Tuscan grill review - italian it isn't

[st3drume]

For those of you who complain about bland non spicy shipboard food - the TUSCAN GRILL is for you. The crab cakes seem to have Jalapenos in them and there is a strong suspicion they got into the fish soup as well. Both are not labeled HOT/SPICY but are. Ruined our meal, taste buds and appetite. Definitely not Italian. Could not taste crab in the one bite the heat was so high. The soup if taken drowned the flavor of the scallops, mussel, and shrimp. Fortunately I was able to strain the fish from the broth and they maintained their taste. You have plenty of time to devour the hot stuff as it took 3 hours in complete the meal. Couldn't tell how good it was because the first bite lingered on masking any oregano , basil, etc spices that might have been used in the main meal. Couln't taste the dessert either. Wife had the same problem. BEWARE great if you like it hot.

Steve

[librarylady19]

Hmmm...what ship was this? We certainly didn't encounter this at Tuscan on Eclipse. Foods was overall very good, I wouldn't have minded a little heat as I think most food on this cruise was on the milder side.

[Wine-O]

I think your problem is you didn't have enough wine in between courses. :D

 

In all seriousness, sorry about your experience. Haven't eaten in Tuscan Grill, but I don't think you'll find that would happen in Murano.

[handsome_jay]

You're definitely from north of the Mason-Dixon line if you think jalapenos are hot. :)

 

I don't recall any spice in any of our dishes at Tuscan. I just recall wonderful service.

 

In all seriousness, I'm sorry your meal was ruined. I can offer you this advice (no sarcasm, etc.--just one CC member to another). Next time you run into something too spicy, you should immediately request some dairy (preferably milk). If you're a vegan (not likely if you had seafood), please note that soy, rice or almond milk won't help. You need the casein from actual dairy products.

 

Hopefully, the rest of your cruise worked out better.

[takemewithyou]

I loved the Tuscan Grill! My favorite specialty restaurant......tried the one on Constellation and on Equinox. However, I didn't have either of those two choices. Sorry to hear the food was so hot.

 

Did you mention it to the servers?

[Gonzo70]

Been to Tuscan Grille a few times now and never had that experience. Definitely seemed Italian to me and nothing was overly spicy. Not my favorite of the specialties, but still have enjoyed my meals there.

[kkorman]

For those of you who complain about bland non spicy shipboard food - the TUSCAN GRILL is for you. The crab cakes seem to have Jalapenos in them and there is a strong suspicion they got into the fish soup as well. Both are not labeled HOT/SPICY but are. Ruined our meal, taste buds and appetite. Definitely not Italian. Could not taste crab in the one bite the heat was so high. The soup if taken drowned the flavor of the scallops, mussel, and shrimp. Fortunately I was able to strain the fish from the broth and they maintained their taste. You have plenty of time to devour the hot stuff as it took 3 hours in complete the meal. Couldn't tell how good it was because the first bite lingered on masking any oregano , basil, etc spices that might have been used in the main meal. Couln't taste the dessert either. Wife had the same problem. BEWARE great if you like it hot.

Steve

 

Did you mention anything to staff?

 

While I did not care for Tuscan, it seems like this could have easily been fixed.

[cruisestitch]

We have always considered that the term Tuscan referred to the decor, not the cuisine. The seafood salad swims in mayonnaise, and there are many other non-Italian tastes and flavors and textures. Good steaks, tasty breads, but much that is not authentic Italian.

[grimace95120]

I would have to agree that Tuscan, in my opinion, is not truly reflective of traditional Italian cuisine( Northern or Southern)

We tried all the specialty restos on Silhouette, including a repeat at Quisine, and found the Tuscan was our least favorite.

Not bad by any stretch of the imagination, but nothing to rave about( again just my opinion)

Also it could have been our menu choices. I've read many wonderful reviews on the steaks, but we didn’t go that way.

My wife had the Mediterranean sea bass, which she found to be excellent

I went for the bone in veal scaloppini with a marsala sauce

I was expecting pan seared veal, no breading, with traditional marsala

What I got was a fried breaded veal, much like you would find in a veal sandwich, or the base for a veal parmesan, with the sauce served on the side to drizzle on

Again, it was very good for what it was, but it wasn’t what I was expecting

The wine selection was very good, and I was pleasantly surprised to find a brachetto desert wine on the menu from the Piedmont area in Italy where we are fortunate to be able to spend a lot of time in

One thing that surprised me was the steak tartar. I love tartar and Carpaccio.

However, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a portion of this massive size. it was actually intimidating. I’m not a small guy, and can usually plow my way through anything, but I couldn’t finish this. Raw meats, in my opinion, are meant to be enjoyed moderately. This portion could have been for a table of four. I know people are looking for value, and size of items relates to value with some, but this was overkill in my opinion

All in all, it was a pleasant way to spend an evening, and I would recommend trying Tuscan but temper expectations and choose your menu items carefully

Edited April 25, 2012 by grimace95120
spelling

[4774Papa]

Had the Sea Bass on Constellation in Tuscan. It was great.

[SoBe2010]

For those of you who complain about bland non spicy shipboard food - the TUSCAN GRILL is for you. The crab cakes seem to have Jalapenos in them and there is a strong suspicion they got into the fish soup as well. Both are not labeled HOT/SPICY but are. Ruined our meal, taste buds and appetite. Definitely not Italian. Could not taste crab in the one bite the heat was so high. The soup if taken drowned the flavor of the scallops, mussel, and shrimp. Fortunately I was able to strain the fish from the broth and they maintained their taste. You have plenty of time to devour the hot stuff as it took 3 hours in complete the meal. Couldn't tell how good it was because the first bite lingered on masking any oregano , basil, etc spices that might have been used in the main meal. Couln't taste the dessert either. Wife had the same problem. BEWARE great if you like it hot.

Steve

 

I found Tuscan Grille to be better than most italian restaurants here in Europe, even in Italy:)

[drarill]

We were not impressed by the Tuscan Grill in the Equinox either. Portofinos in RCCL, as an italian restaurant, is a much better option. We really liked Murano and are looking forward to experience this restaurant in the Silhouette this summer.:)

[debandbruce]

Ate at the Tuscan last week on the Silhouette. Crab cake was one of the best I have ever had, lots of crab and not all filler. Onion soup was sooooo good and my shrimp entree was excellent. I like spicy but these things were not, sounds like you had a recipe mix up. I would have sent it back, the staff is so obliging I'm sure they would of made it right.

[mferranti]

I assume the "fish soup" the OP is referring to is the cioppino. I've had it twice, once on Equinox and once on Silhouette, and loved it both times.

 

I wish every X ship had a Tuscan Grill.

[kitty9]

One thing to realize is, what's spicy hot to one person is bland to another. It's all a matter taste buds and sensitivity. My sister can eat habaneros with no problem and I can't tolerate plain jalapenos. I've had both things the OP speaks of more than once and never detected any kind of spice or jalapenos.

[cirpi]

Interesting discussion about the Tuscan Grill. It is no more or no less Italian than the justifiably maligned Olive Garden. It was our least favorite specialty restaurant on the Equinox, yet our favorite a few months later on the Silhouette. What sold us the second time was the carne cruda (steak tartare) and the beef carpaccio. And it helped that we brought our own wine, a perfectly aged Bricco Uccellone barbera.

[Kevnzworld]

I ate at the Tuscan Grill tonight. I agree, it's not " real " Italian. It's inspired by Italy. Most of the menu items are olive garden faire. The Cioppino is a watery fish soup...horrible and not authentic. It's a San franciscan soup, not Italian. I love Cioppino, so that was a bad start. They have a cesar salad, that's Mexican, not Italian.

The view and service is good. My main course, the Tuna was good. I appreciated that the vegis were crisp and firm, and the sauce was good.

[emcee207]

[

My wife had the Mediterranean sea bass, which she found to be excellent

I went for the bone in veal scaloppini with a marsala sauce

I was expecting pan seared veal, no breading, with traditional marsala

What I got was a fried breaded veal, much like you would find in a veal sandwich, or the base for a veal parmesan, with the sauce served on the side to drizzle on

Again, it was very good for what it was, but it wasn’t what I was expecting

 

I also had the bone in veal scaloppini and was taken aback by the size of this thing. I thought it was pretty good but felt bad that I was only able to polish off about half of this thing.

 

We've been to Tuscan 4 times; twice on Equinox, once on Solstice and once on Silhouette. Our best experience was on the Silhouette.

[mrsdoc3]

You're definitely from north of the Mason-Dixon line if you think jalapenos are hot. :)

 

I don't recall any spice in any of our dishes at Tuscan. I just recall wonderful service.

 

In all seriousness, I'm sorry your meal was ruined. I can offer you this advice (no sarcasm, etc.--just one CC member to another). Next time you run into something too spicy, you should immediately request some dairy (preferably milk). If you're a vegan (not likely if you had seafood), please note that soy, rice or almond milk won't help. You need the casein from actual dairy products.

 

Hopefully, the rest of your cruise worked out better.

 

Bread is supposed to be even better than milk.

[Emperor Norton]

Bread is supposed to be even better than milk.

 

IIRC the "best" is milk that is swished/gargled around the mouth then spat out so as to not spread the head further down. The milk will reach more places in your mouth than the bread.

[tomcruiser1234]

Would go and just have the Crab Cakes, they were outstanding. Throw in wine and cheese. Mmmmmmmmm on the Connie in less then two weeks. At least 2 nights at the Tuscan for us.

[PathfinderEss]

For those of you who complain about bland non spicy shipboard food - the TUSCAN GRILL is for you. The crab cakes seem to have Jalapenos in them and there is a strong suspicion they got into the fish soup as well. Both are not labeled HOT/SPICY but are. Ruined our meal, taste buds and appetite. Definitely not Italian. Could not taste crab in the one bite the heat was so high. The soup if taken drowned the flavor of the scallops, mussel, and shrimp. Fortunately I was able to strain the fish from the broth and they maintained their taste. You have plenty of time to devour the hot stuff as it took 3 hours in complete the meal. Couldn't tell how good it was because the first bite lingered on masking any oregano , basil, etc spices that might have been used in the main meal. Couln't taste the dessert either. Wife had the same problem. BEWARE great if you like it hot.

Steve

Thanks for the warning.

[buffi001]

Hmmm...what ship was this? We certainly didn't encounter this at Tuscan on Eclipse. Foods was overall very good, I wouldn't have minded a little heat as I think most food on this cruise was on the milder side.

 

I echo these sentiments. We went to the Tuscan on the Silhouette, and I

(we) were very happy with our meal. I didn't notice any "heavy handed"

spicing, and the filet mignon was excellent

[Shake]

Tuscan Grill is our favorite specialty restaurant. We have dined there 4 times. Love the French Onion soup, steaks and view. :cool:

[jerseygirl3]

We're Italian and while onboard Silhouette 2 weeks ago we are 3 times at Tuscan Grille. We absolutely loved it. We thought it was way better than Qsine and Murano (although there was nothing wrong with either of those two). We thought the ciopppino and carpaccio were to die for. The arugula insalata was delish. And although I'm not big on red meat I ordered the ribeye all 3 nights. The accompanying baked Mac and cheese was so good. The prosciutto in the antipasto was like butter. My sister is a trained chef and loved every dish. Just goes to show how different the experience can be from one ship to another.

 

Jo-Ann