Dinner at Cracked Conch

Day four of my 2017 Cayman Island adventure started off nicely, with a couple of great dives along Grand Cayman's north wall. Coming back to the condo around 11:00 AM, the sun was out making what seemed to be another stellar day. That's when a storm decided to roll into the island, kicking up a lot of wind and surf starting around 3:30 PM. We hunkered down for a few hours, but the aftermath brought some nice color to the sky.

A storm's respite
2017 Grand Cayman, BWI

 Being stuck indoors for a chunk of the afternoon made heading out for dinner even more enjoyable. We jumped into the car, drove north towards the northwestern edge of the island, and found ourselves at tonight's dinner venue: Cracked Conch. Cracked Conch is actually the more formal brother to a pair of restaurants occupying a spot about 100 yards from the Cayman Turtle Farm. It's other brother, Macabuca, is a tiki bar with a deck on the iron shore overlooking the water. Macabuca is an excellent casual restaurant for both lunch and dinner, with great salads, burgers and conch fritters.


Walking into Cracked Conch, one enters into a reception area that leads down a long corridor, event room to the left, bar to the right. The corridor then opens up to the main dining room with a large section that has just wooden shutters, and another section with both shutters and normal windows. Given the weather we were having that day, the shutters were all battened down tight, allowing just the right amount of air to circulate to create a comfortable environment.

The Madre and I were seated at a nice two-top, and promptly provided water and a menu. We decided to both split a Caesar salad and an order of cracked conch. I then ordered for my main entrée the seared local snapper. To accompany tonight's meal I selected a glass of Chardonnay to pair nicely with the fish.

Cracked conch and a Caesar salad
2017 Cracked Conch. Grand Cayman, BWI

The salad and cracked conch came together, with the salad already split in half by the kitchen staff (a nice, convenient touch of service that did not go un-noticed). The Caesar salad had a romaine-arugula mix, with confit tomato and a large point of grilled bread. Dressing had already been tossed, and it was nice to see that there was the right amount that conveyed flavor while not being too much.

As far as Caesar salads are concerned, this one was pretty tasty. The confit tomato was a big hit, providing not just tomato flavors but that of herbs, garlic and olive oil (almost like a concentrated bit of tomato ragu) to contribute to the salad's flavor profile. The toast point was a nice touch, with char marks and grilled flavor that was something different from a standard crouton. While I didn't think I would appreciate the romaine-arugula mix, I found the mixture of textures and flavors to be a nice touch. To be honest, the only part that was average was the dressing, as I felt it could have had a bit bolder flavor. Nevertheless, a nice salad to start off a meal with.

The cracked conch was also quite good, served with a curry mayo and pickled fennel. The cracked conch had a nice breading that was not too heavy, and allowed the light saline flavors of the conch to make an appearance. The curry mayo offered nice spicy notes that paired well with the the fried conch. But by far the best part was the pickled fennel. When paired with the conch, it contributed sweet anise notes that provided depth of flavor not always found in a fried dish.

Seared snapper
2017 Cracked Conch. Grand Cayman, BWI

Following up a delightful appetizer course was my seared snapper, served with creamy chorizo, cannellini beans, onions, peppers, fingerling potatoes, and a scotch bonnet - tomato vinaigrette. The fish itself was seared to perfection, with a nice crisp to the skin, and its flesh moist and delicious.

The creamy chorizo sauce was a nice touch, lending both creamy, spicy, and rich flavors that were not overdone (and thus not overpowering the mild tones of the fish). Cannellini beans and fingerling potatoes added nice mouth feel, while also taking on some of the chorizo sauce. Finally, the onions, peppers, and vinaigrette provided that burst of freshness and additional pepper flavors, rounding out the dish's flavor profile. Just excellent.

With all the great food, the Madre and I were too stuffed to pick a desert. Had I been in the mood, I would have either gone with the chocolate mint lava cake (as a sucker for mint chocolate), or the key lime macaroon tart (also a sucker for key limes and macaroons!). Despite not having desert, I can safely say that Cracked Conch is an excellent restaurant with good food, great service, in a non-pretentious atmosphere. And if you find yourself having just left the beach, Macabuca is another excellent option for food and a cold drink right downstairs by the water.