With the heat wave throughout most of the country this week, we can't help but think about transporting ourselves to the Caribbean to enjoy crystal clear waters, sandy beaches, cooling cocktails and delicious, refreshing dishes.

If you can't make it to the islands, we suggest heading over to Hyatt Summerfield Suites to enjoy the Caribbean-themed Summer Grilling Social. You may remember, we launched the Caribbean Cuisine Challenge earlier this year, where we encouraged participants to submit an original recipe for a chance to win an iPad, a one night stay at any Hyatt Summerfield Suites hotel, and the opportunity to have their dish featured on the 2011 Hyatt Summerfield Suites Summer Grilling Social menu.

We announced the winners here on Keyed Into Hyatt in June, and the winning dishes sounded so good that we just had to get out there and try them for ourselves.

The Hyatt Summerfield Suites corporate team took an outing to Hyatt Summerfield Suites Chicago/Naperville/Warrenville, and as you can tell by the pictures below, everyone had a great time trying these island-inspired snacks. From the Caribbean Cooler, to the Belizean Mango Bean Salad, to the Fruity Caribbean Bread Pudding, we'd say the Summer Grilling Social is a delicious success.

The Summer Grilling Socials are offered every other Wednesday evening through August 24, so if you're staying with us, make sure to swing by to sip, snack and socialize!