With turtle stew, conch chowder and cassava cake, plus live music from a local band, the monthly George Town Fish Fry at the Sandbar could hardly be more Caymanian, and that’s exactly how event organiser and Sandbar owner Brice Reid wants it.
“We’re trying to bring local culture down here to George Town,” he told the Compass, as residents and tourists alike arrived to check out what was cooking in the capital last Saturday afternoon.
“We have four different food vendors that we’re changing out every single month,” he said, “along with local live music from Stuart Wilson and his band …. plus we’re showing pictures from Cayman’s past on the big screen, thanks to the TimeBack project.”
“Every food vendor has at least one fried fish on their menu,” Reid added, “and then they’ve got additional food as well, so there’s Cayman-style beef, there’s turtle, there’s ceviche – all types of food.”
The free-to-enter event launched last month and is going to be a regular event on the Cayman calendar, taking part on the third Saturday of each month.
“We’re just trying to bring people to George Town and give it a little bit of life again,” said Reid. “It’s all about revitalising the capital.”
Food was paid for with tickets costing $2.50 each which were available at the entrance and inside the event. The four vendors on 21 June were Murph’s Kitchen, Sandbar, Rose’s Kitchen and Primo’s Ceviche and Seafood, and all were soon doing a brisk trade.
Freshly-prepared food on offer ranged from fried mahi-mahi and whole snapper to marinated conch, shrimp ceviche, stew turtle and Cayman-style beef.
Judging by the reactions of visitors to the Fish Fry, the food was a definite hit.
“We’ve just come back from a fish fry in Nassau,” said one couple from Britannia who declined to be named, “and to be honest, it was pretty awful, so the bar was quite low. But the food here has been excellent. We’ve just had fried crab, and Cayman-style beef, and we’re about to try the lobster.”
As for the intention behind the event, that got a glowing review too. “We both work in George Town and it really needs revitalising,” they said. “It’s a great opportunity to get a local meal.”
Rhonda and Ella Cornwall had the prime stall at the entrance to the event and were selling cassava cakes baked to Renda Cornwall’s original recipe.
“Cassava cake represents our culture,” said Rhonda Cornwall. “Anytime there’s a cultural event celebrating Caymanian culture, then cassava cake has to be represented. It’s our national dessert. It’s eaten on holidays, on special occasions – it’s a key element of Caymanian tradition.”
Murph’s Kitchen co-owner Ernestas Vitunskas took time out from preparing whole snapper and fried mahi-mahi to talk about the event.
“It’s a great idea,” he said. “We came here last month as well and it was a really good event. George Town is so quiet and hasn’t been treated so well in the past, so I hope it works out.”
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