Rib Night

When Mac and I first opened the Pizzeria there were very few restaurants on the island, and as a result we were overcome with business during the tourist season. We referred to the off-season as “the doldrums”, business back then was either feast or famine!   As Mac had foreseen, pizza was an instant hit on the island. I had been hesitant about his “pie in the sky” idea and with good reason; pizza had yet to be introduced to the Caribbean, and I felt that a restaurant hoping to please tourists should focus on West Indian fare. Today one can find pizza on a lot of the island’s menus, back then it  was unheard of!

Once the pizza novelty had worn off a bit, Mac and I toyed with the idea of devoting one evening a week to something entirely different. We canvassed our regular customers to see what THEY would like, and settled on barbecued ribs. We would not offer pizza on that night, rather racks of pork ribs barbecued with my special home-made sauce. We chose Tuesday nights, and hired a steel band to play in the garden as long as the weather permitted.

Rib nights were a welcome respite from the usual fare at other restaurants, although I DID offer barbecued fish for vegetarian customers. Those Tuesday nights were so busy that both seatings were usually fully booked by Monday, the pork ribs were outrageously good and therefore in great demand! We didn’t make pizza on rib nights, the kitchen was far too busy serving up platters of barbecue along with the many side dishes and desserts, there was simply no time OR space for the rolling and assembling of pizzas.

One night six French tourists arrived without a reservation, and I was able to seat them due to a late cancellation. They had come to Mac’s for the legendary lobster pizza, and were somewhat disappointed to discover it was barbecue night. However, the tantalizing aroma of the ribs and fish being grilled enticed them to stay, the food looked and smelled wonderful and the steel band in the garden below provided a festive air to the evening.

Business that night was hectic. Each guest was served their choice of a garden salad or the soup of the day along with a basket of garlic bread. The ribs were presented to the table on a long platter, which could be replenished on request. The side dishes were usually creamy scalloped potatoes, string beans and stuffed cristophenes or eggplant. Before dessert was offered, a small bowl was placed in front of each diner filled with warm water and lime slices. These were, of course, finger bowls; the ribs were quite sticky, and the warm water with lime was  for those who needed to de-grease their fingers. Dessert was always something different from the Pizzeria’s usual offerings, such as mango merengues or chocolate eclairs – no-one EVER left Mac’s unsatisfied on a Tuesday night!

Mindful that the six French customers had initially come for pizza, I made a point of stopping at their table once they had finished eating. I had noticed two portions of mahi-mahi and four portions of ribs being set in front of them, and wanted to make sure they had enjoyed their meals. They assured me the food had been wonderful, but that the soup had been “a leetle weak”. Well, the soup that evening was pureed pumpkin spiced with ginger, and I was sorry to hear they hadn’t liked it. They hurriedly assured me that “ze pumpkin soup” had been fine, it was “ze lemon soup” that had not been to their liking.

THAT’S when I noticed their finger bowls, their EMPTY finger bowls, carefully stacked on the table, the lime slices squeezed dry. They may not have enjoyed “ze finger-bowl soup” but they had eaten it anyway!

After more than four decades I still laugh every time I am offered a finger bowl, and I laughed that night too!  I guess finger bowls are not   a French thing….