Princess MDR/Buffet - any Southern food?

[eldridchapman]

Hi, will be travelling on the Island Princess this summer. I read up about the dining option at MDR and buffet, and wonder if any of you on a personal experience ever had any Southern food at either the MDR or buffet?

 

I have not eaten "real" Southern food from US before and would love to have the chance to sample them, admittedly on the other side of the mainland. :o

[Loonbeam]

With the caveat that there are many varieties of southern, I can't think of any traditional items on the current menus that would qualify in the MDR except maybe fried chicken (and southern style fried chicken has lots of variants.

 

Tend to avoid the buffet so cannot speak to that.

 

The Island does have the Bayou Cafe, which is Louisiana themed and would qualify as southern to some extent. It IS a specialty restaurant with fee, and its a specific kind of southern, prepared by mostly European chefs, but might come close to what you are looking for..

 

Here's the menu:

 

http://www.princess.com/downloads/pdf/Onboard_Experience/BayouCafe-2014-Sample.pdf

 

Hi, will be travelling on the Island Princess this summer. I read up about the dining option at MDR and buffet, and wonder if any of you on a personal experience ever had any Southern food at either the MDR or buffet?

 

I have not eaten "real" Southern food from US before and would love to have the chance to sample them, admittedly on the other side of the mainland. :o

[bhopal21]

Hi, will be travelling on the Island Princess this summer. I read up about the dining option at MDR and buffet, and wonder if any of you on a personal experience ever had any Southern food at either the MDR or buffet?

 

I have not eaten "real" Southern food from US before and would love to have the chance to sample them, admittedly on the other side of the mainland. :o

 

No, sorry there is not.

 

And if anyone thinks the Bayou Cafe (while having goods steaks) represents Louisiana food then I have some property in the Everglades I would like to sell them.

 

Mike:)

[geoherb]

Cruise ships serve grits for breakfast, but they're not at all good. I don't know what they do to make them taste so bad.

[bhopal21]

Cruise ships serve grits for breakfast, but they're not at all good. I don't know what they do to make them taste so bad.

 

 

I wondered that myself as it's really hard to mess up grits but Princess seems to have mastered it.

 

Right after they opened the Bayou Cafes on the Island/Coral I begged them to have a guest chef from Louisiana onboard that might teach the European cooks how to property prepare food but it fell on deaf ears.

 

Mike:)

[AKman2495]

Living is Alaska...it's ALL southern food to me ;)

[Loonbeam]

I did point out the european chef's :)

 

That said I thought the corn cakes were pretty close.

 

And its more southern that possibly most other options on the ship, it's relative I suppose.

 

What passes for grits in the MDR does not count, and shall not be mentioned again.

 

No, sorry there is not.

 

And if anyone thinks the Bayou Cafe (while having goods steaks) represents Louisiana food then I have some property in the Everglades I would like to sell them.

 

Mike:)

[Colo Cruiser]

I agree, no southern food.

[Grammyluvs]

I live in Alabama and I can tell you their attempt at southern food leaves a lot to be desired. Grits are just awful....I got so excited one day....sausage gravy and biscuits. Biscuits were like hockey puts. The one thing I miss the most is southern vegetables cooked southern. Oh well...it is a cruise and we pride ourselves on adapting to wherever we are and we can do without southern food for a few weeks. I do enjoy all the food on cruises.

[pusywillow]

With the caveat that there are many varieties of southern, I can't think of any traditional items on the current menus that would qualify in the MDR except maybe fried chicken (and southern style fried chicken ]

 

Don't even think about getting the fried chicken. It was awful.

[AndyTheK]

Our personal experience:

 

Bayou Cafe (Coral 2009/10) - very weak. Food that should have a "kick" like the gumbo didn't have much.

 

MDR Fried chicken Southern Style - NO NO NO! Not only was it not "southern" but it was the only course DW refused to eat in any restaurant in her life.

 

Shalom from Tel Aviv. Andy

[geoherb]

Don't even think about getting the fried chicken. It was awful.

Our tablemate on the Ruby last week ordered the fried chicken last week. All she wanted was dark meat chicken. Somehow the cook thought she could eat five drumsticks. She was hoping for one of them plus a thigh. She managed to eat a bit off one, but the others went to waste.

[golfb4cruzing]

Grits at breakfast. They aren't the best but they beat the Army's.

[Colo Cruiser]

Yuck.

[bhopal21]

Grits at breakfast. They aren't the best but they beat the Army's.

 

We had some pretty mean SOS in the USAF.

 

Mike:rolleyes:

[Colo Cruiser]

We had some pretty mean SOS in the USAF.

 

Mike:rolleyes:

 

With salt peter. :eek:

[HRPro]

The only decent grits I've ever had on a ship was on a Carnival ship that sailed out of Charleston. I think the local chefs must have given instructions, because the grits were fabulous. Unfortunately, grits on Princess are not good nor have I ever seen southern specialities on the menu for the MDR or the buffet.

[shastatroy]

I'm afraid if you want southern food you must get off the ship and visit the south, their food is the best!!

[Colo Cruiser]

I'm afraid if you want southern food you must get off the ship and visit the south, their food is the best!!

 

That would do it.

[eldridchapman]

Thanks guys for ur replies! Perhaps i'll take the usual range at MDR/buffet then, and will certainly try to avoid the fried chicken :)

[Grego]

With salt peter. :eek:

 

And for some of the guys it was the best food they ever had!

[SeymourKopath]

Princess is well known for accommodating special dietary needs. Many people request special order meals from their Head Waiter for the next night's dinner. I suggest ordering the following dinner:

 

Appetizer - pork rinds (also called pork skins)

Entree - day 1: chitlins, day 2: fried catfish

Sides - mac & cheese, fried okra, collard greens

Bread - cornbread

Dessert - sweet potato pie, pecan pie

Beverage - sweet iced tea

 

Mmmmm! I'm hungry!

Edited March 29, 2014 by SeymourKopath

[geoherb]

Speaking of collards, that's another big disappointment for me, but it was on a Holland America cruise. HAL had different famous chefs create menu items. Marcus Samuelsson's was a spice-crusted Salmon with collard greens. The cooks in the galley subbed cabbage for the collards.

[SeymourKopath]

Speaking of collards, that's another big disappointment for me, but it was on a Holland America cruise. HAL had different famous chefs create menu items. Marcus Samuelsson's was a spice-crusted Salmon with collard greens. The cooks in the galley subbed cabbage for the collards.

Ugh! :eek:

[MauiLvrs]

No, sorry there is not.

We've seen grits and fried chicken :D