Ole'?

Here's an odd story for you.

I enjoy café au lait with my dessert. When I requested it on the Norway last year, they offered a half cup of coffee and said I should fill it the rest of the way with cream from the jug on the table. It turned out quite rich and very good (if the cream doesn't cool the coffee too much).

On Connie last month, I didn't even bother to ask for café au lait in the dining room; just waited for everyone else at the table to use the cream before I emptied the jug into my 1/2 cup of coffee.

HOWEVER,... while dining at Ocean Liner's (Constellation’s finest dining) one evening, I didn't feel it would be too much to ask for café au lait again. When I ordered, the waiter was sure to point out that it would have to come from the bar. I didn't think it was so involved just to get hot milk put in my coffee, but, whatever...

Instead of café au lait, I got something dark and frothy in stemware, and obviously with alcohol.
“No, that’s not what I ordered, I wanted Café au Lait.”
“Yes? You ordered Spanish coffee?”
“No. ‘CAFÉ AU LAIT’”.
“Yes. This is Coffee Ole’!
“This isn’t café au lait, it’s a bar drink!”
“Yes! You ordered Spanish Coffee!; Coffee Ole’!”
Very quickly the M’d and asst. waiter joined in the confusion too.

Before too long those of us at the table figured out the problem. I dismissed the drink, ordered a ½ cup of coffee, and filled it with chilled cream. Drat.

My tablemates and I are still baffled and amused to think of three obviously European men, educated in the culinary arts (?), confessing that they’d never heard that the French mix their coffee and milk.

Dan & Marlene

NCL Southward 04/92
Star Princess 05/95
HAL Westerdam 09/96
Norway 02/03
Constellation 04/04

I am not familiar with the ole' but in France and Italy that light coffee/cream drink ie cappichino sp are served as breakfast drinks. Espresso is served later in the day. lorelle

We called this lait Russe. (Russian Milk)

Gitte

Westerdam - Norwegian Fjords
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Constellation New England
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Hi[img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img] I must be confused..I thought Au'lait was steamed milk....or it that a Latte?.....
Steamed milk with hot coffee...1/2 of each...and the coffee is usually expresso..

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When I was in France, many years ago, we stayed in bed and breakfast hotels. Breakfast in the morning was crusty bread served with fresh butter and jam, and stong coffee(not expresso)and hot milk served in 2 seperate pots. The propriators showed us how to mix them half and half in the large coffe cup provided. This beverage they referred to as "cafe au lait".

jglass