Osteria Menu Request

[LouChamp]

Aloha. Glad the reports from those onboard are great! If anyone can possibly post a copy of the menu I would be

most appreciative. Thank you.

[Keith1010]

Here it is. I posted it on my daily updates.

 

Keith

[pickleball dRabbit]

No no affogato? :sadface:

[dimundsR]

OH, NO . . . . I always dream about returning to Crystal to have one (or more).

[tryber]

Affogoto is just vanilla gelato and espresso.  I can't imagine you will have a problem ordering it at some point on the cruise, even if not on the menu.  

[dimundsR]

OH, NO . . . . I always dream about returning to Crystal to have one (or more).

 

Sorry, hit the wrong button.

Edited August 18, 2023 by dimundsR
Duplicate post

[dimundsR]

Yes, but part of the treat was the service of it. A little foggy here, but a special little pitcher or other was used.

[KenzSailing]

It's interesting: Umi Uma was always the premier, even glam, alternative restaurant on Crystal(at least in terms of mentions on this board.)  Yet, on other threads, more than a few folks are distressed about the revamped menu in the restaurant-formerly-known-as Prego. I looked at the menu, it's not boundary pushing.  You'd think they were serving offal or something(they're not.)  Can't wait to try it, if they haven't watered down the menu with bread bowl soup and chicken parm by the time we board. 

 

Don't get me wrong, I love a good chicken parm.  It's just nice to see a kitchen stretching a bit, especially on a cruise ship.

[NWX]

I think the menu looks interesting.

[LouChamp]

14 hours ago, Keith1010 said:

Here it is. I posted it on my daily updates.

 

Keith

Aloha.  Thank you for your post!

[Keith1010]

4 hours ago, KenzSailing said:

It's interesting: Umi Uma was always the premier, even glam, alternative restaurant on Crystal(at least in terms of mentions on this board.)  Yet, on other threads, more than a few folks are distressed about the revamped menu in the restaurant-formerly-known-as Prego. I looked at the menu, it's not boundary pushing.  You'd think they were serving offal or something(they're not.)  Can't wait to try it, if they haven't watered down the menu with bread bowl soup and chicken parm by the time we board. 

 

Don't get me wrong, I love a good chicken parm.  It's just nice to see a kitchen stretching a bit, especially on a cruise ship.

Remember, people don't like change. Prego served Italian comfort food. And some wanted to go there several times. To me that is not special. Special to me is the occasional visit and having something you do not ordinarily have.  

 

[ChatKat in Ca.]

11 hours ago, Keith1010 said:

Remember, people don't like change. Prego served Italian comfort food. And some wanted to go there several times. To me that is not special. Special to me is the occasional visit and having something you do not ordinarily have.  

 

For those of us from the Los Angeles area, Prego was based on the restaurant Valentino with the menu designed by Piero Selveggio.  His food was legendary and his place at the top of the local Itallian food chain.  I am open to new experiences, but, Valentino will be missed by us Angelenos.  We loved Prego.

[latsyrc]

On 8/18/2023 at 12:20 PM, ChatKat in Ca. said:

For those of us from the Los Angeles area, Prego was based on the restaurant Valentino with the menu designed by Piero Selveggio.  His food was legendary and his place at the top of the local Itallian food chain.  I am open to new experiences, but, Valentino will be missed by us Angelenos.  We loved Prego.

Coming up on 28 years cruising Crystal and will cross the magic 50 leg line and free specialty restaurants in December. I love Nobu like everyone else but carpaccio at Prego was really special. I wont knock this new restaurant until I try it but I sense a whiff of snobbery that Prego somehow wasn't authentic, sad.

[ijkh]

On 8/18/2023 at 9:20 AM, ChatKat in Ca. said:

For those of us from the Los Angeles area, Prego was based on the restaurant Valentino with the menu designed by Piero Selveggio.  His food was legendary and his place at the top of the local Itallian food chain.  I am open to new experiences, but, Valentino will be missed by us Angelenos.  We loved Prego.

Ironically we went to Valentino's for a special occasion with family.  We had an absolutely awful meal.  So there you go.

[Stickman1990]

On 8/19/2023 at 2:20 AM, ChatKat in Ca. said:

For those of us from the Los Angeles area, Prego was based on the restaurant Valentino with the menu designed by Piero Selveggio.  His food was legendary and his place at the top of the local Itallian food chain.  I am open to new experiences, but, Valentino will be missed by us Angelenos.  We loved Prego.

We enjoy a meal at Valentinos back in 2016 before it closed and met Piero who spoke fondly of Crystal 

 

Frankly the way some have “turned” on Prego now with open criticism after waxing lyrical about how great it was for many many years is distasteful to me 

 

We enjoyed it and we may well enjoy the new restaurant once we try it - liking both is not forbidden

[AtA]

1 hour ago, Stickman1990 said:

 

 

We enjoyed it and we may well enjoy the new restaurant once we try it - liking both is not forbidden

We absolutely enjoyed both, but don't go thinking New Prego is Old Prego.

[Stickman1990]

10 minutes ago, AtA said:

We absolutely enjoyed both, but don't go thinking New Prego is Old Prego.

Yes I don’t think anyone thinks it’s Prego version 2 - it’s OdO - that’s been clear from the get go although there was confusion about the return of the two favourites the Carpaccio (has it been sighted anywhere yet) and the Mushroom soup sans Bread Bowl which seems to be a non starter combo and now served in Waterside from time to time 

 

I just wish someone would post a photo of the menu I could read easily - anyone?

[Keith1010]

My observation.

 

Many people liked Prego. With that said I remember some on this board saying they didn't care for it. Is that a surprise?  No.  Everyone has their opinion.

 

I sit back and say this. There was a time when some on this board said everything would change or most things would change and no longer be Crystal.

 

So I put this into perspective. This is one of very few changes.  If you like it great. If you don't certainly provide your feedback.  Nothing is ever cast in stone forever.

 

And as to the new restaurant, my recommendation is to give it a chance.

 

Full disclosure. I tried Prego on Harmony 2002, Symphony 2023 and 2024 and Serenity on 2025 and didn't care for it. I thought it was OK.  It was in 2007 that after a few visits I started to enjoy it.  I figured out what worked for me.

 

Now the irony is one of those things that worked for me changed. There used to be two special items which eventually they renamed to two additional items; one often a fish and the other pasta. The fist was often one that was picked up locally. Ioved it.  When this changed to one item it was often a pasta.

 

But I found items which worked for me which might not be the ones that others selected.

Switching gears:

 

When we sailed Crystal there was the recommended fee per person.  Then all of a sudden the fee was removed when inclusive rolled out and I would see or hear about more people there than before and we are talking about something like $8.00 per person recommended.

 

I do view the specialty restaurants as special. If you go there often it's not special IMHO.  While dining with friends last night, I mentioned that I am happy on a 12 day cruise to go to Umi Uma once, Osteria d'Ovidio once, Tastes once and go to one of them a second time and have the other meals from Waterside.  On this cruise where we've made the exception is when we were invited by others from Crystal to join them.

 

At to the menu here it is.  The lighting on the ship is challenging to get a picture perfect photo.

 

 

Keith

 

 

[Big Vin]

On 8/18/2023 at 9:20 AM, ChatKat in Ca. said:

For those of us from the Los Angeles area, Prego was based on the restaurant Valentino with the menu designed by Piero Selveggio.  His food was legendary and his place at the top of the local Itallian food chain.  I am open to new experiences, but, Valentino will be missed by us Angelenos.  We loved Prego.

 

I just happened to be in the forum. (I'm in the market for a new BCLF ... Best Cruise Line Forever ... and thought that maybe Crystal is it.)

 

Anyway, I ran across this link the other day and thought you, and others from the area, might enjoy it.

 

http://martinostimemachine.blogspot.com/2017/09/when-this-photo-of-me-was-taken-in-our.html

 

I hope you and family are safe from that naughty girl, Hilary! 😀

 

Edited August 21, 2023 by Big Vin

[tryber]

On 8/18/2023 at 9:20 AM, ChatKat in Ca. said:

For those of us from the Los Angeles area, Prego was based on the restaurant Valentino with the menu designed by Piero Selveggio.  His food was legendary and his place at the top of the local Itallian food chain.  I am open to new experiences, but, Valentino will be missed by us Angelenos.  We loved Prego.

 

Selveggio was a great restauranteur, but not really a chef.  Valentino went through many changes over the years, and it was only great when it had a great chef.  At times, it was quite mediocre for the food.  By the end, it was really only worth going there for the wine list, which was one of the best (if not the best) in the world.  

[ChatKat in Ca.]

14 minutes ago, Big Vin said:

 

I just happened to be in the forum. (I'm in the market for a new BCLF ... Best Cruise Line Forever ... and thought that maybe Crystal is it.)

 

Anyway, I ran across this link the other day and thought you, and others from the area, might enjoy it.

 

http://martinostimemachine.blogspot.com/2017/09/when-this-photo-of-me-was-taken-in-our.html

 

I hope you and family are safe from that naughty girl, Hilary! 😀

 

Hi Allison!

 

Hilary didn't damage my spirits or the house.

 

I'm already your long time VLA follower. If you want to talk luxury cruising we can have a bite. We've met in person in PS at a pet rescue event. So many good restaurants in PS and Nobu at The Tennis Gardens 

[BWIVince]

21 hours ago, Stickman1990 said:

We enjoy a meal at Valentinos back in 2016 before it closed and met Piero who spoke fondly of Crystal 

 

Frankly the way some have “turned” on Prego now with open criticism after waxing lyrical about how great it was for many many years is distasteful to me 

 

We enjoyed it and we may well enjoy the new restaurant once we try it - liking both is not forbidden

I fall into that bucket….  I’ve said plenty of great things about Prego through the years, but I’m also ready for change.  If for no other reason, it’s not the past anymore.  I can also request almost any Prego dish in Waterside if I wish, so from where I sit nothing is really lost, and something exciting is gained.  I understand it’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but that’s the nature of change even for those of us that embrace it.

 

In my defense though, there are a few things I’ve been consistently critical about with Prego over the years, including Symphony’s original Prego decor (why did the same decor work in Prego as Excalibur Las Vegas at the time?) and Serenity’s decor most of the years (floating Olive Garden).  
 

Symphony Prego’s Kirk Nix makeover is one of my favorite Crystal decor iterations in the company’s history, but putting my money where my mouth is re: change, that decor is now over a decade old and a change is certainly appropriate.

 

Vince

[crickette]

20 minutes ago, BWIVince said:

I fall into that bucket….  I’ve said plenty of great things about Prego through the years, but I’m also ready for change.  If for no other reason, it’s not the past anymore.  I can also request almost any Prego dish in Waterside if I wish, so from where I sit nothing is really lost, and something exciting is gained.  I understand it’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but that’s the nature of change even for those of us that embrace it.

 

In my defense though, there are a few things I’ve been consistently critical about with Prego over the years, including Symphony’s original Prego decor (why did the same decor work in Prego as Excalibur Las Vegas at the time?) and Serenity’s decor most of the years (floating Olive Garden).  
 

Symphony Prego’s Kirk Nix makeover is one of my favorite Crystal decor iterations in the company’s history, but putting my money where my mouth is re: change, that decor is now over a decade old and a change is certainly appropriate.

 

Vince

You've been missed.  Glad you are back.

[Roland4]

3 hours ago, BWIVince said:

I fall into that bucket….  I’ve said plenty of great things about Prego through the years, but I’m also ready for change.  If for no other reason, it’s not the past anymore.  I can also request almost any Prego dish in Waterside if I wish, so from where I sit nothing is really lost, and something exciting is gained.  I understand it’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but that’s the nature of change even for those of us that embrace it.

 

In my defense though, there are a few things I’ve been consistently critical about with Prego over the years, including Symphony’s original Prego decor (why did the same decor work in Prego as Excalibur Las Vegas at the time?) and Serenity’s decor most of the years (floating Olive Garden).  
 

Symphony Prego’s Kirk Nix makeover is one of my favorite Crystal decor iterations in the company’s history, but putting my money where my mouth is re: change, that decor is now over a decade old and a change is certainly appropriate.

 

Vince

Welcome back, Vince. We have missed you!!!

[KenzSailing]

1 hour ago, Roland4 said:

Welcome back, Vince. We have missed you!!!

 

Lazarus!   The Voice of Reason is back!  This is welcome news.