Hellos and goodbyes are in order this day after Memorial Day so let’s get to it. . .
First off, say hello to Rocksteady Jamaican Bistro, (2399 N. Federal Hwy., 561/910-1562) the new sibling to Duane Morgan’s tiny but terrific Rocksteady Jamaican Jerk Café that opened just a few miles up the road from its parent in Boca. I discovered the original Rocksteady while working on a piece for the magazine last year and loved both the jerk and brown stew chicken. At the time Morgan told me he was looking for a second location—if you saw the line of hungry diners waiting to get into the minuscule space at lunch you’d know why—though I heard later a deal for the old Rib Bizz spot had fallen through. Now it’s a little easier to get your jerk fix on, so check ‘em out.
Both a hello and a goodbye goes to Sheila’s Famous Conch & BBQ. Sam and Dania Johnson have said goodbye to their cozy, open-air spot in Lake Worth and moved north to West Palm at 406 Southern Blvd. (at Dixie Highway), the site of the former C&C Barbecue. Phone, btw, is 561/951-2723. Now you can sit indoors to chow down on Sam’s tender, smoky ribs and pulled pork, as well as Dania’s killer cracked conch and conch fritters. I do kinda miss the funky charm of the old place, though.
And a not unexpected goodbye goes to Spoonfed, the latest restaurant to tank at the star-crossed location at the corner of East Atlantic and Northeast Third avenues in downtown Delray. Local toque Glen Manfra, who opened Spoonfed in mid-2011, first as a pop-up eatery, then as a “permanent” dining spot a few months later, left the restaurant not long after that, and apparently it never recovered. What’s weird is that its third-floor neighbor,Buddha Sky Bar, is absolutely killing it, so much so they took over the second floor to gain more space. Maybe they should take over the whole building and put an end to the bad juju.
