MAROONS - 16th Street between 8th and 7th Avenues

Oh my goodness!! What a fantastic meal. Maroons serves southern and Jamaican food. The Chelsea location of the restaurant consists of two rooms dimly lit and excellent for a date or a nice dinner with friends. The staff was welcoming and offered great service. Your evening starts off with a warm piece of corn bread, the best I have ever had. It was so moist it might as well have been cake. One of the people I was with actually rolled his eyes because the bread was just heavenly. I ordered the day's special which was grilled tilapia (fish for those not familiar) served over fried sweet plantains and sauteed spinach and topped with slivers of fried yams. The dish was so fantastic I couldn't leave any behind. The fish was served with a light cream sauce that was unobtrusive and lightly complemented the naturally succulent fish. The spinach and plantains were a great accompaniment. I got to sample the meatloaf which was deliciously seasoned and mouth watering. It was served with mashed potatoes and succotash. The serving of fried chicken was hefty but so fantastic, again too good to leave any behind. Now, despite the fact that we had all eaten every bit of food on our plates and no business looking at the dessert menu, the meal had been so good we just had to see if the dessert was in the same league. was. The sheet cake and red velvet cake were both warm, moist, and just sweet enough. You could smell the buttery icing as you brought the fork to your lips and that just made it all the better. This place is a definite keeper.