I got the chance to visit a place I have been curious about for some time now. Celestin’s Island Eats & Cajun Cuisine.

This place is everything Caribbean and touches on just about every type of cuisine in those waters. It was nice to see Tostones on the menu which was a childhood favorite growing up in Brooklyn, Tostones are fried and pressed plantains which if made correctly are to die for.

As you walk into the restaurant there is a very comfortable feeling as you are surrounded by lots of tropical colors on the walls and Reggae music on the sound system. It was Friday night and the patio was completely packed while the inside was moderately seated. Our server Jack appeared to have tables all over the restaurant and was making his own drinks as well. I am not certain if this is a normal practice since the restaurant seems busy enough to warrant having separate bartenders but not this night. Jack poured us 2 glasses of Sangria which were only $3 per glass during late night happy hour.

We started by ordering the Grio which is a dish comprised of citrus marinated pork that is braised and deep fried. I would love to tell you about it but I like to write about things in the order in which I eat them and the Grio did not hit our table for 50 minutes, a full 20 minutes after the other items we ordered.

We had 3 other items from the Last Call Happy Hour options, Sweet Potato Fries, Jerk Fries and a Panini of Egg, Andouille Sausage and Habanero Jack Cheese. I will go as far as to say the Sweet Potato Fries are the best I have tasted. The perfect combination of sweet and salty complimented by the thin shoestring cut. The Jerk Fries were good but did not have as much bite as I was expecting. In fairness, the word jerk does not always constitute knock you off your feet spicy. Our Panini was also delicious and the Habanero Jack Cheese was the hero of the dish offering up the right amount of heat to partner with the egg and sausage.

Now back to the forgotten Grio plate. Here’s the thing, when we were almost done with the fries and sandwich we asked Jack what had happened to the Grio and he said he would go check on it. Jack was an outgoing server with a good attitude and we could see haehad a bunch of other tables. What I appreciate about Jack and servers like him is he never looked like he was losing his mind. His pace on the floor was always the same, very controlled but I knew he had quite a bit going on in his world. When it came to our Grio one of 2 things happened, either Jack forgot to put it in the system, or the kitchen spaced out and dropped the ball. Jack never made any excuses, never admitted that he or the kitchen screwed up, he just got us the food which was fine with us. Too many times a server will panic when confronted with making a mistake and start blaming other areas of the restaurant instead of just fixing it. Jack not only got our food for us but he never made a big deal out of it which was perfect. Nine out of ten times the guest just wants what they ordered; only a jerk is going to make you jump through hoops and make a fuss over something so easily resolved. Good for you Jack.

Once we got the Grio it was delectable. Tiny chunks of pork served with a Ti-Malice sauce. The sauce is a base of vinegar with lemon juice, shallots and cilantro (I may be missing an ingredient). When dipped in the sauce the pork absolutely comes alive.

Keep in mind the items we ordered were just appetizers and starters. We will be returning for a full dinner at some point. The menu shows quite a bit of originality and I have my eye on several dishes already.

Celestin’s is located at 1815 K Street in Sacramento 916.444.2423. All major cards accepted and parking is available on the street. Lunch is served Tuesday – Saturday 11:30 – 3:30, Dinner served Tuesday – Saturday 3:30 – 10, Sunday 3-8PM. Happy Hour Tuesday – Sunday 4:30-6:30 and Friday and Saturday Last Call Happy Hour from 9-10PM. Happy Hour includes great $3 food and drink specials as well as beer specials ranging from $2-$3, house wines are $3.50.
As always, please know I am in no way affiliated with this or any restaurant I review. My goal is to go out and slowly experience different aspects of the Sacramento dining scene then share those experiences with you.

Andy Soto