One Park moves into former Buzo location

When Andrew Wilson, whose entity served as a steak supplier for Buzo Osteria Italiana in Jamaica, got a call from the manager of the restaurant that he should send his final bill, he was surprised to hear the news of their impending closure, but thought of inquiring about the future use of the space.

Located at 1 Park Close, New Kingston, the Italian restaurant closed its doors at the end of November.

“They used to buy steaks from me, and so they were buying a lot of steaks. It seemed to do well, steaks and lamb, and we had just built a relationship in the last 10 months, and then she came to me [and said], ‘I got to pay you out. We’re closing,’” the Canada-born Wilson, whose father is Jamaican, told Food during an interview on Saturday during a private tasting of the menu developed by lead chef Craig Green, who is Jamaica-born and operates out of Atlanta.

It was at that point that he indicated that he’d like to take over the space to create something different and a menu that includes a good cut of beef.

Connecting with the owner, he has now committed to doing a “pop-up restaurant” for the next three months to test the waters. The new operators plan to open the doors to the public soon, with patrons having the ability to get grab-and-go meals, dine or enjoy their lounge experience, which will be open between Thursdays and Saturdays.

Asked why the new investors decided on the name One Park, Wilson said it was because of the location. “One Park, I thought, was a great name, and the address is 1 Park Close,” he shared.

“We are trying to create memories and experiences here. We want to create dining that’s not anyplace else in Jamaica. I mean, Jamaica has a lot of great restaurants, a lot of good restaurants that I like, but my [business] partners and I wanted to create something [different] ... that [we] really hadn’t seen before in Jamaica,” Wilson told Food.

“I’ve always had a friend of mine in my ears [saying] that ‘You have to open an STK (STK Steakhouse, a steakhouse-lounge restaurant chain popular in the United States), and I was like, ‘Nah. An STK is too much for Kingston,’ but I think, with our new menu, our chef has created a new balance between steaks, pastas, chicken and flavours. So, if you’re coming here looking for New York, that’s not what you’re going to get. You’re going to get sexy Jamaican flavour,” he said, adding that the restaurant reminds him of a Jamaican version of Joe’s in Canada.

For Chef Green, who has been a chef for more than 25 years, creating the menu was easy. Central for Green was ensuring there was an option for everyone.

“I wanted to technically do something where everybody has an option, from the vegetarian [and] pescatarian [to] the gluten-free people, and actually have somewhere where you can go and enjoy the food and not just worry about the price of the food,” Green said.

He believes his menu will grab customers and retain their loyalty.

“We Jamaicans are very creative, so I felt like coming back home and giving them the option of having that fusion and creativity with that North American side and Jamaica side, and also the rest of the Caribbean, because I do try to venture out. I do all cuisines. Literally, all cuisines,” he said, adding that his purpose right now in Jamaica is to train others to work inside One Park.

Migrating from Jamaica at 13 years old, Chef Green got his start in food frying fast food at McDonald’s. He attended Centennial College in Toronto, Canada, where he pursued a bachelor’s degree in hospitality and tourism. He has worked in Toronto, Canada; New York City, where he served as an executive sous chef for a French restaurant; and then in Atlanta at The Westin Peachtree Plaza as executive sous chef. He is currently at the luxury Trilith Guesthouse.

The menu at One Park is set to include a variety of soups, starters, entrées and sides.

Soups will include a seafood bisque, beef red peas soup, country-style soup, and chicken pumpkin soup.

For starters, an eight-spiced pork belly, Appleton Estate Rum wings, mini lobster spoons, ox sliders, brick oven pizza/burgers, crispy fish burger, salads and wedges.

For entrées, goat ravioli, shrimp linguini, lasagna ox, jerk lamb, sea bass, pan-roasted snapper, roasted stuffed lobster, lobster mac, steak frites, cowboy rib eyes, ribs and herb-crusted pork chops.

For sides, fries, truffle fries, mac and cheese, lobster mac and cheese, corn madeleines, coconut basmati rice, whipped breadfruit, roast breadfruit, string beans, grilled broccolini, grilled asparagus, whipped sweet potatoes and whipped potatoes.

Customers can also build their own pizzas.

ainsworth.morris@gleanerjm.com