Breezes on the Bay – George Town, Grand Cayman

As an offshoot of our Cruise Cuisine series, allow us to share with you the stop we made on Grand Cayman for lunch.

When visiting George Town on Grand Cayman, be sure to look up Breezes by the Bay ~ Tropical Grill & Rhum Deck. It’s a lovely casual dining experience forlunch and dinner, complete with a brick oven for pizza and Caribbean fare. While they do not currently have a website, their Facebook account stays pretty active.

Breezes is located in the heart of George Town with great views of the waterfront from just about any seat in the house. They focus on classic Caribbean fare rather than touristy food, except for the pizza, of course. That is a familiar favorite in many countries. They have a large lineup of tropical cocktails, too.

What Breezes has to say for itself.

 

The folks working there were all very nice, though keep in mind that English is not always their primary language. There were some barriers, but we got over most of them with little trouble. Our waiter was a first-day employee, and while he was trying hard, one of my table mates later wondered, “What was that guy DOING?”

Our excursion group had to try a little bit of everything. From snacking on jerk seasoned fries (“I’ve never paid that much for fries in my life, but hey – Grand Cayman is ‘spensive”), to the local version of pepper steak, to the brick oven pizza, everything was a delight for the palate, if a bit pricey.

Jerk seasoned French fries.

 

Quattro Fromage – the four cheese pizza.

 

Jerk chicken pizza.

 

Cayman Pepper Steak, with black bean rice, cole slaw, grilled plantain and breadfruit.

 

 

Pina Colada

Frosty drinks in hurricane style glasses give the place a festive feel, though they do maintain a full bar for those not into frozen concoctions. This Pina Colada was overwhelmingly pineapple, which drowned out the more delicate coconut flavor, though the rum was full bore.

 

We also gave a local beer a shot. This is a glass of Iron Shore Bock from the Cayman Islands Brewery. It gave us a light head over a clear brown beer with only a little lacing. The aroma was simple and pleasing, mildly hoppy with a flavor of caramel malts. Not particularly strong on the alcohol, but that allowed a nice smoothness to the mouthfeel.

Iron Shore Bock

 

 

This establishment is on the second and third floor of it’s building. There are wide tread stairs, but no elevator available as of our visit.

On the 1-5 scale, Breezes has earned:
Cleanliness – 4.5
Service – 3
Quality of food – 4
Flavor – 4.5
Pricing – 2.5 (Grand Cayman can be expensive)
Overall experience – 3.5

 

 

Breezes by the Bay
8 Harbour Drive
George Town, Cayman Islands
Phone: +1 345-943-8439

— Ann Cathey and Cruise Cohort
Additional photos by Christopher

Birds in Flight

Just in case there are any bird watchers in the audience, I was able to add a few to my life list on the cruise along with seeing many old friends. While these particular birds are not roasted or fricasseed, they might still be of interest to some folks.

The brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) is a small pelican found in the Americas. This possibly immature specimen was photographed in the Port of Galveston.

I’m not sure what this specimen is, though it was flying blithely along side the Carnival Breeze in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico when it was photographed.

 

A feral chicken was the only bird spotted during our stop in Montego Bay, Jamaica. apparently what used to be a household food bird there, became a neighborhood standard as the bird ran loose and bred. I’m told by a local that they are everywhere and are treated sort of as community pets.

 

Frigatebirds (also listed as “frigate bird” or “frigate-petrel”) are a family of seabirds  which are found across all tropical and subtropical oceans. This specimen appears to be a magnificent frigatebird (Fregata magnificens). It was photographed along the coastline of George Town on Grand Cayman.

 

The osprey (Pandion haliaetus) is also called fish eagle, sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk across it’s rather cosmopolitan range. It appears on all the continents with the exception of Antarctica, though this specimen was photographed along the coast of Cozumel, Mexico.

 

My bet is on this bird being some species of cormorant. This specimen was perched on the forward rigging of the Carmival Breeze while we were at sea in the Gulf of Mexico.

 

Any assistance in identifying the two unknowns is most appreciated.

— Ann Cathey

 

Cruise Highlights

There’s more to a cruise than just the eats, though the food is definitely something to be enjoyed, both on board ship and at every stop. There’s a lot more food to be shared, but maybe it’s time for some images from the trip itself!

Our first sight of blue water.

 

A few bits of Montego Bay, Jamaica.

Lovely singers greeting passengers.

Open marketplace on the Hop On Hop Off line.

PArt fo the famous mountains of Jamaica.

 

Some sights around George Town, Grand Cayman.

Christopher and the big map at the Welcome Center.

7 Mile Beach and that clear, blue water!

Elmslie Memorial United church, established 1846.

 

The Island of Cozumel, Mexico, likewise had plenty of local color to share.

A hammock at a beach-side restaurant.

Crystal clear waters.

A “native” performer in the market.

 

While I couldn’t capture the splendor of our own ship at night, I caught one of our docking neighbors under a full moon in Jamaica.

Enjoy!

— Ann Cathey

 

 

 

Cruisin’ Cuisine

My partner in crime and I were treated to a Caribbean cruise aboard the Carnival Breeze earlier this month. Along with some other WanderingTexans, we visited Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel.

Carnival Breeze at Grand Cayman. Shown here with two tenders who ferried passengers back and forth to the mainland.

While this may not be a big deal to some folks, it was a lifetime achievement event for us. We not only ate local at each stop, we also enjoyed the creative talents of the Breeze’s Executive Chef Joaquin R. Dias. The man is a genius to be able to do what he does for as many people as are served aboard ship.

Dos XX daft beer in Cozumel

 

We managed to get photos of most of the delectable treats and exquisite main dishes we sampled on this trip, and I will be posting them in groups for your viewing pleasure. From the simple to the elaborate, it was a foodies’ delight!

I truly hope you enjoy the upcoming posts about the things we were able to see and eat/drink while on this wonderful adventure.

–Ann Cathey