When I first met Miami chef Michael Schwartz, he was busy manning the kitchen during a Cayman Cookout dinner this past January. Knee-deep in the fast-paced hubbub of Chef Dean Max’s restaurant, The Brasserie, Schwartz was calm, cool, and collected as plates flew by on the prep table. Snapping away at photos, I had the chance to observe as the affable chef, along with members of his and Max’s kitchen crews, put the finishing touches on each delish dish before passing them off to servers-in-wait.
Having read many of the glowing …

Where does one even begin when writing about Anthony Bourdain? A chef whose fame has had more to do with sharp wit than kitchen skill, he is outspoken, unapologetic, and controversial. Recognized around the world for his renegade restaurant stories, his books, his shows, his raw, raucous comments have become the religion of guerrilla chefs everywhere, resulting in a reputation that certainly precedes him.
So, where to begin?
In searching for the right words, a recent episode of No Reservations came to mind. After traveling along the Hudson River with his friend, …

With a great hurrah, the fantastic Cayman Cookout festivities came to an end on Sunday. Just before noon, guests gathered for the Bon Vivant Sunday Moet & Chandon Champagne Brunch Cook-off. Featuring a mind-boggling display of decadence from the staff at the Ritz-Carlton, from caviar and fresh made blinis to sushi and dim sum, the food offerings were only a part of the adventure – with a live cookoff staged during the brunch.
The competition, emceed by the lovely Gail Simmons of Food & Wine and Bravo’s Top Chef (and the …

Saturday morning’s activities began early, with bright sun and clear skies awaiting. I tagged along as nearly forty Cookout visitors clamored aboard a beautiful catamaran for a demo and water excursion with Chef Eric Ripert. The destination? Grand Cayman’s Stingray City, a shallow sandbar home to docile, visitor-friendly stingrays happy to swim and soar past the nearly 6000 visitors who anchor nearby each day.
After a brief mingle on board as the boat made its way out to sea, brave souls ventured into the sky blue water to meet and swim …

Day one of the Cayman Cookout included a whole host of memorable events from a cooking demo with Chef Eric Ripert along the stunning Seven Mile Beach to a sunset rum tasting aboard a beautifully restored ‘pirate’ ship. I started the day at a cooking demonstration presented by Chef Grant Achatz, owner and executive chef of Chicago’s Alinea.
It was my first time meeting Chef Achatz and I was very interested to see the award winner at work in the kitchen. Known for his talents in molecular gastronomy, Achatz worked with …

With humidity hanging in the air and bare feet burrowing into cool sand, the decadent Cayman Cookout launched its weekend of top-notch demos and iconic chefs with a magnificent beach soiree last Thursday night. Hosted by the elegant Ritz-Carlton on Grand Cayman Island, the welcome reception included delicious bites from local conch to grilled lobster to certified angus beef, with guests like Food & Wine’s Gail Simmons, wine expert Anthony Giglio, and Cayman Island Premier McKeeva Bush. As hotel chefs manned individual cooking stations, celeb chefs, media, locals, and foodies …