Dining Review: Spice Island offers beach-inspired cuisine right here in the Springs
Some of my favorite post-graduate school memories were the inexpensive trips I would take from Chicago to Jamaica – almost always Negril – where the beers were cheap, the beaches were bustling, and the food was comforting with a kick.
Spice Island Grill’s casual, home-cooked vibe gives me reminiscent warm fuzzies. I have only one complaint: Located only one mile from my home, I may never cook again.
The deceptively large restaurant is rather like sitting in the dining room of a house and the smells from the kitchen just might convince you that you are, in fact, in someone’s home. Jamaican food, often heavy on meat and fish, may not be your first thought for vegan dining, but scan the Spice Island Grill menu and be delighted. The “Green Zone” Vitallity (“ital.” means natural) section is vegan and there’s much to rejoice about: tofu, beans and superbly seasoned rice and vegetables, anyone?
While perusing the numerous vegan entree options, consider snacking on a plate of tofu fries ($7.99). Do not expect a protein-version of the familiar potato snack. Think chewy, think jerky (plant-based, naturally), oh yes, and fried. These greasy bean curd bites are terrific with a cold beer during happy hour ($1 off beer and wine and $2 off cocktails from 3 to 6 p.m.).
On to the hearty mains, the curry vegetables and chickpea ($7.99/lunch; $10.99/dinner; add tofu for $2.50) is the signature dish. The garbanzo beans and vegetables float in a zesty, thick, gold savory sauce; the seared cubed tofu bring meatiness to each bite. Lunch entrees come with one side dish and dinner plates with two. The braised cabbage, also richly hued, is an excellent temper to the mild curry.
Spice Island Grill’s vegan version of the traditional Jamaican ackee ($9.59/lunch; $13.99/dinner) isn’t for everyone. They say we eat with our eyes first and I think our second food judgment zone is the texture seeking side of our tongue. The ackee fruit is soft – think soft tofu or slightly underdone scrambled eggs – and lightly flavored. I enjoyed it with a side of rice and peas (which are actually kidney beans), but my dining companion preferred the addition of grilled tofu for meatiness.
A newer item on the menu, the Rasta Run-Dun Five-Bean Stew ($6.79/lunch; $10.99/dinner) is a substantial meal. The variety of beans includes split peas, which naturally make a vegan soup thick and creamy. Packed with vegetables (I was pretty giddy when I bit into a piece of okra), this was rounded out nicely by the side of boiled cassava. A root vegetable, it lands somewhere between a yam and plantain, providing a soft, subtle sweetness that absorbs every single bit of velvety broth.
Beer ($3.50-$4.50) ranges from basic American (Coors) to Coloradan (Fat Tire) to Jamaican (Red Stripe). The average wine ($6.59-$6.75) is probably best skipped so that you enjoy an island-inspired cocktail ($8, the cocktail list is as long as my arm). For a nonalcoholic drink that delivers as much piquancy as the food, try the house-made Ginger Lemonade ($2.59).
Featured on Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives” last summer, Spice Island Grill sold Guy Fieri on something we locals already knew: You can find island-inspired cuisine, right in the heart of downtown Colorado Springs. And Claudette Hutchinson and the entire crew prove that talented chefs can make plant-based food sing with flavor.
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Do you have a favorite local restaurant that serves vegan options? Share it with JL: jl.fields@gazette.com
Spice Island Grill “Tofu Fries” Wednesday May 18, 2016. Photo by Jeff Kearney.
Spice Island Grill “Tofu Fries” Wednesday May 18, 2016. Photo by Jeff Kearney.
Spice Island Grill “Pasta Run-Down Five-Bean Stew” Wednesday May 18, 2016. Photo by Jeff Kearney.
Spice Island Grill “Tofu Fries” Wednesday May 18, 2016. Photo by Jeff Kearney.
Spice Island Grill “Curry Chick Pea and Tofu” Wednesday May 18, 2016. Photo by Jeff Kearney.
Spice Island Grill “Curry Chick Pea and Tofu” Wednesday May 18, 2016. Photo by Jeff Kearney.
Spice Island Grill “Curry Chick Pea and Tofu” Wednesday May 18, 2016. Photo by Jeff Kearney.
Spice Island Grill “Tofu Fries” Wednesday May 18, 2016. Photo by Jeff Kearney.
Spice Island Grill “Tofu Fries” Wednesday May 18, 2016. Photo by Jeff Kearney.
Spice Island Grill “Pasta Run-Down Five-Bean Stew” Wednesday May 18, 2016. Photo by Jeff Kearney.
Spice Island Grill “Curry Chick Pea and Tofu” Wednesday May 18, 2016. Photo by Jeff Kearney.
Spice Island Grill “Curry Chick Pea and Tofu” Wednesday May 18, 2016. Photo by Jeff Kearney.
Spice Island Grill “Curry Chick Pea and Tofu” Wednesday May 18, 2016. Photo by Jeff Kearney.
Spice Island Grill “Curry Chick Pea and Tofu” Wednesday May 18, 2016. Photo by Jeff Kearney.