Riverside Restaurant & Bar

Above: Sahil and myself devouring at the Spring 2009 Fourth Semester Banquet.

KENNY G IS THE

EPITOME OF MUSAK.

I'm a service-nazi at restaurants back in the States. So much to the point where I almost wanted to pull off the trick set on one sitcom...

WAITRESS: "Good morning, I'm ______, and I'll be your server for today."

PATRON: "Oh, hi. I'd like to tell you, I have $10 in my hands today, and I'll lay it out on the table, and if you do a good job, you can have it. However, if you don't do well, I'll deduct a specific amount from the $10 tip for every error you make."

I'm picky... if I don't get good service from a place where I expect service, I might as well end up getting my food from a fast-food restaurant down the street. Well, it's cheaper and I won't feel satisfied (even with good food) if I'm expected to pay a tip for lackluster service. Don't get me wrong... I'm not a dollar-tipper (no matter how good the service, I pay a dollar... I know people like that). I reward quite well for good service. For instance, one time when heading down the interstate to my alma mater, we walked into a Wendy's, and there was a guy at the register who was literally abounding with good energy. He threw out a few good jokes and gave us a good time as we put our order in for Frosties and Jr. Bacon Cheeseburgers. After noticing that speed of service wasn't affected, we decided to hand him a large tip (I think larger than 20% of that meal's value). I'll admit, working at a fast food joint might be tough... BUT, its even tougher to give out good service under the pressure of Dave Thomas & his managerial brigade.

In Dominica, its hard to find ample, satisfactory table service restaurants. There's a lot of counter-service food-court like restaurants (i.e. our shacks), a slowly growing amount of fast-food name brands (i.e. KFC, Subway, and Rituals), and loads of Chinese run operations (good on food, but service, other than being good with speed, isn't much more than that). However, nothing like the good old sit-down American flare. That was until Riverside Restaurant & Bar was open last Wednesday in Picard, Dominica.

You really don't understand.

My friends Jo (Miss Chicken Dinner) and Sahil hit up the joint this past Saturday (and yes, again today, with our missing in action friend Zenny). However, the first time that Sahil, Jo and myself went, the moment we walked into the "orange gates" and right into a reservation table, all three of our jaws felt right at home with the floor.

It was literally a welcome miracle.

We walked in, saw exquisite, fancy furniture, along with universal table settings and center pieces for all the tables, the most professional we've seen in Dominica. And yes, the name of the restaurant tells the truth... its a riverside view that looks quite elegant from riverbank. What sealed the deal was what was coming out of the outdoor speakers... they were playing my favorite Kenny G LP, Breathless. Instead of hearing the car on the street blasting its Soca or Reggae for ambient music, it was the right musak for the dining experience: soothing, but provided enough distraction to provide privacy for everyone's table.

We had to shake our heads to believe it was true.

The service was exceptional (although there was a bug at the end with the lack of the card machine, but because they just opened, it was forgiveable). It felt good to say the words, "Table for three, please." They refilled our water quite, quite frequently (which is usually unheard of around here), and we had four or five people come to our table to check on how we were doing.

We really wished we had this restaurant much earlier in our Ross careers.

Ah yes, I haven't talked about the food yet. So far, I've had the New York Sirloin Steak, Sushi Combo, and Fried Calamari for an appetizer. Each one of these things were quite on par with United States quality food, the steak being juicy and cooked evenly to order, the sushi was as good as it can get in Dominica (pretty well prepared), and the calamari was definitely crunchy and breaded lightly for taste. I have been averaging about $120 EC (~$45 US, with a drink) for my meals, including the 10% service charge (which by American standards is cutting themselves short for the service quality provided). It sounds expensive, but for getting this experience away from home was definitely worth it (they also have some more everyday items available, such as a Spaghetti marinara for $25 EC, almost $10 US).

It really made me miss home more...

I applaud Riverside for setting up that American-like ambience with what they have here in Dominica. The service and the quality of food are definitely up there. Although the pricing prevents the restaurant from being an everyday affair, it is definitely highly recommended for a post-exam night or birthday night out. If there isn't a review yet for this restaurant... let this be the first good review, and hopefully not the last.

Lifestyles of the Fast & The Busy

Above: KFC in Roseau... in the foreground, the empty tables of the Roseau market.

"YOU ARE.... WHAT YOU EAT."

A few weeks ago, a new restaurant lit up its new fluorescent sign in Portsmouth. And on it was a big picture of Colonel Sanders in his red and white apron, tilted over and smiling. I have to say that the opening of the KFC is something that both was a win and a loss situation. On one end: It's great to have some real fried chicken in the area now, and to get dinner there could save one a few more bucks (along with time) over Subway. On another end: This stuff can kill you (if you eat it often enough, that is).

A recent report from CNN says the proximity that one is to fast food restaurants in their neighborhood is directly related to the occurrence of stroke. I don't know how much that really applies to Dominica (where there's only 4 total fast food establishments, 2 of them being Subways), but this finding in the United States is rather interesting. I guess then, that me, in my hometown back in Chicago, with 5 fast food joints within 1 block (let's see if I can remember: McDonald's, Burger King, Dunkin' Donuts / Baskin Robbins, Pizza Hut, and Nick's Gyros & More), I'm at a higher risk of stroke.

One of the most interesting points that ran across my head when I read this study, is when I read that socioeconomic implications weren't included. I gotta say that in the states that this might be the case: when someone wants some food fast, the best part is that it comes cheap.

However, living in Dominica, it seems different:
Fatty, greasy fried American fried chicken seems to be a commodity in Dominica.

Although KFC is faster than the Subway on the Ross campus, I've found out that its still not exactly as fast as it is in the states, but people are still there for the "fast food." Not to mention, seemingly with the hassle of shipping things over from the states & other various regional factors, not everything on the KFC menu you see in the states comes over here in Dominica. Case in point: every meal on the menu comes with french fries, unlike the standard homestyle options as presented in the states (you know, the cole slaw, the mashed potatoes, green beans, etc etc.... in Dominica, these are all separate options). In addition, the stuff is quite a bit more expensive than the traditional Dominican way of purchasing fruits and vegetables from the market and cooking it all by one's self. However although this was the case: the place is still packed with Dominicans (and obviously Ross students).

So, let's put it together: could the equation of Dominican Demand + KFC = Lesser lifespan of Dominicans?

I forgot to tell you one important thing... According to a BBC report in 2007, one thing that Dominica can lay good claim to is a large proportion of centenarians (22/70000, which is about three times as high as that of many developed countries). My university, Ross, is trying to figure out why this is the case. However, with the above story, is it possible to have an affect upon this proportion? Remember that before, there was only 1 KFC and that only appeared from what I assume (based on the decor in Roseau), in the last decade.

Like I said KFC's addition to Dominica has its good and its bad, but only time will tell to see how much affect it will upon the health of Dominica. It's something I'd like to see: the real effects of fast food damage on a Country's health over time. It could be bad, but knowing that there's still only 2 KFCs in all of Dominica, and with it being a "luxury" commodity in Dominica, I think that we'll still see more centenarians to come.

Don't get me wrong... I still dig the colonel, and it's quite good here in Dominica.... even with that risk of stroke. :D

Source: CNN

The Subway Line

"WE'RE OUT OF SPICY ITALIAN... AND A BUNCH OF OTHER STUFF TOO."

My friend Rubie, who's up in New York, asked me a great question,

"What exactly do you eat down [in Dominica]?"

As a medical student in Dominica, the options are limited. Let's start with things most Americans should know. We have 1 (soon to be 2) KFC and 2 Subways. Now, at ross we have the Dominican analog to a food court typically found in college... it's called The Shacks, and they look exactly like the name calls them out to be. In terms of cultural food, we have 3 Chinese places, appropriately called (Bob's, Brother's and Hong Kong), Italian (aka Perky's Pizza), and Canadian (okay, they serve American food...). You go a bit further from campus, and you literally can fine dine! For instance for $95 EC, approximately $35 US, we can get all you can eat lobster at a restaurant called "Sunset." Not to mention, classic Caribbean food is nearby, at local joints such as Big Papa's, Blue Bay, and my favorite, the Purple Turtle.

With my current health crunch, Subway is one of my favorite places to hit. It's literally just like the ones back home, with the selection of sandwiches, pizza and soup (pizza and soup finally made their debut this semester).

HOWEVER... there's a caveat to this: there are times I'll head into Subway, then I'll look down and... as a sense of shock flows through my body, half the meats are missing (sometimes the bread, and yes even sometimes the chips when I want a full meal). The Subways in Dominica are supplied by shipments from the Americas... therefore, when a huge hurricane stands in the way of one of the routes, it might be a while before my clamoring for my Spicy Italian on Honey Oat bread is satisfied.

I could have complained, but that really didn't affect the way I looked upon my experience at Subway: I've learned to find enough different combinations of "favorite" sandwiches to take care of my palate. The best part of every visit is enjoying the rapport I have with the Dominicans who work behind the counter at the Portsmouth, Dominica Subway. A typical walk up to the "order counter" goes like this:

"How you doin' man?" - NOTE: A strong Dominican-Caribbean accent is present. -

"Oh, I'm alright, a busy day at the hospital. How about you, sir?" - NOTE: A strong Chicago accent is present. -

"I'm good. I'm good man. Good to hear that you're good." - Said as the guy/girl is nodding his/her head behind the counter, while smiling or laughing. -

And... just to see that the people behind the desk want to know how I'm doing always makes a stop at the Subway a way to top off my day. By the way they interact behind the table, I can tell they're enjoying life - even if demanding med students are out there to ruin it. I just instead separate myself from the idea of stressful med school, and for those 15 minutes in line, immerse myself in the way they're enjoying themselves. When I get my sandwich, I snap right back into reality, and its right into the books. However, I feel much more refreshed, even though I ended up with a Tuna because they were out of Spicy Italian once again. :P

The point is: you can't always get what you want, but you can always enjoy life in the way it presents itself.

Pictures: Subway Dominica, Roseau