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 alike mingled in the soft evening sand with drinks in hand.
Emcee for the weekend, Chef Eric Ripert invited a handful of his closest culinary friends to participate in the cookout, including Chef Jose Andres, Chef Anthony Bourdain, Chef David Chang, Chef Grant Achatz, and Chef Dean Fearing. Now in its second year, the island festival offered guests a full schedule of culinary demonstrations, kitchen competitions, and dinners highlighting both local chefs and cooking favorites.
And it all began with a little rum, a little food, and a lot of beach…
~Jennifer Heigl
**As a guest of the Cayman Island Tourism Board, I gratefully appreciate the opportunity to cover this spectacular event.