Caribbean cuisine comes to campus

by Angel Barker

A new local restaurant opened on the Cal Poly Humboldt campus. Located inside the College Creek Marketplace, Taste of Bim is now serving the public. The grand opening for this Caribbean-inspired spot happened on Wednesday, Feb. 2.

Gabrielle Long is the owner of the Eureka-based restaurant. She was accompanied to the grand opening by her mother Verna. Long says she is excited for the opportunity to bring a fresh set of flavors to campus.

“Bim is slang for Barbados,” Long said in her statement before the ribbon-cutting ceremony, “I want to continue to spread Caribbean love and flavor.”

The menu will go through rotations depending on the day of the week, featuring many items including plantains, jerk wings, burgers, curry chicken, and more.

“A Taste of Bim seeks to satisfy your soul via your taste buds in a warm and classy atmosphere,” the restaurant’s website says on its welcome page. “Our cozy little restaurant specializes in Caribbean cuisine inspired by our family’s heritage.”

This all authentic food is now available to students, staff, and the public. James Richards, Resident Dining Director, was ecstatic for the opening.

“It is the kind of place you’re going to go and leave full,” Richards said in his speech.

Richards went to the restaurant prior to the opening on campus and loved it. Taste of Bim was recommended to him by Dr. Jason Meriwether, Cal Poly Humboldts Vice President, who also loved the food.

“The food spoke for itself,” Long said. “Dr. Meriwether came down and tried the food and he loved it.”

All that was left was the logistics. College Creek Marketplace had an open spot for new food and it was a perfect place to add some flair and flavor.

Many people came out for the grand opening ribbon-cutting ceremony. There were free samples and swag. Janaee Sykes, Social Events Specialist in the Admissions office went for two reasons.

“I came out to support local black business. It’s quite refreshing to have them on campus,” Sykes said. “I really liked the cod fritter, it was probably my favorite. I usually don’t like fish but it is not super fishy.”

Sykes mentioned she had been to the original spot before and it was always delicious with great customer service.

“The customer service was 20 out of 10, totally recommend,” Sykes said.

“The plantains are really delicious,” said Admissions Counselor Rickiyah McGrady. “And the beef empanada is just delicious.”

Many Cal Poly Humboldt faculty and staff showed their support for the new business during the grand opening.

Featuring all student employees, Taste of Bim is now open Monday through Friday from 11 am to 7 pm. Head there any day of the week to experience flavors from Barbados and the Caribbean.