In the distance I see the round house at the waters edge and know we’re coming up to our desired minimum destination – Tree House. I tell Sweetie Pie about my previous experiences there, especially one of my all-time great meals with the ex dining feet away from the waves lapping at the shore. “I think we need to grab a bite to eat here!” says Sweetie Pie with a smile.
We get a nice table in the round house near the water. Our waitress comes over and introduces herself and her and Sweetie Pie get into a conversation over her name which is spelled the same as Sweetie Pies. “Not many people spell it that way,” says Sweetie Pie. “Well,” says the waitress sheepishly, “I actually spell it with an E but the manager here misspelled it!” Sweetie Pie laughs.
We have just a quarter jerk chicken and an order of saltfish fritters. It’s getting late and we have dinner at Rockhouse coming up. Good chicken, great fritters. I fall in love with saltfish and dumplings right there. They are way up high on my list of favorite things. I could, and before the week is out I do, make an entire meal of them. Delicious, hearty, stick with you drinking food and like so many of the incredible Jamaican foods, everybody’s is a little different.
There is a group of late forty-something ladies at the table next to us having a hoot of a time. Sweetie Pie is soaking up their vibe and says, “Jamaica would be a great place for a girl’s trip!” She starts talking about potential groups and itineraries. She is hooked and it makes me smile.
Sweetie Pie with an E is a great waitress. When the bill comes I give her more than enough to cover it and my last 1000J which I ask to have broken into a 500J and 5 100J. I tell Sweetie Pie I want to leave a nice tip – the 500J and the 100’s will get us home in route taxi’s if we can’t negotiate a ride at the gate. As I’m telling her this I hear the bartender get seriously bent out of shape with our waitress. I have a good ear and can follow Patois pretty well. He doesn’t like making change and especially doesn’t like me asking for change above and beyond the order. That is me being kind to the bartender. He doesn’t let up. Our waitress walks up front to reception I’m guessing. Another waitress who overheard me talking to Sweetie Pie goes over to the bar and tells the bartender we need the change for a taxi and tip. That’s how loud and obnoxious the bartender was. He sort of lets up. We tip our waitress close to 30% in total, she was great, the food was great, the location was great - but we leave on a downer. Don’t think I’ll go back, I know it’s a small thing but it’s stuck, even now, weeks later. I’ll be leaving those memories in the dustbin.
On the way out I’m asked if I need a taxi. I’m half inclined to say no and just flag down a red plate on the road but I say, “500 to Home Sweet Home?” “Sure Mon,” he says and we jump in. I’m busted, $100 US on the beach in about 5 hours. We tell the cabbie we walked from HSH this morning. “That’s a good walk,” he says, “Five miles on the road.”
We get back and grab about an hour nap before we need to get ready for Rockhouse. Sweetie Pie gets into her serious primp mode, which means she’ll need about 20 minutes to get ready. You gotta love a low maintenance, high gloss, natural beauty!
