After skating

After skating, we drove past a Caribbean restaurant that I love. Realizing there was little to eat at home, I pulled over and we went to get some roti and a mauby drink. Unfortunately it was closed. Across the street, was a smaller, less frequented restaurant: "Canadian and Caribbean cuisine". We walked into what on closer inspection was a bar. The patrons all stopped and stared. One old fellow called out, "you want the place next door." Next door was a laundromat, but a few doors down was a tiny restaurant, painted bright yellow and orange. In we went.

The menu was handwritten on a piece of paper. The waiter slash cook slash ambiance-maker was a young guy, with a thick Island accent. "How you doin', mon?" he asked D-. D- looked at him blankly then said, "I want some juice."

Some young men at the front of the restaurant seemed intent on watching all the cars that passed in the street while rifling through carrier bags that they had with them. When a police car slowed in front of the restaurant they got riled up and one started to yell, "What are you looking at? I want your badge number" at the police outside. He went out to discuss this with them. D- tried the fish. I drank my soda.

A lady came in and started to sing loudly. She had nice hair and staring eyes. I suspected mental health problems. She shimmied to the back of the restaurant while the waiter cooked a chicken roti for a gentleman who held a whispered conversation with his phone. When the waiter came back out he asked Wild Eyes to make a salad for potential patrons. It took a while for her to understand. "You gonna make me a salad?" she asked. "Who is the salad for?" she asked. Finally, she opened the cold storage and started to fiddle about.

The waiter-cook, with no more orders to fill, sat at one of the tables. "Why is he sitting down?" D- asked. The waiter brought him some more plantain and again attempted conversation. "You enjoying it, mon?" "Thank you," said D-.

The street-watching boys went on their way. Wild Eyes went into the kitchen to make the salad. We finished out dinner and I left a hefty tip. Fish plate with two drinks: 12$. Island ambiance in the middle of Montreal: priceless.