The Beach House team was thrilled to be involved in last week’s Out of the Kitchen event, one of the highlights of Cayman’s annual gastronomic calendar, which included more than fifteen of the island’s best restaurants and featured our very own Anchor & Den. The event was a big success with more than 250 guests in attendance. Chefs from each restaurant hosted their own table at the gala while cooking and serving an impressive three-course menu tableside. We were delighted to be involved in our new restaurant’s debut!
Even before the cooking started Anchor & Den really stood out with its modern table décor and stylishly clad servers. The decorations incorporated a subtle nautical theme with eclectic elements and fresh flowers. Guests were in high spirits and the enthusiasm in the air was palpable. For the Beach House team, we were particularly excited to be part of the unveiling of Cayman’s newest restaurant. The concept of Anchor & Den goes beyond the delicious food; it is an innovative and authentic space – a perfect blend of culture and ‘Art de Vivre’ in one Great Room. It is a restaurant offering the ultimate comfort food menu as well as a bar and lounge where people can gather and reconnect. The spirit of this concept was alive that night.
Familiar faces from around Cayman were invited to join our table. Hailing from different backgrounds and professions, each guest seemed impressed by Anchor & Den’s innovative design and presentation. Sophie Miles, Owner of Milestone Properties Cayman Ltd, commented: “What a treat to be a part of the highly anticipated new Beach House Experience and ‘Out of the Kitchen’ event. It was staged beautifully with elements of the ocean, from local sisal place settings, starfish decorations and sear-sucker fabric replacing traditional linens for a cool and more casual feel.”
And the food. Who could forget the food that night? Mel Roddam, Publisher of Real Life, the Caribbean luxury lifestyle, property and design magazine, said: “The Out of the Kitchen experience was a tantalising teaser of Anchor & Den. The impeccable décor evoked the vibe of a sophisticated yet comfortable beach villa where you can imagine sipping cool cocktails. The evening’s menu was impeccably prepared, full of flavour and mixed perfectly for all palettes (I have never had octopus so tender!). All-in-all a flawless evening, I am very much looking forward to the opening of Anchor & Den if this is a flavour of what is to come.”
Guests had the opportunity to sample some of Anchor & Den’s signature dishes such as fennel & sweet potato salad, grilled octopus salad and braised short rib gnocchi. All the dishes were nothing short of the best and we loved hearing inspirational stories from the chefs while they cooked.
Chef de Cuisine Thais Rodriguez, who was instrumental in creating the menu for Anchor & Den, told us that her inspiration stemmed from her childhood memories of comfort food. Her travels around the world have also been influential. She explained: “My mom’s favourite dishes to cook were my favourite to eat such as guava ribs, spicy arrabiata sauce and octopus salad on special occasions. You couldn’t get us out of the kitchen when she was making those! So I wanted to do them justice and share them with other families and locals. To share the memories I have and create new ones with the people who eat it.” Thais used words like: simple, fresh, comfort, local, original, rustic and homemade to describe the food that she creates.
But her creativity does not end there. Thais said that night: “The inspiration should never stop, and at times we get stuck in the wheel of things, and as a chef, that’s the last thing I want. I use memories as the canvas and indulgence as the paint.” Definitely food for thought!
To see more photos from the evening, check us out on Facebook and Instagram.
