Menu Changes.......... What Do You Want?

[Starr Mtn]

I'd like to see a chef's salad added to the 'always available' menu.

 

Some of my favorite restaurant meals similar to what I'd like to see on HAL:

 

grilled chicken breast stuffed with prosciutto and smoked provolone and gouda cheeses. Topped with a lemon-basil butter sauce and served with sauteed asparagus.

 

grilled chicken breast marinated in garlic, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, rosemary and a touch of honey

 

grilled steak served with sun-dried tomato cream sauce, sautéed mushrooms, asparagus, cherry tomatoes (ok, I pick the mushrooms out to give to DH)

 

baked fillet of orange roughy stuffed with a lobster, shrimp, vegetable and sherry wine mixture. Topped with a lobster-cream sauce and served with sautéed asparagus

 

roasted salmon topped with sun-dried tomatoes, pesto cream sauce and pine nuts served with oven roasted vegetables - my favorite!!!

 

 

I just find too much on Chef Rudi's menus that has mushrooms I can't pick out. I can't stand the earthy taste of fungus. :rolleyes: A major reason I pass on the Master Chef's Dinner.

 

 

Mary Ellen - love your suggestions ! I live in Co. Sp. also - which

restaurants do you recommend locally for menu items you suggested ?

I think the Chef's salad was available on the room service menu last time

we cruised. . .

 

Nancy

[sail7seas]

Sail, I certainly don't want all these choices on A menu, but sprinkled throughout 20 days or so would be fine. I NEVER said I wanted a "menu were full of that". I'm just looking for options. NO one would force you to order any. ;) Yes, three of my six choices did have cream (I watch carbs - cream is ok, but I don't have a heart condition). I'd be quite happy with plain pesto on my roasted salmon. Honestly, I didn't take you tastes into consideration when I gave choices we'd like. I apologize for my thoughtlessness.

 

I realized I was in trouble when on day 5 (of 20) that I'd ordered the salmon off the 'always available' for 3 nights and it was overcooked twice. After that I moved on to the herb chicken when ordering off that section.

 

I don't expect you to order what I like - and I sure hope you don't expect others to only have choices you'd order. I'm just looking for options. That is what is great about ordering off a decent menu, choices for everyone. I just don't find Chef Rudi's menus decent.

 

 

Mary Ellen........ Of course I understood what you were saying. There have to be choices for all of us. That is why I started my post with the statement that it is clear to me how hard it is for them to please all of us all the time.

 

Certainly there should be cream sauce choices offered in addition to mushrooms for those of us that like them. :)

 

I'm sorry if my message implied that I didn't think your suggestions weren't good. They just aren't to my taste. I am positive there are many here who think them great.

[sail7seas]

I love the idea of a dinner Chef's Salad and even a Salad Nicoise.

I'll have my dressing on the side please. :)

[Taxguy77]

My absolute favorite breakfast or supper meal is a cheese omlet with peanut butter on the side. Put the pb on the omlet when served and dream you are in heaven. :)

:rolleyes:

YMMV.

 

I never thought of that, I'll try it this week.

Thanks for the idea. :)

 

I also like the idea of a SMALL filet, not the large ones.

[Taxguy77]

One thing I do know is that they are still baking their own bread...we were in a cabin right above the bakery and the most heavenly smells would happen in the wee hours of the morning.....:D

 

Do they charge extra for that cabin? :confused:

[happy cruzer]

Well, I love thinking of ways to make the menus better. But I must add I think they are very nice already. Let's not throw the baby out with the bath water, hee hee.

 

Just sailed on Oceania. I noted over on that board the main dining room during our sailing was food wise similar to HAL and Princess. HAL and Princess actually seemed to vary their menus a bit more than Oceania.

 

Oceania did have fanastic salads available in the dining room at lunch. They offered the Jacqes Pepin signature salad as well as a caesar salad - plain, with chicken, with grill fish or grilled shrimp each day. These salads were great. They also still offer caviar one night in the dining room (I had two servings).

 

I also love souffles for dessert, a Princess specialty.

 

As long as there are choices it's ok by me.

[Taxguy77]

"Add a baked sweet potato, whole what pasta and bread and it makes a big difference for someone like me.....without stretching their food budget ridiculously. Those are moderately priced but healthy carbs."

 

If you try whole wheat pasta more than once, white tastes a little blah from then on.

[cruz chic]

The desserts aren't as good as they used to be although on the Maasdam in Apr.08 they were better then the Ryndam was in Oct.07.

 

I love cheesecake and HAL used to have it a lot years ago. Now the only one you see it made with the low fat cream cheese. I get enough of that at home:D .

 

One dessert they used to make years ago was a flourless chocolate cake. It was amazing! Haven't seen it for years.

[Sailorgirlseattle]

I agree on the whole wheat breads and pasta ... and I also would LOVE more choices of vegetables and larger quantities of them. I eat a TON of veggies at home and can never seem to get enough when traveling. I did take someone's tip on the Lose Before You Cruise board here and asked our waiter for a crudite platter each evening .. that helped, but still wasn't enough. I often ask for extra veggies when I order my entree.

[pipedreams62]

How about some

Click here for more info

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFFTwnYXI20

[ANSalberg]

This is SO GREEDY; they do them SO well-my mouth waters just THINKING about it......Escargot; I LOVE HAL snails-they are to die for! Even on the 3 1/2 month World -I think we had them 3 times [ only] "I promise- I won't be THAT greedy"

Anne

[arzz]

I already love the HAL food and have no trouble eating sensibly when on board -- more than I can say for Azamara where everything seemed to be just a little too rich and a little too much --

 

But I am here with many of you cheering for the whole wheat pastas, whole grain and 7 grain breads, and definitely piles of veggies (though I realize at sea this may be difficult as fresh veggies can only be kept for so long) -- and a plain, baked, sweet potato to round off the menu.

 

My needs are simple...

[fann1sh]

I think pasta must be hard for the galley...so easy to get it overdone, and it cools so quickly on the way to the table. But, one of my favorite dishes is pasta alla olio - crushed garlic browned in a bit of oil, tossed with the pasta (whole wheat, or veggie pasta would be nice) topped with parmesan. Appetizer, entree, or side dish to main course.....yummm. :)

 

To others, I'm sure my "yummm" is either indigestion waiting to happen....or a nightmare bad breath romance killer! :eek:

[jhannah]

Why am I getting hungry here in the middle of the afternoon???? :)

 

One thing I do know is that they are still baking their own bread...we were in a cabin right above the bakery and the most heavenly smells would happen in the wee hours of the morning.....:D

 

I'm surprised HAL hasn't made note of this and turned the cabins in that area into VAA category and charged more for them! ;)

[mamaofami]

I too would love to see some whole wheat bread and a baked sweet potato. It's so much healthier than the regular potato I order every night.

This winter we were able to get whole wheat pasta at the Lido for lunch, but had to order it two hours in advance. That's sometimes tough to do.

I would like to see it available at the pasta station everyday without advance notice.

I've ordered the salmon many times. Sometimes it comes out perfectly, and some times it's overdone.

A few years ago, DH saw them putting the desserts out in the Lido and taking them out of a box. We were pretty sure those weren't made on board.

DH asked ( the day before)for a sugar free, fat free dessert and the chef on the Noordam made it for him and delivered it to The Pinnacle . It was really quite good. Tasted like a custard pudding.

While I admit I am a chocolate lover, I can't eat it every night so some nights I just order fruit, even if it's not on the menu. They always bring out a nice assortment.

[Golfette]

Just a simple quality over quantity for me, with simple, fresh ingredients whenever possible.

[sijid]

Especially the grilled steak. Since I, too, live in COS, I really want to know which restaurant that came from.

 

Also all that grilled asparagus--is there a better veggie????

 

I'd like to see a nice 7-grain bread, especially for toast in the morning.

I know some cruise lines do this, but fresh berries for dessert "always available."

[localady]

Why am I getting hungry here in the middle of the afternoon???? :)

 

 

 

I'm surprised HAL hasn't made note of this and turned the cabins in that area into VAA category and charged more for them! ;)

 

Haha Jim!! Let's not give them any ideas now should we???:rolleyes: :D

[muffin]

Fresh berries for dessert ARE always available..... you simply have to ask for them. Ususally an ice cream footed cup with strawberries or raspberries, or both insided. Not a very big amount.. perhpas 1/2 total, but very nice and tasty. I usually tell our waiter I will be asking for berries every evening. That way, I feel obliged to have them which saves me from a hugely decadent dessert I do not have room for anyway. It also allows me to have a dessert of my choice at lunch or at tea in the afternoon without really blowing the food calorie budget too badly. WIn-Win in my estimation!

[May4]

Let's see, I'd like to see an addition to the cracker selections. Available now are water crackers, Melba Toast, soda crackers, Rye Krisp, and graham crackers. I would add Triscuits, Wheat Thins, Wheatsworth, or something of that nature. You know, something that goes well with a hearty cheese.

 

I wouldn't mind having walnuts, almonds, or pecans to add to my breakfast cereal either.

 

:)

[sail7seas]

What a great idea, May4. Could be pricey! I just bought a bag of whole almonds and see the price rose again. Everytime I buy them, they cost more. :(

[O2B@C]

OK, maybe this is heresy, but - I wish they offered an option (maybe another checkbox on the fruit preferences card) to get pillow chocolates made from DARK chocolate.:D

 

And - this isn't a change, but - when I was on Westerdam last fall, the veggies at the Lido salad bar were ORGANIC! This was GREAT - I'd like to see them offer more organic foods (budget permitting). And good quality fat free salad dressings (yes - they exist - Trader Joe's, for example, has a nice fat-free balsamic vinaigrette).

 

I totally agree about the baked sweet potatoes - great idea. And the whole wheat pasta and bread as well.

For those of you who have said you'd like a caesar or chef salad at dinner - they have started offering some interesting-looking salads that can be ordered as dinner entrees.

 

Nice idea for a thread, S7S - thanks!

[cruisinjudy]

I am glad someone finally mentioned the entree salads now offered. I thought maybe I had imagined them! My husband thought I was crazy for having salad for dinner!

 

I too would like the DARK chocolates, the high fiber bread, and the whole wheat pasta, oh and the baked sweet potatoes also!

[sassyredhat]

Sher, we actually had pineapple served several times on Zaandam 2 weeks ago.

 

We had fresh fruit in our cabin too. Those green apples were good while we were rockin' and rollin'.

 

Pat

[RuthC]

I may be late, Sher, but I did get here! :D Hope I don't disappoint you. Sure, bring back the chocolate tulip! And the chocolate flourless cake! And the warm chocolate truffle!

But I'd also like to see a few things at other meals in the Lido. I'd love to have whole wheat multi-grain english muffins for breakfast--just like at home. And I'd like the reduced fat peanut butter to spread on them. I'd like fat free cheese for an omelet, or to put on a hamburger at lunch. Or even make a grilled cheese sandwich with.

That sweet potato suggestion is excellent. I would much rather have that than a baked white potato. Throw some multi-grain rolls in the breadbasket, too, please.

I agree with Mary Ellen that Rudi's menu isn't great. Like her I found myself resorting to the always available menu on our recent cruise. I am grateful that the always available is more extensive than it use to be!