By John Mullen, Gulf Coast News Today

Cayman Grill: Fresh ideas, fresh food

To say Greg Buschmole is a restaurant veteran would be the height of understatement.

From big chains to single-owner eateries, he’s seen them all through the years.

Through all those years, he’s filed away things he thought were great and would love to try some day. And it’s all about to come to life in the Cayman Grill.

One of many, many new restaurants open, opening or working to open, the Cayman Grill is hoping to open “soon” in the old Gautier’s location on Canal Road just east of the Alabama 161 intersection.

“This is the 73rd restaurant that I’ve opened,” Buschmole said. “I was in the chain business and it was 42 of one, L&N Seafood Grill.

“I’ve had lots of ideas stored up over the years and do some extensive traveling in this country so we’re trying to have some unique features to the concept whether it’s the facility or the menu.”

The Cayman Grill will certainly qualify as different from just about everything you see when you walk in the doors until you order food, likely watch it being prepared to dining.

The key word is “fresh.”

“Fresh is best and that’s what it’s all about,” Buschmole said. “And our plan is to provide the service that equal to the product. We’re looking forward to it and think we have a special place here. Our approach is to try to be unique, but at the same time to be able to fit in well with everybody else.”

The menu, of which 25 percent will change weekly, will keep the seafood fresh as well.

“We’ll feature several fresh fin fish species every day,” Buschmole said. “I’ve been to Boston, I’ve been to Seattle. We will fly additional fin fish and shell fish varieties that are not indigenous to this area to supplement the indigenous species. We like that idea of providing that additional variety for the guests.”

Buschmole paired with long-time friend and owner Larry Wireman, developer of Caribe and Turquoise Place, both opulent complexes in Orange Beach.

“We’ve often talking about doing something together and I think the timing was right,” Buschmole said. “I was getting ready to move to New York City and literally I had sold my house and was getting ready to move to Manhattan. Larry called me and we had a couple of meetings.”

What was once the old Gautier’s space has already been changed dramatically, from the entrance that used to have the bar walled off to the left in the front. That area will now become retail space and a micro brewery behind glass so people can watch the process.

The hallway leads to stunning new space – the addition doubles the size of the old building – that will house an exhibition kitchen on the left, the new bar space on the right and a pool for stingrays directly ahead.

“I think one of the neatest things, especially for people that haven’t been in here, when you pull up it’s a fairly modest front and once you get into this hallway it draws you in,” Buschmole said. “You don’t realize everything that’s in here. It’s a pretty big project.

“A big feature here is this pool that Cox Pools built. It will be full of sting rays for the kids to pet and to feed. This room will keep the high ceilings, the beams will be exposed and the ceiling itself will be the stained cypress.”

The exhibition kitchen will have a gas and wood-fire oven as well as a 66-inch wood-fire grill, both using pecan and oak stored right outside.

“The exhibition kitchen is kind of the cornerstone of the concept,” Buschmole said.

“We’ll do wood-fired pizzas as well as roast and fish on cedar in the wood oven. Or you can have your fish, steaks grilled on the live wood grill.

“Everything will be made from scratch, in house. We’ll make some of the pasta, we’ll make some of the bread. We’ll bake here, we’ll make our own ice cream. It’s a completely fresh concept.”

Next to the woodshed will be a garden area.

“We’ll grow our own herbs in there,” he said.

Beyond the pool is a 6,500-square-foot deck made of Brazilian ipe wood for outside dining with a covered area to the left that will house a bar and stage for live music.

Beyond that further still a dock will have 10 slips for boaters to visit the restaurant or get food service right on their boats.

And that food will be, well, fresh.

For more on this story go to:

http://www.gulfcoastnewstoday.com/area_news/article_98b4d846-e722-11e2-95a9-001a4bcf887a.html