Azzurro Caffe

The last time we threw a dinner party, I took the easy and the delicious way out: I picked up the phone and called Azzurro Catering, a division of Azzurro Caffe. I don’t mind cooking for six to eight guests, but anything over that can be tiring. It’s better to call the experts at Azzurro. My recent dinner party ended up with 20+ guests invited, and the folks at Azzuro had the menu figured out in a snap: some yummy cold appetizers (a sample: smoked salmon with a secret cream cheese spread and extra yummy dark brown bread triangles), two kinds of wonderful lasagna (one traditional red sauce & meat and one creamy veggie), orzo salad with caramelized onions (a masterpiece of flavor), crusty garlic breads laced with aged Parmesan cheese, and their signature dish: Caesar Salad with giant homemade croutons, topped with the special “from scratch” Azzurro dressing. For dessert, the pastry chef put together a melange of tiny desserts beautifully displayed on a white platter.

The best part is, for a small fee, someone from the Azzurro staff will turn up at your home shortly before your guests do, with the entire sumptuous meal already warm and expertly prepared. The main dish and the breads will be popped into your warm oven, the crisp salads will be slipped into your fridge, and all the food will be arranged on spectacular white serving platters right out of the pages of Bon Appetit Magazine. All you have to do is chill your wine, arrange the flowers, and slip into a gorgeous hostess outfit.

The next day, you can drop the serving dishes back at Azzurro, or one of the courteous staff will be happy to stop by and collect the dishes if you prefer, for another small charge. I found that the cost of the catered food was comparable to preparing it myself, considering the value of the time it takes to shop for and prepare the food. My guests were extremely impressed with the quality of the food and in fact made fools of themselves when it came to the Caesar’s Salad: there was not a leaf of Romaine lettuce left! Do yourself a favor and order extra servings of the Caesar’s salad; it’s outrageously good! Everything we ordered was superb, and the service was terrific. The staff is great to work with, and if you don’t see what you like on the catering menu, ask for a meeting with the chef, John-he’s delightful and creative.

For your next dinner party, give your guests a lovely meal from Azzurro and a relaxed hostess!

Azzurro

Buckingham Square,  Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Telephone: +1 (345) 946-7745

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by Dahlia Jones

Sip fine wine, enjoy beautiful artwork from artist Dahlia Jones and nibble on free appetizers from Prime Churrascaria at the complimentary wine tasting event at Tortuga Liquors at Governors Square Thursday, April 30th from 5PM-7PM. (Yes, you heard that right: free appetizers from Prime!)  If you haven’t made your way over to the elegant new Tortuga Store, you simply must stop in soon. The showcase Governors Square location is stocked with fine liquors and wines and is the perfect spot for tonight’s wine tasting.

Featured artist and special guest: Dahlia Jones 

Featured Wines: Chateau Los Boldos Sauvignon Blanc Tradition , Chateau Los Boldos Cabernet Sauvignon Tradition, Chateau Los Boldos Carmenere Tradition 

Appetizers Provided by: Prime Churrascaria

Prime

By the way, mark your calendars: this event takes place on the last Thursday of every month. What better way to expand your wine knowledge and have a bit of fun!

Tortuga Liquors      Governors Square, West Bay Road    

Telephone (345) 946-6864

http://www.tortugarumcakes.com/

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The Art of Stylish Tea Parties

Ladies, learn the finer points of putting on an ever-so-elegant tea party with the help of Grand Cayman’s ultimate party planners, Celebrations and Camana Bay. For a mere $20.00, you get tea party favors, cocktails, and a wealth of knowledge about how to throw a stylish tea party. The event will be taking place at Camana Bay on Tuesday, May 5th at 5:30 PM.

Call Celebrations today at (345) 623-2044 to reserve your tickets. This event will be a popular one!

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Custom Dress

Are you two different sizes? Size 6 top, size 8 bottom? Size 12 jacket, size 10 pants? This can be simple enough when buying separates, but tough going when it comes to buying cute dresses. Usually we end up buying a dress that fits half of us and is too big for the other half, and then altering it. I’m sure shapely beauties Kim Kardashian and Beyonce face the same challenges, but they have designers to create custom gowns for their curves.  

If you live in the Cayman Islands, you can enjoy the same luxury, at a fraction of the cost! Custom designed clothing is an affordable option at LD’s Sewing and Fashion Boutique. The seamstress team at LD’s can whip up anything you can dream of, using your fabric or theirs, for a fraction of the cost of couture clothing. I get most of my dresses made there, and the prices are amazing!  For a typical sleeveless work sheath, lined, I pay between CI $69.00 and $99.00. The design team is so talented that they don’t even use a pattern! The first time I went in, I brought in a favorite Ann Taylor dress to use as a template. The ladies took my measurements. we picked out fabric and lining, and within a week I went back for a fitting. Within two weeks, I had a custom dress that fits better and looks better than the original dress. I became a regular client at LD Sewing, and have since had tons of evening wear, pants, work skirts and dresses made there. My husband, who is 6’6,  has ordered several trousers custom  at LD and he is extremely pleased with the quality of his clothing.  LD makes men’s suits, jackets, and tailored pants. Don’t be afraid to bring in your own fabric. When I’m in the US, I keep my eyes open for deals at places like Jo-Ann Fabrics and stock up for future creations at LD.

Bridal Gown

LD also does a significant business in custom bridal. They can do anything but have a growing reputation among local brides for simple, elegant styles that breathe easily in our warm climate. Many of the LD styles retail for as little as CI $499.00, a bargain price for a custom bridal gown! Insider tip: The shop has rental gowns available for brides on a budget. Inquire at the shop for details.

The design team is delightful, creative and lovely to work with. For a rush free, they can work with extreme time frames upon request. The also do a terrific job on basic alterations. The boutique carries ready to wear clothing: cute jeans, casual tops,”barely-there” dresses, embossed leggings, and other fun offerings.

Stop in soon and experience the wonder of custom-made clothing!

LD’s Sewing and Fashion Boutique                Telephone (345)-949-1264

Eastern Avenue in the dms centre

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Paul Lyons

Laughin’ for Hope 2009, the Cayman Islands Cancer Society’s Comedy Fest fundraising event, is set for Thursday, April 30th at Margaritaville. There are two shows, one at 7:00 PM (doors open at 6:00 PM) and one at 9:30 PM (doors open at 8:30 PM). There will be drink specials and food available for purchase all evening.

Rooster 101′s own comedy celebrity “The Big Kahuna” will be hosting the show. The stage will be shared by two headliners, Mutzie and Paul Lyons.

Paul is a stand up comic, actor, published writer and inspirational guru. His two dozen plus TV appearances include Everybody Loves Raymond, Comedy Central’s Comics on Delivery, and A & E’s Comics on The Road. Paul has appeared in every US state as well as London and Sydney. His essays have appeared in Playboy, TV Guide and Details.

Mutzie

Mutzie’s career has crossed over every area of entertainment including TV, radio, and music. He has appeared on Showtime, Comedy Central and the last six sessions of BET’s Comic View. He has performed in seven countries and been named “New Orleans Entertainer of The Year” twice. On stage, Mutzie is the eternal class clown; you aren’t sure what’s coming next but you know it’s coming! The Mutzie show includes music, a few props, some home-grown characters and improv that is second to none. His rapid-fire improv has been compared to Robin Williams.

Tickets cost $25.00 in advance or $30.00 at the door and can be purchased at the Cayman Islands Cancer Society office on Maple Road or the studios of Z99 and Rooster 101 at Grand Harbour. Tickets for groups of 10 or more will be delivered personally to those who work or live in the George Town or Seven Mile Beach area.

Don’t miss your chance to giggle, laugh and help the Cayman Islands Cancer Society!

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Better at School

On Monday, April 20th at 7:00 PM, internationally celebrated parental consultant Florence Bernard will visit Books & Books in Camana Bay for a signing of her book, Better at School: The Essential Guide to Help Kids Improve at School.

Better at School is the training guide you didn’t get before you became a parent. It will give you tips to organize, motivate, and train your children so that they can show their full potential in school. With its methods on study skills, sanctions, rewards, goals and responsibilities and how to better involve students, parents and teachers, Better in School helps rebuild communication and spark a higher level of interest in school.

Florence has lived and taught all over the world and now lives in the US, but spent seven years teaching in Grand Cayman. She taught languages, physical education, and drama to kids ages 2 through 12 at St Ignatius and is now back to share her proven training methods with Cayman parents.

Tonight is your chance to meet Florence in person and learn more about her established methods!

Florence Bernard

Books and Books

Camana Bay
45 Market Street
Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
345.640.BOOK (2665)

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Boot Camp

Sign up for one of the fabulous Body Sculptor Fitness Programs before April 25th and get a FREE WEEK AT THE GYM and a FREE WEEK OF BOOT CAMP! Body Sculptor Fitness Center has a program for everyone. Choose from one of the following programs:  

Cayman Diet Tribe 4 week evening weight loss program for women (Tues & Thurs, 6:30 PM, Sat at 10:00 AM )

Fit Teens Boot Camp  A Fun Fitness & Weight Loss Program for Teens (Mon, Wed & Friday at 4:00 PM)

Tight & Sexy Boot Camps Mon-Thurs at 5:30 AM, 6:30 AM, and 6:30 PM, Located on George Town, Savannah and the New Camana Bay location $

Yummy Mummy  Fun and exciting fitness program held Mon, Wed & Fri and Friday at 9:00 AM

Look Better Naked 30 Minute Express Lunch Time Fat Loss Workout

Stop by Body Sculptor Fitness in Pasadora Place (on Smith Road in George Town) to sign up for any of these special offers. For more info, email bodyscul@weststartv.com or call (345) 939-2388. 

Body Sculptor Fitness in Pasadora Place            www.caymanbootcamp.com

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Here’s the the fantastic news: May 13th-May 17th, you can become Zumba Fitness Instructor with Tanya Beardsley, a Master Zumba Trainer. Let’s face it, the instructor is always the hottest and fittest gal in any fitness class; so why not take advantage of this golden opportunity to become a trained Zumba Instructor?

The weekend is sponsored by World Gym, the trusted name in local fitness events, and the event is being coordinated by Diane Sippel (contact info below). If you aren’t already in Cayman, Diane can set you up with fantastic and affordable island accommodations so you don’t miss out on all the fun.

There will be a ton of fun events surrounding the Zumba Fitness Certification Training Sessions, including happy hours, pool parties, dance parties and beach parties. The Zumba certification schedule is:

Friday May 15th: Master Class

Friday May 15th 3 hour Choreo Technique

Saturday May 16th Basic Level 1

Sunday May 17th Basic Level 2

Sunday May 17th 90 Minute Choreo Jam

What’s holding you back? Reserve your space now for this popular event  and soon you will be known as “that hot Zumba Instructor”! Invest one weekend of your time for a lifetime of knowledge and fitness.

For more info, visit http://www.caymotion.com/

Or Contact Diane Sippel  Telephone (412) 445-0089

info@zumbapittsburgh.com

dmsippel@yahoo.com              info@caymotion,com

World Gym

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Prime

The choices are endless for Easter Sunday Brunch in the Cayman Islands: the oceanfront champagne brunch at the Westin, the legendary luscious brunch at the Ritz, “Sunday’s Secret Pleasure” at The Brasserie with the irresistible rack of lamb, to mention just a few. Just open up the Cayman Compass newspaper and a dizzying array of options will present themselves to anyone seeking a post-church Easter meal.

My personal recommendation for Easter 2009 is the Easter Sunday Brazilian Brunch at Prime Steakhouse. Anyone familiar with Prime knows that this establishment is a world-class restaurant that understands the concept of Churrascaria-style dining.

Here is the Easter Buffet Brazilian Brunch menu:

Breakfast Specialties: Spinach, Swiss & Prosciutto Quiche, Classic Eggs Benedict, French Toast with Apricot Compote, Scrambled Eggs, Hickory Smoked Bacon, Home Fries

From the Buffet: Shrimp & Corn Chowder, Cream of Cauliflower & Brie, Fusilli with Smoked Salmon, Shrimp & Bay Scallops in a Lemon-Basil Cream, Penne with Mushrooms and Prosciutto in Port Cream, Cayman Style Rice & Peas, West Bay Plantains

Appetizer Buffet: House Smoked Fish Platter with Salmon, Trout, Tuna, and Wahoo, Pasta Salad, Conch Ceviche, Fresh Fruit Platter, Bavarian Pasta Salad, Seasonal Marinated Mushrooms, Classic Caesar Salad, Assorted Sushi Platter, Tomato and Mozzarella, Cheese Board with Swiss, Gorgonzola, Goat, St Andre and & Brie, Cured Meats and Olives

From The Churrascaria (Carved Table Side): Lemongrass-marinated Red Snapper, Citrus BBQ Wahoo, Parmesan crusted Flank Steak, Rosemary Roasted Leg of Lamb, Brazilian Linguica, Traditional Top Sirloin, Jerk Chicken, Smoked Brisket, BBQ Sauces, Chimi-Churri Sauce, Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Dessert Selection:Chocolate Brownies, Cookies, Profiteroles, Mini Orange Tarts, Calabeaut Chocolate Tart 

Sunday Brunch : CI$35.00       Endless Bubbles:  CI$10.00 

Children 8-15 yrs old:  CI $19.50   Children up to 7 yrs old: FREE   

Prime Steakhouse

Governor’s Square, Seven Mile Beach

Telephone:       (345) 623-7272      

Hours Lunch: Monday to Friday 11.30am–2.30pm Dinner: Daily 5.30pm until Closing Sunday Brunch: 11.30am–2.30pm, Easter Brunch: serving all day from 11.30am to 9.30pm

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