Even with applause and accolade, Chef Eric Ripert has kept his culinary kingdom rather manageable. With restaurants in only a handful of cities across the East Coast – D.C.’s Westend Bistro, Philly’s 10 Arts, and Blue on Grand Cayman Island – Ripert has the recognition without the schedule, present most nights in the kitchen where he found fame, the Michelin-starred Le Bernardin.
A classically trained chef and military veteran, Chef Ripert began at the New York City restaurant in the early 90s, taking on the role of executive chef after original …

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 …