There's a popular book that's often referenced in the Marathon Pundit household, 1,000 Places to See Before You Die.
The usual "must see" places are in it: The Louvre, Luxor, the Taj Mahal are all in the book, as well as a few lesser-known nooks, such as the Superdawg hot dog restaurant on Chicago's Northwest Side--located just five miles from my home.
The Pork Pit on Gloucester Street, pictured above, is another oddity in the "1,000 Places" book.
It's a very casual place. You buy your meals at the front counter, and carry them on a tray to your table. Pretty good food, but I'm not sure it ranks up there, as far as places to see before you die, with Yellowstone National Park.
The Pork Pit serves "jerk" food. What is that?
From Frommer's.com:
Wherever you go in Jamaica, you'll see ramshackle stands selling jerk pork. There is no more authentic local experience than to stop at one of these stands and order a lunch of jerk pork, preferably washed down with a Red Stripe beer. Jerk is a way of barbecuing spicy meats on slats of pimento wood, over a wood fire set in the ground. You can never be quite sure what goes into the seasoning, but the taste is definitely of peppers, pimento (allspice), and ginger. You can also order jerk chicken, sausage, fish, and even lobster. The cook will haul out a machete and chop the meat into bite-size pieces for you, then throw them into a paper bag.
Jerk sauce can be found in some major metropolitan area supermarkets. It's quite good.
Previous Jamaican posts:
Jamaica, yo problem, part one: The island by foot
Jamaica, yo problem, part two: The island by car
Jamaica, yo problem, part three: The island by car, cont'd
Technorati tags: Jamaica Travel Food and Drink Chicago Caribbean
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