Post by Pete FraserPost by Steve PopeQuite likely, I could have gone to a Carmen's and not noticed
the Jamaican aspect -- just focussing in on the standard eastbay Q.
I've been to the one in Fremont within the past decade. ;)
I've heard tell of the Fremont place, but have never been there.
Perhaps that's where Carmen's husband went when the Berkeley
place closed down. I'm not sure if Mark's Mr Kelly is Carmen's
husband -- I only knew his first name, and that was fifteen years
ago (Joe?). Tall, skinny soft spoken guy. Really friendly.
That could easily be my Mr. Kelly, Pete. He was certainly thin, black
with graying hair and a noticeable Jamaican lilt to his English. I'll
have to enquire when I get the chance to visit the Hayward site.
Post by Pete FraserI tended to go to the Hayward location more frequently back
in those days because I thought the Q was a little bit better.
Carmen's hot sauce is some of the hottest (and tastiest) about,
and a couple of times she made a special version for me --
seriously hot stuff. Never had the jerk chicken though.
Those who know don't tell... Had Jean not made the effort of asking for
it, God knows if we'd ever have discovered it, either. Fortunately, we
did. I remember that, after eating 1/2 of a jerk chicken there, I left
the restaurant with my feet 12" above the pavement from the capsaicin
high: quite remarkable sensation, and not prosecutable AFAIK ;-) Mr.
Kelly's jerk chicken was mesquite smoked in a cold smoker located
outside, behind the restaurant. The jerk paste was wonderfully hot and
flavorful, and placed under the skin and in incisions made alongside the
bones. Our version of the paste's recipe available upon request.
Mark Lipton