THE BUZZ

Jamaica fl avor

Taste of Jamaica opened up in the UWSP-Wausau cafeteria last month, and it’s been a hit — including with area seniors

▲ Janice Watson opened Taste of Jamaica in the cafe at the UWSP-Wausau campus. The Jamaican food has been more popular than she expected.

On a Th ursday afternoon, Janice Watson is preparing a batch of goat, seasoning it with spices and garlic. It’s essentially a day-long process of getting the fl avor just right, with traditional Jamaican fl avoring with the spice toned down to fi t a Midwestern audience.

Th at she’s doing so in the kitchen of what was once the cafeteria at UW-Marathon, now called UWSP at Wausau, might be a surprise to folks in the know; and that goat has been a pretty popular menu item, so much so that she had to make it a regular one, might also be a surprise.

Watson is the owner of Taste of Jamaica, which began in 2018 as a catering business she started when she moved from Massachusetts to Wisconsin. Watson operated as pop-up restaurant in Timekeeper distillery earlier this year, and about a month ago opened up her restaurant in the UWSP—Wausau cafeteria.

Th e kitchen has been empty for some time, and students were used to bringing a brown paper bag lunch to school with them, so having not just a warm meal on campus but a fl avorful one at that is a delight to many of them.

Taste of Jamaica was chosen among several restaurants vying to open up shop in the empty kitchen and has been serving Jamaican food there since October.

During the day, she serves lunch from 11 am to 2 pm, with standard lunch fare with some Jamaican items thrown in. Th en on Friday nights from 4-9:30 pm, she hosts Jamaican night where Jamaican cuisine is the star attraction.

But to Watson’s surprise, she’s looking at adding more Jamaican food to the lunch menu as well. It turns out the Jamaican cuisine was much more popular than she anticipated, including amongst a number of seniors who have been frequenting the cafe since she opened.

Even dishes such as curried goat, something she surely thought would be an occasional experiment, turned out to be so popular she had to put it on the Friday menu regularly as it sells out.

“I thought maybe it would be a turnoff , and not many people would have it,” Watson told a City Pages reporter while she prepared Friday’s goat dish in a metal stirring pan. “I mean, it’s a goat. But people are coming in asking for it.”

As far as the other Jamaican items, many are ones folks familiar with Jamaican foods would recognize: Jerk chicken and pork, or rice and “peas” (what Jamaicans call rice and beans, she explains). She’s also experimented with oxtail, which has had some takers.

In case you’re wondering, diners at Taste of Jamaica are getting the real deal. Watson grew up in Jamaica and moved to Massachusetts when she was 19. She learned cooking from her grandmother and has sources to get authentic spices from Jamaica.

Th e only thing diff erent is that she tones down the spices, knowing Midwesterners aren’t known for their spice tolerance. “My brother will say, this needs more spice, and I have to remind him I’m not cooking for him, I’m cooking for the people here,” Watson says. Th ose who do like a little extra kick can ask her for it and she will happily comply, Watson says.

Th e new restaurant seems to be a win-win: the university gets food served at its campus, and Watson got an aff ordable way to start her business. “I was looking at doing a food truck but the costs are huge,” she says. “Th is is a great opportunity for me.”

It’s also a great opportunity for those looking for a new type of cuisine in the area. Stop on down from 11-2 Monday through Friday, or 4-9:30 pm on Fridays for Jamaican night.

from Massachusetts to Wisconsin. Watson operated as pop-up restaurant in Timekeeper distillery earlier this year, and about a month ago opened up her restaurant in the

Th e kitchen has been empty for some time, and students were used to bringing a brown paper bag lunch to school with them, so having not just a warm meal on campus

Taste of Jamaica was chosen among several restaurants vying to open up shop in the empty kitchen and has been serving Jamaican food there since October.

During the day, she serves lunch from 11 am to 2 pm, with standard lunch fare with some Jamaican items thrown in. Th en on Friday nights from 4-9:30 pm, she hosts Jamaican night where Jamaican cuisine is the star attraction.

But to Watson’s surprise, she’s looking at adding more

▲ The jerk tacos are one of the many Jamaican dishes that have proven to be a hit with customers.

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