Kaiyo Crew 

 

 

Tony Corallo, General Manager

 

Tony Corallo has successfully interwoven his many years of experience as an Islamorada restaurant owner and GM with his extensive marketing, sales and team building knowledge to assure that each visit to the new Kaiyo Grill - and our sister Islamorada restaurant - Green Turtle Inn provides only the highest levels of service and comfort.

 

Tony is a New Jersey native who transplanted to South Florida in 1993 and has been an Islamorada resident since 2001. One of Tony's former businesses, an Islamorada gourmet eatery popular for locals and seasoned gourmets alike, established him as food and wine lovers' "concigliere". Wondering what white wine will complement your fish or about the perfect dessert to pair with your port? Tony is a savvy resource who will happily guide you. Just ask! And his desire to provide the ultimate night-out experience, guarantee your time at the popular Islamorada bar with a lively group of friends or romantic dinner at a cozy table for two will be memorable.

 

Tony brings his metropolitan hospitality to the new Kaiyo Grill and the iconic Green Turtle Inn - both in downtown Islamorada, Florida Keys- through his broad understanding of food, wine and personal service. He loves his work and you can feel it! He states, "I get to host the best dinner party in Islamorada every night and if you're not having a great night out it's probably because you're not here - but you are always welcome!"

 

Peruse Tony's wine list here

 

Matthew Slattery, Executive Chef

 

Chef Matthew Slattery's experience is diverse, his awards impressive, and his industry reputation solid- he's well known for his leadership skills, his personal work ethic, and his creative approach to food. Creative cuisine must run in his family; when asked during an interview what inspired his love for cooking he replied, "My father, was always creating new and interesting items with different twists to eat at home". Yes, Chef "Slatts" also cooks at home and enjoys constantly experimenting with new ingredients. His favorite related job; working as a personal chef on the road for many music-touring artists including NSYNC and Tim McGraw. And the brave advice he shares for pulling off a last-minute meal; "Start cooking, then later figure out what it's going to be".

His cooking style he describes as "Good clean American food with a twist". A good example is his recipe for Drunken Scallops; they're pan seared in duck fat until caramel colored and sweet. Then he adds bacon, garlic, shallots and the twist; instead of wine, he deglazes the pan with a good stout beer. The dish is finished with heavy cream and parmesan. Paired with lobster mashed potatoes the recipe is hailed as "one of the most popular items at the restaurants and festivals where it has been featured". This is just one of the niche specials that will be showcased on Kaiyo Grill's signature menu.

 

His life is as eclectic as his cooking style. Myriad experiences include: Cook Orlando 2011 Champion, the competition was "chopped style" (covered baskets of surprise ingredients were supplied for creating each course of dinner), winning over four of Orlando's top chef's. Also taking home first place in the 2011 Lake Eola food and wine Festival. He is an admitted Dave Matthew Band addict and has attended 54 live shows, has a fire dancer tattoo on his right shoulder, and he is a die-hard member of Red Sox Nation.

 

About his new post at Kaiyo Grill Chef Matthew Slattery said, "I am excited for the opportunity to work in an island environment and to immerse myself in its unique culture to nourish people with incredible food created from interesting local ingredients. I am eager to interact with customers so I can capture their collective dining spirit and design menus that embrace it".

 

Check out our menus or read about offsite catering and Florida Keys weddings.

 

Terry Albury, Comptroller/ Sr. Manager

 

Terry has been an essential element in both Kaiyo Grill and Green Turtle Inn since their inception.  She was born in Lakewood, Ohio to a family of good, solid "old-fashioned" values; her parents were married for sixty years!  She has four brothers and a sister so she learned how to manage men early in life and by being a huge Cleveland sports fan she has learned how to manage catastrophe just as well - both of which make her an ideal restaurateur.  

 

Terry graduated from Dyke Business College (in a year to remain unnamed) with a B.A. in accounting. She moved to the FL Keys in 1984 when she married Rusty Albury, a fifth generation Conch and esteemed local fishing captain.  Proud and very active mother of Emily and John, Terry has recently started a small collection of dogs - she also has a huge collection of Chardonnay corks.

 

Terry tackles more duties and tasks between both restaurants than there is room to mention but her most notable includes her primary role as comptroller for both restaurants, as well as managing the restaurant floor at Green Turtle Inn every Tuesday morning and hosting the Girls Night Out live radio broadcasts on Tuesday evenings. Always willing to do whatever it takes Terry is an invaluable part of the success of both restaurants -and she has a great smile! Terry can regale you with tales of local Keys legend and lore. Stop in to The Turtle any Tuesday for Girl's Night Out and share a glass of Chardonnay with the most colorful number cruncher ever!

 

Dekiy, Restaurant Manager

 

Dekiy's bright smile glows with happiness and warmth. She radiates graceful elegance and is always beaming joyfully while providing good old-school customer care to Kaiyo Grill patrons. Dekiy has held myriad positions from "the back of the house to the front" in restaurants for past ten years. She has enjoyed many wonderful culinary and hospitality experiences, from running her own special place; "The Yeti" in Lhasa Tibet, to training at the renowned Culinary Institute of America.

Dekiy's Tibetan hospitality knows no bounds, from pouring tea to serving food or even holding a baby so parents can enjoy a few moments together over dinner on their special Islamorada vacation. This dedicated customer care aficionado will make sure you have an unforgettable experience at the Florida Keys restaurant hailed as "Islamorada's dining jewel", Kaiyo Grill. 

 

You'll know her the moment you arrive. She will be the welcoming, gentle smile that greets you at the door.

 

Make reservations here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Theingi Win, Sushi Chef

 

From a great passion for the Japanese culinary arts, Theingi traveled and resided in Japan for four years and honed her skills for creating traditional Japanese cuisine and popular Japanese sushi dishes. She has trained with top sushi chef's, learning to source the freshest, most interesting ingredients and integrating all the various elements to unify each perfect dish.

 

Chef Theingi's family has always been is in the gourmet food business. An Epicurean- almost from before birth- she has a prodigious amount of experience in the culinary, and epicurean field.

 

After running a successful sushi business for AFC Corporation for almost a decade, Chef Theingi has made a home in Islamorada at Kaiyo Grill. She embraces the customer experience as a meaningful part of their Islamorada vacation experience and takes great care to interact with her Sushi guests so she can discover their tastes in order to suggest and create dishes they will long remember as more than just sushi. For FL Keys weddings and offsite catering events, Theingi can create sushi magic!

 

One guest was moved to rave on tripadvisor.com that she prepares and presents, "The best sushi in the Florida Keys!". 

 

Discover our sushi menus here.

 

 

Kathleen Garrity, Director of Catering

 

 

Kathleen Garrity is passionate about entertaining!  When it comes to offsite catering planning an event from conception to execution, helping to craft unique menus, working through the timing with clients, coordinating party décor and rentals —and assembling the perfect staff is exciting business for this enthusiastic Long Key resident. And so it stands to reason that she absolutely loves her position as Catering Director of Island Catering by Green Turtle Inn and Kaiyo Grill. Island Catering specializes in events from grand Florida Keys weddings to beach barbecues to intimate private chef dinners.

Born and raised in Connecticut, Kathleen began planning dinner parties in high school where raids on parents’ fridges and liquor cabinets determined the evenings’ menu. She perfected her fondue and hot toddy recipes during her college years in Burlington, Vermont where a degree in public relations led to a position as an Advertising Account Executive in Boston specializing in restaurant accounts.

After living in Germany for 6 years where she took cooking classes in 5 countries, she returned to Connecticut to raise 3 children, owned a tiny Gourmet Shop and Catering Business; and spent 10 years as a Wedding and Special Event Planner.

With her children grown and New England winters getting longer, Kathleen made the happy leap to become a full-time Florida Keys resident. She spends her free time fishing, gardening, entertaining, and tending to her ever-expanding veggie patch. Kathleen combines her distinctive taste and unique skills to create Island Catering’s philosophy of “restaurant-quality” food and service. If it’s a fun and exciting Florida Keys wedding, group gathering or special event, Kathleen is your girl!

When offsite catering is in the plans…whether a toes-in-the-sand Florida Keys wedding, formal private dinner party, or fun and stylish pool-side bash, Kathleen is here to expertly handle every detail so all you need to think about is enjoying your very special event.

Island Catering Email