Whether you’ve been for dinner or brunch, or for a birthday party (or 20 birthday parties), you’ve all been to Grey Lady. I’ll be the first to admit, I’ve been to Grey Lady my fair share, so of course when I heard the owners of Grey Lady were opening up a new, island themed restaurant featuring bahamian cocktails & seafood cuisine just a block away, it was only a matter of time before I went. I’ve been to the GL team’s new spot, Norman’s Cay, a few times now for late night drinks with friends, but it wasn’t until this week when Norman’s relaunched their menu that I decided to go give the food a try…
Upon hearing the cuisine type at Norman’s Cay was Caribbean I was a bit concerned. What is “Caribbean” food?? Is it gluten free?? The answers: it is delicious and yes! Better yet, the eccentric items on the menu that are not naturally gluten free can easily be made GF. So what should you order? To start, I highly recommend the ackee and codfish but replace the accompanying toast with rice & beans. Ackee, as I learned, is the national fruit of Jamaica; this dish looks like scrambled eggs and was incredibly interesting. Also to start, the glazed pork belly nobread was tender and prepared perfectly. Next up, I had the jerk chicken tacos. The tacos are served on a corn tortilla shell and this chicken taco was 100% gluten free. For entrees, my waitress told me that the oxtail was one of their signature dishes and 100% gluten free. I had no idea what oxtail was, and I still don’t think I do, but it tasted similar to brisket and is a definite must-order. I’m a huge seafood fan and of course had to dabble in the seafood section of the menu, too. The jerk salmon is small, but flavorful, and I definitely recommend it. The seared stripe bass is also 100% gluten free, and I will be ordering it on my next visit to the restaurant. Lastly, round out your meal with the spicy truffle fries. These fries are subject to cross contamination in the fryers at the restaurant, but if you can handle a little CC, these fries are addicting.
Never mind the food, my favorite part about my dining experience at Norman’s Cay was hearing about the Escobar potato vodka, created by partner Ryan Chadwick out of Aspen. I like to think of myself as a vodka connoisseur; this vodka is incredibly smooth and flavorful and it tastes as though you are sipping on tequila! Unlike other vodkas that are distilled up to 7 times and essentially stripped of all their flavor, Escobar is only distilled once. Better yet, unlike other gluten free/potato vodkas that can cost upwards of $50 for a small bottle, Escobar is packaged and sold for only $19!! See here for more info: https://escobarvodka.com/about-escobar-vodka/
The menu at Norman’s Cay is surprisingly accommodating to gluten allergies, unique and delicious, and the Escobar Potato Vodka alone will have me back to the restaurant in no time. Portions are small, so be sure to order plenty especially if you are with a large group. I always say, if I can safely eat something, I will try it, and I’m glad I could put my mantra to action at Norma’s Cay. Oxtail?? Ackee?? You know you haven’t tried it yet, so hurry to Norman’s Cay for your first taste!