N.J. taste buds are in for treat
For years, some major feelings have welled up inside the heart and mind of veteran finance executive Joyce Joseph and she’s promised to share them with the public through her new Spice Isle Caribbean Fusion Cuisine restaurant, opening this weekend in central New Jersey.
Over the past few months, Joseph has been whetting appetites through social media postings of the establishment’s logo, artwork hanging in the dining room, and some of the cuisine featured at the restaurant, at 41 Mountain Blvd. in Warren, in central New Jersey’s Somerset County.
Now, Joseph has everything ready for her upscale restaurant’s grand opening weekend — Friday , Saturday and next Sunday.
Boasting a full cultural experience, she said there will be art, music on the weekend and, of course, amazing cuisine.
Joseph — a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School — has spent a career in finance working for Wall Street firms amassing a résumé which includes positions such as managing director-global head of accounting and governance for Standard & Poors, and a vice president for J.P. Morgan Chase.
With Spice Isle restaurant, some of Joseph’s longtime “diverse interests, beyond finance” are being realized. “This particular interest which is my love of food, wine and great dining, is close to my heart — and it has been for many years. It’s what I know; it’s my DNA,” she said, citing her family roots in Carricou, Grenada.
“We have authentic oxtails, jerk chicken, curry goat, but we also are going to have fusion.”
For Joseph (photo), fusion means a blend of foods from the various Caribbean islands.
“I’m taking the northern, the central and southern Caribbean islands’ flavors and also, with some dishes, adding American influence.”
For pairings with entrees, wines are available at Spice Isle through a partnership with New Jersey’s Alba Vineyards.
“I feel it’s really important to introduce and promote ethnic and cultural diversity to people in various ways and for me personally I can’t see any better way to do that than with food,” she said.
Friday and Saturday dinner hours for Spice Isle are 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays. Closed on Mondays, the restaurant is open for lunch Tuesday through Friday from noon to 2:30 p.m. Dinner hours Tuesday through Thursday are 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
For information, reservations and a look at the menu, visit www.spiceislenj.com.
Reel Sisters Festival
More than 30 films — produced, directed and written by women of color — are being screened in Manhattan and Brooklyn on Oct. 21 and 22 at the Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, according to Reel Sisters founder Carolyn Butts. In Brooklyn, Reel Sisters Family Day Weekend features films at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, 445 Albee Square in downtown Brooklyn, on Oct. 21. The Oct. 22 film presentations will be held at the AMC Magic Johnson 9 Theater, 2309 Frederick Douglass Blvd., in Harlem. Reel Sisters Film Festival boasts affordable ticket prices. For a schedule and tickets, visit reelsisters.org or call (347) 534-3304 or (212) 865-2982 and follow @Reelsisters & @africanvoices on Twitter for updates and news.