When you walk into modern Caribbean restaurant St. James, you instantly notice the palm leaf mural painted on the wall, tropical plants dotting the room and a bumping soundtrack of tunes from various Caribbean artists. Owner Jeanine Prime, who also owns Cane on H Street NE, wanted to invoke the vibe of the restaurant’s namesake district from her native Trinidad — and she has succeeded with the new restaurant on the busy 14th Street corridor.
St. James’ 67-seat dining room is modern and chic with a mix of regular tables and high-tops on the main level, along with a chartreuse tiled bar that seats 14. The team replaced the dark interiors of the former Quarter + Glory space with whitewashed brick and exposed wood beams for an airy and open feel, with brass lighting to soften the space. Walls feature black and white photography from Trinidad, with the focal point being the mural from D.C. artist Rodrigo Pradel.
A second floor section overlooking the main dining area seats larger groups, and a small patio on 14th Street will open in the coming months.
St. James has changed tack a bit since Prime and her brother Chef Peter Prime first announced they were opening their second effort. Peter Prime has instead moved on to partner with Navy Yard Caribbean restaurant Bammy’s, and Jeanine is now running both Cane and St. James on her own.
While Cane has more of a Trinidadian identity, at St.James, Jeanine Prime showcases cuisine from across the Caribbean. On the islands, this means a fusion that may include ingredients and techniques from a variety of influences — plantains, okra, rice brought by Africans; stir fries and soy sauce from Chinese migrants; pork in all forms from Spanish colonists, and curries and flatbread brought by indentured workers from India.
At St. James, this translates into dishes such as callaloo soup topped with crab meat, fried bread pies stuffed with aloo (potato) and chickpeas, Trinidad-style Chinese steamed buns with spicy ground pork; and jerk brisket with taro chips from head chef Alfredo Romero Contreras — previously of Fiola Mare — and kitchen manager Emma Hernandez, who serves in that same role at Cane.
“Part of the appeal of St.James is that we have a selection of dishes that Caribbean people know across the region. Even if Trinidadians have a particular version, it speaks to people from anywhere,” she says. “It reminds them of home and familiar flavors because that’s what the Caribbean is — a mashup of all these different cultures.”
Prime says that early favorites on the menu have been the pepper shrimp (whole jumbo shrimp served with a scotch bonnet and pimento chili sauce and creamy coo coo, a steamed cornmeal cake) and the jerk brisket served with taro chips. Customers have also been surprised with the lighter options such as the salt cod crudo served with a chili puree made with the scotch bonnet and aji chilies, and the accras, salt fish fritters served with a tamarind mayo.
Some of the better known Caribbean dishes are also part of the menu. There is brown stew chicken with double-cooked chicken leg quarters served with a brown gravy made with soy sauce, tomato paste and a splash of rum; oxtails marinated, grilled, and served with jus; and a paratha platter provides a sampling of curries: goat, beef, and vegetable versions served with the flaky flatbread and murtani, a Caribbean roasted vegetable condiment.
Prime is also excited to highlight some lesser-known dishes, such as Haitian black rice simmered in shrimp and mushroom stock along with coconut milk and served as a side.
Many of the dishes have a streak of the quintessential Caribbean chili, the scotch bonnet, but the heat is not the dominant flavor. Customers who are new to Caribbean cuisine have been pleasantly surprised by the way the chilies are used, according to Prime.
“Many people think that Caribbean food is really spicy and are intimidated,” she says. “At St. James, there’s heat in the cuisine but also balance. There is no sensation of being overwhelmed with spice.”
The Caribbean focus extends into the cocktail menu developed by beverage director Glendon Hartley, founder of award-winning Service Bar. Drinks based on rum from small family producers in the Caribbean include the Pineapple Chow, with a Trinidadian rum blended with pineapple juice and culantro (herb similar but more potent than cilantro); and a St. James spritz featuring Jamaican rum, hibiscus and Jamaican cream soda. A seasonal rum punch currently leans savory with hints of bell pepper balanced by mint and passion fruit. Rounding out the drinks offerings are a small selection of beers and wines.
For dessert, Prime teamed up with another Trinidadian: Dr. Winnette McIntosh Ambrose, an engineer-turned-chef and Chopped champion who also runs The Sweet Lobby on Capitol Hill. Her creations for St. James include ginger-spiked chocolate mousse, mango sorbet, and profiteroles filled with house made bananas foster or coconut ice cream.
While everything on the menu has to pass Prime’s taste test, there are dishes she comes back to over and over, she says.
“My favorites are the pepper shrimp and the crab and dumplings. It’s something I look forward to having when I go to Tobago so it’s great to have it on the menu everyday! It’s usually a rare treat for me,” she says.
St.James is located at 2017 14th St. NW in D.C. and is open Tue-Thu from 5:30 p.m. -10:30 p.m. and Friday -Sat from 5:30 p.m. – 11:30 p.m.
