If there was any question as to whether Cayman Cookout at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman would return to its former glory after COVID, those concerns were put to bed at the sponsor reception held on Wednesday evening.
A large throng of chefs, restaurateurs, hoteliers and sponsors gathered at the resort’s Harbour Club Pool to officially celebrate the opening of the 14th Annual Cayman Cookout, hosted by chef Eric Ripert. General Manager of The Ritz-Carlton Marc Langevin, along with executive chef Frederic Morineau and Ripert got on stage to welcome everyone back to the island for the premier culinary weekend.
In attendance were celebrity chefs such as Emeril Lagasse, Daniel Boulud, Dominique Crenn and Dean Max, along with José Andrés – creator of World Central Kitchen and star of Ron Howard’s documentary film ‘We Feed People‘.
There were many joyous hugs and laughs shared between groups of people who had not seen each other for years, due to the cancellations and upheavals caused by the pandemic. Clearly, everyone was raring to go and looking forward to the days ahead which will see culinary demonstrations, mixology presentations and specialty events on the schedule.
A first for Cayman Cookout, Cayman Private Aviation flew down a small group of guests on its jet from New York on 9 Jan. with Ripert on board, and food served from Le Bernadin. The return flight will include multiple courses from Blue by Eric Ripert.
On Thursday, 12 Jan., Cayman Cookout will be holding its first Sommelier Standoff, pitting two teams of sommeliers against each other to see whose choices the audience prefers through a four-course dinner. None other than Aldo Sohm, Wine Director at Le Bernadin, will be one of the team members trying to come out on top.
Guests can also expect to see their favourite signature events on the Cookout menu, such as the Barefoot BBQ with fireworks by Cayman Firepower Display; the Beach Bash at Rum Point with catamaran transport across North Sound; the Bon Vivant Chef Competition Brunch (featuring Young Chef Young Waiter finalists this year); and Rum & Robusto with live music from Trio Vivo, followed by a spirited game of Pétanque.
For tickets, visit www.caymancookout.com and to follow the action, go to the Instagram page caymancookoutofficial.
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