Where the Taste is Cray Cray (Cray Taste Review)

February 15th, 2023

Authored by Nina Wilson and Dynisha Murray

*Rum Punch, Strawberry Lemon Drop, Stuffed French Toast ($16.99), Rasta Pasta ($24.99) Pictured above. Photo Courtesy of the Brunch Besties.*

If you’re looking for a place that marries Southern eats with a Caribbean twist, then look no further than Cray Taste. Cray Taste is owned and managed by Saquan “Chef Smiff” Howard and has two locations. One in North Philly and a one located on 2nd and Market in Old City.

Chef Smiff is a culinary veteran. He has 20 years of experience in the kitchen and has catered for rappers and celebrities alike (6abc). He has received mentorship from Chef JR Robinson in addition to having worked alongside him, and It is under his tutelage and years of in field experience that Cray Taste was born (WooderIce). Being of Jamaican descent Chef Smiff wanted to integrate elements of traditional soul food with his own heritage which is reflected in the variety of items on the menu.

We visited Cray Taste in Old City on February 11th, 2023. The vibes at the restaurant were tranquil. There was a lot of open space, so it was easy to feel comfortable knowing you had more than enough space to spread out and even dance if you wanted to. We both gathered that it was the type of atmosphere that could be a refined dining experience and also be converted into a nightlife space, which was really cool. On our visit we caught the beginning of the Jazz Brunch, which was in honor of valentines day. But for now we'll move onto what you guys really want to hear about.The food! For appetizers and drinks we ordered the rum punch, and the lemon drop, and the Cray Bang Shrimp ($13.99). We then ordered the Stuffed French Toast($16.99), and the Rasta Pasta ($24.99).

Appetizers and Drinks

Rum Punch

Cray Taste has a small selection of mixed drinks and cocktails on their menu, including espresso martinis, mimosas, and flavored martinis like a lemon drop to name a few. Nina ordered the rum punch, because she wanted to try something different. The presentation of the drink was really nice. We received a good portion, which was nice. The drink itself was perfect as well. It was very fruity and balanced, but it was also strong. The fresh fruit definitely elevated the flavors, and nicely contributed to the fruitiness of the drink. It’s a choice we recommend if you decide to visit.

Lemon Drop

Similar to the rum punch, the lemon drop had a very nice presentation. It is a tad bit sweet, so if you’re not into sweet cocktails then this may not be for you. But if you like a drink that is dangerously good, then this is the drink for you. And when we say dangerously good, we mean, so good it tastes like juice. The nice thing about getting a lemon drop at Cray Taste, is that you don’t just have to get it in the original lemon flavor but can also get it in other flavors as well. Such as Strawberry, Mango, Pineapple etc. Which is what Dynisha did. She got one Lemon drop and one Strawberry Lemon Drop. Both of which were good, but the strawberry lemon drop could have used a bit more strawberry to it for Dy’s personal tastes. Either way both drinks were really delicious, and we rate them 5 out of 5 stars.

Cray Bang Shrimp

This menu item definitely caught our attention mainly because we both really enjoy Bang Bang Shrimp, which is what this is an iteration of. However, Bang Bang shrimp for whatever reason is somewhat difficult to find because a lot of restaurants don’t offer it on their menu. To clarify, Bang Bang Shrimp is shrimp that has been coated in batter, flash fried, and tossed in a bang bang sauce, which is normally a mayo based sauce. Which is essentially what was done here and is how the menu described the dish.

The presentation was immaculate. It smelled amazing from the moment it was set down at our table. The shrimp was perfectly battered and fried. The batter wasn’t too thick or separating from the shrimp, which we have experienced in the past. The pieces of shrimp were huge, and juicy. The sauce, was perfectly creamy and tangy. This was definitely love at first bite. The only heartbreak here is that you get six pieces and not more. Overall, this was a delicious dish that we gave 5 out of 5 stars.

Entrees

Stuffed French Toast

Normally, when you see photos of stuffed french toast It tends to be very ostentatious. Layers and layers of filling, powder sugar, topped with a mountain of whipped cream, and normally it’s presented cut in half so you can see how stuffed the french toast is. This is not a bad way to have stuffed french toast, especially if that’s the way that one personally prefers to eat it. However this stuffed french toast in it’s presentation and execution was a pleasant surprise.

The menu described it as “ stuffed cream cheese and your choice of strawberries and peaches.” You can get this entree as a meal, which normally comes with two sides. However, we ordered the french toast alone and decided to get both strawberries and peaches for the interior filling. The presentation was simple, which we really liked. Additionally the dish had a layer of caramel and powdered sugar on top which was a nice touch.

The flavors of this dish were really nice and subtle. The cream cheese filling was light, and the fruit was fresh and delicious. Everything was proportioned very nicely, so you didn’t feel like you were getting too much of anything. Even though there was the inclusion of caramel, it wasn’t too sweet. You do not need syrup on this french toast. It makes the perfect dish to either share or gobble down all on your own. The only complaint we had here was that it was a tad bit salty. Other than that it was a really delicious dish. That was easy to fall head over heels for thus, why we rated this dish 4 out of 5 stars.

Rasta Pasta

Last but certainly not least, was the rasta pasta. This is one of the few times that we have gotten pasta as a brunch dish. But like everything else we ate on this visit, it did not disappoint. The menu described this item as “creamy penne pasta tossed with Caribbean Style Jerk Chicken, shrimp and sautéed bell peppers. Served with a side of garlic bread.”

The presentation of this dish was beautiful and simple, just like the plating for all of the other dishes had been so far. So no complaints there. The pasta was nice and tender, the chicken, and shrimp were perfectly cooked and juicy, the sauce was creamy and had a bit of a kick to it, but nothing that was overwhelmingly spicy. Our only complaint is that this was also a tad bit spicy and maybe was a bit over seasoned. All in all, this was a very enjoyable dish that we rated 4 out of 5 stars.

In Closing…

We really enjoyed our time at Cray Taste. Our server was very attentive and knowledgeable about the items on the menu. She was good at checking in and communicating with us. The food was amazing, and the vibes were immaculate. There really is nothing more you could ask for from a brunch spot.

If you are in Old City or in North Philly, definitely check out Cray Taste. We guarantee you will not be disappointed with choosing to go.

If you would like to see more posts from us, feel free to check out last week’s post here. And until next time…

XOXO,

The Brunch Besties

Where the Taste is Cray Cray..