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While Grand Cayman is a great place to explore, it’s an equally fine place to dine. Every January, top chefs from around the world gather here for the Cayman Cookout. Former guests have included Gordon Ramsay and Toronto’s own Susur Lee; in 2012, Anthony Bourdain (and plenty of others) will stop by.

But you can visit at any time of year and find a great selection of good eats, as I learn every day. This becomes most notable during my visits — yes, visits, the food was so good that I went back — to Camana Bay, a brand-new commercial and residential development across the road from Seven Mile Beach. It’s designed (and self-described) as a “New Urban community,” a place where people can live, work and play without getting into an automobile. Camana’s first phase includes shops, condos, a small island, a boat dock, plenty of public spaces — which the public is genuinely invited to enjoy, no purchase required — an observation tower that provides 360-degree views, and fountains created by the guy responsible for the famous dancing fountain at the Bellagio.

And, of course, Camana Bay has restaurants. After a quick tour of the area, I sit down for a hearty lunch at Michael’s Genuine Food and Drink. The restaurant’s the brainchild of Michael Schwartz, winner of the prestigious James Beard Award for Best Chef. My meal is simple but outstanding: a hearty cheeseburger with hand-cut fries. Back to basics? Sure, but that’s what this place does best.

Mouth-watering (and fulfilling) as that burger is, it’s certainly not the first superb food I’ve enjoyed here on the Caymans: I already dined on excellent pasta up at Pappagallo, a quiet Italian spot on the north side of the island, and sipped top quality Old World Cabernet alongside my perfectly-cooked filet mignon at Luca, the on-site restaurant at the Caribbean Club.

But as I say, Camana Bay really has its culinary act together. Perhaps my best meal comes at dinnertime on Day Three, when I return to the development to visit Abacus, a hotspot for the young and hungry on Cayman. Despite having recently dined on steak, I select it again (livin’ la vida Cayman). My steak comes paired with…macaroni and cheese? I’m more than a bit skeptical, but my doubts evaporate after my first bite. Baked with a perfect little crust and dusted with bacon powder, this food ranks among the most delicious I have ever consumed.

I will never, ever look at mac’n’cheese the same way again. And yes, I do wait a good half hour before I grab a relaxing night-time swim.

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Image courtesy of Hotel Casavelas.