I must admit I am not one to get overly excited by the prospect of going out for food, being a picky eater from as far back as I can remember. You see the thing is, there’s probably gonna be one or two things at most on a menu that I like but it’s bound to include several things that I don’t like or eat. And there lies the problem, finding something that won’t have to be picked at with every lift of my fork. But today was different, I don’t know if it was the prospect of the drive to the country or the fact that I had already googled the menu and had a plan of action that would have had the least amount of “picking out”. My vote is with the latter.
Getting there was pretty much uneventful; sunny blue skies, feeling the refreshing country air on our faces. As we made our way on the toll road there was the occasional speed trap by the police and a little bit of traffic on the outskirts of “Ochi”; granted this was several weeks ago in reality. Finding the location was pretty easy, there was a big “ole” sign on the road that said Harmony Hall. There was ample parking on the grounds which is always a good thing. The property houses a boutique, a gourmet specialty store and the restaurant.
The restaurant is located on the ground floor, on the veranda. We were a couple minutes late for our 12:30pm reservation but nonetheless we were greeted by a warm and friendly staff, who after instructing us to sanitize our hands, (as is the new norm these days); lead us to our table. Our table was pretty much in the center of the restaurant and we could see almost everything that was happening around us. We had a nice view of the garden which had lush green grass and there were also a few covered dining areas on the lawn.
The table; for 3 had been neatly set and was awaiting our arrival. After taking my friends’ orders, my moment of truth had finally arrived.
Our waitress: “And sir what will you be having”
Me: “Well I’ll also have the Jamaican breakfast, however can you please have them serve the ackee and saltfish in a separate dish? I’d also like to add some bacon to my order. ”
Our waitress: “Is that all?”
Me: “Yes thank you, oh I’d like a glass of cranberry juice.”
Whew! That went well. And before you even ask, let me stop you. Yes I do eat ackee, my last story was about a delicious dish of ackee and saltfish at home. So what was the problem and why did the ackee have to be on a separate dish? It’s simple, I can only eat ackee, when it’s prepared at home. I hope you’re now beginning to understand what I meant when I said I was a picky eater at the beginning of my story.
Overall, my brunch experience at Summerhouse went well. Our server was very friendly and courteous, even after refilling my water glass several times. I do love water! The ambiance was great, the grounds were well kept and clean. There was even a swing, that would be awesome for a photo op. The food was good and filling. It was a great Sunday escape from the city even though it wasn’t a trip to the beach.
If seeing is believing, here’s a short YouTube video of today’s brunch activities that we here at Showcase Jamaica have put together for your viewing pleasure. Please Like, Share and Subscribe to our YouTube Channel. And remember to click the bell to be notified every time we post a new video.
Stay Brunchin’.
Thanks for reading.
Orlando
