By Lori Fredrich Senior Food Writer, Dining Editor, Podcast Host Published Apr 22, 2017 at 2:10 PM

Avocadoes. Pineapples. Mangoes. Rum.

They're all players on the menu at Likkle Jamayka, the new Caribbean restaurant at 235 S. 2nd St. in Walker's Point. The restaurant officially opens tonight at 5 p.m. for its first dinner service, and we got a sneak peek at the menu during the restaurant's soft opening.

Diners can expect a small but well-executed menu of dishes ranging from appetizers and salads to main courses and desserts, all of which offer a nod to the Caribbean islands. 

Among appetizer options are pan seared crab cakes made with blue crab, aioli and panko served alongside a cajun remoulade ($14.95), crisp fried plantain chips with Caribbean tomato salsa and cilantro pesto ($8.75) and breaded chevre served with tomato compote, orange marmalade and crostini ($15). Seasoned black tiger shrimp are served alongside tropical salsa on a bed of pleasantly spicy jerk sauce ($10.25). 

There is also tender, sweet fried conch served with a cilantro lime vinaigrette and Sriracha aioli ($14.75).

Salads include a classic Caesar and spinach salad, along with an avocado salad featuring well-dressed arugula accompanied by blueberries, chevre, cherry tomatoes and candied walnuts ($9.25).

Main dishes include pan-seared salmon with smoked gouda, taro root mash, grilled asparagus, smoked chili sauce and Tabasco onions ($24.75) and red snapper escovitch featuring seasoned grilled snapper topped with traditional pickling sauce made with vinegar, pimento, onions, bell peppers and a choice of sides, including rice and peas, steamed rice, asparagus, carrots and cabbage and sweet plantains ($23.95). 

There's also jerk chicken and waffles served up with strawberry salsa and Appleton gold rum coconut scented maple glaze ($23.75); stewed oxtails with beans and baby carrots ($24.95), and curried goat, which is braised in an herbed coconut-based curry sauce with peas, carrots and potatoes and served with buttery steamed Jasmine rice ($22.95).

Among the dessert options is a citrus creme brulee, Oreo bread pudding and a tender, buttery pineapple upside-down rum cake topped with whipped cream and served with seasonal fruit ($7.50).

Bar menu

The bar serves beer, international wines and a variety of tropical cocktails including the classic Mai-Tai, Painkiller and options like Jamayka Mi Krazy with white rum, banana liqueur, cranberry and pineapple juice; Old Jamaican with rum, cane syrup, lime, bitters and prosecco; Romantic Kiss with mango vodka, cranberry, grenadine and prosecco and Backyard Tea with spiced rum, tea and lemonade. All are $8.

Sipping rums include Rhum Clement Premiere, Paramount 151, Wray & Nephew Overpoof, Great Northern Distillery's Opportunity Rum, Appleton 12-year, Appleton Signature, Appleton Reserve and J-Wray Gold, priced $7-8 a glass.

Likkle Jamaica is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.

Lori Fredrich Senior Food Writer, Dining Editor, Podcast Host

Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with each and every dish. She’s had the privilege of chronicling these tales via numerous media, including OnMilwaukee and in her book “Milwaukee Food.” Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. 

When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or recording the FoodCrush podcast, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.