The Significantly Less Complete Food Lovers Guide to the Allure of the Seas

[BrianAlt]

By the way, were you able to copy both menus for the week? Any feedback on what others might have said about the menu you didn't get to try.

 

Sorry, I don't have the menu from later in the week. I do have some feedback, but I'll wait to answer that until after I get the section posted.

 

Thanks for your review.

 

Thanks for following along again! :)

[Kycruisefan]

On day 2 we had to wake up early and get the kids out of bed. They had a FlowRider lesson at 8 AM. I figured it was perfect to get it done with early so they could enjoy the FlowRider as they wished the rest of the week. It was cool in the morning, so the kids complained a little. But they both go to sleep-away camp, so I’m sure they’re used to some early morning swims.

I have been wondering about this for our upcoming Allure cruise. All of the kids going with us have done the boogie board version of the Flow Rider but not the stand up Flow Rider. Do you think the lesson was worth it?

After that it was time to get ready for the Meet & Mingle. It was very well attended and I spoke to many people there. Belle was the coordinator and did a nice job. We also had a Grab Bag and over 20 (22 was it?) people took part in that. I think that’s pretty impressive!

I have not attended a Meet & Mingle before as I was not aware that they existed. I am signed up for one for our July cruise. Were you emailed by RCCL before your cruise? Did the lady coordinating (Belle) suggest the Grab Bag?

After that we had a Cabin Crawl organized wonderfully by Bobkat406.

I would love to do this as I think it would be neat to see the other types of cabins as well. How did you all go about getting this organized? Was it through your roll call on CC?

After lunch I took a walk around to see if I could find my son. I was looking and looking and looking and looking! When I finally found him he said, “hey dad,” and kept walking right past me!!! I was frozen in the spot I was standing. “Ummm…son…want to talk to me for a second?” Groan…what’s up? Geez, all I wanted to know was if you were having a good time. “Be back in the cabin by 5:30 to take a shower and get dressed for dinner.” “Fine, bye!” My son has officially been a teen for one month and he has definitely figured out how to act like one!

I have a soon to be 13 year old and he is looking forward to a little independence on our cruise this summer! Oh! Maybe I should have booked that ship instead of Allure! LOL!

It was right around 4 PM and anyone that has followed my Oasis review will know what that means. RIGHT! It’s BBC time at the Solarium Bar!

This is the first time that I have read one of your reviews. So, I have to know… What is a BBC?

[BrianAlt]

If the answer is what I think it is...its a trick question and not really trivia anyway so BOO is right!!

 

It is is trick question and it's not even spelled correctly! :mad:

 

So now you are going to force me to sign in tonight since we are leaving for the Allure bright and early tomorrow morning. We are doing 150 on day 1 (4/22) and I was going to get the menu and your opinion. I loved 150 on our last Allure so my plan was to eat there day 1 and then make reservations for when the menu changes.

 

I'll get it posted as soon as I can. But in case you don't see it, let's just say that I recommend you should go!

 

Have a wonderful cruise!

[BrianAlt]

I have been wondering about this for our upcoming Allure cruise. All of the kids going with us have done the boogie board version of the Flow Rider but not the stand up Flow Rider. Do you think the lesson was worth it?

 

Worth is such a relative term. I believe the lesson was $70. In contrast the Zip Line in Labadee was $85. (Yes, I'll be discussing the zip line in a day or two.) Which was more "worth it"? I'd say the FlowRider lesson. They had one-on-one attention from the instructor and lots of time on the FlowRider essentially to themselves.

 

My son had been on a FlowRider once and only did the boogie board. The stand-up is completely different. Show them the video, see what they think. Oh yeah, those aren't pictures, those are videos. Click on them to see them move.

 

I have not attended a Meet & Mingle before as I was not aware that they existed. I am signed up for one for our July cruise. Were you emailed by RCCL before your cruise? Did the lady coordinating (Belle) suggest the Grab Bag?

 

Have you checked out the Roll Call board for your cruise? If not, get on over there! You can start talking to people and planning things now.

 

You need to register for the Meet & Mingle and the link to do that is right on the top of this page and all of the Royal Caribbean boards. Once you do that you'll get a card in your stateroom indicating when and where your Meet & Mingle will be. There is also a webpage that lists the venues once assigned, but ours wasn't updated until a few days before we left and was wrong anyway!

 

Belle is with the Cruise Director staff and was assigned by them to be our baby sitter for 30 minutes or so. She doesn't do anything to coordinate. She just gives us some Royal Caribbean schlock, does a raffle for a bunch of things and then leaves us alone to enjoy each other's company and the remaining coffee and danishes they put in the room.

 

Someone on the Roll Call suggested we do a grab bag. Lots of people signed up. And then we have a grab bag. That occurred after Belle was done with what she wanted to say and do.

 

I would love to do this as I think it would be neat to see the other types of cabins as well. How did you all go about getting this organized? Was it through your roll call on CC?

 

Bobkat406, a fellow Cruise Critic participant, offered to coordinate the tour on the Roll Call board. People would email her information and then she posted what she felt was our best route. No one had any complaints. :)

 

This is the first time that I have read one of your reviews. So, I have to know… What is a BBC?

 

Yeah, I guess that's fair enough. But why not go read my Oasis food review? :D

 

A BBC is Baileys, Banana Liqueur and Colada mix. On the Oasis they would make her one that included a fresh banana.

 

Here's my wife enjoying a BBC on the Oasis.

[Puffinater]

It is is trick question and it's not even spelled correctly! :mad:

 

So when will you show us this trick?;) Also if it is not mice what was it? Might sail the Allure and need answers.

[hiphopchop]

We will definitely try this place when we fly in a day early for our Oasis cruise in November. DH is a big bread fan and I was looking for a seafood restaurant. This will fit the bill perfectly.

Lori??? Hello, definitely stop there and I think November is stone crab season too! Jim and I will miss you on the Explorer this year. We debated but the price was right. I won a cruise on FB the sea is calling sweepstakes so we are going on the Allure in Feb! Hope everyone is well, Lisa

[BrianAlt]

So when will you show us this trick?;)

 

Hey, give people a chance to guess. :p

 

Also if it is not mice what was it? Might sail the Allure and need answers.

 

Mice is the correct answer. That was my guess and I was overruled by "flying".

[TheBigOrangeCruiser]

Enjoying this guide Brian. My wife and I are new to cruising. Are first will be in Sept on the Allure. Just wanted to say thanks and that I'm looking forward to the rest.

[BrianAlt]

Enjoying this guide Brian. My wife and I are new to cruising. Are first will be in Sept on the Allure. Just wanted to say thanks and that I'm looking forward to the rest.

 

Thanks much. Enjoy your cruise and feel free to ask for help!

[goouchjac]

Love reading this review on the Allure,,now can you help me with the info on the Oasis..We will be going in Jan. with family and I need all the info I can get..Not having sailed the "big" ships yet,,,so please let me know how I can get you review and all the info you posted on the Oasis...:D..

Thanks in advance for your input...:cool:

[Kycruisefan]

Thanks for answering all my questions. (even the BBC question). I am reading so much latel that I think my eyes are starting to cross!

[BrianAlt]

Love reading this review on the Allure,,now can you help me with the info on the Oasis..We will be going in Jan. with family and I need all the info I can get..Not having sailed the "big" ships yet,,,so please let me know how I can get you review and all the info you posted on the Oasis...:D..

 

You can read the complete thread here: The Almost Complete Food Lovers Guide to the Oasis of the Seas

 

Or you can read the PDF here, without the comments in between: The Almost Complete Food Lovers Guide.pdf

 

Have a great cruise!

[AlaskaGolden]

You can read the complete thread here: The Almost Complete Food Lovers Guide to the Oasis of the Seas

 

Or you can read the PDF here, without the comments in between: The Almost Complete Food Lovers Guide.pdf

 

Have a great cruise!

 

OH! Thank you for the PDF. I was hoping you might do a PDF for the Allure (this thread) as well. All these non-food comments are distracting -- in a good way, though. I learn so much about the ports, the ship, the activities, etc.:)

[BrianAlt]

Part 5: 150 Central Park

 

We had booked 150 Central Park on the first formal night because we wanted to go on a sea day and we wanted to do this early in the cruise. My wife was concerned with leaving her mother “alone” and she figured it would be best for us to have our one date night as soon as possible. Since it was formal night we decided to schedule 150 CP at the same time the rest of the family would be eating. This would allow us to all get dressed up together and get some pictures taken.

 

The family on Formal Night

 

We arrived at 150 Central Park right at 6:30 and the restaurant was fairly empty. We had our choice of tables and we chose one for two by the window. We could do some people watching out in Central Park while we eat. The room itself is very well laid out with very few tables close to each other. Chops, in comparison, is much more crowded. It’s designed in an opulent way as to give the diner a sense of something special.

 

Our waitress, Natalya, came over and introduced herself. She explained how the dinner works and asked if we had any food aversions or allergies. We got a message on the phone in the room the day before asking the same question. We said we had none and she showed us the menu. The menus are literally for show because there’s no ordering in this restaurant; the menu is fixed, barring aversions or allergies.

 

She showed us the wine pairing menu and explained that it is recommended that we get the wine, that it’s the best way to enjoy the dinner. I definitely wanted the wine, but my wife and I agreed that it was a bit too much wine to drink and properly enjoy the dinner. We asked if we could split one pairing. Our waitress said that she would have to pour the one into one glass, but she would be glad to give us another glass if we would like to split it ourselves. I said that was fine.

 

Then she asked us if we wanted the “special martini” of the restaurant. It’s a Cucumber Martini. We were very familiar with this, having enjoyed it on the Oasis already. We said we would take one martini and I joked that we would share that one too. Actually, my wife wanted it. I would have some, but she really enjoys the cucumber and mint combination of the martini more than I do. I tasted a bit of jalapeno pepper in the drink too. Not so much the spiciness of the pepper, but the brightness of it that fresh cucumber and mint also share.

 

Cucumber Martini

 

Then they brought out a basket of bread and the fabled salts.

 

Bread

 

Salts

 

Okay, let’s see how many of the salts I can remember…Starting from the northeast corner and going clockwise, the white salt is a fairly typical sea salt. The next salt is…is…is…I don’t remember, but it was a little gray and not as salty. I believe it’s from France. The next salt was a pink salt and it also comes from France. It’s really very good and has a lighter salty taste. The red salt is from Hawaii and it is red from iron oxides in the salt. The black salt is a volcanic salt and it is a little smoky. The salt due north in the picture is a salt that is high in sulfur and it has the taste of hard boiled eggs. We’re told that not everyone likes this one, but I liked it a lot!

 

The salts are shown to you in an elaborate presentation by your server. It’s as much part of the entertainment as the rest of the meal. The idea here is that you’re supposed to eat the salts with the bread. They bring you unsalted butter so that you can salt it yourself. I don’t use butter, so I just put a little salt on my plate and then put my bread into the salt to pick up a few flakes.

 

The first course came out and it was visually beautiful. The Citrus-Chipotle Crab Salad was delicious. The piping of avocado pudding that crossed the plate looked like string beans. Every ingredient was placed just so. The ever so thin slices of jalapeno added a nice flavor and helped the chipotle mixed with the crab pop out. The blood orange curd was strong, but not overpowering. The acid in the Honig Sauvignon Blanc helped bring out the flavors even more. Natalya told us that the Chef was all about creating dishes that represented balance. This dish as a starter demonstrated that perfectly.

 

Citrus-Chipotle Crab Salad

 

Who would ever expect to be drinking almond soup? Well if you go to 150 Central Park, you will be doing just that! The Smoked Marcona Almond Soup was rich. Everything about it was rich. The shavings of the Spanish smoked ham added a bit of saltiness and enhanced the smoke from the almonds. The sherry cream increased the richness. This was a fabulous, rich, creamy, smoky soup. What wine should pair with that? Definitely need something that can cut through the richness. The Planeta La Segreta Bianco definitely did just that. It has a great pineapple taste without being overly sweet. I have to buy a couple bottles of this one!

 

Smoked Marcona Almond Soup

 

Part 5 continued in the next post...

[BrianAlt]

Part 5: 150 Central Park Continued

 

As a Jew that was born in New York City, this dish was instantly familiar. We would often have sablefish growing up as part of a fish platter from the “bagel store.” So when the Broiled Sablefish with Dijon Mustard came out I was excited. Nothing about the taste took me away from the excitement. The small slices of smoked salmon (Who are we kidding? It’s LOX!) were a whimsical addition to the dish along with the NY bagel crumble. Although the crumble just added a bit of texture, no real taste. But the star was the mustard! The beads of Dijon seeds, along with the mustard that was broiled with the fish, were fantastic. I couldn’t get enough of this dish. The Devil’s Lair Chardonnay that was paired with it was very nice. I enjoyed the wine, but not so much with the dish as mostly after finishing the dish.

 

Broiled Sablefish with Dijon Mustard – Photo credit Natalya

 

I’m not the biggest pumpkin fan, but I am a fan of gnocchi. So when our next dish was Pumpkin-Bread Gnocchi I was definitely interested. It almost tasted like a bread pudding, but what I found remarkable about this dish was how each ingredient complemented the dish perfectly. The pomegranate seeds and foam gave that great sweet-sour flavor that I love so much. The feta added a nice saltiness and wasn’t overwhelming. But the star of this dish was the pumpkinseed brittle! The small crumbles of the brittle sprinkled on the top added an exquisite flavor and texture to the dish. Paired with a Paul Hobbs Pinot Noir which has a distinctive dark cherry taste further enhanced the dish. Really wonderful dish and the picture below definitely does not do it justice!

 

Pumpkin-Bread Gnocchi

 

Next up was the main course, which meant we had a decision and a dilemma. If you remember back to the beginning I said we shared the wine pairing. Well, each dish is paired with a different wine and of course we were getting one of each dish. I told Natalya that I would buy a glass of one and she said that it wasn’t needed. She would bring us two full glasses, one of each wine. Wonderful!

 

We decided that I would have the pork and she would have the short ribs. The Berkshire Pork Two ways was remarkable. The pork itself was delicious. The grilled loin was so tender and juicy, perfectly cooked. The belly was, well, it was fatty! Yes, it’s all fat and I loved it. I’ve never enjoyed a piece of fat so much. But the real star of this dish were the sides. The loin was sitting on delicious cream corn. The pork belly was placed next to the most finely chopped slaw I have ever seen and I couldn’t get enough of it. In the middle of the dish were some thinly sliced vegetables, almost julienne. I expected them to be buttery as mixed vegetables often are. Well, they were pickled! And they were delicious! I finished them all.

 

My wife had the Braised Harris Ranch Beef Short Ribs. I only had a taste, as my wife was happy to keep this one to herself as much as possible. The chili sauce accompanying the ribs was what ketchup should be (I dislike ketchup). The short ribs were beautifully braised, tender and delicious. That’s about all I can tell you about this dish.

 

As for the wines, I enjoyed mine more. The L’Ecole Syrah is a powerful wine that held up well to the pork. The Columbia Crest Reserve Syrah was a bit lighter than its eastern Washington competitor. Still a nice wine, but I like the robustness of the L’Ecole better.

 

Berkshire Pork Two Ways

 

Braised Harris Ranch Beef Short Ribs

 

Finally we came to the dessert course. I love a good dessert and this was a GREAT dessert. It was shaped like a small candy bar. The base of the bar was a cinnamon shortbread cookie. Inside the bar was an airy, malty, toffee style nougat. Pair that with the swoosh of dulce de leche on the plate and cinnamon toast crumble, I was in heaven. It was sweet, it was chocolaty, and I haven’t even mentioned the ice cream! I’m not a fan of cream cheese, so cream cheese ice cream doesn’t sound all that appealing to me. However, 150 Central Park hasn’t let me down, why should it now? It didn’t. This was a sweet, creamy ice cream. Absolutely delicious. This could be the best dessert I have EVER had. Bravo!

 

Pair this dessert with a sweet dessert wine, please! They did just that with the Chateau Doisy-V’Edrines. This late harvest wine had a honey sweetness and fruitiness to it. The noble rot was evident. I love a good dessert wine and this one was very good. A great way to end the meal.

 

A slightly eaten 150 Central Park Candy Bar

 

We were offered the Cheese Plate, but we declined. We were totally full at this point. Natalya asked if we wanted to come back for the other menu which is served the last two days of the cruise. She said that most that came back said that they enjoyed it the second time even more than the first. We said we would love to, but since we are with our families, it wasn’t going to work out. We got a glance at the chef, a young, tall, thin, striking woman. I am very impressed by her. We were at 150 Central Park for over 2 hours 45 minutes and enjoyed every minute of it.

 

Part 5 concludes in the next post...

[BrianAlt]

Part 5: 150 Central Park Continued

 

Our souvenir menus:

 

The menu, the wine pairings, and a nice holder for them both

 

This meal was better than the Chef’s Table we did on Oasis. That’s a great experience, but this meal was better. We had a marvelous dinner at 150 Central Park and then went to meet our family and see Chicago.

 

 

Chicago was great! They did a really nice job. I especially enjoyed Billy Flynn and Momma Morton. I had the opportunity to meet “Momma” later in the cruise and told her how fabulous I thought she was. She was very receptive and appreciative and stayed and talked for a few minutes. Lovely woman!

 

Next – Part 6: Labadee!

[BrianAlt]

Whew...now I must rest.

[jillyfish]

......wait wait wait!! Before you hit the recliner in front of the Food Network channel, I have one quick question - which is probably a dumb one too :o Are kids allowed to eat in the Solarium at breakfast or lunch?

[BrianAlt]

Are kids allowed to eat in the Solarium at breakfast or lunch?

 

Yes, kids ate in the Solarium for breakfast and lunch without an issue. The sign saying that the Solarium is for 16+ is just past the entrance to the eatery.

 

And, yes, Solarium is for 16+, not 18+.

[jillyfish]

ok thanks!

 

Now you may hit the recliner. :p

[BrianAlt]

ok thanks!

 

Now you may hit the recliner. :p

 

I'm answering from the recliner. Literally. :D

[megr1125]

nice review so far...the food at 150 sounds great...however, i wouldn't eat it..a little too sophisticated for my palate...but it looked gorgeous!!!

 

(ok well i would eat the dessert...and the wine..):D

[terpfan101]

oh my your review of 150 was excellent. Glad you loved it even more than on Oasis. I can't wait for my turn there. I booked the package with Chops & Giovanni's, I'll have to decide on the best night to go. Also you said 2 hours 45 minutes there...do you think that was on the longer side of most people? I may need to keep time in consideration depending on what night I go there.

 

The pictures made it look great and at $40 a person is very reasonable. I went to a top 5 restaurant in DC once which was about $95 a person for a similar style. Thanks again for the great review!

[johnbob7]

Brian, thanks so much for yourvery informative and entertaining review - as always.

 

I am particularly excited about the CP150 review, as we are booked for both early and late in the week of our upcoming Allure cruise. So glad to hear that you found it to be so satisfying.

 

bobj

[QTMichele]

LOVED your 150 CP pictures and descriptions! I would've loved this menu, and am sorry it wasn't there when we were there a few months ago. I'm not a mushroom lover (in fact, I hate mushrooms, one of the few foods I do not tolerate), and it seems like 150 CP always features mushrooms at least once.

 

Okay, continue reclining. ;)