On Friday and Saturday evenings, the parking lot outside the Wilkinsburg Beverage Beer Distributor comes alive with the scent of spice and smoke. The line forms early. People come for jerk chicken that’s marinated twice and then grilled over lump charcoal, for curry shrimp slowly simmered in coconut milk, for plantains fried until they surrender into golden, caramelized bliss. The Caribbean Vybz truck rolls in around 4 p.m., weather permitting. The crew will even nudge you toward the shop for an ice-cold Red Stripe to go with your plate. They’re parked here on weekends, but during the week, you might find them at parks or block parties around the city.
Kamerrin Ferguson-Thomas calls out the next order of jerk chicken with a warm smile.
Ferguson-Thomas didn’t grow up with Caribbean roots, but she knew the language of food. She was raised in Larimer, a historically Black neighborhood in Pittsburgh where meals were made from scratch and stretched with care. Her mother made what she calls “soul-warming food.” Her father brought home whatever he could hunt. Rabbit, venison, even alligator once. “I’ve always had an adventurous palate,” she says…