Photography by Kelsey Shoemaker
Sunday dinners were a family affair at Richard Thomas’s childhood home in Spanish Town, Jamaica. A tradition started by his grandmother, his family would gather around the table for his mothers cooking, and anyone from their community who was hungry was invited to join and take a foil wrapped plate to-go.
It was a foundation of generosity and neighborliness that Thomas carried with him when he left Jamaica to pursue bachelors and masters degrees in America, and as he traveled the world while working for McKinsey. But he began to look away from the corporate path after a friend took him to a now-closed Jamaican restaurant for a birthday lunch.
“The experience was lacking. The ambiance wasn’t good, the food wasn’t as rich and flavorful as I’d had, and I felt like this can’t be the best we have to offer,” Thomas says. “So like any entrepreneur, I decided I’m going to do something about it. And in 2010, we opened the first Island Spot in town.”
When he started looking for a neighborhood to build in, he referred to Jamaica’s motto, “Out of Many One People,” which is based on the country’s many multicultural roots.
Oak Cliff’s diverse population and a deeply rooted culture left Thomas sure there would be an “appetite to really appreciate authentic Jamaican food.”
“(Jamaica is) a melting pot of cultures. Our food has a lot of different aspects. Our Escovitch fish came from when we were owned by Spanish Conquistadors and we incorporate some of that Spanish style of cooking. Our jerks, you know, we’re descendants of African slaves, so we have a lot of the African flavors in that,” he says.
After finding it difficult to nail down consistent flavors and efficient processes for a perfect menu, Thomas called in the best Jamaican Chef he knew as “any self respecting person” would.
He called his mom.
“We literally took her recipes. (Mama Joyce would) make something and while she was cooking, she’d grab some seasoning and try to throw it in a pot. And (a French chef) would try to catch the seasoning before it got to the pot to measure exactly what she’s putting in,” Thomas says.
The menu can be split into two sides.
The “Straight from the Yawd” category includes recipes that are “deep cultural foods” such as Oxtail — the Island Spot’s best seller — and Ackee and Saltfish, the national dish of Jamaica.
For the diner who is less familiar with Jamaican flavors, the Island Spot has developed “Jamericanized” dishes such as the jerk burger, jerk nachos and jerk BBQ baby back ribs.
“Our motto is to share the Jamaican food and culture through our three R’s: Rich foods, Reggae and Rum,” Thomas says. “All three of those, and you are guaranteed to have a fantastic time.”
