… N'ap boule!
Haitian restaurants and bakeries are ubiquitous in my hometown of Boston, which has one of the largest Haitian communities in the country. Surprisingly, I had never experienced Haitian cuisine until a week ago, when a fellow foodie (Zappah) and I visited a little spot named Chez Carmelle Pastry and Restaurant for Sunday dinner.
Haitian restaurants and bakeries are ubiquitous in my hometown of Boston, which has one of the largest Haitian communities in the country. Surprisingly, I had never experienced Haitian cuisine until a week ago, when a fellow foodie (Zappah) and I visited a little spot named Chez Carmelle Pastry and Restaurant for Sunday dinner.
The Scene
Location
After travelling OTP (outside of Atlanta’s perimeter) and getting lost for what seemed like an eternity, we finally arrived at our destination. Chez Carmelle is located at the intersection of Windy Hill Road and South Cobb Parkway and can be quickly identified by two Haitian flags that wave proudly atop the establishment. The two-year old business is in a tiny, no-name strip mall, which houses a tax preparation office, barbershop, and a furniture repair store—typical strip mall staples.
Note: For the music lovers out there, there is store that sells “Dirt Cheap Music” on the corner. Also, for the ladies, there is a Dominican hair salon across the street if you need a quick wash and set!
Interior
One word: BRIGHT! The interior is a bright lime green (very tropical, very Caribbean) and the walls were decorated with large posters of Barack Obama and Martin Luther King, Jr. (I felt inspired!) There is plenty of seating available to dine in comfortably and two flat screen televisions display CNN and Haitian music videos for patrons. The restaurant is a clean, relaxed setting and there is definitely no need to dress up.
Crowd
Let’s just say my friend and I stood out and we were definitely excited by the number of expats enjoying the food.
Service
Fast and friendly… just the way I like it!
The Food
After a brief (okay...LENGTHY!) consultation with the very patient owner, we decided to start with the salt-fish and chicken meat pies, which can be described as buttery, flaky, GOODNESS! YUM! For our entrees, we ordered the fried turkey and fried goat. Each order comes with your choice of rice (i.e. red beans and rice, pigeon peas and rice, or riz djon djon—a Haitian mushroom rice), a small side salad, fried plantains (reminiscent of tostones), and macaroni pie (which Zappah described as spicy baked ziti). You are also given a small serving of homemade picklese, a spicy vinegar-based sauce that adds kick to the meal. Honestly, you won’t need the picklese because everything is well seasoned and absolutely delicious! To top it off, I introduced Zappah to Kola Champagne a popular carbonated drink enjoyed in Haiti and other Caribbean countries.
If You Go
Location
After travelling OTP (outside of Atlanta’s perimeter) and getting lost for what seemed like an eternity, we finally arrived at our destination. Chez Carmelle is located at the intersection of Windy Hill Road and South Cobb Parkway and can be quickly identified by two Haitian flags that wave proudly atop the establishment. The two-year old business is in a tiny, no-name strip mall, which houses a tax preparation office, barbershop, and a furniture repair store—typical strip mall staples.
Note: For the music lovers out there, there is store that sells “Dirt Cheap Music” on the corner. Also, for the ladies, there is a Dominican hair salon across the street if you need a quick wash and set!
Interior
One word: BRIGHT! The interior is a bright lime green (very tropical, very Caribbean) and the walls were decorated with large posters of Barack Obama and Martin Luther King, Jr. (I felt inspired!) There is plenty of seating available to dine in comfortably and two flat screen televisions display CNN and Haitian music videos for patrons. The restaurant is a clean, relaxed setting and there is definitely no need to dress up.
Crowd
Let’s just say my friend and I stood out and we were definitely excited by the number of expats enjoying the food.
Service
Fast and friendly… just the way I like it!
The Food
After a brief (okay...LENGTHY!) consultation with the very patient owner, we decided to start with the salt-fish and chicken meat pies, which can be described as buttery, flaky, GOODNESS! YUM! For our entrees, we ordered the fried turkey and fried goat. Each order comes with your choice of rice (i.e. red beans and rice, pigeon peas and rice, or riz djon djon—a Haitian mushroom rice), a small side salad, fried plantains (reminiscent of tostones), and macaroni pie (which Zappah described as spicy baked ziti). You are also given a small serving of homemade picklese, a spicy vinegar-based sauce that adds kick to the meal. Honestly, you won’t need the picklese because everything is well seasoned and absolutely delicious! To top it off, I introduced Zappah to Kola Champagne a popular carbonated drink enjoyed in Haiti and other Caribbean countries.
If You Go
- You must order the goat and the red beans and rice. WHY? The goat was flavorful, tender, and fell off the bone despite being fried. While red beans and rice is a staple of many Caribbean families, the Haitians have put their own twist on this traditional dish. Who knew red beans and rice could taste so good?!?!
- Go hungry, but you may still take home leftovers because the serving sizes are huge.
- Forget about the pig. The owners of Chez Carmelle are Seventh Day Adventists, thus they do not prepare or sell pork.
- Soupe Joumou, a Haitian pumpkin soup that we sampled, is made only on the weekend. Zappah and I will definitely be coming back during the winter for this special soup, which is usually enjoyed during New Year’s celebrations. For more information about the history and significance of this soup visit: http://www.ehow.com/about_5318317_history-pumpkin-soup.html.
The Bill
Our bill was $28 total (14 buckaroos each)! It was worth every penny…
5-star Frugal Foodie Rating
4 out of 5 shots of Barbancourt (Haitian Rum)
Chez Carmelle Pastry and Restaurant
560 Windy Hill Rd.
Smyrna, GA 30080
(678) 213 2892
Chez Carmelle's Patties are really good! I really like the beef patties, but I am sure all of them are good.
ReplyDeleteThere is another Haitian Restuarant called Cafe Fasika (can't remember off the top of my head where they are located) and their food is to die for!!!!!!