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The first official review for tropical paradise Cane Rhum Bar & Caribbean Kitchen published this week and the results are varied. City Paper critic Vanessa Wolf admits in the first sentence she isn’t the biggest fan of rum — uh oh, right? Wolf braves a mojito, a Zombie, and an Instant Vacation and discovers that Cane “work[s] a special kind of cocktail magic” that changes her opinion.
How’s the food? That’s where the review waivers, as Wolf states, “With 11 plates, five side dishes, and three desserts hailing from almost as many cuisines, there's a bit of a gimmicky, Epcot-style ‘Caribbean's greatest hits’ feel to the menu.”
Wolf describes the salt cod fritter as “somehow both bland and punishing,” jerk chicken is “expertly done and the star of the items sampled,” the beef patty “needs work,” the steak “needs no adjustment,” and the garlic shrimp are an “almost-favorite dish.”
The results are mixed, which leads Wolf to conclude, “Stop in for an inspired drink and a creative plate or two, but maybe hold off on making a whole meal of it just yet.”