Prime minister endorses Portland restaurant

Boundbrook, East Portland

Portland businessman Telief ‘Peter’ Hall, who operates a fine-dining restaurant and lounge at Boundbrook in east Portland, is still trying to calm his anxiety after having had Prime Minister Andrew Holness as a guest at his establishment.

Holness, who toured the badly ravaged Portland communities recently following flood rains, dined at Roots 21, where he reportedly enjoyed the specially prepared meal of escoveitched fish, mashed potatoes, fried plantain, vegetable, and coconut water..

The Gleaner caught up with the businessman last Thursday during a special lunch celebration put on by the Portland Municipal Corporation for its staff, where he spoke about the privilege and rare opportunity for him and his staff to cater to the prime minister and his entourage.

“The prime minister ate lunch at Roots 21, and he also took time out to mingle with the entire staff, while giving Roots 21 the thumbs up for its tasty meal, ambience, and quality service,” commented Hall.

“It was a special occasion for me and my staff. The prime minister also spent time in Roots 21 kitchen having a firsthand look at how we prepare our meals. I will forever treasure that moment, as the leader of our beloved country showered us with accolades, while making a commitment to return in short order. It was also good to see the prime minister mingling with other guests, while engaging in a little bit of humour.

“It only goes to show that we at Roots 21 continue to maintain and improve on the standard of our meal preparation and service offering to not only visitors to our establishment, but also to the local people, who have supported us tremendously over the years. Without support from the local people and local businesses, whether privately-run or by government, we would not be where we are now. So everyone is treated like royalty at Roots 21 fine-dining restaurant and lounge,“ he added.

Mayor of Port Antonio Paul Thompson, who was also in attendance at Thursday’s staff appreciation lunch, further endorsed the local restaurant. He shared that Roots 21 is one of those eateries where the standard and quality of food either remains the same or changes. Thompson said that with each visit, he is always satisfied with the taste of the oxtail meal, which he regularly requests.

Roots 21 is a family-run business operated by three brothers; Telief, Aubyn, and Owen Hall. The restaurant specialises in the preparation of seafood and varied types of meats, including chicken, oxtail, lamb chops, and goat meat, specially prepared in curry and coconut milk.