It’s February in Jamaica. The days are shorter, and evenings cooler — no better time for outdoor dining in the city. And 7 Meats & 7 Salads — a collaborative initiative between family-owned catering business Serve It Up and professional audio, video, and lighting services business Sound It Up — is right on time.

The al fresco dining experience, which was first staged at Hope Gardens’ Sunken Gardens last February and again in August at Mona Visitors’ Lodge, returned to the latter venue on Saturday, February 1. Approximately 150 guests gathered under the stars for good food, drinks, and camaraderie. The scene was as varied as it gets: from solo diners to couples and those who made it a family affair — everyone was welcome!

The concept is hardly novel — dining under a warm night sky has been experienced by generations and in nearly every corner of the world — but what makes 7 Meats & 7 Salads different is the secretly healthier menu options that are not only delicious but wholesome and filling.

Throwing it down in the kitchen was Chef Akeam Absolam, whose Ram Goat Fried Rice — thanks to excellent marketing on the Serve It Up Instagram page — was the hot-ticket menu item. Absolam and his team crafted 7 Meats’ Charcoal Grilled Jerk Chicken, Pork in Black Bean Sauce, Ginger Scallion Fish Fillet, Guava Glazed Duck, Rosemary Leg of Lamb, Cranberry Pickled Shrimp, and Whiskey Bourbon Rabbit; and 7 Salads’ Tropical Garden, Five Bean Delight, Kale and Lentil, Roasted Pumpkin and Beetroot, Asian Fruit Slaw, Quinoa and Ackee and Mediterranean Chickpea Salad.

The venue’s sprawling lawn was dotted with string lights creating a breathtaking display. Who wouldn’t want to pull up a seat at one of the two-, three-, four-, or eight-seaters? Mocktails and cocktails flowed at the open bar, as Kool 97’s DJ Mixmaster Marvin spun ‘kool’ tunes. Idyllic indeed! To be honest, none of the above mattered, as once guests had their first bite of Chef Absolam’s Whiskey Bourbon Rabbit, all else faded away.

It’s official! 7 Meats & 7 Salads is not only a charming escape from the everyday rush by offering one a chance to slow down and enjoy the simple pleasures of life, but it’s also the go-to city-based al fresco dining experience we never knew we needed!

7 Meats & 7 Salads returns in July.

Photos: Garfield Robinson