Pinnacle Grille "Bring the Steak Cart Around"

[sail7seas]

The whole 'bringing-the-steak-cart-around-and-explaining-the-cuts-of-meat' is getting a bit 'airplane-emergency-procedure-y' for me too - if the person I'm dining with has been to Pinnacle before too, I tend to wave them off.

Brian made this statement in another thread and it caught my attention as I've "been in that position".

If for your dinner in Pinnacle, everyone at your table has dined there before, do you politely listen (once again) to the steward present the "Steak Cart"? Or, do you politely state you all at the table have heard it before and thank him for his willingness to go through it all but say No, Thanks?

Would that be too rude?

[bookworm0911]

I think it would be rude. It is part of his job and part of the "presentation" in many fine restaurants. No big deal. It takes what, about 2 minutes?

[RuthC]

As the old song says---"It's not what you say, it's how you say it!"

There's nothing rude per se in asking to skip the presentation. As long as it's done politely ask to go ahead and skip to the eating! :D

[bepsf]

****pounds his fork and knife into the table chanting "Bring my Beef! Bring my BEEF!!!"****

[kryos]

Would that be too rude?
I don't think it would be rude ... but, hey ... why not let him go through it? Doesn't take that long.

I dined in the Pinnacle four times during my Amsterdam cruise ... three times with the same people. Each time the steak cart was brought around ... and the waiter knew we had viewed the cuts before. Still he did the presentation. At the end each time, I just told him ... sorry you had to go through all that, because there is only one option I can order ... the petite cut of the filet mignon. Unfortunately, all the other options are way too much food for me. In a restaurant at home, I would just doggy bag it ... but can't very well do that on a cruise ship, and I hate to waste food.

Shame you can't request your leftovers be saved for you to be reheated and served the next night in the dining room.

Blue skies ...

--rita

[Krazy Kruizers]

Once we are seated at the table and waiter hands us our menus, we always let them know that we have dined many times at the Pinnacle on the various ships and that we don't need to see the stake cart as we know what we will be ordering.

[peaches from georgia]

Don't know if I would say 'rude', but while taking that first sip of wine or dinner drink of choice, what's the harm in viewing the wonderful choices of meat before you? Sometimes those very few minutes to think about it will induce DH to change from beef to lamb or vice-versa.

You have a leisurely 2 hour delicious meal to look forward to, so I just don't see what the problem or the rush is And we've been in the PG many many times, also. :confused:

[Navy_Chief]

Of course, there is the other alternative......as with the airline Flight Attendants, you could bring your favorite magazine or news paper along to dinner and politely read it as the waiter is rambling off the cuts of meat much as people do on the planes as the Flight Attendant is rambling off the emergency procedures :D

[stebul]

The waiter has always asked us on our first visit each cruise whether we have been there before. On our first cruise, we said "No" and got the cart. After that, we said "Yes" and did not get the cart.

[Sage]

Having just returned from our 25 day cruise, and having eaten in the Pinacle several times, our waiters kindly asked if there was anyone who would like to see the cart again? Of course then we were free to answer yes or no. I just love the waiters on the Volendam.

[elmorejj]

Of course, there is the other alternative......as with the airline Flight Attendants, you could bring your favorite magazine or news paper along to dinner and politely read it as the waiter is rambling off the cuts of meat much as people do on the planes as the Flight Attendant is rambling off the emergency procedures :D



Guilty as charged!!........jean:cool:

[sail7seas]

Having just returned from our 25 day cruise, and having eaten in the Pinacle several times, our waiters kindly asked if there was anyone who would like to see the cart again? Of course then we were free to answer yes or no. I just love the waiters on the Volendam.

I agree (most) of the dining room stewards on Volendam are terrific. There are always one or two exceptions but we had great stewards in January.

[bepsf]

Guilty as charged!!........jean:cool:

Hahahahaha...

Ditto!

[ryansmemom]

On our last cruise we had four of our dinners in the Pinnacle. The cart experience became a game we played with the stewards. We enjoyed it very much. We dined with different people each time. So it was not a repeat performance for all members of our party. However, the best time we had was the night we snagged a last minute reservation and had a table for two. We had a three actor performance that night as my husband and I gave the steward our own interpretation of the selections on the cart.

Those stewards can be lots of fun to be with if you just give them a chance. HAL is definitly not stuffy. I don't understand why people have that opinion. We have lots of fun.

Linda

[watchdiva]

On last year's Zuiderdam cruise, we ate in the Pinnacle 3 times (and requested after the first night that we sit in the same booth and have the same waiter). After the first night, our waiter knew that we had seen the cart and didn't offer.

On this year's Westerdam cruise, we ate in the Pinnacle twice and on our first night we were asked if we wanted to see the cart. We politely replied no and our waiter proceeded to take our order. The second evening that we ate at the Pinnacle (different waiter) we just let her know in advance that we didn't need to see the cart.

[mike35]

Once we are seated at the table and waiter hands us our menus, we always let them know that we have dined many times at the Pinnacle on the various ships and that we don't need to see the stake cart as we know what we will be ordering.

Maybe you can convince his to drive a stake through your steak:D

[mike35]

Once we are seated at the table and waiter hands us our menus, we always let them know that we have dined many times at the Pinnacle on the various ships and that we don't need to see the stake cart as we know what we will be ordering.

Maybe you can convince him to drive a stake through your steak:D

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Maybe I am weird but I think that the server should at least ask if we would like to see the cart. To me even if I have been to a particular Fine Dining Restaurant before such things as bringing out the Steak Cart are part of the ambiance and sets the tone for the whole meal. To me a meal in the Pinnacle or for any Fine Dining is more than just eating a meal. If I am asked would I like to see the steak cart we often say yes. There have been several time well after our first time in the Pinnacle that they brought out the cart and the rest of the service as excellent. This last time on the Ryndam we saw the cart but did not see them show it to any one nor ask if we wanted to see it. The service also went along the same lines. It was not the worst service but certainly not the best. The Wine Steward was excellent.

[dakrewser]

THe question is, really, have any of the diners ever seen a steak before. Most have. I find the presentation in the Pinnacle to be only slighty better than that at Morton's but still better that the "have you ever dined here before?" intro to an explanation of how to order/eat/sauce your food at supposedly good restaurants (where I'm almost embarassed for the server).

It's a place to eat, not a place to get a biology lesson on cuts of meat!

[peaches from georgia]

It's a place to eat, not a place to get a biology lesson on cuts of meat!
Of course not. But if you are going to eat you have to order first, so it might help some to decide if one 'sees' the various cuts of beef available in the PG and also the rack of lamb first. How big is the porterhouse going to be, do the rib eyes look like they have a lot of fat, are the lamb chops tiny, which size of filet might I prefer? There are 'steaks' and there are 'steaks'. Seeing one does not mean you've seen them all.

It can be helpful to see the steak cart and hear the presentation and ask questions of the steward rather than just read a menu. No one is looking for a dissertation about cattle or sheep.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Sorry about my spelling error - sometimes I type faster than I think spelling wise.

Gee - we don't always read something while the flight attendants give their speech or while we are watching the video - so we are guitly as well. Depending on the time of our flights, we are usually having a cocktail.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Oh yes - we did observe a woman night at the Pinnacle take her leftover food with her - they made a cute swan out of the foil for her. She was seated at a table in the dining room not very far away from us. The next night she came in with her beautiful swan and asked th waiter to reheat her meal for her.

I reported this when I did my Amsterdam review.

[elmorejj]

Have to agree with peaches on this. I do like to look at the meat/ before ordering, would hate to just order and then waste it because it is too big/fatty, whatever. I don`t think the server reads us his dissertation on meat cuts......just doing his job

[Stevesan]

"Taste Of Texas" steakhouse is hardly fine dining, but has large butcher case displays. You peruse the cuts and make a selection.

Kind of like a lobster tank, but they're not on the hoof!:rolleyes:
The steaks aren't prime, but they are choice, and properly cooked to order.

Of course this is Texas so you listen to Rush Limbaugh over the PA system. Funnily, he's stopped talking about illegal drug use. Used to be one of his favorite subjects. As I recall, he advocated locking them all up and throwing away the key. I wonder what happened to that?:confused:

[elmorejj]

Stevesan, ROFLMAO!!!.........jean:cool:

[dakrewser]

Of course not. But if you are going to eat you have to order first, so it might help some to decide if one 'sees' the various cuts of beef available in the PG and also the rack of lamb first. How big is the porterhouse going to be, do the rib eyes look like they have a lot of fat, are the lamb chops tiny, which size of filet might I prefer? There are 'steaks' and there are 'steaks'. Seeing one does not mean you've seen them all.

That would make sense if you could "pick your steak" (there used to be a place in Austin, called "U R Cooks" where you could do that) but the reality is that the fat/lean marbling, etc. varies widely from the ones on the cart to the ones that show up on your plate. Now, if they wanted to set up a small display as you enter to help those who needed a visual presentation - no problem. But the steak cart itself I put right up there with the dancing vegetables... :eek:

[stebul]

Some people visualize in their heads, others see with their eyes. Even applies to steaks.

[Navy_Chief]

LoL Stevesan, good stuff shipmate. Reminds me of this steak place they had in Norfolk VA years back. Used to go in, pick the cut out of the locker, it was brought to your table, you took it and your beer up to the open grill pit and cooked it yourself! Talk about ala-Steak Cart! :D It was a novelty once forget the second time.

[tickleddpink]

Maybe you can convince him to drive a stake through your steak:D

LOL! On the Oosterdam (5/6 to Alaska), my cousin and I were treated to the tale of Vlad the Impaler, the historical Dracula :eek: , immediately after the steak presentation by Christian, our wonderful Romanian server. A quirky highlight of our first dinner at the Pinnacle Grill. We skipped the raw steak plate the next 2 times we were there....

Jane

[KalenaD]

My husband and I had to try and keep a straight face during the waiters "meat lesson", he is a retired meatcutter (40 yrs) and I have been a meatwrapper for over 20 years. We actually thought they did a good job of explaining. I was a little surprised they actually had the prime, aged cuts on display, most people don't want to know that the best cuts of beef are very fatty and dark from aging, they want to see the lean, red cuts. We had one of the best steaks we have ever had in a restaraunt, and that's saying a lot for us.