Beach BBQ at the Ritz-Carlton

These past few months have been incredible in the way they have pushed me to go in new directions with Island Epicurean. Specifically, I have been asked to do Instagram takeovers for local foodie events including, ‘Taste of Cayman 2019’ (@tasteofcayman) and Cayman Cookout’s ‘Barefoot BBQ’ for The Ritz-Carlton Experiences (@RCExperiences). The latter is an account that focuses on luxurious epicurean experiences that take place at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman (@ritzcarltongrandcayman), and recently I was asked to takeover their account once again for their Easter weekend ‘Beach BBQ’.

I knew that a barbecue hosted by the Ritz-Carlton was going to be far from typical, but I was not prepared for the extra surprises they had in store for us. Upon arrival we were greeted with a fruity rum punch and led to a table in front of the talented Native Touch, a local band that added a Caribbean vibe with their tunes. The buffet was plentiful and progressive as it spread across four main tables: cold section, hot section, a barbecue station and desserts. The cold section was the perfect starting point with fresh salads and raw dishes, including a snapper crudo in a passionfruit yuzu sauce, coconut shrimp ceviche, and seared tuna with a fruit salsa and mango mint sauce. The hot section was our next stop to gather a few sides for our main course. They consisted of grilled local baby vegetables, johnny cakes, fried onion rings, a flavourful rice jambalaya, cheesy broccoli and aged cheddar gratin, and a rich hominy corn casserole to name a few that made it onto my plate. The main spectacle was at the barbecue station, and they had the option of sausages, BBQ rubbed beef brisket, an adobo roasted chicken with a braised shallot jus and more. Though I am not a huge dessert fan I will always say “yes” whenever I’m at the Ritz-Carlton because they are always incredible! This all seems quite hearty and elevated for small children who were in attendance, but the Ritz-Carlton took care of them by having an adorable kids height table with some of their favourite foods - think chicken tenders, pizza, french fries and fruit salad.

The food and beverage may be what I promote the most whenever I attend events, but the surprise activities they had in store for us is what made this family friendly evening so unique. The talented Vikki Wheaton took to the stage and was our official activities coordinator that targeted primarily the kids, but also got parents, couples and the staff involved. The Bloody Bay Buccaneers were the first to come out sword fighting, training the kids to be pirates and a congo line around the dinner tables. Paul Abel and Shorlet Johnson came out in a blaze with risky and creative fire dancing skills that entertained the entire crowd. And finally a scavenger hunt where kids had to bring chef hats, socks, a tattooed person and more to the front to get points. We even got involved at this point as Tommy helped a little girl grab a point by walking up front to show off his tattoo. After the excitement of all the activities we took to the fire pit and embraced this child-like energy by roasting marshmallows by the sea.

We always expect to have an evening with impeccable service, creative and well-prepared food, delicious cocktails and more whenever we attend an event at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman. It was extra satisfying to work alongside them in documenting this event for followers of @RCExperiences and I can’t wait to do it again!