A Verdict Worthy Of A Toast A Verdict Worthy Of Applause
No idle boast! Indeed, noted attorney-at-law John Graham held all to the letter of the law as he — ably supported and, at times, prompted by members of his practice, notably Annaliesa Lindsay, Peta-Gaye Manderson and Stephanie Graham over a late lunch inside The Blue Window Restaurant of the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel — shared some of his legal gems around which a Legal Aid 101 course could be built. Case in point, these priceless nuggets: • Being a lawyer is knowing whose money not to take.
• Clients do not pay lawyers for excuses; that they can get all on their own.
• Success is doing the same right things every day.
• The only thing that separates a successful person/lawyer from the man on the street is how you use the 24 hours allotted to you each day.
• You must always have a plan. Even if you plan to do nothing, plan for it.
• Clients can be your worst enemy. Protect yourself.
Thankfully, there was gastronomical sustenance as, along with the legal gems, politics — local and international, other aspects of the law and fine dining were discussed.
The menu crafted for the late-afternoon lunch by the hotel’s executive chef Mark Cole and delivered by Chef Patrice Hussey-Malcolm commenced with a beetroot and sweet potato basket of ripe plantain stuffed with Scotch bonnet-flavoured smoked marlin and salmon. In a supporting role was an alfalfa sprout salad drizzled with a balsamic and naseberry emulsion.
The presentation, intimidating even for lawyers in waiting, was handled with ease after the suave Graham demonstrated the how.
The palate cleanser, a papaya melon and Scotch bonnet sorbet, placed the law on the back burner as the sweet and hot harmonic notes prepared the palate for the main – jerk beef tenderloin and red peas terrine with a Blue Mountain coffee rub in a sorrel and Red Label wine reduction with a carrot and string bean bundle. There was, too, a mango salsa and blackened chicken breast with pumpkin.
Lunch closed with dessert – a trio of blue draws coated with dark chocolate, bread and butter pudding infused with pimento aroma and a jackfruit compote artfully placed in a bird’s nest.
The wines poured were Apothic Red and White.
Held over by popular demand, Applaud It! — a Jamaica Observer initiative — has now become a two-week-long event that provides a unique opportunity for Jamaica’s corporate pathfinders to meet the next generation (in this case, attorneys) where they are and guide them through social and dining skills.
