KenzSailing

Would someone please put a wooden stake thru the heart of the topic, in its various forms?

Ah, I know you were most favorable with regard to your Silversea cruise(or cruises,) Contrasting impressions will be interesting.

That's a little harsh. Me thinks you'll live.

I can already see the ad campaign(well, they are trying to attract a younger demographic):

Two Regent noobs boarding Dec 21, MIA-LA. I think I've worn out Youtube watching every RSSC video I can find. Excitement is building. Secure in the knowledge we will have a marvelous time(we always do, that's the frame of mind we bring to every lux cruise.)

I'm with you on this big time, Vince, I even have every Reflections from every cruise we've been on(oh yeah, I know you do too.) But, as John Maynard Keynes famously observed "in the long run, we're all dead." Just like paper.

Cue the "I get so many wasteful mailers" posts.

The Explora reviews have not been anywhere near unanimous in such praise. (This is an understatement.)

Thanks for the kind words Lish, but OLoPP and I just turned the odometer on 40, so it's looking like we're going to make it.🙂

Well, there are You Tube videos and then there are YOU TUBE videos. You know, the ones with soundtracks so lush they fall a foul of the copyright police,. And they feature more than talking head shots of onboard octogenarians. And oh yea, Delicious Libation makes an appearance, as does the OG BAB.. Ans let's not forget the author. Where are those guys?

Well, it happens to the best of us:

Here you go @BWIVince, time to travel south: https://dc.eater.com/2023/10/11/23913253/perrys-dc-japanese-breakfast-service-masako-morishita-coming-attractions?ueid=4eba6b281d9f0c8ecfc26836a0d720b7

So that's what he sounds like:

Bug Light? Here's the GOAT:

Oh, that must be the waaambulance I hear.

You've never priced a tux in your life, unless it's a used one from a rental company.

Oooooh, that use of guarantees never occurred to me. That certainly helps demystify the whole "hey our guarantee got upgraded" phenomenon.

We got the September offering a couple of night ago. It came in 33 containers. I swear, I'm working as hard putting these pre-made meals together as I would whipping up a simple at home. Might be verging on overkill. To put it in this board's terms: some nights you're ready for the Osteria, some nights you just want Prego. (That's a semi-wry comment, so let's pass on the what-do-you-mean "just" want Prego replies.)

Wishing you fair winds and following seas Phileas.

When did this board turn into a cross between the Food Channel and the Hell's Kitchen TV show? -Asking for the proprietor of an imaginary bistro(not to be confused with a restaurant.)

I sympathize. I mean, once you've had Stouffer's frozen everything else is just lasagna on a fancy plate. Really, I'm not kidding. Stouffer's lasagna is a minor miracle of frozen food. Now if they'd just bring back their heavenly creamed spinach(still available in bulk for commercial operations, but what am I going to do with two pounds of creamed spinach?) Thinking about it some more, the bath tub is empty. Hmmmmm.... Hey, that's cheaper than 60 minutes at OneSpaWorld! (OneSpaWorld reminds me of the time Comcast cable rebranded as xfinity.)

There's a saying in every restaurant above the level of diner: first you eat with your eyes.

If your cruise lasts more than four hours, consult your physician. (Apologies in advance.)

The Chez takes a Night Off, Part 2: Or: Adventures in dining here in the DMV(District, Maryland, Virginia) The Salt Line Bethesda: First, some background. An outfit called Profish is one of the largest, if not the largest, distributor of seafood to restaurants in the DMV. More than a few years ago at this point, they went into the restaurant business with a place called The Salt Line. And yes, the restaurant specializes in seafood. It is located in the District, across the street from Nationals Park. So one year on Opening Day we made a rezzie for lunch, followed by taking in the game. We were immediately impressed. Great food, solid service, attractive decor. Eventually they expanded to NoVa, with I assume the same level of quality. Well, several years ago they announced they were coming to Bethesda in a location literally 5-10 minutes from our house. We watched and watched and watched for an actual restaurant to open. Then, about 8 months ago, lo and behold there was activity. Finally, happily, about 8 weeks ago they opened. Hoo boy, was this worth waiting for. Absolutely gorgeous space, same great food, attentive service, all at a price point that won't break the bank. And it's not a 30-45 minute Uber ride away. We've already been twice, and it's just been great. Last time we were there OLoPP had the scallops and had me try a bite. Utterly perfect(I know from sea scallops.) Absolutely top shelf U10 scallop, perfectly grilled, with a body of meat that was almost silky in texture. Think aquatic foie gras. These folks can cook. I started with the oysters: fresh, clean, briney, expertly shucked. (Vince, c'mon, Bethesda's not that far. Get down here and the first 6 are on me. You too Roy, although I don't think you're exactly a bivalve slurper.)😁 For anyone who knows of Kincaids from back in the day here, Salt Line is an ever-so-slightly down market version of it. It's that good. They have a massive bar area and they're doing late night hours with specials. Getting pretty big city here in sleepy BCC. (We realized that when we discovered we could see the Marriott HQ corporate signage from our front yard.) Table 22: OK, not a restaurant, but still dining related. There's this Table 22 outfit that is basically offering a one-stop-shopping service to restaurants for take-out/delivery orders. Essentially, what restaurants were doing to survive during the pandemic, but with a "you cook it, we'll take care of the rest" model. They handle the on-line ordering front end, delivery(inside the beltway), probably provide ancillary services like packaging recommendations, etc. They appear to be continental US wide, but they are really big in DC. You sign up for a restaurant and it's one meal a month, cancel anytime(I really like that no subscription is required.) It's a way to get high end meals delivered to our home, with just a bit of reheating involved. We're signed up for L'Ardente and The Dabney w/Petite Cerise. To give you an idea what I'm talking about, here's our last menu from The Dabney/Petite Cerise: Chilled summer corn soup, shrimp, poblano and vadouvan Heirloom tomato panzanella salad, ricotta salata, red onion and basil Duck leg confit, ragout of white beans, herbs and peppers served with peach gastrique Nectarine rice pudding, orange lavender honey, tangerine lace, white chocolate Some assembly required(this meal came in 16(!) containers of various size.) Now that's eatin' good in the neighborhood.

Sugar beets? Too sweet for you, Golden Delicious.