, Caribbean Heritage
resides in what was formerly Fusion 4 Restaurant. When I visited, most of the
tables were full, and the bar stayed packed with folks eating or waiting on
their take-away orders. Despite the busyness, everyone was having a good time
and laughing and sharing stories while waiting for their food.
Entering the
restaurant, the first thing I noticed was The Heritage Room, a separate dining
area with three walls of windows. All of the light of the day shines in, and it
feels like you’re on a wrap-around porch on a summer day, even if it is
actually cold and snowy outside. And let’s be honest: this is Rochester, there’s
like a 60 percent chance it’s going to be cold and snowy. We all need a bright,
sunny respite, and this spot would make for a perfect brunch with friends.
The
bartender-host gave me a hearty handshake before showing me a menu, and it turned
out that he was Caribbean Heritage’s co-owner Jerome Underwood, Lorna’s
husband. Jerome emphatically told me that this restaurant is all Lorna’s hard
work come to fruition, and the family that she raised is enthusiastic about
helping her, be it in the kitchen or on the floor.
Lorna is
from Jamaica, Jerome is from Antigua and Barbuda, and their collective family is from all
corners of the Caribbean, which is where they learned and honed their culinary
skills. Even the restaurant’s logo reflects their heritage: the pineapple is
the national fruit of Antigua and also the international symbol of hospitality.
The logo is the top half of the pineapple to symbolize a crown, as they intend
to treat everyone who comes through their doors like royalty.
And a royal
feast, I did have. I started with a cup of vegetable soup ($4), because people
at the bar had been raving about. And it deserves all the accolades. The soup
is a pumpkin based, and filled with a medley of potato, butternut squash,
potato, celery, zucchini, and mild spices that rounded out the flavor. The main
course I had of curried cod with plantains and vegetables ($12) was a surprise
to me, as I had not had the dish in over a decade. There is something to be
said for a decent sized piece of cod stewed in a hearty curry sauce. The key to
a good cod filet is to not overcook it. As little as a minute too long, and you
wind up with rubber. But here the filet was both fluffy and flaky, and nearly
melted in my mouth. The joy of eating the zucchini and squash and plantains, which
had been sitting in the curry sauce while I was distracted by the cod and my
own nostalgia, was a bonus.
Though I was
nearly full, there was no way I was going to leave without having a slice of
the black cake ($4). This is a signature rum-soaked fruit cake that Lorna makes
and many love. I can see why. The cake is dense and sweet, and the rum she uses
gives it a bold aftertaste. Our photographer enjoyed a juicy, tender oxtail
with rice ($14), a Jamaican staple. We both left Caribbean Heritage Restaurant
satisfied.
What stood
out most to me about my visit to Caribbean Heritage Restaurant is that when
Lorna Underwood described her joy in opening the space, she said that when she
enters the kitchen, it feels like she is at home cooking for her family. It
shows in the dishes she served and the feel of the place, and I will take being
treated like family any day.
This article appears in Mar 27 – Apr 2, 2019.
