On one of those beautiful fall Saturdays, we headed to Yellow Springs for a jaunt and a lunch at Calypso Grill and Smokehouse.  Jackie had never been there and it seemed like a nice drive.

We started the morning with a nice walk along the rim of the Clifton Gorge State Nature Preserve.  There were lots of people out enjoying the leaves and the nice weather.  Because Clifton Gorge is a State Nature Preserve, they do not allow dogs on the trails.  Nevertheless, there were people who must not have been able to read all the signs that said No Dogs Allowed.  John, Jackie, and I are rule followers and it bothered us.  We didn’t say anything to the people with the dogs.  After all, if they won’t pay obey the clearly posted signs, they aren’t going to listen to us either.

Clifton Gorge State Nature Preserve runs along two miles of the Little Miami State and National Scenic River.  The dolomite and limestone cliffs are a wonderful place to walk and enjoy.  The Preserve connects with John Bryan State Park, leading to more trails.  Dogs are allowed on the trails in the state park.  We enjoyed our walk very much and worked up an appetite for lunch.

Jackie suggested the Calypso Grill and Smokehouse for a different kind of lunch.  Downtown Yellow Springs was crowded due to a Farmers Market and all the small, local shops.  Again, people out enjoying the beautiful fall day.  Fortunately the Calypso Grill wasn’t downtown.  It was a couple of miles out of town, so a little off the beaten track.  Even so, the restaurant was busy and looked like a popular place to eat.

Calypso Grill and Smokehouse is an interesting mix of Caribbean meets BBQ.  A lot of things on the menu had jerk or mango-habanero seasoning.  There were lots of gluten-free and vegan offerings.  I ordered the Mango-Habanero BBQ Ribs with the Caribbean mac and cheese and callaloo greens.  Callaloo greens are like spinach, only with a stronger taste.  Tom and John were concerned that the ribs would be too spicy for me but the mango-habanero sauce was just right.  It added some flavor without being too spicy.

Tom ordered the Jerk Pork and John got the Jerk Chicken, both with hot jerk sauce.  Jackie got the Mango-Corn Salad with pork.  All of the food was delicious and none of it was too spicy.  The ribs were so large that I gave one to each of the others and still had plenty to eat.  The prices were reasonable.

I’m not sure why there is a Caribbean restaurant in Yellow Springs, but it is a nice change from our usual pub-style food.  We enjoyed eating at Calypso Grill and Smokehouse and agreed it would be a good place to eat again.