2008-06-07: Updated to include images.
We arrived in Venice and shuffled off to our ship, the Princess Emerald, where like we mentioned, we spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to get wireless service to our laptop. By the time we were done calling our travel agency at American Express, we were starving and rushed off to find a dining room. Luckily, we were seated quickly. We were both in a bad mood, deeply regretting our decision to book our honeymoon through TheBigDay.com. (BTW, I just paid over $50 just to post the last two posts because of the spotty service, and I can't even get more than 1 picture to load right now because of how bad the internet is here.)
The first thing I noticed was that their menu included many "lotus spa" healthy choices. It's nice to know you can attempt to stay healthy on a cruise. Yet, I chose the Seafood Terrine to start, not one of those "healthy items". It was presented nicely and pretty good for a seafood terrine, which is actually not something I usually like. I generally don't believe in ground seafood but this was a nice and light slice, with a suitable tartar-like sauce.
Lon chose the shrimp cocktail, labeled as Tiger Shrimp on the menu. It was nice and fresh but not Tiger shrimp and it's such a peeve of ours that people don't take menu writing seriously. These are not marketing catch phrases, Tiger Shrimp, Lump Crab Meat, Confit... these words have specific meanings and are not equal to saying large, good, or great.
My main course, Barramundi, was a generous portion in a lovely presentation and the couscous was a nice pairing. The fish was slightly over-cooked but still enjoyable.
Lon's Creole Crockpot was another nice presentation, unfortunately the top crust did not add otherwise. Once removed by the waiter and placed aside, it was useless as it was quite flavorless. The seafood inside gets points for being extra hot and certainly enjoyable. The flavors were surprisingly basic, tomato, peppers, onions, nothing more exotic than children's food but Lon was fine with it. I think his mind was set on getting off the boat for a quick tour of Venice.
Lon was determined to have me try gelati, and until I tried it, I have to admit, I didn't think it could be THAT much better, but it was. We walked by a random gelati vendor called Polo Nord and each ordered two flavors.
Lon had a come with strawberry and melon, both creamy and ultra fruity.
I had the chocolate hazelnut and yogurt with berries (which you can't see because it was beneath). Both were amazing, exhibiting more flavor than I've ever noticed in gelati, ice cream, or related. The use of real hazelnut is evident and to everyone eating Pinkberry, you are really missing something when you don't have the fat! The mouth feel is a whole new world.
Upon our return to the boat, we stumbled onto a buffet (available till 11pm) where I loaded a plate with lobster claws, crab legs, and cocktail shrimp. We sat under the stars listening to a broadcast of Pavaratti, munching away on shellfish. Ahh....
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MJ said:
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If you ever get the chance (and like pineapple) try a pineapple gelato. It's light and unbelievably fruity, at least from a good gelato parlor. |
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DelectaBILL said:
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I like a sentence about Lon that includes the words "creamy" and "extra fruity". |
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On a purely technical standpoint, that picture of lon with the ice cream is really good. |
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Jessica@Foodmayhem said:
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Thanks MJ, we'll try to get some when we get to Naples or Rome. |