While it might not be as fun as an actual trip to the Caribbean, in the warmer months, the sun and sand of Suffolk County on the South Shore of Long Island might serve as an acceptable alternative, especially when one indulges in some of the area's authentic Caribbean food. While a few full-service Long Island restaurants offer a taste of Caribbean, the best-regarded---and least expensive---food from the region is found in unassuming, friendly takeout kitchens.
What this restaurant lacks in ambiance, it makes up for in flavor. Fays Fine Foods offers moderate prices, friendly counter service and authentic Jamaican food including whole fish served with callaloo (a stew made of spinach or green leafy vegetables), jerk chicken, oxtail, curried goat, short ribs and even cow's foot.
Fay's Fine Foods
807 Broadway
Amityville, NY 11701-2206
631-789-2888
A small storefront, Sweet and Spicy Caribbean Café might be easy to overlook, but savvy Amityville residents know this is the place for authentic Caribbean food in Suffolk County. There are only a few places to sit, so most customers carry out, making their choices from a cafeteria-type line. The offerings are fresh and include curried goat, kingfish, chicken stew, ackee and cod fish, rice and peas and fried plantains. The somewhat mild jerk chicken can be spiced up with the restaurant's signature hot sauce. Peanut- and ginger-flavored beverages are the right companions and can be picked up in the restaurant's cooler.
Sweet and Spicy Caribbean Cafe
179 Broadway
Amityville, New York 11701
631-264-8055
Another little storefront takeout/eat-in Caribbean, Cuyah, which means "look here" has indeed grabbed the attention of aficionados of Jamaican food. Stand-outs include "stamp and go," an oniony cod fritter, fried bammy bread and plantain tarts. Many of the entrees, while still Jamaican, take some inspiration from the cuisines of Europe, Africa and Asia. In 1999, Cuyah caught the attention of "New York Times" writer Richard Jay Scholem, who recommended the "satisfying" and stew-like curried goat and oxtail dishes. He also wrote, "Slow-cooked chicken Cuyah style...in a comforting brown sauce, tastes like one of the best potted chickens you've ever had."
Drinks are interesting, too and include champagne-flavored and green tea colas, as well as concoctions made from vivid purple sorrel flowers, plant roots and honey. There are authentic desserts as well, including a bread pudding and a chocolate rum cake.
Cuyah Jamaican Cuisine
831 Long Island Ave.
Deer Park, NY 11729
631-242-4352
Transporting oneself to the Caribbean is not a difficult task when there's a thatched roof overhead and frozen drinks on the table. The restaurant is casual and sports a water view from the deck, and prices are a bargain. Entress include jerk-rubbed fried half chicken, Polynesian ribs, steamed mussels in coconut milk and a burger served on a Frisbee. Greenport Guide states, "Owned by top Zagat-rated chef Matthew Murphy, Antares Tiki has a tasty and imaginative selection of frozen drinks and Caribbean/Polynesian fare." (Note: Located at Brewer's Yacht Club in Greenport, Antares Tiki is open only in warm weather months.)
Antares Tiki
2530 Manhanset Rd.
Greenport, NY 11944
631-477-8839
