Marina Specialty Restaurants

[clo]

3 hours ago, Mura said:

Clo, in fairness to Red Ginger they WILL spice it up on request.  Obviously, not all of the menu items will benefit from that.  But you shouldn't assume that everything will be bland.

 

Mura

Oh, it's not so much bland as simply not terribly appealing.  As popular as it is these days we're not huge fans of Thai food.

[clo]

2 hours ago, pinotlover said:

Clo;

 

Many of the items were toned down a couple of years ago. Very few items are now even slightly spicy.

 

Our most favorite local Italian restaurant rotates and changes its menu seasonally based upon the every changing availability of fresh ingredients. There is a lot of flavor and menu variety that is possible when offering variety and fresh produce is a priority. Having the exact same menu for years means such variety is not a priority.

 

The Polo Grill is my least favorite of the Specialties. I can fix steak at home as good or better than they serve. I have never found their steaks to be exceptional. The prime rib there is typically excellent. However, we get three reservations there on our next cruise and I won’t eat prime rib that often. We may or may not use all our PG reservations The lobster is too often over cooked. Sometimes I just do 3-4 apps there and that’s dinner. 

3-4 apps is our idea also.

[clo]

4 hours ago, LHT28 said:

not much you can do with pasta ..

Is that a joke?  I'd say pasta is the most versatile of dishes.  I can put together what we call a "melange" or "kitchen sink" as it has everything in it but the "kitchen sink."  For example:

Couldn't easily find the photo of my lasagna, where we make the pasta, the Bolognese sauce and the bechamel with grated Parm.  WAY different than what you'd normally see.

Anyway I'm only planning on eating there once.  Oops, here's the lasagna.

Edited July 6, 2019 by clo

[LHT28]

25 minutes ago, clo said:

Is that a joke?  I'd say pasta is the most versatile of dishes.

 

I guess the Chefs on Oceania  do not think so

🙄

[carlsbadguy]

Are specialty restaurants open the first night when the cruise departs late at night?  Looking at a cruise out of Monte Carlo that departs at 9:00 PM.

[LHT28]

15 minutes ago, carlsbadguy said:

Are specialty restaurants open the first night when the cruise departs late at night?  Looking at a cruise out of Monte Carlo that departs at 9:00 PM.

usually

we have  left at 11pm & they were open that night

check in MY ACCOUNT  for your cruise & see if they have slots open (when your turn to book comes up)

[keithm]

On ‎6‎/‎25‎/‎2019 at 8:41 PM, pinotlover said:

If I want to stand in a buffet line at dinner, I’ll go to Furr’s Cafeteria! Will probably get get far better drink service there also. 

 

We enjoy the GDR and don’t believe the quality of the cuisine of the Terrace demands the excitement given by Dan. Each to his own. Those lobster tails, in the Terrace, are still $4 warm water lobster tails at Whole Foods and you still have to fight with the staff to not overcook! I prefer the GDR and ordering what I want from a sit down menu, ordering the wine that I want that best compliments the dish, and feeling confident the wine order will be taken and delivered. 

 

We all have different priorities and am glad  Dan and others utilize the Terrace to meet theirs, while we eat with lesser crowds in the GDR. Enjoy the options!

Sorry, but most of the time, we saw cold water lobster tails & being from New England we KNOW the difference! This was on Riviera. I doubt it changes much across the line. Perhaps there are some warm water Lobster tails, but we didn't see them. Then again, we didn't go to Terrace every night, either. Usually we either eat in the GDR or a specialty. On one night we did eat in both GDR & the terrace. They had Dover sole & it's my fav.

[clo]

1 hour ago, keithm said:

They had Dover sole

Oh yum.  My fave also.  I love good, cold water lobster but Dover sole is something else entirely.  I hope we'll have it on the Marina in December in S. America.

[Mura]

Dover Sole reminds me of a meal we had in Dover many years ago.  The restaurant had been taken over and was about to close, but they served Dover Sole.

 

We were a group of 8 about to board Insignia.  One of our party ordered the Dover Sole.  We have since been told that it wasn't really "Dover Sole" because what came out was an enormous fish.  The diner's wife hadn't felt well so stayed home ... which meant that he couldn't possibly finish it all.  It was 25 pounds and we were all trying to figure out if that was the cost or the weight of the fish ...  (He did take the remaining fish back to the  hotel room for his wife.)

 

This was in June 2006 ...

 

Mura

[clo]

27 minutes ago, Mura said:

It was 25 pounds

Holey moley!!!!!  I still remember having it in Brugges (multiple spellings!) some years ago.  It was so good that we went right back the following night and had it again.  Mmm.

[keithm]

8 hours ago, Mura said:

Dover Sole reminds me of a meal we had in Dover many years ago.  The restaurant had been taken over and was about to close, but they served Dover Sole.

 

We were a group of 8 about to board Insignia.  One of our party ordered the Dover Sole.  We have since been told that it wasn't really "Dover Sole" because what came out was an enormous fish.  The diner's wife hadn't felt well so stayed home ... which meant that he couldn't possibly finish it all.  It was 25 pounds and we were all trying to figure out if that was the cost or the weight of the fish ...  (He did take the remaining fish back to the  hotel room for his wife.)

 

This was in June 2006 ...

 

Mura

Dover Sole can be that big. It's more rare now.

[keithm]

9 hours ago, clo said:

Oh yum.  My fave also.  I love good, cold water lobster but Dover sole is something else entirely.  I hope we'll have it on the Marina in December in S. America.

It will be available. In Jacques/Polo/Toscana, it's available. We recommend the whole Seabass in puff pastry in Jacques. Excellent! 

[Hawaiidan]

On 7/6/2019 at 1:46 PM, clo said:

Oh, it's not so much bland as simply not terribly appealing.  As popular as it is these days we're not huge fans of Thai food.

it is not Thai....its a melange of a variety of cuisine...

[clo]

45 minutes ago, Hawaiidan said:

it is not Thai....its a melange of a variety of cuisine...

Thanks.  I looked at the menu again and you're right.  There's just really nothing there that appeals to me.  

[Hawaiidan]

1 minute ago, clo said:

Thanks.  I looked at the menu again and you're right.  There's just really nothing there that appeals to me.  

Food is an adventure...discovering that which you never tried or thought to.    You love pasta... to me the most boring stuff in the world.   just different shapes  same taste  boring...   after 2 weeks in Italy  never wanted to see it again.    Ill take  German, French, Austrian, Swiss. Greek and  Kansas bbq

[clo]

4 minutes ago, Hawaiidan said:

ll take  German, French, Austrian, Swiss. Greek and  Kansas bbq

I'll take all of those and house made pasta also.  They shouldn't all taste the same as there are different ingredients.

[Hawaiidan]

15 minutes ago, clo said:

I'll take all of those and house made pasta also.  They shouldn't all taste the same as there are different ingredients.

home made, store bought, dried...  made it with the finest ingredients at CIA....  minimal difference to me.

[clo]

Just now, Hawaiidan said:

home made, store bought, dried...  made it with the finest ingredients at CIA....  minimal difference to me.

Then I'll say you don't have much of a palate.

[CintiPam]

I just love reading all the foodie threads on the Oceania board!

Edited July 13, 2019 by CintiPam

[clo]

1 minute ago, CintiPam said:

trading

???

[CintiPam]

7 minutes ago, clo said:

???

I corrected the typo as soon as it posted.

 

Also you have to cut me some slack as I am typing on an iPhone after retinal detachment and macula hole surgery, suffered BTW while on Marina off the Amalfi Coast!

Edited July 13, 2019 by CintiPam

[clo]

Just now, CintiPam said:

I corrected the typo as soon as it posted.

 

Also you have to cut me some slack as I am typing on an iPhone after retinal detachment and Mura hole surgery, suffered BTW while on Marina off the Amalfi Coast!

I'm sincerely sorry..  Since it's a real word I really was trying to figure out what you meant.  Best wishes.

[CintiPam]

3 minutes ago, clo said:

I'm sincerely sorry..  Since it's a real word I really was trying to figure out what you meant.  Best wishes.

Thanks.  Between my changed eyesight and autocorrect, it has been a challenge but so fun to follow the Oceania board while no driving or flying allowed. 

[Silver Sweethearts]

8 hours ago, clo said:

Then I'll say you don't have much of a palate.

 

In reference to Hawaiidan's palate, do check his March 3, 2017 Trip Advisor review of PIC in Valence, France.

[Paulchili]

A bit esoteric for my much simpler taste , but chacun à son goût 😊

Edited July 14, 2019 by Paulchili