Jemz
You ever finish a lingering meal with friends — the kind with about five starters and sides, where everyone shares a piece of their entree — and think, “Yo...everything was good?” It’s a rare condition, but that’s the experience you get at Jemz.
Owned by sisters Christine Thompson (left) and Margereve Campbell, this Jamaican BYOB puts out fresh, lovingly spiced dishes, from a starchy soup made from ground provisions to crackly-skinned jerk chicken with a creeping-but-very-real Scotch bonnet heat. As Thompson says: “If you’re looking for a home-cooked meal, this is the place to be.”
“The way we cook at home is the way we cook in the restaurant,” Thompson says, adding that many dishes are freshly made to order. “If you have the time and are patient, then this is the right place for you.”
The food is worth the wait. All of it — saucy chunks of curry goat; buttery steamed snapper piled with crisp veggies; tender braised oxtail; smoky mac and cheese; even the side salad with pear-champagne dressing and gingery green juices. If you’re as lucky as we were, the kitchen might send over a complimentary slice of rummy black cake too.
“If you’re looking for a home-cooked meal, this is the place to be.”
1171 St Johns Pl., Brooklyn, 347-442-0009
