Standard for a "great meal."

[SuiteTraveler]

have not found any truly outstanding local in San Antonio yet( we've only been here since August).

 

Have you tried Bella on the River? That's one of my favorites and truly a destination restaurant in San Antonio. Southern Med food with emphasis on the highest quality ingredients. It's a small and intimate restaurant on the river walk. Reservations required - use Open Table.

 

For a steakhouse, we like Bohanan's Prime Steak and Seafood downtown San Antonio.

[SuiteTraveler]

Kathamo: I wanted to ask you about your experience at the French Laundry - was this recent? The reason I'm wondering is that I'm getting a lot of mixed feedback about this restaurant so I'd love to hear what you have to say if you have eaten there in the last 2 - 3 years.

[Floridiana]

I want fresh food prepared well without being dumbed down for the bland boring American palate. I want quiet but attentive service from a personable server. I want a wine list that goes with the food offered and a sommelier or Wine steward to be able to make recommendations based on my chosen meal . I want the ambience to be quietly elegant without being disturbed by unruly children( or adults) and I want it light enough to see my dining companion across the table but not so bright I need sunglasses

 

Exactly my definition. I have had those meals in Michelin star restaurants in France. I also like traditional home style French, Italian, Peruvian, and Mexican meals cooked by people who know what they are doing. Then Thai and Korean food, but I don't know how authentic it is in the US. Also several excellent meals in restaurants in southern China where we were the only Western tourists.

 

On ships, I have had the best meals on the Oceania line and mostly well prepared but bland meals on HAL. The food on our other lines was ok but not memorable. (Aranui, Azamara, CelebrityX, Haumana, Princess)

[Kathamo]

Kathamo: I wanted to ask you about your experience at the French Laundry - was this recent?

 

Unfortunately it was about 10 years ago. It was quite good at the time, but I think fine dining has improved in this country in the intervening years to the point where you can get comparable experiences in many newer restaurants.

[sail7seas]

What an interesting idea. To say that something is "good" or "not good" is not very informative unless you know what that person is accustomed to.

 

I have only ever sailed on Celebrity so I will compare my "land" experiences to that. To sum it up: Cruise food in the main dining room is going to be better than the average chain restaurant, and most of the specialty restaurants on Celebrity are "quite good" but (with some exceptions) will not blow you away or win any James Beard awards. The service, however, is excellent and typically on par with a very good chain restaurant (Houston's or any of the Hillstone restaurants).

 

<snip>

 

 

 

Who would have thought Portland, Maine would have a James Beard Restaurant? Not me. :D We had an amazing tasting menu at Hugo's a few years ago that I still remember with pleasure. We were there for the weekend with friends and they recommended it. :)

 

 

My ex sil has cooked the best 2 meals i've ever had when he worked for Todd English in Boston and marriott in Seattle on the water...the third was moderno on ncl dawn...it is subjective but that boy can cook!

 

 

 

We were at Olive's a few years after it first opened. Maybe it was a bad night but we were so disappointed. Shrug.......

 

[dolittle]

Great thread Flatbush ,for me it would never be a steakhouse at sea or on land I don't get high end steakhouses .I like high end old school sea food places like the Lobster house in Cape May New Jersey. My best meals are always Italian or seafood .I find most high end dining places to be overrated I have been to my share of high end places all are good but very few are truly outstanding. It is funny but my best meal ever was in Naples outside with my D.W. having the best pizza ever(I come from a good pizza town) with a bottle of wine .

[calliopecruiser]

Nobu's miso black cod is one of the very best dishes I have eaten, ever, and I would place my dinner at Nobu's Las Vegas restaurant (in the Hard Rock Hotel) as one of my best dinners. A few years later I enjoyed Nobu's miso black cod in Silk Road on the Crystal Serenity (Nobu-trained chefs), and it was a part of a dinner that came very close to also being one of my favourites.

 

Lai Wah Heen in Toronto is a wonderful Chinese restaurant in a city full of good Chinese restaurants. The atmosphere is a little fancy for my taste, but the quality of the food makes it more than worthwhile.

 

Finally, I know it's probably heresy to put a chain restaurant in this category, but Grand Lux Cafes have, IME, offered consistently good-to-excellent meals even for groups. When 10 of us can sit down and all find something to their taste and all enjoy our good meals, that's a worth mentioning. And their friend chicken is to die for! The atmosphere isn't great when it's crowded, but the food sure was good.

[Flatbush Flyer]

Nobu's miso black cod is one of the very best dishes I have eaten, ever, and I would place my dinner at Nobu's Las Vegas restaurant (in the Hard Rock Hotel) as one of my best dinners. A few years later I enjoyed Nobu's miso black cod in Silk Road on the Crystal Serenity (Nobu-trained chefs), and it was a part of a dinner that came very close to also being one of my favourites.

 

Lai Wah Heen in Toronto is a wonderful Chinese restaurant in a city full of good Chinese restaurants. The atmosphere is a little fancy for my taste, but the quality of the food makes it more than worthwhile.

 

Finally, I know it's probably heresy to put a chain restaurant in this category, but Grand Lux Cafes have, IME, offered consistently good-to-excellent meals even for groups. When 10 of us can sit down and all find something to their taste and all enjoy our good meals, that's a worth mentioning. And their friend chicken is to die for! The atmosphere isn't great when it's crowded, but the food sure was good.

 

 

I wonder what should be the cutoff for multiple locations to be considered a "chain?"

Though not in my "top 3 over the past 5 yrs" (still thinking about it), I do love Roy's of Hawaii and Oceanaire. I've never had a disappointing meal at any location of either one.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Raxter54]

In a recent CC post, someone referred to a steakhouse meal on a cruise ship as one the five best meals they've ever had. While that statement may be true for that person, it proves once again that food is subjective and people's experiences vary significantly.

 

That said, I think it would be very informative to hear from CC folks regarding what has been their very best (maximum of three) "dining out" experience(s) in the last five years and why.

 

Fine dining? That would be anyplace I go where I don't have to order at a counter and carry my food to my table...:D

[wassup4565]

My best dining experiences do not actually include the food. If it's tasty and delivered on time, I'm pretty happy. More important to me are my dining companions - are they interesting, interested people with a variety of backgrounds and experience, willing to engage in conversation?

 

So my pinnacle dining experience was two years ago on the Brilliance, where we had five couples as companions for dinner every night. There was a doctor, a farmer, a college professor, a real estate agent, two businesswomen, and so forth They were from Canada, from the US, from Israel. The breadth and civility of the conversations over dinner were outstanding. I really didn't care what I ate - spending time at this table of wonderful people WAS the dinner experience.

 

As for the best taste experience I've had, it was a lunch at Orient Beach in St Martin in a beach shack. Perfect in every way.

[fortinweb]

Square 24 in Siem Reap, Cambodia - local and fusion food, wonderful service and outstanding decor..

 

We'll be in Siem Reap in two weeks before our Asia cruise. Many thanks for the tip! I looked at the website and our hotel is just a short walk away. We have to try this place!

[SuiteTraveler]

Unfortunately it was about 10 years ago. It was quite good at the time, but I think fine dining has improved in this country in the intervening years to the point where you can get comparable experiences in many newer restaurants.

 

My friends who have gone recently have told me is the same thing.

[buckeye rob]

Being a steakhouse kind of fellow, I will stay in that category:

 

Cincinnati: "Precinct", Jeff Ruby's

 

Indianapolis: "St. Elmos" (try their cocktail sauce)

 

Atlanta: "Bones"

 

Chicago: "David Burkes"

 

New York: "Peter Lugers".

 

Sorry I went over 3, but I love a great steak.

Edited January 9, 2015 by buckeye rob

[sparks1093]

So it's probably safe to say that a person's economic status, what they are used to in their land based restaurant choices and their personal preferences regarding food in general will determine whether or not they think the shipboard dining experience is memorable, humdrum, or forgetable.

[sparks1093]

My best dining experiences do not actually include the food. If it's tasty and delivered on time, I'm pretty happy. More important to me are my dining companions - are they interesting, interested people with a variety of backgrounds and experience, willing to engage in conversation?

 

So my pinnacle dining experience was two years ago on the Brilliance, where we had five couples as companions for dinner every night. There was a doctor, a farmer, a college professor, a real estate agent, two businesswomen, and so forth They were from Canada, from the US, from Israel. The breadth and civility of the conversations over dinner were outstanding. I really didn't care what I ate - spending time at this table of wonderful people WAS the dinner experience.

 

As for the best taste experience I've had, it was a lunch at Orient Beach in St Martin in a beach shack. Perfect in every way.

 

That would make for a very memorable meal:).

[kimlovesfl]

Jiko at Animal Kingdom Lodge

 

Le Cellier in Canada/Epcot

 

Sanaa at Animal Kingdom Lodge

 

 

 

 

 

 

People don't think of fine dining and Orlando as going hand in hand, but we have sooo many great restaurants here, and a lot of them out of the theme park realm.

 

Emeril's, Emeril's Tchoup Chop, and The Palm, all at Universal Orlando Resort.

 

Smiling Bison and Txokos, Mediterranean Blue (fabulous counter service Greek), Primo in the JW Marriott hotel, and many more.

[kimlovesfl]

I think the main reason why dining on a ship isn't the same as dining on land, is that the food can't possibly be fresh every day. Land-based chefs often have the ability to go to local markets to chose whichever ingredients are fresh that day.

 

To continue with some other great Orlando restaurants, they aren't all fine dining (for instance, Smiling Bison is like a hole in the wall bar, with live entertainment and amazing food). There's Tako Cheena, Pho 88, Sweet Tomatoes (yes, I know, a chain, but there is almost nowhere on the planet I would rather eat), La Fiesta, a lot of the food trucks, etc etc.

 

Cafe Boulud in Palm Beach is one of the best places I have ever eaten.

[SuiteTraveler]

I think the main reason why dining on a ship isn't the same as dining on land, is that the food can't possibly be fresh every day. Land-based chefs often have the ability to go to local markets to chose whichever ingredients are fresh that day.

 

I agree 100%. Fish that has been frozen has a drastically different texture and flavor than fish that has never been frozen. Herbs picked from a chef's garden in Napa will reflect the terroir and taste distinctly different than herbs of non-specific origin that come from cold storage and prior to that a farm in another country. Eating things that come directly from the surrounding land and water makes a huge difference in the quality of the cuisine. That's why the Farm to Table movement is so big right now. Americans are tired of the corporatization of dining with all the various chain restaurants where the food is always the same at every restaurant whether you are in Florida or New York or California or even in another country. Without a doubt, cruise ships have the biggest problem in presenting this type of cuisine.

[slidergirl]

So it's probably safe to say that a person's economic status, what they are used to in their land based restaurant choices and their personal preferences regarding food in general will determine whether or not they think the shipboard dining experience is memorable, humdrum, or forgetable.

 

Not sure about the economic status. I am definitely NOT in the upper class. I am an hourly wage worker. But, when I am planning a vacation, I love to plan for at least one lunch or, if I can afford it, dinner at a good restaurant. At home, I cook for myself, have leftovers from the hotel kitchen, or am a frequent eater of Wendy's Apple Pecan Chicken Salad.

 

I forgot one unique "fine dining" experience. When I was still married, my now-ex had a business conference in Paris and I tagged along. Second day there, I got the flu. The hotel we stayed at had an Alain Ducasse restaurant - open for dinner only. Well, the nice kitchen staff found out I was sick and made sure I had a nice bowl of soup each day.

[geoherb]

The best meal we've ever had on a cruise ship was our first time doing the "le Cirque" dinner on Holland America's Westerdam. It was worth the extra cost, but I'm sure it's nowhere as good as going to the restaurant in New York.

 

Last week we enjoyed eating in various dining options on the Caribbean Princess: Sabatini's (the Italian restaurant), Crown Grill (steakhouse), Crab Shack, and the Ultimate Balcony Dinner. The one I look forward to doing again the most is the Ultimate Balcony Dinner. The food was not better than the steakhouse, but it's great to have a meal served to you on your balcony. This was our third time doing a balcony dinner on a Princess ship.

 

At home, we don't eat out for dinner much. Our favorite restaurant for lunch is a diner that serves Southern food. For special occasions, there are a couple of local restaurants we go to. Neither compares to the best restaurants of a big city.

 

My most memorable meals include eating at the Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas (when Dean Fearing was the chef), a lunch at the Salish Lodge in Washington state, lunch at the Bamboo Room in Haines, Alaska, and a paella dinner in Madrid.

[kimlovesfl]

We're on the Caribbean Princess in a little more than 2 weeks, maybe we need to check out one of those special dinners. Crab Shack, unfortunately, is out of the question, because the hubby is allergic to seafood.

[sparks1093]

Not sure about the economic status. I am definitely NOT in the upper class. I am an hourly wage worker. But, when I am planning a vacation, I love to plan for at least one lunch or, if I can afford it, dinner at a good restaurant. At home, I cook for myself, have leftovers from the hotel kitchen, or am a frequent eater of Wendy's Apple Pecan Chicken Salad.

 

I forgot one unique "fine dining" experience. When I was still married, my now-ex had a business conference in Paris and I tagged along. Second day there, I got the flu. The hotel we stayed at had an Alain Ducasse restaurant - open for dinner only. Well, the nice kitchen staff found out I was sick and made sure I had a nice bowl of soup each day.

 

Economic status plays a role because if someone has more money they would have the option of dining out more frequently and be able to pay for a more upscale experience. Yes, when on vacation we try to eat at restaurants that we don't normally frequent, but that is a special occasion and not an everyday thing.

[sail7seas]

 

<snip>

 

My most memorable meals include eating at the Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas (when Dean Fearing was the chef), a lunch at the Salish Lodge in Washington state, lunch at the Bamboo Room in Haines, Alaska, and a paella dinner in Madrid.

 

 

Oh my, I haven't heard mention of Mansion (Inn ?) on Turtle Creek but you bring back sweet memories of my DH and me with a group of friends dining there when we were all at Fort Hood. What a wonderful time we had. Thanks for the memory. :)

 

[buckeye rob]

We're on the Caribbean Princess in a little more than 2 weeks, maybe we need to check out one of those special dinners. Crab Shack, unfortunately, is out of the question, because the hubby is allergic to seafood.

Every morning in Sabatinis I had their B.E.L.T. sandwich (bacon,egg,lettuce, and tomato) sandwich with at least one ice cold Mimosa. Wonderful !!

[jocap]

The best meals we've had at sea were in Marco Pierre White's restaurant on board P&O's Ventura, once having the great chef in the kitchen.

At home, we will usually visit one of the local pubs where they cook you a fresh meal using locally sourced ingredients. No great finesse about the service, but the attention to detail is incredible, food wise. The best meal often contains the local mountain sheep, the Herdwick, or fish from the nearby port.