The Caribbean Gets a Hug from Mexico

Aside from sharing the same hemisphere and parts of the same sea, Mexico and the Caribbean Islands, culturally, have little in common. 

But with the help of Bernard James, a former line chef of Carnival Cruise Lines and a native of Guyana, these countries’ cuisines have gotten to know each other quite well. In fact, at his restaurant Corlette NY, located at 192A Nostrand Avenue between Pulaski and Hart streets, his Caribbean-inspired tacos have become a big hit! 

James opened Corlette in December 2011 with a menu of primarily Caribbean-based entrees. He wanted to feature a national dish from each of the 12 Caribbean countries. But he found the preparation time to serve those types of dishes was taking too long and his kitchen was just too small and cumbersome. 

So he closed the restaurant in September of 2012 and reopened a few months later with a new plan: Soft-shelled tacos with a Caribbean twist! 

“Because people right now are on the run, they want their food real quick. And I saw tacos were very quick and easy,” said James. “And nobody was doing that, so I decided to do Caribbean tacos, and so far people are loving it.” 

Corlette NY features 20 different tacos for $4, each one as tempting as the next.There’s the Jerk Chicken Taco with crispy cabbage, pico de gallo and queso fresco; the Short Rib Taco braised with Guinness Stout, lettuce, pico de gallo and cojita cheese; or the Curry Shrimp Taco with basil and fresh lime; or the Ackee and Salt Fish Taco with vine ripe tomatoes. 

Other delicious choices include the Marinated Pulled Pork Taco, the Fried Shark Taco, the Crabmeat Taco; and vegetarian choices such as the Portabella Mushroom Taco, the Watercress Taco or the Yu Choy Taco made of pickled cabbage, hot house cucumbers, bean sprouts and pico de gallo. 

On "Taco Tuesdays," all of their $4 tacos are discounted to $3. 

But that’s not all: Corlette also serves a full entrées, including a lunch menu with such items as curry chicken and escoveitch fish, priced between $8 - $10. The brunch menu features a large variety of creative food options as the thyme-infused chicken and waffles, crabmeat omelet and the coco bread French toast, all priced between $10 - $16. 

And the dinner menu serves up yummy dishes including marinated pulled pork burgers, red snapper fish and steamed pumpkin with watercress, rice and black beans, priced between $14 - $26. 

The restaurant is located across the from the Home Depot on the Nostrand side, almost tucked away and non-assuming. In fact, unless you already knew it was there, you probably never noticed it. But once you step inside, you might think your eyes were playing tricks on you and may ask, “Has this really been here all this time?” 

The energy is right inside of Corlette. The restaurant is light, airy and modern with a decidedly Caribbean feel, and the waitstaff is very friendly and professional. There are two, large, flat-screen TVs and a bar that serves mostly beer, wine and other light spirits (very little hard liquor). And there’s a perfectly cute outdoor back patio ideal for meetings or small private parties. 

Corlette NY delivers. Its hours, although slightly varying each day, generally are between 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 a.m. And on the weekends (Fridays and Saturdays), after the kitchen closes at 12:00 a.m., the bar stays open until 3:00 a.m. For more information, visit corletteny.com or on Facebook, or call 718-596-4860.