Chefs hit the beach for the "Food & Wine Cayman Cookout."

Photo: courtesy of the event

Posters advertising the second annual "Food & Wine Cayman Cookout," held last month at The Ritz-Carlton on Grand Cayman, show a striking image of Eric Ripert, standing in the ocean in his white chef coat, azure waves up to his knees. Strolling down the magnificent beach as the event got underway, some guests did a double take. There was Eric, standing in the ocean with a cigar in his mouth, chatting with friends and surrounded by his kids.

“Excuse me,” ventured one passing guest. “I saw you cooking lobster on the beach yesterday and it smelled incredible. I just caught some lobsters today. What is your recipe?” The affable Ripert, executive chef at The Ritz-Carlton’s signature restaurant, Blue, explained his simple preparation, and welcomed other inquiries. Just up the beach Anthony Bourdain was playing with his daughter and the normally inaccessible David Chang of Momofuku fame was catching some rays. Chefs were everywhere – relaxing at the spa, sitting at canopied dining tables that float on the ocean and toiling away preparing feasts for the guests. It was foodie heaven.

The long weekend’s activities began with a beachfront feast –and while there was Angus beef and local lobster tails whipped up by the Ritz Carlton chefs; the sand and sea gave a new dimension to the concept of surf and turf. The following day saw a marathon of meals including a Spanish feast courtesy of José Andrés (LA’s The Bazaar) and a taco tasting created by Dean Fearing (Fearing's in Dallas).

A Voce Columbus

Photo: Quentin Bacon

Did you get barely get your fill of this year's Winter Restaurant Week? Or worse, not even get to participate? No worries. Once again the increasingly misnamed Restaurant Week has been extended and covers the entire month of February (excluding weekends for many spots). Not all restaurants that  took part in the first two weeks are participating (it's now a mere 190 choices), but there are still plenty of hot newcomers like A Voce Columbus, DBGB Kitchen and Bar and SD26 and more. When you're done browsing the list, don't forget to come back to ZAGAT.com to look up ratings and reviews – and make your reservations.

The late Civetta is to become Kenmare.

Photo: Evan W. Miller

Flo Fab at the Times scoops in with the interesting news that Joey Campanaro, the owner of Little Owl, will be the chef at Kenmare, a new restaurant coming this spring to the 98 Kenmare St. space that (briefly) housed Sfoglia sibling Civetta. The new restaurant, from Paul Sevigny, Nur Kahn and Lou Ceruzzi, plans to serve a Mediterranean menu when it opens.

• – Eleven Madison Park sous-chef James Kent will represent the U.S. in the Bocuse d'Or. [NRN, Eater]
• – Customers are interested in so-called "fast-food diets." [NRN]
• – Restaurateurs in New York are nonplussed about the impending introduction of health-inspection letter grades. [Diner's Journal]

• – The FDA wants listed serving sizes to reflect reality. [NYT]
• – One in five Britons mistakenly claims to have a food allergy. [Telegraph]
• – Dairy farmers ponder going co-op. [NYT]
• – Beer. Good for the bones. [Indpendent]
• – Scenes from this year's Wing Bowl. [SE]
• – Josh Ozersky has some issues with "new naturalist" cooking. [Time]
• – Health magazine borrows from sister publication Real Simple. [NYT]
• – Culinary workers smoke. A lot. [Post-Gazette]
• – The long history of candy and Valentine's. [SlashFood]
• – Which were your favorite food-related Super Bowl ads? [SE]
• – Gross food stories in list form! [Consumerist, via ColdMud]

Faustina

Photo: courtesy of the restaurant

It took just four weeks for Cooper Square Hotel manager Klaus Ortlieb, Scott Conant and his crew to transform the hotel’s dining room, formerly Table 8, into the sleek new restaurant Faustina. Fans of Conant, who followed him from City Eatery to Alto, Scarpetta and Tutto Il Giorno in Sag Harbor, are already clamoring for seats at this spot in one of the city’s hottest dining areas. The restaurant opens to the public tonight, but the Buzz stopped by yesterday to check out the pre-opening scene.

The Food: Faustina has an Italian menu of mostly small plates, with selections like olives, cheese, salume, salad, raw-bar fare, pastas and risottos. There are just three large plates – an aged sirloin, a veal porterhouse and a Berkshire pork chop.

Mesa Grill

Photo: courtesy of the restaurant

Holy moly, does time fly. V-Day is almost here, and though we've already mentioned a slew of spots doing special events in honor of Cupid, here are a few more.

2010 marks the Year of the Tiger

Photo: Denver Aquino

Believe it or not, there’s another big holiday happening on February 14 – Chinese New Year. Unfortunately, Chinese restaurants tend to get a bad rap for less-than-stellar interior design. Below we let you in on which spots get high marks in both cuisine and decor, so you can celebrate the Lunar Year of 4708 (otherwise known as the Year of the Tiger) in style.

• – Finally! Heinz has redesigned the ubiquitous ketchup packet. [NYDN]
• – Foregin food aid is hitting Haiti's black market. [NYT]
• – The number of restaurants in the U.S. has declined, but not as much as was expected. [NRN]

• – Burger King and its franchisees may still be bickering, but profits are up. [NRN]
• – How Rachael Ray magazine's March Madness pizza decisions were made. [Slice]
• – There isn't going to be an Alinea bar anytime soon and if it does open, it isn't going to be called "Boom." [GS: C]
• – The E.U. is pondering banning all commercial bluefin tuna fishing. [NYT]
• – Touchscreens, the future of vending machines. [WP, via GS: B]
• – The "drunkest" cities in the U.S. [USAT]
• – Shatter-proof pints may help reduce drinking-related violence. [Independent]
• – Ever wonder what it would be like to eat two pounds of meat, two sides, a cupcake and a 32-ounce drink within an hour? Wonder no more. [GS: NY]
• – NBC is in some hot water for a now-removed Black History Month menu. [Vulture]
• – Making due in Afghanistan for six weeks on Spam. [Guardian]
• – Related: Army chefs recreate Iron Chef in Iraq. [FTL Lamp, via Eater]
• – Google Maps is now photographing the inside of stores, are restaurants next? [SearchEngineLand, via TechMeme]
• – Cat food taste test. [Fork in the Road]

Marcus Samuelsson

Photo: courtesy of Anthony Thalier

This year the spectacular Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP), which helps young people learn and find jobs in the restaurant industry, turns 20. And it's celebrating with another installment of its annual walk-around tasting on February 24 – this year honoring Aquavit toque Marcus Samuelsson. As in past years, the event includes tastes from dozens of high-profile chefs from restaurants like Aretsky's Patroon, Aureole, Blue Hill, Craft, Gilt, Landmarc, Marea, Park Avenue Winter, Shun Lee Palace, Telepan and Union Square Cafe, all of whom will be preparing food with the help of C-CAP high school students. There will also be a silent auction featuring everything from culinary wares to travel packages. If you plan on going, through, act quickly – these events sell out every year ($500 for general admission, $600 and $1000 for VIP; Pier Sixty, Chelsea Piers; for tickets call 212-974-7111 or click here).