PUNCH IN INTERNATIONAL SYNDICATE
Cayman Islands & South Beach
CONTENTS
The Rational 1
It All Starts Here 1
Wining & Dining 1
Other Restaurants 1
The Airline Of Choice 2
Why Go Home (Yet)? 2
Last But Not Least 3
Visit Our Award Winning Website 3
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PUNCH IN INTERNATIONAL SYNDICATE
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The Cayman Islands & South Beach
The Rational
Accepting the premise, two vacations are better than one, we take pleasure in combining the buzz of funky South Beach with the laid-back elegance and gentility of the Caymans in an extended weekend or five days in paradise.
It All Starts Here
A bit over an hour from Miami, Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman rein as elite getaways-gems in a sea of Caribbean jewels. The same climate as Cuba, our midJanuary stay averaged the mid-80s.Besides some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, the Caymans offer superb diving, fine dining and world class hotels such as the Hyatt Regency and Hyatt Britannia Resort, located on beautiful Seven Mile Beach. An amazing villalike complex with private villas, deluxe rooms and suites su ch the Georgetown, a breathtaking two level affair with cathedral ceiling, textured beige walls, floortoceiling windows, twotelevisions, two baths (one with a superb separate shower and Jacuzzi), a service-bar, kitchen, dining room/living room and an upstairs open bedroom overlooking the goings onbelow. Soft pastels complement modern paintings and guests are pampered with every modern convenience.
Wining & Dining
The Regency club members have a terrific breakfast, cocktail hour with theme hors d'ouvres (we enjoyed sushinight, as well as Caribbean and French nights), afternoon fresh fruit juice with fabulous chocolate chip cookies and latenight after dinner drinks. There are three onsite restaurants: Garden Loggia Cafe (serving a knockout buffet breakfast), Britannia Golf Club Grill (overlooking the 18 hole Jack Nicklaus Golf Course) and Hemingways, casually elegant-Caribbean, of fering such dishes as a delicious hotpot soup, conch and clam chowder, stuffed grouper with crab mousses and Caribbean spiny lobster, grilled to perfection, all served with healthy steamed vegetables. The key lime pie is superlative.
Other Restaurants
While local food is inexpensive at the recommended Champion House with interesting local specialities such as fried sprats ( a small local whole fish) stewed cow's feet, oxtail and curried mutton, the appetizers were far better at the captivating seaside Radisson Peninsula Restaurant. Conch and shrimp fritters, Cuban black bean soup, and fluffy crab cakes were beautifully presented and served with style. Good entree included coconutbatter fried shrimp, Parmesan crusted swordfish and local grouper, simple grilled with creamy mashed potatoes. The Key lime mousse and tropical banana split were satisfying desserts and the Radisson is just behind Hemingways in Georgetown's culinary championship.A final dinner at Westin's Casuarina Resort confirmed the island's reputation for the highest standard of living in the Caribbean, thereby offering an abundance of good dining choices. The attractive property offered a topflight dining experience in its elegant Casa Havana. Plush red and crys tal interiordesign gives way to a spectacular outdoor terrace, some of the most polished service on the island and food that can be described as distinguished, even by New York standards. Perky toe crab cakes with West Indian guacamole and seared wafers of Curacaoscented foie gras were sophisticated starters, but were toped by sassy soups: Cuban black bean and Cayman conch chowder. Jerk mahi, roasted red pepper pureeand tapioca pearls and roast pork tenderloin with mole and sweet corn salsa were divine en trees and a napoleon of nuttedcookies, encasing tropical fruits in a caramel sauce and a key lime log, with terrific cafe presse concluded on of Grand Cayman's bigthree dining experiences. Hemingway's, the Peninsula and Casa Havana prove worldclass dining can exist in an atmosphere far more relaxing than New York, London and Paris, although prices reflect such elevated dining experiences.
The Airline Of Choice
Although several major airlines can transport you to Grand Cayman, for a taste of the country, we recommend Cayman Airways. The flight schedule offers convenient times, service that is professional-yet-friendly, the planes arein good condition and arrive and leave on time. Service is with a smile and members of the "Sir Turtle Club" enjoy first class airport lough facilities, gratis alcoholic beverages and everything a businessperson, professional or touristrequires.
Why Go Home (Yet)?
South Beach has glamorized Miami's tarnished image and draws interested travelers from around the world. While Art Deco hotels are multiplying, certain prototypical exponentsstand out from the crowd. The Pelican at 826 Ocean Drive is everything your ever wanted in a small, trendy upscale hotel and more. The lobby bar and entrance set the tone for rooms, each with a different name (ours was the "Aluminum Room"), that may not win awards for size, but can't be faulted on decor and use of sp ace. Polished wood floors, stateoftheart tv, stereo and VCR, woodvenetianblinds, handstenciled walls, complimentary bottled water, private safe, offbeat paintings and statuary (horses with nose rings) create an escapist environment. The air conditioned rooms have tile baths (showers), glass dining tables, colored globe lights and a silver and offwhite color scheme, punctuated by colorful prints. The large open lobby, bar and street caferestaurant, know as Pelican Cafe, features "world cuisine 48; and is frequented by such celebrities as Sean Penn, David Lee Roth and Antonio Banderas. Our breakfast was a formidable treat and left fond memories of Miami and South Beach in our minds. South Beach Dining.The 144 seat Astor Place Bar & Grill appeals to both culinary conscious South Floridians and celebrities. Executive chef Jonny Vinczencz with sous chefs Dwayne Adams and Rocky Tarantello fuse the "heartland" with the tropics in a sleek, feline, airy and chic room with a soaring glass atrium, palm trees, marble, comfortable booths and white clothed tables and an al fresco area near the hotel's fresh water lap pool. Playful cocktails and a good list of wines by the glass and beer (I enjoyed the local Hurricane) compliment inventive dishes like wild mushroom pancake drizzled with balsamic syrup, blue corncrusted duck confit "cakes" mango coal slaw and fresh berry sauce. Dinner entrees include the signature corn crusted yellowtail snapper, lemonbonito mash, roasted corn sau ce and smoked pepper relish, while mouth-watering sandwiches at lunch combine a wasabi barbecue rare tuna sandwich, oriental slaw and russet potatoes and the best rotisserie chicken sandwich imaginable laced with smoked applebacon, lettuce, tomato, avocado and honeyDijon dressing. Nottobe missed desserts comprised chocolate rockyroad bread pudding and frozen cream cheese brownie and ice cream concoction. drizzled with chocolate sauce. Some stickysweet Cuban coffee, a shot of anijo Patron tequila and a long, long walk might be the ideal conclusion.Everybody wants to get into the act when success is involved. That act can span international borders, as when actor, Michael Caine, open the hottestreservationintown South Beach Brasserie on Lincoln Road or New York's celebrated China Grill takes the South Beach beautiful-hardset by storm with its expansive design and Asian/fusion kitchen. The large space emulates its Manhattan cousin, with concessions to SoBe .There's an attractive bar area, leading to the multilevel main restaurant with its open kitchen, sampanlight fixtures, circular booths, lame drapes, wood floors and hidecibel level. Executive chef, Ephraim Kadish, has recreated the intricatestructure of the cuisinewith precision and the food lives up to the setting in dishes like tempura sashimi in Champagne hotmustard sauce. Other winningappetizers include 3onion confit dumplings in coconut sauce, the signature crispy spinach and stir fried sesame citrus noodles with seasonal vegetables. Two off beat and decidedly delicious entrees included "pork & beans," with 3bean. green apple mojo and sauteed calve's liver, roasted garlic, caramelized onions and sesame scallion sauce. There are some expensive exoticaspecials, such as the fork-tender Kobe beef filet mignon, the gratifying flavored sakes, terrific martinis and composite desserts, including a chocoholic's dream, chocolate seduction. You needn't bother remembering China Grill's address on Washington, just say the words-any cab driver knows the numbers. Now that's the mark of the hottest restaurant in town!If you want a casual bite, or a full party catered, Lyons Freres at 600 Lincoln Road can't be beat. The comfortable cafe is easy to take for coffee and some lovely snacks and an appetizer sampler including French-potato pancakes topped with smoked salmon, fresh asparagus, wrapped in salami, cheese and other goodies, as well as a dense chocolate mousse made us devotes.
Last But Not Least
Getting to (and from) the airport is always a hassle and in New York, we continue to recommend Limo 90. Use this beeper number: (212)389-5841 and like devoted clients worldwide, from Japan, Germany, Miami and Los Angeles, you'll be as pleased as we were with the prompt pick up, gracious service, beautifully maintained cars and affordable prices, Strike up a conversation if you're fortunate enough to get Howie and you'll discover this former policeofficer had worked for the elite Cary Limos for ma ny years, before going out on his own. Why a beeper? Howie lives on a boat on boat and disdains cellular telephones and answering services. With the rapid responses we to our calls, we have no arguments with his philosophy
.Visit Our Award Winning Website
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- J. Walman & Nancy Preiser -