Help/advice from fellow foodies/cruisers on portion control meals!

[Erik101]

On the Allure, we have booked the following specialty restaurants:

 

1. Chops

2. 150 Central Park

3. Chef's Table

4. Giovanni (not set in stone like the other three)

 

What I'd like to know from fellow cruisers who are experienced in specialty restaurant settings is the following: are the portions served in appetizer size plates or can they be reduced to 1/2 size portions?

 

Here's the deal! My partner and I enjoy various types of cuisines and we love experiencing new kinds of food. So one of our goals is to try the different types of restaurants the Allure has to offer. However, we love the quality of food and NOT the quantity! All of these restaurants serve multi-course meals and we are concerned that we will be too full by the time the last 2 courses are delivered. Our strategy is simple: cut the meals to appetizer sizes, enjoy all the courses and leave the table feeling full and not bloated.

 

I know that some of you are probably thinking that we should just eat what we can and move on. You are right about this and that's always an option but I've been raised not to waste food, unless it's completely inedible.

 

Thank you in advance for your input and I'm prepared for an onslaught of different responses/opinions. Please note, that this thread has nothing to do with the main dining room so please, specialty restaurants only! Thanks again!

[cb at sea]

Don't worry...you won't be "wasting" the food....if you don't order it, it's thrown out, anyway.

 

Just eat what you want...the portions are huge. That's the way they do it....you simply have to adjust. We were WAY too full to enjoy our entree.....the appetizer, salad and bread are waaaay too much.

You could alway NOT order the appetizer and salad course....just head straight to the entree.....and dessert! We couldn't eat that, either!

 

Wasting food is against most folks training, but eating it or not doesn't help anyone else....just hurts YOU!

[waterbug123]

On the Allure, we have booked the following specialty restaurants:

 

1. Chops

2. 150 Central Park

3. Chef's Table

4. Giovanni (not set in stone like the other three)

 

What I'd like to know from fellow cruisers who are experienced in specialty restaurant settings is the following: are the portions served in appetizer size plates or can they be reduced to 1/2 size portions?

 

 

First of all, you don't have to order something from every course. No need to get an appetizer AND salad AND entree AND dessert. You can also share. Get one appetizer and share it, get one salad and share it, even one entree can be shared.

That said, some things are easier for the restaurant to prepare in smaller portions than others. A steak at Chops is going to be whatever size it is, but a pasta dish at Giovanni's can easily be served in a small portion, theoretically anyway. I say theoretically because in my experience they want to make sure you feel you are getting your money's worth and are sometimes reluctant to reduce portions. I've asked on occasion, and usually get a pretty large portion served anyway. Maybe they don't want someone else to see it and think "gee, that's all they serve?" But you can certainly ask.

As for 150 Central Park and the Chef's Table, both use a tasting menu format, in which you have a preset menu consisting of a lot of courses, but each is really just a tasting menu portion. Despite there being more courses on the fixed menu, you'll likely end up less full there than you will at Chops and Giovanni's.

[RCCL Fan]

I don't thinkOP was worried about wasting food, but like most foodies, wants to enjoy all the meals, and start to finish, without overeating.

 

In speciality restaurants you will need to self portion control.

[Erik101]

First of all, you don't have to order something from every course. No need to get an appetizer AND salad AND entree AND dessert. You can also share. Get one appetizer and share it, get one salad and share it, even one entree can be shared.

That said, some things are easier for the restaurant to prepare in smaller portions than others. A steak at Chops is going to be whatever size it is, but a pasta dish at Giovanni's can easily be served in a small portion, theoretically anyway. I say theoretically because in my experience they want to make sure you feel you are getting your money's worth and are sometimes reluctant to reduce portions. I've asked on occasion, and usually get a pretty large portion served anyway. Maybe they don't want someone else to see it and think "gee, that's all they serve?" But you can certainly ask.

As for 150 Central Park and the Chef's Table, both use a tasting menu format, in which you have a preset menu consisting of a lot of courses, but each is really just a tasting menu portion. Despite there being more courses on the fixed menu, you'll likely end up less full there than you will at Chops and Giovanni's.

 

Thank you so much! You gave a lot of good info here and it's very much appreciated. To be honest with you, the tasting menu at 150 Central Park and Chef's Table is perfect since we have experienced that these types of menus are actually adequate. But we will remember your words on possibly being hungry later on....thank goodness for room service! :)

[waterbug123]

Thank you so much! You gave a lot of good info here and it's very much appreciated. To be honest with you, the tasting menu at 150 Central Park and Chef's Table is perfect since we have experienced that these types of menus are actually adequate. But we will remember your words on possibly being hungry later on....thank goodness for room service! :)

 

Your welcome! But please don't worry about feeling hungry later after 150/Chef's, LOL. It is very unlikely. When I said you'll feel less full there than at Chops/Giovanni's I should have clarified: Typically when we eat at Chops/Gio we end up so overstuffed we feel like we need to be rolled out of the restaurant! The portions are large, and we always end up with way too many of the "family style" side dishes at Chops. We're slowly learning to just say no, but it's not always easy! At 150/Chef's, we felt completely full, it just wasn't the totally overstuffed "oh Lord I'm going to explode" kind of full. I've heard an occasional comment from people complaining about the small portions there, but when you add up how many you get, it makes a perfectly normal sized meal, IMHO. :)

[Erik101]

Your welcome! But please don't worry about feeling hungry later after 150/Chef's, LOL. It is very unlikely. When I said you'll feel less full there than at Chops/Giovanni's I should have clarified: Typically when we eat at Chops/Gio we end up so overstuffed we feel like we need to be rolled out of the restaurant! The portions are large, and we always end up with way too many of the "family style" side dishes at Chops. We're slowly learning to just say no, but it's not always easy! At 150/Chef's, we felt completely full, it just wasn't the totally overstuffed "oh Lord I'm going to explode" kind of full. I've heard an occasional comment from people complaining about the small portions there, but when you add up how many you get, it makes a perfectly normal sized meal, IMHO. :)

 

Thanks Meg for the clarification! :)

 

Actually, there's one more item that you may be able to assist with. We're doing My Time Dining for the other 4 nights. We decided to make reservations for it and yes, I know that we can just show up but we decided to go ahead with the reservation. When we went through RCI's pre-cruise planner for the reservation and I noticed that upon choosing the time, it was automatically booked for the same time every night for the rest of the week. So, there are nights when we have reservations for both MTD and the specialty restaurants.

 

Should we contact RCI to cancel the MTD reservations nights that conflict with the specialties? I would hate to leave it alone when other cruisers can use our MTD reservations for their benefit.

[jillyfish]

Thanks Meg for the clarification! :)

 

Actually, there's one more item that you may be able to assist with. We're doing My Time Dining for the other 4 nights. We decided to make reservations for it and yes, I know that we can just show up but we decided to go ahead with the reservation. When we went through RCI's pre-cruise planner for the reservation and I noticed that upon choosing the time, it was automatically booked for the same time every night for the rest of the week. So, there are nights when we have reservations for both MTD and the specialty restaurants.

 

Should we contact RCI to cancel the MTD reservations nights that conflict with the specialties? I would hate to leave it alone when other cruisers can use our MTD reservations for their benefit.

 

Hi there,

When I did my MTD reservations, I noticed there was an option to check to have the same time every night or another option to be able to select a different time each night. I think you just need to go back into your planner and select the option for each night.

[waterbug123]

Hi there,

When I did my MTD reservations, I noticed there was an option to check to have the same time every night or another option to be able to select a different time each night. I think you just need to go back into your planner and select the option for each night.

 

And if that doesn't work, I wouldn't worry about it pre-cruise. Just go by the dining room on the first day and let them know whichever nights you don't need your reservation.