The music and meal were part of the package at Jazzy’s on Orange Street, as the restaurant served up signature platters while the Hartford-based band served up one smoking tune after another. The format of the jazz supper club is a century old, but the sounds and flavors were new; Jazzy’s combined the classiness of the past with the freshness of now.
Patrons could be seated as early as 6:30 p.m. if they wanted to eat before the music started. I arrived early and ordered the Marley, a platter of Jamaican jerk chicken, cabbage, and rice and peas. The waiter offered two heat levels, mild and regular; I went for the regular. If they’d offered a“hot” option, I would have taken it — I like spicy food — but I found the regular chicken to be an excellent balance of peppery heat, sweetness, and savoriness. The chicken itself was cooked just how I wanted it: the meat tender, supple, and smoky, the skin crispy and so full of flavor that I used some of it as a condiment for the rice and cabbage. The rice and peas had their own tanginess, and the cabbage was full-bodied and cooked just right. All in all, a delightful meal, especially when accompanied by the Billie Holiday, a cocktail involving vodka, ginger, and cucumber that was something of a revelation.
