Take a delicious bite out of February with The Brasserie.
Sweet Treats
Valentine’s Day is swiftly approaching. Why not pick up some sweets for your sweetie right in Cricket Square? We’ll have an abundance of scrumptious baked goods sure to make your better half swoon available for purchase in The Market. Or, get in touch with us to create a special cake or box of treats tailor-made to suit your Valentine’s special style.
Growers’ Champagne Tasting
If baked goods aren’t their thing, Brasserie Purveyors has plenty of fine wines, spirits and craft beers that are sure to please. Alex, our wine director, will also be hosting a growers’ champagne tasting complete with aphrodisiac hors d’oeuvres as part of our “Swirl” Wine Tasting Series the week before Valentine’s Day that will surely get you in the mood.
Email Brasserie Purveyors today for tickets or more information.
Harvest Dinner
As we head into the full swing of the season, tables at our Harvest Dinners have grown fuller and fuller. “The more the merrier” is truly the case at these special events that give us the opportunity to serve you family-style supper beneath the stars. Email reservations@brasseriecayman.com for tickets to our next Harvest Dinner on Thursday, February 5th.
Cooking Class
Chef Dean Max is still all fired up from his demo on the beach at Cayman Cookout and more excited than ever to teach you some fantastic tricks of the trade at February’s Cooking Class. Enjoy skillful wine pairings, humorous performance and the chance to eat 3 fabulous courses, all before midday. To book, phone 945-1815 or email reservations.
Valentine’s Day
Love bites in a delicious way this February 14th at The Brasserie. We’re opening on a Saturday as our very special Valentine’s Day gift to you. We’ll be serving a tantalizing 5-course meal, paired with exceptional wines. A la carte will also be available for those looking for something slightly different. Here’s to celebrating our greatest love, the love of food and drink, with you!
ENERGY Fit Pass
Have you heard about ENERGY’s Fit Pass? Choose from a great selection of classes like Barre, TRX and Pilates, all included in one great pass. And, by using ENERGY’s online scheduler, you never have to worry about arriving at a class that’s already been fully booked. Check out ENERGY Essential Fitness on Facebook for more information.
Cayman Cookout
There’s a reason it’s the food fest circuit’s hottest ticket. Cayman Cookout is a culinary joy ride along the breathtaking shores of the Caribbean, with pit stops at Anthony Bourdain’s tented wonderland of taste-testing booths, rum-soaked cooking demos on the water’s edge and beachside BBQ’s in the company of none other than Eric Ripert.
Being involved in Cayman Cookout harnesses the sort of euphoric stress that can only result in great things. The Brasserie was fortunate enough to take part in “The Rundown with Anthony Bourdain,” Dean’s Beach Demo, and two very special “Island Style” Dinners featuring Chef Jeremy Ford of Jean-Georges’ exceptional Matador Room in Miami.
Anthony Bourdain was the vision of Caribbean cool at his rundown event on the Friday, where he breezed through booths of some of the best restaurateurs on the island, talking chef talk, and taking pictures with fans. Admittedly though, his focus was the food. From luscious rum cake to the Brasserie’s own local pork tacos, his mother tongue is one that resonates with the food-centric. And it’s no wonder this acclaimed author, traveler and TV personality draws such an incredible crowd since his sincere love of all things edible is so evident in the way he talks. There is a palpable appreciation in the way he spoke of what it means to eat locally here in Cayman, and his interest in the culinary traditions of the island. In that especially, we share so much with Mr. Bourdain.
Gallantly arriving by catboat, Chef Dean Max sure knows how to make an entrance to a cooking demonstration… As the aquamarine waters lapped gently at the brightly lit sand, Dean appeared in the distance and our sun soaked guests made their way out of the tent to get a better view. What began as a vague point on the horizon, soon transformed to the sharp white edges of “Damn It’s” Brasserie emblazed sail. Guided by Dean’s learned touch, The Brasserie Catboat approached the shore more quickly as Dean leapt from the shallow blue vessel, lobsters in hand, to greet the congregation that had then formed. Ta da. Now that is how you make an entrance.
Winston, our gardener, began chopping coconuts while Alex, our wine director prepared the rum for our fresh “island style” cocktails served right out of the fruit. There’s something particularly special about taking your seat on the beach, all whilst swigging cool mouthfuls of rum and coconut water out of a beautiful green coconut, watching a character like Chef Dean Max prepare Modern Cayman Lobster Bouillabaisse that to be honest was so dreamy, anyone there could have easily downed the whole pot. It was quite literally the perfect Saturday afternoon and the most brilliant fact was that there was so much more to come.
A quick change and car ride later, doors opened to a dusk-lit canapé reception in The Brasserie Garden for our “Island Style” Dinner. In the far corner of the garden patio, framed by outstretched palm leaves and just-ripe gooseberries, Dean talked local seafood with guests. Servers seamlessly meandered through small groups of people who were chatting and savoring Lexi’s garden sorrel cocktail, passing hors d’oeuvres like ‘Chateau Chooks’ Scrambled Egg with local ackee and crisp, almost decadent harvest pizza topped with island pumpkin, callaloo, basil, fontina and a sprinkling of seasoning peppers. The soft sound of the cocktail fountain beneath the chatter set the tune for introductions by Chefs Dean Max, Jeremy Ford, Daniel Taylor and our sommelier, Alex DiMare.
After being led to picture-perfect tables, the first glasses of wine were poured (a palate enticing Riesling from Germany) and moments later, the ‘Brasserie Catch’ Snapper Crudo with crunchy rice and almost iridescent green chili dressing was served. Chef Jeremy Ford spoke of “clean tastes and eating an abundance without feeling full” in his introductory speech and he couldn’t be more accurate. Each course that followed accomplished just that. From the steamed wahoo with exotic yogurt sauce to the moist New York strip, and even the unlikely roasted local pig, the taste was uncontaminated, fresh and true, the way food should be. Each dish was therefore allowed to pair more acutely with the selected wines. In particular, the Penner Ash Pinot Noir was able to be bright and full at the same time, showing off the sweetness of the wahoo.
Of course, diners couldn’t leave without a touch of decadence so for dessert our pastry chefs prepared the most divine Valrhona Chocolate Mousse, accompanied by local passion fruit perfected through the art of glasage, coconut crunch, garden pimento, Otto’s (extraordinary) honey, and Tortuga Rum Gatrique. The final treat, but one that as luck would have it was only ordered and served at a single table (and that table was mine,) was a boozy little number called ‘Nana’s Smooth Operator.’ Wonderfully aromatic Barrington coffee drenched in Bailey’s, Kahlua AND Frangelico. It’s an after-dinner drink so good; it hugs you and jolts you all at once. It was the sweet, sweet end to a perfectly memorable Cayman Cookout weekend and lucky for you, it’s a constant on The Brasserie Dessert Menu. We’ll see you for one of Nana’s Smooth Operators soon!
