Look at Some 'Ting Nice's Bold Interior

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• [Photos: Rachel Leah Blumenthal]

Some 'Ting Nice softly opens today, giving Somerville and beyond a taste of the Caribbean in an impressively renovated, long-vacant space along McGrath Highway. The menu hops from island to island, featuring a little bit of every part of the Caribbean, co-owner Susan Puckerin told Eater. It's her first time opening a restaurant; she's currently also a hairstylist, which she'll gradually phase out as she focuses on the restaurant. "It's gonna be my baby," she said. Any surprises in the whole process? "Everything! Everything. Everything is overwhelming."

The Cambridge resident has been lamenting the lack of Caribbean options in her neighborhood for years, so when a friend recently said, "Boy, you guys should really open a restaurant," and the Somerville space was available, it was a logical move. Puckerin brought a friend of a friend on board as executive chef; Mark Reid was always the one cooking at house parties. "When we decided to do this restaurant, he was the first and only person I thought of," said Puckerin. "No one else."

The menu is large, but Puckerin thinks the seafood dishes will be the most popular. "Our fish dishes are going to be a big deal here," she said. "We're going to have great tasting seafood, all types of ways you can have it done — any way you want it, we can do it. Any type of sauce that you want, we can deliver." She's also excited about the jerk chicken.

For the poor souls who have not yet been initiated into the world of Caribbean food, she recommends starting with mild dishes and working up to spicier options later. "Go mild, and if you feel the next time you come in that you want to spice it up a little, you can do that."

Some 'Ting Nice doesn't have a liquor license yet, so the focus is currently on creating a range of fresh juices, some of which might be unfamiliar to guests not from the islands. There will be Sunday brunches, and there might eventually be weekday breakfasts as well, but they'll play it by ear. While Puckerin has had some requests and Reid is happy to come in for breakfast service, it's not yet clear whether the demand will be there.

For these first few days of being softly open, Some 'Ting Nice will offer a limited menu, but there's still "going to be a lot of food." Most importantly, Puckerin wants everyone to feel welcome. "We want to accommodate people with whatever they order. If you don't want this with your fish, we can do it however you want to. We just want to welcome people with open arms."
· All coverage of Some 'Ting Nice Caribbean Restaurant on Eater [~EBOS~]