COULD Cross Roads and its environs be on the verge of becoming the mid-town food centre? There are certainly enough persons eating there each day and with Captain Horace Burrell now adding ‘Grill’ to his bread and pastry empire, there seems little doubt that the dribble is about to become a goal.

“Persons who were enjoying the grill experience both at our Portmore location and in Cayman would come to Cross Roads expecting the same experience. we had little choice but to give it serious consideration,” explains restaurant manager Christine Hutchinson.

This they did and in record time (the refurbishing commenced last September). The area that was once dubbed ‘donut central’ is now a cosy, colourful restaurant where patrons can enjoy excellent home-style favourites like oxtail, cow foot, curried goat, stew peas with pig tail, fried, jerked and barbecue chicken, jerked pork and steamed, fried and escoveitch fish.

“The response, considering we’ve only been serving meals for a month now,” shares Hutchinson, “has been excellent.”

That’s no idle boast. Thursday Food has been hearing the many comments about the food and the oxtail in particular.

That brings us to chef Phillip ‘Bruce’ Smith – a Jamaican who presides over The Captain’s Bakery & Grill in Cayman but heads up the training team. Smith who has been a resident of Cayman for the past 12 years, is currently based at the Cross Roads location ensuring consistency. “It’s important to get all our food at the same level. meals must look and taste the same each day,” he shares.

We couldn’t have said it any better. The back of the house (especially the kitchen) is as pristine as the ‘display’ areas. Truth be told, the pride taken by the security guard as he ensures that we all park ‘prettily’ and that there’s no garbage strewn across the compound speaks volumes – a necessary digression since Cross Roads seems to have lost a lot of its civic pride.

Smith, who hails from Hanover and discovered his passion for food as a student of the Green Island Secondary, attended Saunders Catering School and who further honed his culinary skills at several hotels in and around the Negril area, believes in the importance of fresh ingredients. “All of my seasonings must be fresh not just bought fresh but daily fresh. and the one ingredient that is a must is garlic.”

Customers, of which there are many, have no complaints and with The Captain’s Bakery & Grill offering breakfast, lunch and dinner and opening hours that find favour with many, the only penalty might be having to give up meat for Lent. But then again there’s the Captain’s amazing catch of the day!