To paraphrase chef Eric Ripert, the fish is the star of the plate.
Getting the stars of the kitchen and the stars of the plate in the same place — well, that's another skill entirely; but, it's one that Ripert seems to have honed. After just four years his Cayman Cookout counts among world-class culinary events.
Every January, about 10 top chefs from the U.S., Canada and Europe touch down at Owen Roberts International Airport, families in tow. For the next four days, Grand Cayman Island becomes the epicenter of epicurean sizzle in the Caribbean.
Anyone who knows their onions knows that Ripert is the French-born head chef and proprietor at Le Bernardin, Manhattan's three-star Michelin restaurant, celebrated for its extraordinary seafood menu. In 2008, Ripert opened Blue, his AAA Five Diamond restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman. Ripert's dedication to serving exquisite seafood unites Le Bernardin and Blue, although on Cayman, the focus is on fish caught locally and served with Caribbean flavors. In fact, the idea for the Cayman Cookout owes to Ripert's desire to promote Caribbean food culture among likeminded chefs as well as guests. …
Click here to read more in the Fall 2012 issue of The Ritz-Carlton Magazine