Try a Pattie in Jamaica:

After a the zip line tour at Chukka, we were headed for a Hike and Bike tour at Bracco.  However, all that  ”flying through the trees” on the zip line made us hungry.  So, the driver of our blogger bus stopped for one of the things that Jamaica is famous for: Patties.  The name of the store was “Juici Patties”

here is a storefront of a pattie store in Jamaica

The best way to describe a Patti is to say that it is kind of like an empanada.  Simply put, it is a flat bread with a stuffing such as beef, cheese, shrimp, etc.  You can buy them at lots of places that have a sign offering “Pattis”.  It is known as the fast food of Jamaica.  One f the people on the bus took our order and soon reappeared with a bag full of “Patties”.

Patties-a favorite fast food of Jamaica

As everyone was chowing down, the conversation turned to:  “you should have tried the shrimp one, or wow, was that vegetable pattie good”.  Bottom line:  we were all stuffed with something none of us had ever eaten before.  That is part of the fun of traveling—it’s all about trying new food and new places with new friends!  Next time you go to Jamaica make sure you try some “Patties”!

Turns out we would need all that food for fuel at our next stop–Bracco Bike and Hike Tours!

Steve Barrymore

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Of course, before entering you need to read the instructions at the door.  Don’t try to sneak in any “heat”.  See below:

Don't bring any "bad vibes" into the Pier One in Jamaica

I had the seafood chowder followed by the coconut shrimp. Both of them were really good.

The seafood chowder is really tasty at Pier One Restaurant

Shrimp dinner with salad and rice and beans

Several people in the group ordered chocolate cake for dessert.  I was stuffed and couldn’t eat any more.  All in all, it was a great dinner with my blogger friends at Pier 1 restaurant.

Lest you wonder how I managed to keep up with all this activity without getting tired…..I didn’t. I was done for the evening.  I knew that tomorrow was going to be a big day at the Chukka Caribbean Adventures Excursion on the zip line tour and a Braco Bike and Hike Tour. I needed my beauty rest.  Stay tuned for my next post on Jamaica.

Comments? Please post below or email me at ssb11@prodigy.net

Read about the rest of my Jamaica travels here

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Follow me on Twitter: @stevebarrymore

We love conch and look for any opportunity to dine on it. The Bahamas is one of the many places in the Caribbean where it is easy to find this tasty morsel.

It can be prepared in a variety of ways: in chowders, fried, cracked, conch fingers, raw, pecan encrusted, marinated, fritters, boiled, burgers,  stews, etc, etc, etc. I think at one time I counted I had eaten it 14 different ways. Hmmmm…I wonder if there is such a thing as a conch hot dog? Maybe someone reading this blog has some suggestions in different ways to prepare it.  Conch lovers unite!

On a recent trip to Nassau we discovered a restaurant named “Conch Fritters” located on Bay Street right across from the British Colonial Hilton Hotel.  It’s hard to resist a restaurant named “Conch Fritters.”   Yes, it was time for an overdose of our favorite food! Here is a pic of the outside.

Conch Fritters restaurant in Nassau, Bahamas-the place to eat conch

Conch Fritters is a half bar-half restaurant. From the looks of the clientele, my guess is that it gets a little noisy and crowded in the evenings, but we were there for lunch. They have quite a selection of  of conch. Here is a partial photo of their menu. Check it out for yourself.

Conch Fritters menu in Nassau

To get things started. We quickly put our chompers into an order of conch fritters with a dipping sauce. Wait for those fritters to cool off, because those puppies are hot! Sorry, I started eating them before I took a photo.   From there, it was an order of conch chowder that was absolutely some of the best I have ever had. It had just enough pepper (or something else) in it to give it that Caribbean kick. It was so good; I had to resist just chugging it out of the bowl!!

Hot, steamy bowl of Conch chowder at Conch Fritters' in Nassau

Finally, we were ready for our main course of “cracked conch”, which resembles an order of calamari. It comes with a side order of fried potatoes and cole slaw. Again, there was a dipping sauce for the conch.  Does this look good or what?

Nothing better than a plate of cracked conch at Conch Fritters' in Nassau

Needless to say, after that meal we were stuffed, but at least our conch appetite had been satisfied! It was another great meal in the Bahamas! The tab for the three orders plus a couple of bottles of water was right as $50. They automatically include a 15% gratuity on the check.

The check for conch at Conch Fritters' restaurant

If you arrive on a cruise ship, you will have plenty of time to walk to the restaurant and stuff yourself on conch. If you are getting off a cruise ship, turn right on the main shopping street and continue to walk until you get to the curve in the street (about 5 blocks). You will see it on the left. You can rest assured that you will enjoy one of the great foods of the Caribbean.

Comments?  Please post below or email me at ssb11@prodigy.net

Read about the rest of my other world travels here

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Follow me on Twitter:  @stevebarrymore