Category Archives: At the Bar

Goodspeed’s Royal Rock, Plus Saturday’s Farm-to-Table Dinner Menu

Posted on April 18, 2012 | Leave a comment

A Pimm's Cup fit for the queen.

Beverage manager Ryan Goodspeed is on the rocks – I mean rock - for a week checking in on the bar at our Grand Cayman restaurant.  As such, it is flowing with new drinks like the Cuba Libre, a highball of housemade cola, Bacardi 8 year over ice and lime wheel garnish.  The Housemade Cola has also been well received by kids and moms!

Perhaps what I am most excited for is the Pimm’s Royal Cup, featuring Ryan’s own Pimms #1, a regal mix of equal parts Dubonnet, Canton, sweet Vermouth, dry Vermouth, Campari, Broker’s Gin, and simple syrup.  Add that to a highball glass and top with sparkling wine, and cucumber, orange and pear slices.  Golly gee Ryan, please bring this to Miami with my Slow Gin Fizz?

All that, and he’s got a batch of limoncello working.  Smart thinking. It’ll be ready next time Chef is down!

Ryan at home base in Miami, on my favorite - beer duty.

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Posted in At the Bar, Cayman Correspondence, MGFD_GCM, On the Menu Now

Cheers to the #SoBeWFF Festival Week/end & Two Drinks for That

Posted on February 21, 2012 | Leave a comment

Make two new friends this week (photo courtesy Ellie Sara Groden.)

Today marks the unofficial opening of the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, and I’ll drink to that!  TGHG Beverage Director Ryan Goodspeed appropriately anticipated the needs of guests new and old descending on Miami this week for the country’s largest culinary festival, in high spirits of course, and last night put the Bandito and Scotsman on the @MGFD_MIA specialty cocktail list, with more additions coming today.  Ellie and I tasted these two last night and gave them high marks for balance, simplicity, and overall good taste. Here’s how they break down:

Bandito
This cocktail sneaks up on you like a bandito! And attacks!

2 oz Don Julio Reposado
1 oz Poblano/Cubanelle Agave
1 oz Passionfruit
1 oz Pineapple
½ oz Lemon
Combine ingredients in a rocks glass, add ice and shake.
Garnish w/ pineapple spear or chunk if available

Scotsman
Named after Colin Scott, master blender at Chivas

2 ½ oz Chivas 12yr or 18yr
1 oz Espresso infused orange blossom honey
(3 shots of espresso stirred into one bottle of local orange blossom honey)
½ oz lemon
Top with soda
Combine scotch, honey and lemon. Add ice shake and top w/soda
Garnish with lemon peel and dash orange bitters

Hope to see you in the restaurant for some toasts over the next few days. Here’s where we’ll be outside it, too:

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Posted in At the Bar, Harry's Pizzeria, In the Neighborhood, Local Ingredient, Mmm beer, News, On the Menu Now, South Beach Wine & Food, Special Event, Student Serving, Sweet

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Genuine Bloomfield in Pictures

Posted on January 16, 2012 | 1 Comment

Spotted pigs come in sandal form, too!

On Saturday night we welcomed April Bloomfield and her chef Peter Cho from The Breslin into our kitchen for Genuine Bloomfield, our Cayman Cookout dinner and main event on the rock this past week, hosted by Camana Bay.  It was a festive evening with special guests including Food & Wine Editor in Chief Dana Cowin, Anthony Bourdain, Sandra Ripert, chef Laurent Gras, and the Premier of Cayman Islands, Honorary McKeeva Bush, flanked by ministers and cabinet members, security in tow.  Guests enjoyed a menu of hors d’oeuvres, four delicious courses with wines from Austrian vintner Schloss Gobelsburg, and Hedy’s salted caramel peanut candies for a sweet finish.

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Posted in At the Bar, Cayman Correspondence, Local Ingredient, MGFD_GCM, Special Event

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