Jerk Restaurant, Boston

Chef George Whitehead learned to cook at his grandmother's side at her home in Jamaica, which he visited often with his parents while growing up in New York. As an adult, he was able to perfect the techniques he learned in a stint with the Navy, then he returned to New England to open up his own restaurant—Jerk. Today, he and his team cook jerk chicken, red snapper, curry goat, and other Jamaican favorites, along with classic sides such as fried plantains and collard greens.