Sea Faring Foodies: Part II, Washy Washy, Drinky Drinky

One thing I will remember always on my trip on a cruise is the phrase “washy washy.” Basically, it was a reminder for guests to regularly wash their hands, or use hand sanitizer before going into restaurants. The fact that we have to be reminded to do so is a bit sad; the last time I checked I learned this in kindergarten. Then again there was also a recent outbreak of norovirus on cruise ships, so I guess there’s that too.

So, all around the ship I’d hear “washy washy” and get sanitized or spritzed with rubbing alcohol. I was wondering if soon enough I’d turn into a germophobe and start wearing tissue boxes on my feet (I so wish I could find that image *shakes fist*).

The best part was at the end of the trip. Did I mention that I we went on our cruise starting on 

St. Patrick’s Day? Ever try crossing Midtown Manhattan and getting to the West Side just before the parade? The pre-parade shenanigans were epic, to say the least. 

And, did I mention that we went during Spring Break? Yeah. Lots of college kids aboard. I will say they behaved better than the kids I went to school with, but maybe they were afraid of getting tossed out to sea.

Anyway, as we’re disembarking, one of the “washy washy” ladies spritzes our hands with the alcohol solution, and a youngish guy in front of us shouts “washy washy WOO HOO.” Without missing a beat, she responds with “drinky drinky, right?” IMMD. 

Hence, washy washy, drinky drinky. And without further ado, some drinky drinkies.

First, if you are not a native New Yorker, keep in mind that to go out for drinks in NYC is not cheap. Not in Manhattan, for sure. The boroughs are less expensive, but it’s not unusual to look at $8 a drink, minimum. Beers are comparable I believe. Hence, The Fisherman and I don’t really go to bars in general, and we don’t as a dating activity when we could drink at home for waay less.

So, to go on a ship and be able to get a cocktail (probably more like two servings really), for $5-$6, and beer for the same, we were stoked. And, there was a beer special where you buy 5 beers and get one free for $30. Three beers each, hanging out and enjoying the scenery, very nice. For New Yorkers, drinking was very affordable (and for me helped with the sea sickness On the other hand alcohol has a tendency to make you feel good). Now, with all the storytelling done, onto the fun stuff we imbibed while on vaycay mode!

The first drink, which certainly helped settle my nerves, the Bahama Mama. It may just be my drink of Summer 2012, but maybe not. We shall see. I did research to find a good recipe to share, but they were including coffee liqueur whereas my drink was definitely in the tropicocofruitty camp. This looks right, heck I think I’d like it even without the rum. But if we’re talking the Caribbean, rum has to be had. Or does it? After one of these, I was ready to be a Bahama Mama!! (And no I didn't drink both, but I almost did). 

Then, after lunch buffet we wandered about, got a feel for the ship, and realized that, with it being St. Patrick’s Day, Guinness was in order. And Guinness was had. Six in a bucket for the price of five, with a nifty hat and a cute necklace (no removing of shirts required, classy). I love a good Guinness. Everyone’s Irish on St. Patrick’s Day!

Next on the list (and after a day of exploring and eating and whatnot), is the lady and gentlemen’s choice, a Tropical Passion for me, and Sam Adams for The Fisherman. Now, I like (most) beer, and I like Sam Adams, but dammit I’m on vacation and I wanted something pretty!! Apparently my drink was a heavy hitter in the booze department, but I didn’t notice. Apparently The Fisherman drank all the kick out of it. Sure, sure.

The one cocktail I was so excited about and then sadly disappointed by was the Rebellious Fish. Click and see what’s in it, and what it looks like. It’s in an AWESOME FISH BOWL. Because we’re at SEA. And we’re a PISCES and a FISHERMAN. What did we get?

Boo. And the drink wasn’t even that cool. The blackberry looked like a poop.

Keeping in line with fun colorful drinks, we next have the Blue Lagoon. I was really excited about this one, because it looks gorgeous! I LOVE that color. Sadly, another doozy. I don’t hate citrus, but it wasn’t fantastic. Nice to look at, I could have had something else to drink…

…like this. Now, I decided I don’t like this frozen whipped up version. But I do love the flavor combo. Maybe because I practically live in Puebla tequila has grown on me. I don’t know why I haven’t sought it out sooner. This, along with my Bahama Mama may be my drinks of choice for 2012. I got the classic, and The Fisherman got the raspberry. Both were good, but his kept getting huge shots of salt which were a bit off-putting. I liked the clean simple flavors of lime, tequila, salt.

Speaking of lime, everyone loves Corona and lime, right? Well…

Next was our fun times on the fake island the cruise ship bought. Sadly there wasn’t any good beer, but we settled for Miller Draft and Corona, which I never had before. Basically, how bad can beer be when you’re sitting here?

Exactly. I didn’t hate the Miller Draft, but I certainly wouldn’t seek it. Good for a summer barbecue, or fishing on a boat, but not to enjoy it. It’s a good accessory beer, to me, but not a beer to enjoy as is. As for the Corona, which is HUGELY popular where I live (as is Tecate), I just don’t get it. To me, and this is just my opinion, tastes like skunk pee. The lime does make it taste barely palatable as opposed to taste like skunk pee, but beer, nothing should have to have something to make it not suck. That’s just me, Mizz Girly Drink McGee. Now that I’m finished with my Corona rant…

With each bucket we also get a tchotchkey bottle opener. So, I had to get creative. I had to get real! I think it's so bad it's good that it's bad again. I don't know, bottle opener earrings anyone?

And then, Kalik, the beer of the Bahamas. Not very impressive, super light. Made by Heineken apparently. Tastes about right I’d say. You can only get it in the Bahamas. Suits me just fine. I wouldn’t miss it.

These I’d miss if I could only get it on one place. Warsteiner and Franziskaner. Warsteiner is definitely not a hot weather, sitting by the pool kind of beer. Franziskaner was more of a favorite, easier to drink in the heat with lots of meat and potatoes during German Fest or whatnot. Pork, sausage, sauerkraut, beer. Good stuff.

Speaking of beer, let’s wrap things up with our tastings, which aside from getting a bit tipsy on four types of booze for $15/person, you actually learn something about your booze (a novel concept for some). As nerdish as I am, this was a dream.

At the beer tasting we tried Becks, Bottingtons Pub Ale, Bass, and Franziskaner, which we had here then we had at German Fest (seems they were really pushing that one, huh?) Not terrible stuff, not super fancy beers, but interesting. I think I liked the Bass the most, the Becks was a bit light for me. I like to keep trying stuff to see what I like, and compare it to other things I’ve had, be it beer, whiskey, coffee, etc. so I can make those connections. So, maybe next time we’re beer shopping we’ll check out Bass. Maybe Franziskaner.

Then we went to a whiskey tasting, as The Fisherman is fond of whiskey (sometimes I think he was an old fogey in a former life). We tried Cutty Sark, Single Malts of Scotland 16 Year Bladnoch, I think, Alberta Premium, and Old Potrero 18th Century Whiskey. Whereas he appreciate this far more than I do and picks up the nuances, I pretty much tasted burning throughout. Cutty was tough, Single Malts of Scotland was my favorite, it was the smoothest. Alberta reminded me of paint thinner, not good, and I don’t think anyone at the tasting could figure out Old Potrero, including a Scottish woman and avid whiskey drinker. 

Afterward, feeling inspired, The Fisherman tried a shot of Johnnie Walker Blue Label. He liked it enough, the price was good on the ship but would be way more pricey on land. I don’t think he’d be willing to switch to his beloved Chivas Regal. Thoroughly whiskeyed up, I was able to persuade The Fisherman to check out the hysterically named Asian restaurant, Chin Chin.

On our final night, we visited our favorite bartender, also named Raymond, and had ourselves a pint of Newcastle Brown Ale. Apparently it takes a bit of work to get out of the tap with its sputtering and foaming, but it was quite nice. We then went for a Murphys, the other beer being shilled during St. Patrick’s Day. It was good, dark, nice, but sadly the tap was giving our bartender a hard time so we shared this one. We sipped this as we listened to an older musician croon songs from our parents’ generation as we sailed back home.

All in all, drinking was fun on the ship, if that’s your thing, or if you need a little help with handling being on a ship. We got to experience a variety of cocktails, whiskeys, and beers for a steal to our fiscal sensibilities. We have yet to recreate a beer bucket, but we do have ice ready. And we may or may not have bought the accessories needed for a Bahama Mama.

Up next, bonus eats! Our attempt at “authentic” Bahamian cuisine, and the two dining options we paid extra for. Which ones were a steal, and which ones were a rip off? I’ll discuss this next time. Until then, mangia!

Sea Faring Foodies: Part I, Dinner Delights

And, we’re back! The Fisherman and I took our long awaited vacation, a cruise to the Bahamas! Neither of us went on a cruise before, and neither of us went to the Bahamas before so it was a lot of new stuff for us. One thing we kept hearing from those who cruised before was that the food was amazing.

We found that to be partially true. Breakfast and lunch, at least on this ship, were basically served buffet style. Usually buffet style means lower quality, which comes to be expected. I usually don’t mind the quality of buffets. Maybe I was a bit turned off since I found out the hard way that I get sea sick, but I was really disappointed in the early meals. It actually reminded me of eating at the dining halls in college. But The Fisherman had no complaints, and it seems the other cruisers were quite content. The exception to this was the poolside and beach barbecues. Meat plus fire?? DELICIOUS!! Those weren’t pretty good.  I actually had a burger so delicious and juicy I had to change my shirt.

The dinners I found were beautifully created and tasted lovely, with the exception of one. Not bad odds. Each place had two menus. One side had a variety of choices for the day, and the other were the standard choices. If you didn’t like the daily choices, you had old standbys which you knew were safe bets.

There were two dining choices, a Russian themed placed called Tsar’s Palace, and a more modern one called Azura. Tsar’s was very beautiful and elegant, but we felt more comfortable at Azura. And it was closer to our favorite watering hole, Malting Beer and Whiskey Bar.

Speaking of which, the drinks. For New Yorkers, were definitely affordable. A cocktail was about $5-$6, and a bucket of 6 beers was about $30. Fun was had with those buckets. And, there were beer and whiskey tasting, four tasting for $15 per person. You learn what you might like, you learn about booze, and you get a buzz, what’s not to like?

For stops on our voyage, we also had a port of call in Port Canaveral, Florida, which was fun, but not interesting, culinary speaking. Then we stopped on the ship’s private island where we had fun in the sun and had a beach barbecue, and then finally stopped in Nassau, the Bahamas. We made it a point to avoid all the American chains and go on a quest for conch and johnny cakes. Maybe we were better off at McDonalds.

Then we were originally going to stick to the complimentary dinners, but even the additional charge dinners were quite reasonable for us. We chose an Italian place for $10 per person, and a churrascaria (or Brazilian barbecue) that luckily opened the evening before we disembarked, for $20 a person. In Queens, it’s double that a person. In Manhattan, it’s easily more.

So, I think the best way to handle all this food porn is to break it down into four parts: dinner, then drinks, and beach/Bahamian “local cuisine”and Italian/churrascaria. It’s a lot of food, so I hope you brought your appetite (and possibly antacid. Since I got on land heartburn has landed in my tummy, boo).

Onto the food! I hope you brought doggie bags, you will need them!

First are appetizers: 

Pear, blue cheese and arugula salad. This combo is classic, and it's because it works. The dressing was wonderful, the cheese had just the right bite, and the pears had a nice sweet crunch combo. 

Roasted corn chowder. Pretty good, thought the corn would taste sweeter. 

Smoked Salmon Tartare. My favorite of the bunch. I definitely ordered this twice, it was that good. The toast was almost an afterthought. 

Lime marinated shrimp with fingerling potatoes. I found it boring until I dabbed a bite in the dabs of sauce. That made it. 

Roasted fennel and butternut squash over arugula with an orange vinaigrette. I totally stole their dressing idea when I got home. The squash was lovely and worked nicely with the citrus, as squash does tend to play nicely with citrus. I never had cooked fennel before, I grew up eating it raw so this was interesting. A lovely salad if there ever was one. 

Now the mains...

Pork chop, mashed potatoes, greens. A bit dry, but that's to be expected, especially on a ship. 

Gnocchi with pumpkin sauce and mushrooms. I loved the sauce, but I also LOVE pumpkin, both sweet and savory (I even named my cat Punkin), the gnocchi weren't gummy or doughy, and were actually seared a bit, adding a bit of crunch and flavor. The mushrooms added a nice umami boost, but I found the pieces were a bit too large. Maybe I should have employed my fork...

Sole (I believe, I'm so terrible at remembering cooked fish!), seasoned creole style with jambalaya and andouille . I tried okra for the first time, nice taste, odd texture. I really tried to order more fish dishes and learn more about cooked fish, and I wasn't disappointed, until my stomach started hurting. Better luck next time, I hope. 

The Fisherman's trusty ribeye. I think he ordered this twice or so. This was cooked nicely, but the cut was a bit thin. Luckily if we got hungry later we found something at the buffet. 

Lamb shank with beans. We both really liked this. It looked beautiful and it was delicious as well. Simple, slightly gamey lamb, tender meat, in a tomatoey sauce with creamy and rich beans. I might have to try my hand at this come the cooler months. If only I could gnaw at a bone at my desk. 

Salmon in a cream sauce. My god that sauce was incredible. I think I licked the finish off that plate. It was subtle, but it really wrapped the fish in a creamy, velvety deliciousness. 

I forget what kind of fish this is (see??) I think The Fisherman ordered this one. 

Another favorite of mine, and it made me a bit homesick: coconut shrimp and chicken with curry. 

Finally, the desserts:

First up, apple pie. Very odd apple pie in fact. It tasted more of cinnamon than apple, and the fact that the filling was so perky made me question physics. How can pie make you sad?

Coconut souffle with mango sauce. We never had souffle before, so this was interesting. The texture was very spongy, but the sauce overwhelmed the coconut a bit. The sauce was very sweet and tart. Sometimes, less is better. 

English trifle. I thought I'd go out on a limb and try it. Not all that exciting. It's prettier than it's tastes, a bimbo dessert. 

Tiramisu, which was very nicely created, I must say. An extra bit of booze helps calm the tummy on the not so high seas. Creamy, coffeelicious, reminds me of high school in Lincoln Center, hanging out in Balduccis, you know, like high schoolers do...

Key lime pie. The filling was really nice, I don't know what was up with the syrup, and I didn't care for the meringue. I get offended by key lime pie having meringue, but I'm also a nut job. Meringue on a lemon meringue pie? Yes. Meringue on a key lime pie? Does the name have meringue in it??? sigh

Chocolate raspberry truffle cake. The Fisherman thinks its too rich, but  think he's silly. Not my favorite, but it was very, very good. 

Lemon ginger custard. Now this is my favorite, and I'll explain why: it dazzled and surprised me. I first ordered it because I was intrigued. I thought it tied in nicely with my curry chicken and rice. Then I worried the ginger would overwhelm and burn, and it didn't at all. It worked very, very well and it helped me believe that lemon desserts can impress. Chocolate still rules though :)

Finally, no sugar added carrot cake. It was moist, the cream cheese added a nice tang, the creamy vanilla sauce was nice. Not the best carrot cake I had, definitely mass produced. Not bad, not great. 

Next, to wash down those 21 courses, something to drink! Until then, mangia!