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SHARE on Ruby: First Bites


VibeGuy
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Having just stood up from dinner at SHARE, a rave is in order. Best meal of any I have had in the last 38 years on Princess (or Sitmar for that matter).

 

Our party of eight literally ate the menu. Every dish.

 

The concept is not what you think. Tables are of sizes for every conceivable party. No dining with strangers unless you want to. The dishes are served individually not as platters.

 

You'll excuse the lack of images.

 

Here is the menu, verbatim and in its entirety, with commentary:

 

Charcuterie Platter

Jamón Iberico, Salami Finnochiona, Chicken Liver Parfait, House Pickles, Epi (sic)

 

They mean "epee", the stalk-of-wheat shaping. That's the only thing wrong about this. The meats are top quality, the pickled mustard seed, onion hearts and fruited onion compote are bright and provide contrast to the fatty deliciousness of the flesh. The parfait is a lighter take on chicken liver mousseline and should not be missed, even if you're not usually a liver lover.

 

APPETIZERS

 

Little Gems

Pickled Pearl Onion, Oro Blanco, Nasturtium Pesto

Far be it from me to get excited about salad, but this is a winner. The peppery nasturtium hits the mild greens and enough dairy to take the edges off. Fresh herbs and peeled tomato round this out. Would have had a second one.

 

Shrimp Salad

Lemon Gel, Turnip, Citrus Salt, Brioche

A more contemporary take on shrimps remoulade, with brioche crouton so impossibly thin they only had one side, beautifully composed with the root vegetable garni. A whopping two shrimp.

 

Cavatelli

Beets, Castelmagno, Sun Choke, Brussel (sic) Sprout

Wow. Best pasta dish I've had onboard since Sitmar. Perfectly hit blend of vegetal notes and dairy richness. Sun Choke is one of my favorite roasted vegetables so this was a big hit. The Brussels sprouts are served as individual leaves, providing a sharp brassica note and a texture contrast in what is otherwise a comfortingly unctuous dish.

 

Tagliatelle

Roasted Alaskan King Crab, Chili, Parsley

Fresh pasta, shreds of crab, flecked with oil and garlic and the aforementioned garni. Light and contemporary, did not stint on crab.

 

MAINS

 

Roast Turbot Whitefish Gratiné(sic)

Gruyere Crumb, White Vermouth, Mushroom Duxelles

Sweet mother of all that is good and holy. Phenomenal piece of fish, smothered in duxelles, coated with a savory cheese crust. I am generally of the school that no piece of fish more elevated than a Filet O' Fish Chez McDonalds benefits from cheese. I stand corrected. This was the big hit at the table

 

Butter-Poached Lobster

Carmelized Endive, Endive Foam

Wow. The end of tough shellfish. Who doesn't like a tender small tail? The sharpness of the endive is a nice foil. I ordered extra endive it was so good.

 

Wild Mushroom Ragú

Cauliflower, Pine Nut, Bitter Green

Deeply flavored, meaty, and the greens make the perfect foil. Should have ordered another. Eight of us cleaned three plates. Order one as a table side.

 

 

Twice-Cooked Duck

Fennel, Bacon Jus, Parmesan Crumb

The omission of the white bean garnish is a sin; rich with duck fat, these are the beans dreams are made of. The duck is confit leg and thigh, served crisp.

 

Beef Cheek Pie

Porcini Mushrooms, Buttery Pastry

The most tender delicious bit of the steer, in a deeply-flavored gravy served in a Staub cast iron cocotte. It looks humble but punches way beyond its weight. I was the biggest fan at the table; I would happily eat this every week for the rest of my life. Gravy could be thicker.

 

I'm running out of data coverage. I'll do sides, cheese and dessert later.

 

Run, do not walk, to book this. Much better than any other alternative dining Ice done on any line. They are aware the lighting is too bright, and are working to fix it, but for the first night of service, this was astonishingly good.

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Sides

 

Melted Leeks

Confit Egg Yolk, Brioche Breadcrumbs

This is lethally, dangerously, impertinently rich. Like Paris Hilton with less restraint. Four people can easily split a serving, and they should, because this elevates the humble allium to a starring role. Did I mention it's rich?

 

Braised Kale

Snoked Ham, Crispy Shallots

Southern Greens. Smoky pork. Ehh. Well-executed but not exciting.

 

Potato Gratin

Truffles, Cream

This could put Atkins himself back on carbs. No cheese; you actually taste potato. It's about 3" across and is two bites each for two people. Exquisite. Simplicity executed to the nth degree. You may need two.

 

 

CHEESE

 

Bethmale

France, Honeycomb, Bauguette

This was dead ripe, stinky in a good way and more interesting than any piece of cheese I've ever seen afloat.

 

La Gruta

Spain, Quince Paste, Toasted Pecan

Made from a blend of cow, sheep and goats milk, this set off the quince paste, which was served cubed and rolled in chopped toasted pecan. Fans of Aplets and Cotlets or Turkish Delight will groove on this presentation of quince paste, which is so much better than the name belies. .

 

Pantaleo

Italy, Pear "Mostarda", Black Pepper Cracker

Winner of the cheese course, not so much for the Asiago-like cheese as the combo of all the components. Two bites of heaven. The mostarda. Oh, the mostarda. Bright without being acerbic, sweet wirhout cloying.

 

 

Shaft Blue

California, Crab Apple (sic) "Mostarda", Chestnut Cracker

Pretty standard New World veined cheese, made awesome by the mostarda.

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DESSERTS

 

Dark Chocolate Crémeux

Toasted Hazelnut Feuilletine, Burnt Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Common sense says you don't serve pudding with ice cream. And a cremeaux is essentially a very thick, rich pudding.

 

Common sense is no damn fun. This is insanely delicious. Smoky chocolate, smoke notes in the vanilla, and a wafer-thin crisp cookie garnish. This was a plate-licker. As good as the Norman Love desserts are, this is superior. Best plated dessert I've had on any ship of any line, ever, bar none.

 

 

Ricotta Fritters

Spiced Pear Rum Compote, Crème Fraiche Ice Cream

You mean made-to-order tiny donut holes. Tim Horton could learn something here. The galley crew is currently filling my bathtub with the ice cream and compote so that I can eat my prodigious weight in this. The pears are ethereal and provide a counterpoint to the lactic tang of the ice cream.

 

Tarte au Citron Vert

Raspberry, Meringue, Granola

It's a three-bite lemon tart with a short crust, garnished with freeze-dried raspberry and soft meringue. What makes it worth talking about is how good it is. Not cloying, not bitter. I've spent $11 for less-impressive lemon tarts.

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VibeGuy what a foodie you are :).

Thank you so very much you made the menu come alive. We are on the Regal again next but hoping to do the west coast in 2017 (any cruise will do). Will have to try this venue now. Only hope the staff on whichever we choose does the menu proud.

I try something new every day on vacation so this will be a wonderful experience for me.

Thanks again for making each item come alive. Great job.

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Thank you VERY much for that delicious and enticing review! You've given me something new to look forward to on our upcoming Princess cruises. I'm especially happy to hear that the Share dishes are more flavorful and interesting than the Curtis Stone options that were offered on the MDR menu during our recent cruise on the Royal (I think someone needs to tell Chef Stone that he needs to look in on the MDR galleys to see what they've done to his recipes.) ;)

 

Can't wait to try Share!

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Sides

 

Melted Leeks

Confit Egg Yolk, Brioche Breadcrumbs

This is lethally, dangerously, impertinently rich. Like Paris Hilton with less restraint. Four people can easily split a serving, and they should, because this elevates the humble allium to a starring role. Did I mention it's rich?

 

 

ROFL.. I don't think I'll be able to eat this now.. :D

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I guess I stand alone. I am not a foodie. Give me a Caesar salad, medallions of beef and Creme Brulee and I am happy. I will leave Share to the rest of you, enjoy!!!

 

I am with you on this. I might consider trying a dish or two but I certainly would not want to pay for ii-----especially at $39 per person.

Taste in food is subjective so my opinion should not influence anyone else in deciding whether or not to try the Share restaurant. However, I would make a small wager that it will appeal to fewer people than would Sabatini's both for menu and for price.

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I am with you on this. I might consider trying a dish or two but I certainly would not want to pay for ii-----especially at $39 per person.

Taste in food is subjective so my opinion should not influence anyone else in deciding whether or not to try the Share restaurant. However, I would make a small wager that it will appeal to fewer people than would Sabatini's both for menu and for price.

 

I tend to disagree with this (not the subjective part ;)).

 

First, Princess chose to replace Sabatini's. Therefore, it would seem from a revenue generator viewpoint maybe it was no longer as popular as in the past.

 

Second, if word of mouth spreads that is similar to the OP's I predict the place will be packed, just like a popular land restaurant. I know the price is steep, but for many it's not high enough to discourage them from a very good meal. I'm one of them (at least once). :D

 

But of course, only time will tell.

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