Spencer Williams, Contributor
Tucked in next to TGI Friday's on Hope Road, Mac's Gourmet Market opened up a great alternative to greasy takeaway restaurants and crowded supermarkets more than a year ago. From the start, it has been a popular place for the Kingston elite to shop for food.
Although most items are a little on the expensive side, it's ideal for the lazy men and women who do not like to slave away in the kitchen. I do love to cook, of course, but work and life can be very hectic, so knowing that I can waltz in to Mac's and select from an array of fresh goods is very appealing.
I'll often pick up a couple of steak and mushroom pies just for myself. I find that one is not enough. They are the closest things to my grandmother's Sunday evening fare. I don't know who prepares the ones here, but they taste like a lot of love has gone into them. Tender pieces of beef swimming in a rich sauce that almost disintegrate in the mouth, with the occasional knob of fat that easily slides past one's tongue, straight down the throat. Not necessarily everyone's bowl of stew, but along with the crispy puff pastry topping, it'll help to keep me from losing my pot belly!
Undercooked
The chicken pot pies contain small morsels of fowl and green peas coated in a deliciously comforting béchamel sauce. For some strange reason, every time I get it, the pastry is a little undercooked. To be honest though, it's probably a good thing, because when I get home I pop it into the oven at 325°F for about 20 minutes. This heats it through nicely and brings the pastry to a golden crisp.
For a meal, the above-mentioned are not unreasonable in price, but it's unlikely that a man's stomach will be satisfied on one alone, so the accompaniment of a salad is advised. There's a choice of greenery in the shape of Cobb and Greek salads, which are both inviting and expensive for what you get. The former cheats you a little on the blue cheese, which is rather a shame as it is good quality dairy and there doesn't seem to be a shortage of it - a wedge of the same can be bought at the deli counter. I'm unable to say anything positive about the tabbouleh, which seems to have had a life of the following: the parsley has been washed and chopped without being dried, thrown into a bowl with bulgur wheat, a scant quantity of tomato concass and mint, and absolutely no dressing, salt or pepper. It is insipid, soggy and incapable of being saved by one's own attempt of seasoning.
Shrimp, lobster salads
Much can be said about the completely over-priced shrimp and lobster salads, which barely have the flavour of the ocean due to the water-downed mayonnaise concoction it's mixed in. Perhaps they'd make a good filling for a hearty sandwich, but then you might as well be taking the seafood from a tin.
Fairly priced items
The filling and fail-safe options are the baguette sandwiches and the soups. The only items that are fairly-priced, these simply made foods will prickle your senses and gratify your hunger pangs. I don't think there is a better pepperpot soup to be found anywhere, and the filled French sticks are unique for Jamaica.
Although this market can become convenient to your daily life, be aware that this is not exactly the case for your wallet!
Mac's Gourmet Market, 49A Hope Road, Kingston 10. Telephone: 927-3354
Opening Hours: Mondays-Saturdays 10:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m., Sundays 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Look to spend about: $225 on a 16oz soup, $350-$400 on a baguette sandwich, $380-$1450 on a salad, $390-$495 on a small savoury pie.
