Judy's Island Grill, Baltimore

While growing up in Clarendon, Jamaica, Miss Judy found herself transfixed by the way her mother worked in the kitchen. It inspired her so much that she began cooking for herself at just 10 years old. When she grew up, she found a job in the restaurant industry and eventually moved to Maryland.

Fast-forward to the year 2000, when Miss Judy decided to open up her own joint, Judy's Island Grill. Her eatery quickly became popular for its authentic island-style cuisine, which was hard for locals to come by if they couldn't train a homing pigeon to carry some from Jamaica in a tiny backpack. Judy's now operates in two locations, one in Park Heights and one in Glen Burnie. It specializes in curried goat, tender oxtail, jerk chicken, and ackee and salt fish, all of which can be paired with tropical juices and rum cakes.