Dining Out on Providenciales – Crackpot Kitchen

Experience Turks and Caicos Local Flavors and Culture Celebrated by Chef Nik

The island of Providenciales offers up plenty of delightful culinary experiences for visitors. There are all kinds of cuisine available and a variety of restaurants offering a wide range of settings in which guests can enjoy their meals.

Situated at the Regent Village on Grace Bay, about an 11-minute walk from Villa del Mar, Crackpot Kitchen Restaurant Bar & Grill is fast becoming the place to experience authentic island cuisine.

While the restaurant name might make you think eccentric, crazy and out of the box, this restaurant is actually named after one of the owner’s cooking techniques. Chef Nikita Skippings (featured in the video below) or as most people on the island call him, Chef Nik, likes to strike the side of the pot while cooking rice. A co-worker commented one day that he might crack the pot at some point. Chef Nik liked the phrase and wanted to use it in some way in a potential company name. Hence the name Crackpot Kitchen was born.

Local Flavors

The restaurant is a popular spot for both tourists and locals alike; the big draw is its food. Guests can choose from a wide selection of island dishes like Cracky Conch Fritters, Jerk Lamb Rack, or Crusty Grouper with sides such as peas ‘n rice, plantain strips, and sweet potato mash. Desserts also include some traditional island favourites like North Caicos Sweet Potato Bread or Salt Cay Carrot Cake.

“It’s where you go to experience the Island feel, culture and the best of the Turks and Caicos,” says the restaurant website. The restaurant mirrors the man who started the enterprise. In fact it’s hard to separate the two. Chef Nik is passionate about preserving island cooking traditions. He started the Crackpot Kitchen Cooking Show which brings live cooking demonstrations to the island. The show has been wildly popular. But for Chef Nik, it’s all about teaching new generations about Caicos cooking and keeping the old time recipes alive and well.

Passing on the Inspiration for Food

This importance of preserving traditions is founded on a profound love of cooking. Chef Nik is at home in the kitchen and loves to cook. In the video below he says, “Cooking is a passion of mine,” he says. He goes on to add, “Cooking is an art – that’s why they call it culinary arts.”

It’s no wonder Chef Nik feels as strongly about it as he does. He learned a lot about the craft from his father Aldon “Smokey” Smith who owns the extremely popular island restaurant Smokey’s on Da Bay. As they say, like father like son.

Special Dining Events

As well as the amazing cuisine coming out of Chef Nik’s kitchen, the tropical setting and ambience of the restaurant draws guests in easily. Patrons can dine indoors or relax outside surrounded by a lush green tropical garden. On Saturday nights or “Cracky Saturdays” there are extras featured like a conch salad station, a pig roast and music and entertainment by local island performers.

So if you’re looking for a real taste of the Turks and Caicos, pay a visit to Crackpot Kitchen. You’ll find the traditional dishes, but you’ll also be delighted with some twists on old themes too. What’s in the name of this restaurant is only the start of a delicious experience that you will bring you back again and again. For reservations at Crackpot Kitchen call: 649-231-3336 / 649-241-3336 or ask our front desk to assist.