These four celeb chefs have moved past the mainland to open foodie-forward island dining destinations.
Puerto Rico: Mi Casa, Dorado Beach, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve
Spain comes to this island by way of James Beard Outstanding Chef Jose Andres, who boasts celebrated fusion restaurants in Vegas, D.C., Miami and LA. Tapas such as Iberico ham with tomato bread and yucca churros precede local fare like spiny lobster fresh from the tank and baby squid with red beans. Decor details (a taxidermy bull in a lucha-libre mask, house-shaped menus) show off the chef’s quirky persona.
Aruba: BLT Steak, The Ritz-Carlton, Aruba**
Proprietor of 22 restaurants worldwide, Laurent Tourondel was named Restaurateur of the Year by Bon Appetit in 2007. His BLT brand (which stands for Bistro Laurent Tourondel, natch) is an A-list fave. The Aruban outpost of the steak-house opened in August 2015, and it features a 36-ounce porterhouse for two and a lobster Cobb salad.
Bermuda: Marcus, Hamilton Princess
The Chopped judge and owner of 11 restaurants in the U.S. and Sweden (where he grew up) has gone Carib. At Marcus Samuelsson‘s ocean-side fine-dining establishment, the kitchen stays true to traditional Bermudan specialties like fish-chowder bites and jerk pork belly, while original art by Nelson Mandela and Andy Warhol graces the airy, vaulted walls.
Grand Cayman: Blue by Eric Ripert, The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman
In 2008, the multi-Michelin-starred owner of celebrated seafood stalwart Le Bernardin in NYC opened a fish-forward spot that’s the only AAA Five Diamond dining experence in teh Caribbean. Choose from Eric Ripert‘s four- or six-course tasting menus (order two of the poached halibut with salsify and corn chowder) and from a wine list of 700-plus bottles.
