Todd Gray's Empire Expanding To The Dominican Republic

Chef Todd Gray has served as culinary director of hospitality group Salamander Hospitality for years now, which has its tentacles in Virginia, South Carolina and Tampa already. And now he's joining the legions of American chefs with their hands in offshore properties. Just last week, the group signed a deal to take over a resort in the Dominican Republic called the Fishing Lodge Cap Cana — so you can expect to see the Equinox/Watershed chef jetting down to the Caribbean every now and then to oversee his new restaurant concepts.

At first, there's just going to be two concepts opening in Cap Cana on October 13 — a version of Gray's Market Salamander that'll differ from its Middleburg incarnation by being more of a cafe with a Caribbean spin, naturally. Meanwhile, there's also going to be an open-air restaurant named Bistrot (pictured above) that Gray says will be "American in foundation with a little nod to some spanish influences and obviously some Dominican Republic influences."

Right now Gray says just working on supplier lines to the island nation — "I hope I don't have to sneak my black truffles into my bag with my truffle mandolin," — and, of course, menu development. Dishes like tropical gazpacho with garlic chives and mango, pan-roasted snapper with plantain chips and and a whole roasted beef ribeye with rosemary potatoes are in the works. After the October launch, they'll be developing two more restaurant concepts for the resort — which might include a seafood restaurant, perhaps deriving some inspiration from Watershed.
· Fishing Lodge Cap Cana [Official Site]
· All Previous Todd Gray Coverage [-EDC-]