Insider’s Kingston: A Guest Blog From Our Jamaica Resident Editor
Our Jamaica Resident Editor, Kaili McDonnough, gives us the inside scoop on one of the island’s latest buzz-worthy hangouts.
Every couple of years Devon House goes through a renaissance of sorts. For those of you who have never visited Jamaica before, Devon House is a restored plantation house owned by the government and located right in the heart of Kingston. Over the last year Devon House has reestablished itself as one of Kingston’s hotspots with the opening of Bin 26, a wine bar catering to a very hip and trendy crowd. Wine connoisseurs flock to Bin 26 to indulge in its wide selection of bottles and enjoy its cool, comfortable ambience and efficient staff, which is a cut above the rest.
Devon House is also home to the popular restaurant Norma’s on the Terrace, which features the cuisine of Jamaica’s most critically acclaimed chef, Norma Shirley. Norma was once dubbed by Vogue as “Jamaica’s answer to Julia Child,” and her food pretty much speaks for itself. Dinner on her terrace is the ultimate in Jamaican haute dining.
As if a hip wine bar and a restaurant helmed by a celebrated chef weren’t enough, Devon House also boasts the flagship store I Scream, which sells what is arguably the best ice cream on the island, as well as Chocolate Dreams (a local chocolate shop), Wassi Art (a small gallery carrying a wide variety of art produced by Jamaicans) and several other souvenir stores. It’s a great place to hang out on a weekend, because this one-stop locale really does have it all! –Kaili McDonnough
Introducing Our Jamaica Resident Editor
Before the New Year we introduced you to our Bermuda Resident Editor here at Voyage.tv, David LaHuta. For those of you who missed that post, a RE is an expert located in the field that keeps us informed on what’s new and hot in his or her area and answers any travel related questions you may have, offering a unique perspective you can only get from a local.
Now we’d like to introduce you to another one of our experts, Kaili McDonnough, a journalist based in Kingston, Jamaica. Before she moved to Kingston she spent a decade living in New York City where she worked for the New York Post. Currently, in addition to working with us, Kaili is a contributing writer for several Caribbean publications including The Jamaica Observer, MACO and Skywritings. “I love everything about travel writing,” Kaili says, “and I love being a journalist because I am constantly meeting new people and going on exciting adventures.”
Some of those adventures include traveling around the world with our production crew to host some of our original signature programs, from Island Hopping in Turks and Caicos to discovering Wearable Desserts in her hometown of Kingston.
Since moving to Jamaica she’s started a successful open-air market (Kingston’s answer to Brooklyn Flea or London’s Portobello Road) called Market at The Lawn. Here vendors sell the best of what Jamaica has to offer in terms of arts, crafts, furniture, fashion, food and jewelry.
Check out Kaili’s insider’s perspective on Jamaica at Voyage.tv! –Lisa Bonarrigo
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