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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 write-ups on his Miami restaurant, including kudos from former…
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, food writer Michael Ruhlman, Bourdain found himself sharing…
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 owner and chef Gilbert Le Coze passed from a…
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 new host of Bravo’s Top Chef: Just Desserts), featured…
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 with local stingrays measuring up to six feet long….
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 dry ice for his demo, offering a delicious lobster…
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