Pinnacle New Menu

Does anyone know if the Dining Packages can be ordered once aboard ship?

 

It has been a long time since we've sailed on HAL, having gotten used to Regent or Azamara and I really have a problem with paying a surcharge for dining in an alternate venue.

 

The answer is "yes" for the Specialty Restaurants but with all of the pre-cruise reservations in place, you will have a limited availability if you wait until you are on board. That is especialy true for the last cruise night.

Edited July 28, 2014 by Crew News

I'm sure that the MDR onion soup is not as good as what the Pinnacle had before, but like I said if you are just wanting some, it will do. I'm not much of a desert person but every once in a while I will have our steward in the Pinnacle bring me Cherry Crisp from the MDR, love it. My DH loves Escargot and on the formal night they have that in the MDR, you got it, DH has the Pinnacle steward bring him two.:D

It seems to make no difference if the Pinnacle shares the MDR kitchen or not, they seem not to have any problem bring food to us from the MDR.:)

Read the thumbs down for the ribeye, any beef recommendations other than tartare?

Read the thumbs down for the ribeye, any beef recommendations other than tartare?

 

I ate two 7-oz filet mignons during my two weeks on the Westerdam and found them excellent. My Chateaubriand at Le Cirque was also of the highest quality and perfectly cooked.

 

Food is very subjective with variations by who cooked it and what quality was present before preparation.

Edited July 28, 2014 by Crew News

Read the thumbs down for the ribeye, any beef recommendations other than tartare?

 

 

We also only order the fillet mignon when we dine in the Pinnacle as that is what we buy at home.

They are wonderful.

........but you all know you can order anything from the MDR in the Pinnacle and the MDR has the French Onion soup on its daily menu. So if you have a hankering for French Onion soup, you can do it that way, just order it from the MDR. I do it all the time. I love mushrooms and sometimes they have like these mushroom towers in the MDR and I order them thru the Pinnacle.:)

 

Interesting - last time we asked for a MDR item while in the PG (it was escargot) we were told in a very snooty voice by our other-wise excellent waiter "we do not serve their food in our Pinnacle". May have to try again.

Although we are 3* on HAL, we haven't sailed much with them lately.

 

We did however take 7 of us on the Westerdam Alaska the first week in June.

 

After sampling the MDR one time, we booked the Pinnacle for the rest of the cruise for all of us.

 

Wonderful experience....excellent food and impeccable service. A lifesaver..If we had to have eaten in the MDR for the week....help!

 

We did try the Italian specialty restaurant and found it a fun experience....especially for the grandkids.

How good was it? Worth the price and do they serve it in the Pinnacle bar with drinks before dinner?

We also only order the fillet mignon when we dine in the Pinnacle as that is what we buy at home.

They are wonderful.

 

If I have a steak from time to time in Pinnacle, I order the filet.

DH never ordered the filet as it may be more tender but has less flavor than other steaks. He often ordered the porterhouse. :) It was a very rare time when he said it wasn't delicious.

 

I can say that the worst meal my DH has had on a HAL ship was in the PG on the Zuiderdam this past March. He had the often talked about 18 oz Ribeye. It looked awful to me. I know a Ribeye is about fat for flavoring ... but this steak looked disgusting. About 1/2 way thru our dinner I mentioned to him it didn't look so great and he whispered "it isn't" to me. The PG was crowded that evening, service was slow, and the only veggie available was cooked carrots. The waiter said they ran out of the other veggies. DH said he thought we should stick to the MDR for dinner, where we have mostly been happy.

 

The second least favorite meal for DH was also on the Z in March at the PG for lunch. Had had the hamburger and said it was great ... until he found an industrial size staple in the middle of it. No staff seemed concerned.

 

To not totally bash the PG … we absolutely love having breakfast in the Pinnacle Grills. We have always found the service to be fast and the food to be tasty!

 

Only carrots and a staple in the burger - absolutely discusting. I have one reservation for my 7 day Sept cruise. Will be sure to check availability of vegetables before I go.

I miss some of the items that were on the old menu. I order the ribeye every time we have dinner in the PG and it has been cooked to perfection. I'm an Iowa farm boy and we raised cattle and when I say it was good, it was very good. I understand it can be hit or miss with steaks. The wife always orders the steak tartare and loves it, as well as the lamb chops.

We also only order the fillet mignon when we dine in the Pinnacle as that is what we buy at home.

They are wonderful.

 

 

That is the only thing we ever order in the Pinnacle. I know some love the rib eye steaks, but I once ordered a Prime Rib Eye at a Ruth Chris Steakhouse and could only eat about 1/4th of the hunk of beef. Some people just love all the fat--not me.

I can say that the worst meal my DH has had on a HAL ship was in the PG on the Zuiderdam this past March. He had the often talked about 18 oz Ribeye. It looked awful to me. I know a Ribeye is about fat for flavoring ... but this steak looked disgusting. About 1/2 way thru our dinner I mentioned to him it didn't look so great and he whispered "it isn't" to me. The PG was crowded that evening, service was slow, and the only veggie available was cooked carrots. The waiter said they ran out of the other veggies. DH said he thought we should stick to the MDR for dinner, where we have mostly been happy.

 

The second least favorite meal for DH was also on the Z in March at the PG for lunch. Had had the hamburger and said it was great ... until he found an industrial size staple in the middle of it. No staff seemed concerned.

 

To not totally bash the PG … we absolutely love having breakfast in the Pinnacle Grills. We have always found the service to be fast and the food to be tasty!

 

Only carrots as the vegetable and a staple in a hamburger for lunch!!

 

We were on the Zuiderdam in May and wonderful meals. We also love the breakfasts in the PG.

 

Did you say anything to the PG manager? If it is the same manager, she was recently promoted. We knew many of the wait staff from previous cruises, but to find a staple in the hamburger and for the staff to be nonchalant about this incident is unacceptable. I hope you reported this on the post cruise "survey".

If I have a steak from time to time in Pinnacle, I order the filet.

DH never ordered the filet as it may be more tender but has less flavor than other steaks. He often ordered the porterhouse. :) It was a very rare time when he said it wasn't delicious.

To clarify my post about the 18 oz Ribeye in the Zuiderdam PG ... I was the one who suggested to DH he might like it based on reviews on CC. At home and away we always order filets. I have never seen a "piece of meat" with so much fat and gristle in it. It just looked awful. My DH, a man who is somewhat non-confrontational ate what meat he could find and just left the rest. I voted he should have sent it back. I was surprised the waiter did not make any comment when he cleared the plates. My filet was okay and enjoyable ... but certainly not the best I've had.

 

As far as the veggies ... how can you have a new menu and then not have the brussel sprouts or asparagus?

 

We have two long cruises coming up. We are still undecided about whether or not to book any PG dinners.

Read the thumbs down for the ribeye, any beef recommendations other than tartare?

I'm not a big ribeye fan but I found the Veal Chop, to be excellent. Very juicy and so much flavor. That would be my suggestion.

We ate in the PG for the first time in May on the Veendam. We'd avoided it on past cruises because there was only one vegetarian choice. The new menu has three! Dinner was wonderful.

[quote name='Jemima']We ate in the PG for the first time in May on the Veendam. We'd avoided it on past cruises because there was only one vegetarian choice. The new menu has three! Dinner was wonderful.[/QUOTE]

Which of the veg choices did you try? I was going to try one, but couldn't decide which! Edited July 28, 2014 by SilvertoGold

I had the stuffed eggplant and my daughter had the mushroom ravioli which I think is a carryover from the old menu.

[SIZE=4][COLOR=darkred]I've had the mushroom ravioli and enjoyed them very much. Anything with mushrooms in it is ok by me.[/COLOR][/SIZE] Edited July 29, 2014 by PathfinderEss

[quote name='PathfinderEss'][SIZE=4][COLOR=darkred]I've had the mushroom ravioli and enjoyed them very much. Anything with mushrooms in it is ok by me.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/QUOTE]

If it is a carryover from the old Pinnacle menu, then I would have it. It is heavy, but good with some veggies.

There we go again, Melody, agreeing!

[quote name='SilvertoGold']If it is a carryover from the old Pinnacle menu, then I would have it. It is heavy, but good with some veggies.

There we go again, Melody, agreeing![/quote]

[SIZE=4][COLOR=darkred]Yes and yes, it is heavy but good and we do agree alot...........:D:D:D[/COLOR][/SIZE]
[SIZE=4][COLOR=darkred] [/COLOR][/SIZE]

[quote name='Vict0riann']Making me hungry - and I have 3 months to wait before I have a chance to even order! Yum. Definitely the steak tartare. Did you take some pictures?[/QUOTE]

My sister and I just got back from a back-to-back on the Oosterdam. I agree with everyone here - the tartare is excellent, served with capers, cornichons, red onion, and parsley on the side; and mine had a rolled up anchovy on top.

[IMG]https://twocruisingsisters.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/tartare.jpg[/IMG]

[quote name='SilvertoGold']Which of the veg choices did you try? I was going to try one, but couldn't decide which![/QUOTE]

The pumpkin risotto is fabulous - I could eat it every night. :)

Thanks for the pic - that looks like what my children would swipe while I was making the hamburgers - I thought it would be slivers of raw beef. I will try it! I would like to try the caviar as well - make DH share with me!:D

[quote name='TheSecondSister']My sister and I just got back from a back-to-back on the Oosterdam. I agree with everyone here - the tartare is excellent, served with capers, cornichons, red onion, and parsley on the side; and mine had a rolled up anchovy on top.

[IMG]https://twocruisingsisters.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/tartare.jpg[/IMG][/quote]

[SIZE=4][COLOR=darkred]This picture makes me hungry, can't wait til our next cruise. Thanks for posting.[/COLOR][/SIZE]

[quote name='Vict0riann']Thanks for the pic - that looks like what my children would swipe while I was making the hamburgers - I thought it would be slivers of raw beef. I will try it! I would like to try the caviar as well - make DH share with me!:D[/quote]

[SIZE=4][COLOR=darkred]The steak tartar I've always had looks like the above photo. The caviar is outstanding. I ate it all by myself. Yummy. Though you could serve it to 4 people.[/COLOR][/SIZE]