The Gleaner NA

THE WEEKLY GLEANER | DECEMBER 13 - DECEMBER 19, 2021 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS 6 THE W EKLY GLEAN R | DECEMBER 13, 2021 - JANUARY 2 2 Aubrey Campbell/Gleaner Writer NEW YORK, NY: T HIS HOLIDAY season will be a very special one for Delilah and ‘Semi’, owners and opera- tors of Laylah’s Jamaican Foods, and Awesome Jamaican Jerk Wings res- taurant, two establishments that are offering the right stuff and a taste of authentic Jamaican and Caribbean cuisine to an ever-growing clientèle in San Diego, California. “Me and my partner Semi opened our doors in December 2007, offering San Diego a taste of Jamaica, using a home-style menu and offering hard-to- find Caribbean products and produce. This was our first venture into the food business and we realised it was needed as San Diego only had one Jamaican restaurant and no Caribbean foodmar- ket,”Delilah explains. In business for 14 years, the stores serve up cooked and uncooked de- lights to those longing for a taste of the islands, food on the go or whenever the occasion beckons in the park or the backyard, with family and friends. Moving from the hilly interior of Red Pond, St Catherine, in the mid-1990s, it did not take long for Semi to find the love of his life in Delilah. And like the good man he is, he wasted little time in taking her as his wife, to have and to hold, until….! The union has produced four beau- tiful children, giving the family even more reason to celebrate this holi- day, as their only daughter and third child Laylah, after whom one of the businesses is named, will attend the University of California in Los Angeles, as a business administrationmajor next year. Drawing on a mixed clientèle that does business with the nearby US mil- itary base, both owners say it’s a joy to see the look of satisfaction on the faces of those who come in to shop. They say persons are genuinely surprised not only by the quality and quantity of their options, but by the attention paid to delivering quality customer service. “Living and shopping in the area, we sawwhere we couldmake a difference. Customer service was not a priority, and so when we opened the first store, we realised the challenge – the space was not ideal, forcing us to move into a nearby plaza with better parking op- tions,” according to Semi. Challenged by the global health cri- sis since March 2020, the restaurant staff pivoted to the delivery options offered via social media and are thank- ful that they are seeing a glimmer of light and hope at the end of the tunnel. NOTHING TO CHANCE The Jamaican-American family combo has served them well so far. They leave nothing to chance. The kitchen staff must show proof that they can stand the heat before they are hired. To hear Delilah speak about her kitchen staff is a delight. “Evron Shaw is a very important part of our team. After all, he makes the best jerk chicken in all of America. You can smell the aroma from miles away,” she said with a smile that is warmer than the California sunshine in mid-summer. Jeffrey Cornish (Kingston, Jamaica) is delighting the palates of Californians in the seaside resort with his preparations of oxtail, rice ‘n’ peas with fried ripe plantains – on the side – a must-have on the daily menu at the Awesome Jamaican Jerk Wings restaurant. You must be doing something right when your customers will come in and pay a day in advance for lunch and din- ner – to go – just so that they will not be disappointed when they show up at the store, only to be told ‘sold out for today’. “We give them the Laylah’s experi- ence in Jamaican/Caribbean fine cui- sine, this side.” Here’s wishing the management and staff happy holidays and congratula- tions on 14 productive years! This customer is all smiles after picking up her bags of goodies for the holidays at Awesome Jamaican Jerk Wings Restaurant, San Diego, California. WINGS AND TING. This California couple is about to dine in on a Jamaicanmenu at Awesome Jamaican JerkWings Restaurant, San Diego, California. CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS TWO IS COMPANY. Two seemingly satisfied customers cradle their packages of Jamaican culinary delights on a recent visit to the Awesome Jamaican Jerk Wings restaurant, in San Dago, California. Taste of Jamaica Awesome in San Diego, CA “Me and my partner Semi opened our doors in December 2007, offering San Diego a taste of Jamaica, using a home-style menu and offering hard- to-find Caribbean products and produce.”