Everyone has those days when they are not overly crazy about their job. You know, the “winning Lotto Max” fantasy; or when you curse your parents for not setting you up with a trust fund. Lucky for me, those days are few. I’m a truly fortunate person because I love my job and all the people I am privileged to work for and with (some of you are even subscribers to this blog….THANK YOU!).
Every so often, you have days when you truly love your job. For me, that happened most recently when good clients of mine were celebrating their 50th anniversary as a company and invited me down to Grand Cayman for the events. That really made me love my job, but the best thing about the trip was the opportunity to catch up with friends whom I had met over the years.
My long-time friend, and fellow Springsteen fan, Rob and his wife Rita have been in the Cayman Islands for about 20 years now. You can say that they are locals (and then some), so when they booked Calypso Grill as a dinner spot, I knew it was going to be good. Always trust the local favs!
Calypso Grill has been in the same spot in Morgan’s Harbour in West Bay with the same owners since 1999. The original neighbours were a dive shop and a lot of boats. The area has, over the years, become popular and more and more restaurants have sprouted up around Calypso Grill. Calypso Grill still holds court on the water and the tables on the back deck are lovely for dining al fresco. If you want a little less breeze, the interior tables are in a room of understated British charm.
Chef George Fowler started cooking in England at the age of 15 and honed his skills at major hotels before heading off to the islands. For the next 25 years, Tortola, Antigua, Jamaica, Aruba, Bahamas and St. Martin were all lucky recipients of his cooking skills. He even spent 1993 in Moscow opening a hotel!
Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Sir Richard Branson, Stephen Colbert and Sir Richard Attenborough have all had the opportunity to enjoy the fresh, uncomplicated meals of Chef Fowler. His philosophy of fresh ingredients and light sauces are highlighted on the menu and on a blackboard that shows daily specials.
The lobster bisque is a house specialty and local favourite. The silky appearance is deceptive because a quick stir uncovers massive chunks of lobster lying in the bowl. The soup is finished with cognac which adds to the decadence and richness of the soup. (For the 1,000th time I wished I could eat shellfish/fish – Pete would be in heaven with this soup!)
I had the steak tartare topped with a quail’s egg. It was delicately spiced and the small mixed green salad in a vinaigrette dressing complimented the beautiful hand-chopped beef.
For the mains, I went with the perfectly medium-cooked duck with cherries. The portion was very generous and the flavours of the cherries and the duck complimented each other beautifully.
Rob ordered the ginger tuna, which is says is his favourite and his go-to dinner choice. A large fresh tuna steak, marinated, seared and again, lightly sauced. Both meals were served with potatoes and simple steamed vegetables.
As good as the meal was, the highlight was the Sticky Toffee Pudding dessert. All the desserts are made In-house, but the Sticky Toffee is such a fan fav that people have been known to phone first to make sure it is being offered that evening. It isn’t a pudding, as we think of puddings. The Cayman Islands are a former British colony, and the British influences are front and centre, including use of the term “pudding” to mean dessert. The Sticky Toffee Pudding is sponge cake drenched in a caramel sauce. So yummy, and if that wasn’t decadent enough, a side of coconut pineapple ice cream was added for good measure.
The dessert is so popular and well-known that Chef Fowler’s cookbook is called “Going down Sticky Toffee Lane”. All desserts are made in-house, so you can’t go wrong.
Next time you’re in the Caymans, and especially if you are a fresh fish fan, do a little dance over to the Calypso Grill. Your taste buds will thank you.
Where: Located at Morgan’s Harbour in West Bay; When: open Tuesday – Sunday (closed Mondays) 11:30 – close. Reservations recommended. ELIN’S TIP: Ask to be seated outside on the waterfront.
Crying over that description of the lobster bisque soup….sounds like a fabulous restaurant and a terrific trip!
Thanks Larissa, you would love it!