WELCOME BAHAMAS - NASSAU, CABLE BEACH & PARADISE ISLAND - 2008
Dining with history Notable home become top-notch restaurants WELCOME BAHAMAS - NASSAU, CABLE BEACH & PARADISE ISLAND - 2008
If certain restaurants in Nassau could talk, they wouldn't lack for listeners. Historians, writers and would-be chefs would gather like wide-eyed children to hear the tals they could tell.
From a centuries-old mansion built by a pirate that later became a five-star eatery, to a Bay Street prison that became a French bistro, many of the island's top restaurants serve up a helping of history along with delicious food.
Fie-star Graycliff restaurant and hotel, along with a Brazilian eatery and a cigar factory are all located within the one-time estate of a bloodthirsty privateer, Capt John Howard Graysmith.
A century after Graysmith built his retirement mansion in the 174s, a gentleman by the name of Nathaniel French opened Nassau's first inn at Graycliff.
Today, Graycliff serves an elegant mix of continental and Bahamian cuisine. Head chef Joshua Campbell's slow-roasted Long Island duckling, topped with a Bahamian nave orange sauce, is a popular entree. As is the fresh braised dover sole with beurre blanc.
Many diners begin their evening with a cocktail in the parlour, perhaps selecting wine, port or cognac from Graycliff's massive 200,000-bottle cellar, reputedly thethird-largest in the world.
Bars on the cellar windows were put there by American naval officers, who used the basement to hold prisoners of war during a brief occupation of Nassau in 1776.
Preserving the rich history of Graycliff is an important goa, says owner Enrico Garzaroli. "The building represents the centre page of the dining experience."
Garzaroli purchased Graycliff in 1973, converting a portion of the mansion into an upscale restaurant. Garzaroli mentions that the place was once owned byLord and Lady Dudley, Third Earl of Staffordshire.
The Earl and his wife entertained such notables as Sir Winston Churchill and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor (formerly King Edward III) who lived next door in Government House.
A renovation crew uncoverd another historic artefact at Graycliff a few years ago-a photo of Polly Leach, a former owner and inn keeper who was reputedly a close friend of gangster Al Capone.
Leach ran her inn during the Prohibition era and Capone was said to be a frequent guest
Renovations to the 20-suite property include a full service spa and fitness centre, two swimming pools and the addition of the Brazilian-style restaurant the Humidor Churrascaria.
Memorable guests Sun And? Restaurant is a surprising find for many vistors. Located in a residential community off Shirley Street, the restaurant evolved from exceptional 1950s dinner parties hosted by local character Pete Gardner, a powerboat and sports car racer who often greeted his guests in bare feet. Gardner, a formerBritish fighter pilot, bought what was then called Red Mill House from businessman Morton Turtle.
Gardner officially turned his winter residence into a restaurant and guesthouse in 1956. Soon after, crooners Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr, the Beatlesand other stars ventured over from Paradise Island to enjoy the secluded restaurant.
Belgian Chef Ronny Deryckere (the first chef at Graycliff) and his wife bought Sun And... from an ailing Gardner in 1981. The Deryckeres converted guest rooms into privae dining areas and expanded the kitchen. They also increased the menu to include such dishes as braised duckling with a honey raspberry sauce and signature 30-minute souffles.
Careful renovations assured that the restaurant remained true to Gardner's 'dning at home' vision.
"There is a comfort here. No rush. People book a table for the evening. They say they feel as if they are having dinner at home," says Chef Ronny.
Indeed, restaurants in former residences often convey the feeling of being at a coz dinner party.?That's exactly the feeling at Luciano's of Chicago, introduced into The Bahamas in 2003.
Part-owner Sue Lawrence and her partners chose Green Roofs, a harbourside mansion built by Sir Roland Symonette, the first premier of The Bahamas, andhis wife Lady Symonette. With an original dining room that sat 20 comfortably, Lawrence says the waterfront mansion was "built to entertain."
An original grand mahogany staircase and the marble tile entryway were restored to their original splendour. "Wewanted a rustic Tuscan look. The house was built to look like a miniature Mount Vernon and this design works well for a restaurant."
New hardwood floors were added to complement original wood paneling. The mansion's open balconies, patios and floor-to-ciling windows-that were originally designed to provide ventilation-today make open, airy indoor/outdoor dining spaces.
Luciano's patrons enjoy specialities such as clay-pot roasted chicken served with plum tomatoes and potatoes or fresh grilled tuna sicliano with tomatoes, olives and capers.
'Pop' and Lady Symonette would have no doubt approved of the family-friendly atmosphere still present in their home today.
East of Luciano's, on the other side of East Bay Street, is Montagu Gardens. This islandstyle eatery is on the former estate of another prominent Bahamian, Sir Stafford Sands. A charismatic and controversial figure, Sands established The Bahamas as a tourism destination. His home on Lake Waterloo displays artefacts and souvenirs from his traels. The gardens feature Italian statues and imported stonework. Construction was completed in 1928.
As the minister of tourism, Sands entertained guests from around the world. Today, restaurant owner Randy Knowles continues the tradition, entertaining atrons with simple, delicious food. Menu favourites include the fettuccine Montagu-a pasta with a rich alfredo sauce served with blackened chicken-and grouper amandine with white sauce served over rice.
Mystery and mayhem When construction crews attempte to install a pastry oven at Chez Willie restaurant, they encountered exceptionally thick walls.
Restaurateur Willie Armstrong (a former maitre'd at Graycliff) knew that the building he'd leased for his French-style eatery had an interesting history. Bu Armstrong was shocked to discover that the former private residence housed prisoners during Nassau's riotous rum-running period in the 1920s.
"The kitchen walls are at least ten feet thick," says Chef James Grant, who wows customers with grouper in puffpastry with crabmeat and poached stuffed chicken breast served with leeks and tomatoes in a white wine sauce.
The two-storey manor opposite the Western Esplanade became the White Gates restaurant in the 1970s, serving such luminaries as Frank Sinatra andformer President Richard Nixon.
Before it was Chez Willie, the building housed an Italian restaurant called Da Vinci, owned by prominent Bahamian businessman Garet 'Tiger' Finlayson. A fire in 1989 damaged the interior but it was repaired in the 1990s. A Bahamian family, -brother John and sister Jennifer Carey -also used an old Bahamian home as the location for their restaurant. The aptly named Jumbey Cafe Bar & Grill is located at Jumbey House on East Bay Street. This estate, built in the 1940s, is namd for the large jumbey trees surrounding the property.
The café's menu ranges from buffalo wings and nachos &?cheese to pineapple-ginger glazed salmon to a drunken lobster, made with tequila and lime. Guests dine on a wrap-around porch overlooking East By Street and the harbour.
J A McKinney grew up in Jumbey House and remembers it well. His father, Herbert McKinney, owned the John S George hardware store chain. The McKinneys purchased the two-storey home from businessman Frank Pritchard.
During the 190s, commercial spaces including the old Pilot House Hotel, adjacent to the cafe, transformed the once residential area. McKinney senior "sold the property to the Pilot House Group and they changed the name of it. But the house is essentially the same as i was when I lived there."
The home has had many names. It was leased by the Kenny Rogers franchise. Later it became the Pink Pearl Cafe. In a return to the building's roots, the Careys returned the home's original name.
What's old is new again Café Matise blends art, history and authentic Italian fare in a comfortable atmosphere in bustling downtown Nassau. Built in the 1800s, Café Matisse is located in the one-time home of the late Mary Moseley, owner-editor of The Nassau Guardian. Born in 1876, Mosele was the first female editor of a major daily in The Bahamas.
"All along that area there were residential spaces. Shops were on the ground floor and the residences on top,"?says Bahamian architect and history buff Anthony Jervis.
Today corporate banks parliamentary buildings and court houses surround the former Moseley residence.
In spite of the difficulties encountered in retrofitting older buildings to support restaurant kitchens, air conditioning and updated wiring, "Café Matisse has been succesful in keeping the general make-up of the building the same," says Jervis.
The menu includes such delicacies as thinly sliced salmon marinated in lemon, celery, black olives and anise. Pasta entrees include a ravioli stuffed with zucchini and mascarpone heese.
Dining out in Nassau is always an adventure. Savour the masterfully prepared food, enjoy the ambience and think about the history that surrounds you. And if you listen carefully, you might hear the walls whispering tales from long ago.
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