Dakia O’Brien—Wild Wing Wednesdays
What started out as a catering business delivering wings on—you guessed it!—
Wednesdays, has grown into a full-blown take-out business located on Parson’s Road. Dakia
O’Brien started her catering business, Dae N Night Catering, in January 2014 and began her uber-popular Wild Wing Wednesdays in November of that year. Since then,
the business has grown to offering more than just her 18 different flavours of chicken
wings—she now showcases regular specials, including a not-so-po-boy shrimp sandwich, crispy french fries topped with WWW chili, and even has a Friday night lobster
special complete with mac and cheese and peas n’ rice. With her rapid rise and innovative offerings we expect more culinary delights from O’Brien to come.
Chef Chiko—Chiko’s Smokey Rubs
A sous chef at Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, Michiko Campbell (otherwise known as
Chef Chiko) debuted his original spice rub at Harbour Nights in 2014, and over the last
year has released four more flavours—triple garlic fusion, ham seasoning, spicy fusion
and Middle-Eastern spice. With a blend of 10 to 15 natural spices in each bottle, the
all-purpose rubs are designed to add a twist to any dish including meat, vegetables
and even pasta. Chef Chiko’s Smokey Rubs are now available islandwide at Brown &
Co, Phoenix Centre, both Lindo’s stores, International Imports, Home Worx Ltd. in St.
George’s and Handmade Bermuda in Dockyard.
From foodie entrepreneurs and social media mavens, to brave new restaurateurs, here are
our picks of those who caught our eye in 2015 and we’ll be watching in the coming year.
Ones to Watch
BermyFresh
At the bottom of a small, industrial valley in Warwick, inside a warehouse, one
farmer is changing the menus of restaurants all across the island. BermyFresh,
founded by Scott Tucker, is using a new type of urban agricultural technique called
“vertical farming” to produce salad greens and mushrooms, the likes of which
Bermuda has never seen before. If you’ve dined out recently, chances are you’ve
already come across Tucker’s microgreens—salad vegetables such as arugula,
Swiss chard, mustard and beetroot greens, and others. Home chefs meanwhile
have been finding his shiitake mushrooms at select grocery stores across the island. And locavores can only expect to start finding more from him in the months
to come. By using hydroponics and artificial LED lights, BermyFresh products are
totally organic and pesticide free, loaded with nutrients, and packing a punch in
the taste category.
Sea & Farm to Table at The Reefs
A new arrangement between Wadson’s Farm and The Reefs is a match made in
food heaven for visitors seeking a super fresh, ultra local culinary experience. It’s
the brainchild of a few people dedicated to sustainable agriculture. Guests can accompany the chef on a full tour of the farm, normally lasting for a couple of hours.
While at the farm they choose the locally grown ingredients that suit their fancy and
they’re prepared for their dinner, typically served on the same evening. The chef’s
creation promises to dazzle. For ultimate confidence in the freshness of the ingredients, The Reefs, holds its farmers, fishermen, and purveyors to the highest standard,
only using local sustainable products when available and importing the very best
when needed. All products are world friendly, no hormone, no antibiotics and the
freshest on the island.
