Flames

I have always thought that one of the best parts of living in the city is soaking up the ethnic flavor of your neighborhood and allowing it to change your life for the better. My first neighborhood in Boston was downtown so the only “cultures” I got to interact with were businessmen, homeless people, and the privileged but intentionally unkempt college kids in the middle. Jamaica Plain, as the name implies, has much more charm to offer. Loaded with Hispanic, Caribbean, and African immigrants, the sights, smells and sounds are a constant invitation to find a new favorite dish. You can get jerk chicken and Jamaican patties at the local Stop and Shop and, if you want, there is a Flames just a few blocks up at the Brigham Circle green line stop.

Despite its reputation as an imperfect facsimile this Flames location is, in fact, quite good. They have ample seating with charming Caribbean inspired décor, soccer on one television and all sorts of old and contemporary reggae music emanating from another set parked on a reggae channel. All that and a decent beer selection means it’s a nice destination for a date but expect it to be a long one, the place is always short on staff and takeout seems to take priority over its patrons who decide to dine in.

My first visit there was extremely pleasant although it is also what formed my opinion on the speed of service. I think they literally had two people working the entire front of the restaurant, spreading their attention very thin over the take out counter, register, and bussing. Still, all that hard work did nothing to dent the cheerful attitude of our waitress who was more than happy to answer questions and chat a little too. When the food arrived the portions somehow seemed larger than the already huge plates, everything piled high and hanging off the edge. As for what to order when you go there I would pretty much say hands down to get the jerk chicken, it is perfectly moist and smoky with just enough lingering spice to remind you all day of the great meal you had. Less spicy but still quite tasty is the curried goat. As you guys know from my past articles, I love goat and here it is served in a pool of earthy and spicy green curry that slowly grows hotter with each bite. I recommend you order the dumplings with this entrée; they are essentially fried dinner rolls that do a great job of soaking up sauces and gravies. And speaking of gravy, the rich sauce the Oxtails come in is absolutely amazing, nothing short of candy for carnivores. Also the Oxtails have been slowly cooked to the point in which the meat comes right off the bones with a pull of your fork; this is a good thing given that the bones have sharp edges you want to keep out of your mouth. If for some reason these Caribbean dishes sound a little too exotic for your tastes you just can’t go wrong with their BBQ ribs. While they don’t conform to any specific school of American BBQ tradition they do succeed at being tender, sweet, tangy and extremely tasty. Put a big cube of their zesty home made mac and cheese on the side and you are all set. Other sides include rice, steamed cabbage, plantains, or any other side you would expect.

Frankly I really like the place although I mostly do takeout since I rarely have the time to sit there all day nursing a beer and listening to music. Then again, I kind of wish I did have the time to do that, maybe I should look into rearranging my priorities in the future.