Sweetie Pie had asked for wine last night but someone had run off with the corkscrew so we couldn’t have any. Tonight we have a couple of glasses at sunset. It’s a beauty. Everyone is gearing up for the Super Bowl but Sweetie Pie has virtually no interest in watching televised sports so we hang out with a few other guests at the bar until just before the game starts and then we head to Chicken Lavish.
We head down the road, Sweetie Pies first venture out at night. She is wearing her Golden Goddess sandals, not a lot of protection. We work on our safe walking plan. In her sandals she walks on the very edge of the road with me off the road until we see oncoming traffic, then it’s off the road and walking if the side is OK or off the road and stop if it isn’t. Over the week we get really good at what side of the road to be on at any given section. Facing traffic whenever possible but sometimes it’s better to be on the other side depending on curves and walls and trees and dogs and touts.
We are the first dinner guests a Lavish, it was probably pretty slow until after the game. We order Conch soup, share a three piece and get some Red Stripes. 1700J!! The cook asks if we want fries or rice and peas. I say rice and peas and Sweetie Pie says fries. I’m trying to talk her into the rice and peas and she asks the cook if he’ll do half and half. As I continue to try to talk Sweetie into rice the cook gets my attention, “The lady would like half and half,” he says with a wry smile.”We’ll have half and half,” I say. “excellent choice!” says the cook.
We settle into the people watching table in the corner against the back wall. I love the dining room at Chicken Lavish, it’s a big covered open air affair with a lot of tables and you can tell it gets hopping. Unfortunately it’s a slow night. Conch soup – amazing. I want a gallon of it. It sets the standard for the week as far as soup goes and I will have some good ones. The chicken without the sauce is kind of like southern fried, we didn’t sauce it because of my stomach. Fortunately this is the last time we have to worry about how spicy anything is. Chicken Lavish slaw – amazing. Tangy, crunchy, ever so slightly sweet. Great rice and peas but what totally surprises me are the fries. They are perfect. Extremely crispy outside but not overdone. They are still soft and tender inside. A lot of places in Negril seem to have figured out great french fries but I believe Lavish has the best. They may be the best I’ve EVER had.
We finish up our dinner and one other couple has come in to dine and somebody else has stopped by for takeout. It is like a private dining room almost as the other couple has taken the table as physically far apart from us as possible. I turn to Sweetie Pie and ask, “Are you satisfied?” “For food,” she replies. “Well, let’s see if there are any other desires I can help you with…”
We stop by the kitchen on the way out to give our respects and have a nice conversation with chef and the cook. The cook says, “I’ve been cooking 13 years and Chef been at it 30.” It shows.
