La Cocina de Mama

Located at 1002 Gardner Hill Drive in Jamestown, La Cocina de Mama serves Dominican cuisine. It is open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 8 to 8 on Sunday.

 

I was thrilled to see La Cocina de Mama open up right near my work. Having tried them for both lunch and breakfast, I can easily see myself becoming a regular here. Like any brand new restaurant, they are still ironing a few things out, but on food alone, they are off to a very strong start.

 La Cocina de Mama’s offerings run the gamut from breakfasts (egg/fried cheese/salami paired with different sides) to sandwiches, empanadas, and mofongos (fried and mashed plantains) to beef/chicken/fish entrees and more. They offer several juices and coffees as well.

 

So far, the food has been very good. I stopped by for lunch to go on my first visit and had a Cuban sandwich and a morir sonando (orange juice, milk, and ice). The Cuban was not the traditional Cubano, and if you come looking for pickles and mustard in a sandwich pressed on a plancha, you may be disappointed. Taken on its own terms, however, the sandwich was still quite tasty. The pork was tender, and the thicker bread held everything in nicely. It came with a side of thin, well-salted fries that were miles ahead of a frozen offering. The morrir sonando was creamy and refreshing. 

For my second visit, I dined in for breakfast and went with a mangu (the aforementioned breakfast ingredients with mashed plantains and pickled onions) and a passionfruit juice. Though I might request eggs scrambled rather than fried in the future, everything on that plate was delicious. The plantains were hearty without feeling heavy. The Dominican salami reminded me of Taylor ham, only better (sorry, fellow New Jersians). Juices seem to be a house specialty here as the passionfruit did not disappoint.

 

The folks who run this place are friendly, and the pricing is quite reasonable given the quality and quantity of the food. That said, “good food takes time” definitely applies here, so you may be in for a bit of a wait. If dining in, you can at least take in some of the ambiance (interesting wall art and a pool table in a corner) while you do.

 

All told, La Cocina de Mama is a welcome change of pace for not only the cuisine that it offers but also the care with which it is made.

Island Fest

 

Located at 130 West Lexington Avenue in Uptowne High Point, Island Fest serves Jamaican cuisine for lunch and dinner. It is open from 11-7:30 Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday, 11-9 Friday and Saturday, and closed on Monday. Online ordering is available through Uber Eats.

 

While the Khrissy’s Kitchen truck makes its rounds at Brown Truck fairly regularly, High Point was without a Jamaican restaurant until Island Fest recently opened its doors. It’s a welcome addition, and while it has room to grow and improve, there’s reason enough to be hopeful.

 

Housed in the former Lone Star Burger (they kept the cow out front and adorned it with a Jamaican flag), Island Fest is geared toward takeout and quick service. Dining in is an option, and the folks here seem friendly, but you’re coming for the food, not the ambiance.

 

Speaking of the food, the offerings here aren’t as extensive as they are at Da Reggae Café, but if you have a Jamaican craving, you’ll likely find something that can satisfy it. Entrees range from jerks and curries to fried fish to brown stew beef, quick bites include various patties and coco bread, and sides cover the requisite rice and peas, cabbage, and plantains as well as mac and cheese.

 

They were out of curry shrimp when I placed my order, so I went with fried red snapper in its stead along with jerk chicken, a beef patty, and coco bread. The entrees are available in smaller and larger sizes and include rice and plantains. My wife and I were hoping to get several meals out of our order and did so for under $50. While Island Fest’s early reviews complained about portion sizes, the larger-sized entrees left no room for complaint on that end.

 

The food was a bit uneven, but there were more bright spots than disappointments. Thankfully, Island Fest does not tone itself down for mass appeal: the beef patty and jerk chicken brought a welcome bit of heat. The snapper was nicely breaded and paired well with a peppery barbecue sauce. Speaking of sauces, Island Fest lets you pick a gravy for your rice. We got to try both the curry and the oxtail gravies, and both were delicious. While the rice was a top-tier side, the cabbage and coco bread were forgettable, and the sweet plantains weren’t particularly sweet.

 

Island Fest’s early offerings are promising, and more may be on the horizon. As-is, this probably isn’t the best Jamaican food you’ve had, but the entrees and sauces can hold their own.

Khrissy's Kitchen

 

A Randleman-based food truck, Khrissy’s Kitchen serves up Jamaican cuisine at locations across the Triad. Follow the business’s Facebook page for appearances and updates.

 

I had a craving for Jamaican but didn’t feel like driving to Greensboro for Da Reggae, so it was fortuitous that Khrissy’s Kitchen hit up Brown Truck Brewery a few weeks back. The truck’s menu offered the expected jerks and curries in sandwich, taco, and entrée form albeit with a few surprises: you won’t find beef patties here, but you will find lumpia. Khrissy, the proprietor, helpfully offered to answer any questions.

 

I opted for a shrimp curry entrée for myself and a “surf and turf” (jerk chicken and fried saltfish tacos) for my wife to enjoy later. Given the components involved, both the wait (10-15 minutes) and the prices (teens) were reasonable.

 

The food was, without qualification, excellent. The shrimp featured a rich and savory sauce, and a side of plantains was cooked to a perfect golden brown. Even simple white rice tasted better here.

 

Khrissy’s Kitchen is relatively new, and so word may not have gotten around yet, but if you see this truck appearing at your closest brewery, it’s a must-try.

Triad Food Truck Roundup: Smokiin Mac, Havana Flavor, and J.J.’s Cuban Kitchen

 The Triad is home to an impressive number of food trucks. In addition to those based in Greensboro, High Point, Kernersville, and Winston-Salem, several trucks from the Triangle or down Charlotte way make regular appearances in the area. This may come as a surprise to those whose fleeting interactions with food trucks are limited to the occasional festival. However, you needn’t wait for such an occasion to present itself. Many will make their rounds at local breweries, with Bull City Ciderworks, Oden Brewing, (Greensboro), Potent Potables (Jamestown), Brown Truck Brewery, Cork and Grind (High Point), and The Brewer’s Kettle (Kernersville) frequently playing host. For those looking for a new source of bites on the go, consider one of these:

 

Smokiin Mac

 

A gourmet mac and cheese concept, Smokiin Mac delivers a tastes-as-good-as-it-sounds experience. The menu includes mac and cheese bites, loaded fries, and green beans, but the mac and cheese dishes are the main attractions here. Get them plain, or go for BBQ chicken, brisket, lobster, or surf and turf. A vegan jackfruit option is also available.

 

So far, I’ve tried the brisket mac and the Carolina chicken mac, and both are phenomenal. The four-cheese sauce is incredibly creamy, and the contrasting sharp and smooth flavors add complexity. The brisket comes with bits of bacon while the chicken brings slightly sweet spiciness. At $15 and $13 respectively, they are filling, and they are worth it.

 

Havana Flavor

 

Normally based out of an Exxon in Summerfield, Havana Flavor will sometimes pop up in random residential neighborhoods in Greensboro/Jamestown/High Point. They are worth tracking down when they do, but for whatever reason, they usually take quite a while to set up.

 

The food, however, makes up for the inconvenience. Havana Flavor’s menu is fairly expansive for a food truck, boasting everything from classic Cubanos to Hawaiian sandwiches to a version of a tripleta and more. The Cuban Love (guava jelly in place of mustard) is as far from the original as I’ll venture because the original is just that good here. The meats are tender, the bread is authentic, and portions are filling (especially if you are willing to add a side of plantains). At $7 per sandwich and $4 per side, pricing is perfectly reasonable, and Jose and his crew turn around orders quickly. Havana Flavor offers as good a Cuban sandwich as I’ve had anywhere, and if you find yourself craving one, make this your preferred option.

 

J.J.’s Cuban Kitchen

 

A Kernersville-based truck, J.J.’s Cuban Kitchen runs a small menu of Cuban favorites. Cubanos, plantains, yuca fries, croquetas (ham croquettes), and fritas (Cuban burgers) are among the offerings.

 

The food is solid, but it is neither the best nor the cheapest ($10 Cubanos/$4 sides) of its kind in the area. The Cubanos use the right kind of bread, are assembled and pressed well, and are plenty filling, but they are also a bit dry. Among the sides, the tostones (fried plantains) are bigger and the maduros (sweet plantains) are less sweet than what you might find elsewhere. The owner, Jerome, runs the truck with his family, and all have been pleasant to deal with.

 

J.J.’s Cuban Kitchen wouldn’t be my first choice for a Cubano (maybe the lechon or frita burger knocks it out of the park), but it’s still worth a look if it lands at a brewery nearby.

Sofrito Latin Innovation Kitchen

Located at 1589 Skeet Club Road in High Point, Sofrito Latin Innovation Kitchen offers Latin American cuisine for lunch and dinner every day except for Tuesday. Online ordering (takeout/pickup) is available.

Formerly housed in the Four Seasons Mall food court, a stand-alone Sofrito opened in Oak Hollow Square (between GNC and Dragon Wok) shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. That timing may have caused Sofrito to slip under everyone’s food radar, unfortunate given that it is one of the few pan-Latin eateries in the area.

Sofrito’s menu offers sandwiches and entrees from California to South America. Some (burritos, tortas, street tacos, and arroz con pollo) will be familiar to anyone accustomed to Mexican/Tex-Mex cuisine while others represent the flavors of the Caribbean (Cuban sandwiches, churrasco sandwiches, ropa vieja) and Colombia (arepas). Gluten-free options and a veggie plate further enhance Sofrito’s menu diversity.

After two visits, the food rates as good with some dishes clearly stronger than others. On the low end of the spectrum, the Cuban sandwich was dry, and the tostones were both dry and overly salty. Neither holds a candle to what you’ll find at La Palma or a decent food truck. On the other hand, the churrasco sandwich featured some well-seasoned meats, the accompanying maduros were wonderfully sweet, and Sofrito’s take on fish tacos may be the best version I’ve had: plenty of fish, flavorful batter, nice textural balance with the cabbage, pico, and sauce. Speaking of sauces, they offer several salsas made in-house, and the pink sauce makes for a versatile complement to many dishes.

Most of Sofrito’s offerings can be found in the reasonable $7-9 range with a side included. Portions aren’t huge, but they are adequate for the money spent. The owners, an Army veteran and a second-generation restaurateur, are friendly and patient.

Given its affordability and appealing concept, Sofrito is well worth investigating as a lunch option. Some trial and error may be involved in finding a favorite dish, but if ever you’ve posed a “Where can I get….” question about Latin American food in the triad, Sofrito may very well be the answer.

La Palma

Located at 4623 W. Gate City Boulevard in the Sedgefield Crossing Shopping Center in Greensboro, La Palma offers Dominican and Caribbean food for lunch and dinner.  Food specials change daily, and catering is available.

While Greensboro has Mexican eateries aplenty (one of them, El Mariachi, is right next door), Dominican and other Latin cuisine is largely underrepresented. Thankfully, La Palma, which opened earlier this month, capably fills the void.

La Palma’s pan-Caribbean menu includes starters, soups, salads, sandwiches, platters, and signature dishes. In addition to the more familiar Cuban sandwiches, plantains, nachos, and empanadas, you will find cassava balls, longaniza (Dominican sausage), mofongo (Puerto Rican plantain bowls), and a decidedly different take on lasagna (shredded chicken or beef, pasta strips, cheese, and cream sauce).

For my first visit, I opted for a takeout order of a La Palma sandwich (pulled pork, lettuce, tomato, onion, and sauce with fried plantains instead of bread) and sweet plantains (maduros) as well as a Cuban sandwich with fried plantains (tostones) for my wife. The cashier was friendly, and the sandwiches came out to about $7 apiece with a choice of side included, a very good value given the filling portion sizes.

The food definitely did not disappoint. Though a bit of a mess to eat (plantains don’t hold ingredients together nearly as well as bread), the La Palma featured tender pork and a delicious pink gustosita sauce. The maduros were crisper and not quite as sweet as some that I’ve had, but they still satisfied. My wife rated her Cuban and tostones a definite re-order for future visits.

Sparsely appointed with few tables, La Palma is tidy and neat but probably better suited for takeout. If you go this route, do not expect fast food prep speeds: this food is made with care (in front of your eyes, if you choose to look past the counter) and takes time.

With an enticing menu, reasonable prices, and (so far) very tasty food, La Palma has earned a “Me gustó” as well as several likely returns.

8.5/10

Irie Rhythms

Located at 3252 Silas Creek Parkway in Winston-Salem, Irie Rhythms serves Jamaican cuisine for lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday. Lunch specials rotate daily, and vegetarian options are available.

Billed as Winston meets Kinston, this smallish eatery is easy to overlook. But if you should venture to the plaza across from Hanes Mall, you’ll find plenty of tantalizing options. Ire Rhythms offers both the familiar Jamaican hallmarks (oxtail, jerk chicken, beef patties) as well as a few dishes I haven’t seen (or at least seen prepared this way) elsewhere.

During a lunch visit, I opted for a BBQ Jerk Pork Sandwich. Though the menu lists fries or rice and peas as available sides, be forewarned that the latter is an upcharge. The sandwich was huge, sloppy, and very tasty. It combined the best of tomato-based BBQ (a dark sauce slathered on) and traditional jerk seasonings (an appropriately spicy zing). The fries were so-so, but the small portion of tropical coleslaw (sweetened with orange, pineapple, and coconut) was incredible. Get an extra side of this, and you won’t regret it.

For the quantity and quality of the food, the $8 charged for the sandwich was plenty reasonable. Many of the entrees and lunch specials run in that range though a few (such as curry goat or escovitch fish) are priced in the teens.

Irie Rhythms is sparsely appointed and perhaps for that reason, does brisk take-out business. Despite the volume of customers in and out, the efficient and patient staff had no problem keeping up with the pace of orders.

A pleasing menu, generous portions, and minimal waiting make Irie Rhythms well worth a return visit.

8/10