Back in 1979, in the summer before law school, a musician friend of mine told me about a bartending job in a restaurant near the humble shack where he lived: Doris & Ed's Seafood Restaurant. The new owner, Jim Filip, and his then wife bought the lobster and clam joint from Doris after her husband, Ed, had died.
Working for Jim was no picnic. He had big plans to upscale this previously "locals only" restaurant, so I needed to learn the menu, learn how to make then chic drinks like frozen strawberry daiquiris and Frozen Grasshoppers.
And, thankfully, I had to learn about wines. Jim, you see, is truly a wine lover and expert. So me, a long-haired college graduate hanging out on the Jersey Shore, saw what it was to have a passion about wine...and to appreciate it...and how to grow and nurture it in others. But, also thankfully, we're talkin' the Jersey Shore here...so it had to remain fun and approachable.
Do you think that summer on the Jersey Shore hanging with my musician friends, bartending and learning how to appreciate and understand food and wine had an impact on me? Silly question, huh!
With the suffering economy, upscale hidden treasures, like this James Beard Award winning, Wine Spectator noted, restaurant had to find a way to keep true to itself, yet reinvent itself at the same time, for being someone's favorite just isn't enough. Well, Jim jumped in with both feet, both arms and a wing and a prayer. The result has been incredible...remembering he had established a pretty high mark for many years.
New Jersey's major newspaper, The Star Ledger, recently wrote a review of Doris & Ed's, which I copy here. It speaks for itself:
Legendary shore spot starts summer afresh
By Cody Kendall/For The Star-Ledger
May 14, 2010, 6:51PM
Doris & Ed’s. 348 Shore Drive, Highlands, (732) 872-1565 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (732) 872-1565 . DorisandEds.com. Hours: 5-10 p.m. Wednesdays-Fridays, 5-11 p.m. Saturdays, 3-10 p.m. Sundays. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays except July and August, when it’s open on Tuesdays. THREE STARS
Shore fixture Doris & Ed’s is keeping up with the times while remembering the past. That’s a balancing act, but owner Jim Filip pulls it off with aplomb via two separate menus and a complete redo of his iconic restaurant.
Everything’s fresh, from the seafood to the paint and the linens. It’s a perfect setting for new chef Thomas Donohoe to reference “The Shore Today” — that menu develops complex dishes such as butter-poached lobster ($36) with truffle honey-glazed sunchokes, celery root, red ribbon sorrel and English cucumbers.
In contrast, “The Shore Yesterday” sticks to old faves, among them stuffed flounder ($30) and the predictable litany of unadorned fried and broiled seafood choices.
Both variety and execution are awesome in each category. Masterful balance is achieved in the grilled Washington State Quinault River sturgeon ($33), its essence elevated by a Madras curry jus that mixes dusky undertones artfully with the slightly sweet backstory of sautéed apples and turnips. Those seeking cool refreshment in the summer can indulge in the salad that jumbles Maine lobster with rock shrimp and littleneck clams ($19). High, low and mellow notes come courtesy of citrus, avocado and shaved fennel.
Traditionalists likely will revel in the regal jumbo lump crabmeat “Virginia style” ($31), unadulterated except for a soft veil of butter, parsley and vermouth that subtly boosts the enjoyment level. It comes with fries that thankfully are both hot and crisp, unlike the limp and cool versions we’ve suffered through elsewhere recently.
Lobster bisque ($9, cup; $15, bowl) has a gentle and flavorful soul that will please fans of either menu. Fish is the highlight here, yet there are sufficient choices of meat and fowl to satisfy those in your party who disdain seafood.
Donohoe, most recently of the Rainbow Ranch Lodge in Montana, trained with chefs Thomas Keller of the French Laundry in California and Jonathan Waxman at Barbuto in New York. His feeling for the food guides him with a touch that is light enough to assure the integrity of the ingredients, yet sufficiently creative to let them speak in different ways.
After a seafood supper, some prefer a low-profile dessert, such as the house-made sorbets and ice creams ($9), but my choice often is the classic Key lime pie ($8). For the trendy, there’s the strawberry-rhubarb tart ($9) with excitement provided by the black pepper and honey yogurt for a mini-rainbow of exclamation point flavors.
The spirit of Doris & Ed’s has been instilled in those who work there. Taking care of the patrons is a mission, not a duty, and even on a busy night we never lacked for attention.
This is definitely a high-end establishment, but there are some breaks available. The possibilities for kids 12 and under include a $7 burger platter (as well as a $15 lobster tail for budding gourmets). A three-course prix fixe option ($33) offers hearty eating with good, if limited, choices. The wine list presents excellent selections from around the world, but there are always five wines for $25 that should work with anything that comes out of the kitchen, though one can also indulge in bottles with dizzying prices.
Filip, who bought the restaurant in 1978 from its original owners (Doris and Ed, of course), is to be congratulated for risking reinvention and not being satisfied with the status quo. He went just far enough. That’s exemplified by the decision to drop the all-white interior for pale camel-colored walls that glow in the sunset looking out over Sandy Hook.
During the season, Saturday night reservations are a must. Try to call at least a week before you plan to go; otherwise, you might not get your favored time slot. This place has always been in demand, but it should be even more popular this summer. Doris & Ed’s is keeping up with the trendy new spots in Long Branch and Asbury Park while indulging its longtime patrons with their traditional choices. It doesn’t get better than that.
Cody Kendall may be contacted at CodyDine@aim.com.
You may recall that Goldring Travel hosts a Food & Wine Cruise every year on The Yachts of Seabourn. Jim Filip co-hosted on and, hopefully, will co-host another. In the meantime, if you are interested in the November 13, 2010 Food & Wine Cruise hosted by Jim's former bartender (that would be me), you can read about it here...or call or email me.
Showing posts with label Food Wine Cruise. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Food Wine Cruise. Show all posts
Friday, May 21, 2010
Monday, February 1, 2010
Seabourn's Cuisine Continues to Win Over Food Critics...And, If You Like: You.
I have spent much of my time over the past weeks discussing cuisine and what it means and can add or subtract from your cruise experience.
Today I was advised of a San Diego food critic's blog "Matters of Taste" wherein she noted her first cruise ever was this past year on the Seabourn Spirit and it garnered mention in her "Memorable Morsels....My Favorite Foods of 2009" post. Maureen Clancy wrote:
Three months after my first-ever CRUISE experience -- on the Seabourn Spirit -- I’m still in awe of chef Bjoern Wassmuth’s (left) performance. Crispy corn-crusted prawns with fennel slaw and romesco sauce; red carrot and curry potage with shrimp dumplings; warm ricotta and potato ravioli in truffle butter; chilled corn and lemon grass soup with lobster salad and spicy shrimp oil; swordfish Sicilian style with chili, capers, olives and basil...and much more. Each dish was picture-perfect and served by an attractive and amiable staff.
Many of you may recall that Chef Bjoern was "our" chef for the 2009 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise. He made a number of special treats for us including that wonderful grilled fresh Slovenian Sea Bass (served on deck) from the aquaculture farm we visited early in the day where we enjoyed sea bass both smoked and sashimi with fresh pressed oil oil and naturally harvested sea salt. Another Goldring Travel exclusive!
If you have been following the writings of those on the Seabourn Odyssey World Cruise on The Gold Standard Luxury Travel Forum you know that that cuisine offered by Seabourn is "memorable" across the fleet!
Interested in the 2010 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise? Email me at eric@goldringtravel.com or call me at (877) 2GO-LUXURY.
Today I was advised of a San Diego food critic's blog "Matters of Taste" wherein she noted her first cruise ever was this past year on the Seabourn Spirit and it garnered mention in her "Memorable Morsels....My Favorite Foods of 2009" post. Maureen Clancy wrote:
Three months after my first-ever CRUISE experience -- on the Seabourn Spirit -- I’m still in awe of chef Bjoern Wassmuth’s (left) performance. Crispy corn-crusted prawns with fennel slaw and romesco sauce; red carrot and curry potage with shrimp dumplings; warm ricotta and potato ravioli in truffle butter; chilled corn and lemon grass soup with lobster salad and spicy shrimp oil; swordfish Sicilian style with chili, capers, olives and basil...and much more. Each dish was picture-perfect and served by an attractive and amiable staff.
Many of you may recall that Chef Bjoern was "our" chef for the 2009 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise. He made a number of special treats for us including that wonderful grilled fresh Slovenian Sea Bass (served on deck) from the aquaculture farm we visited early in the day where we enjoyed sea bass both smoked and sashimi with fresh pressed oil oil and naturally harvested sea salt. Another Goldring Travel exclusive!
If you have been following the writings of those on the Seabourn Odyssey World Cruise on The Gold Standard Luxury Travel Forum you know that that cuisine offered by Seabourn is "memorable" across the fleet!
Interested in the 2010 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise? Email me at eric@goldringtravel.com or call me at (877) 2GO-LUXURY.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Seabourn Spirit 2009 Food & Wine Cruise - Some Final Thoughts
The Goldring Travel 2009 Food & Wine Cruise had a number of moments that made this cruise something truly special, even as compared to the normal, excellent experience, one has on Seabourn. Each suite was provided with a host of no-cost extras:
1. A travel book on the cruise area;
2. A culinary book focused on the cruise area;
3. An exceptional walking wine and food tour in Venice, Italy before the cruise;
4. A private galley tour with a special wine and caviar;
5. A private trip to the Fonda aquaculture farm in Slovenia;
6. A high quality wine tasting (5 wines and a grappa) at Santomas winery in Slovenia; and,
7. My being available to deal with whatever issues come up along the way whether it be how to cost-effectively get from the ship to the airport in Venice or making last minute arrangements for an extended stay in Venice when the city was effectively “sold out” to, say, finding a little place to enjoy an espresso or a couple of bottles of wine.
I am pleased that each of these provided my group with some real added value, both economically and experientially.
One thing that really stood out for me was that, unlike what I am reading more about on other cruise lines (such as Regent Seven Seas), there was absolutely no sense of a particular waiter or bartender being “the best”, but rather there was a desire to enjoy the styles and personalities of every waiter and bartender, purser and stewardess. Each person mentioned they loved Arnold or Hein, David or Heidi, Leigh or Jeremy, but there was never a concern that there would be a drop in service…It simply never happened. And from Captain to Hotel Manager to Chef, the Seabourn senior officers were omnipresent.
Another thing I appreciated was the cuisine was consistently excellent. There was almost nothing that was just OK. In reality, “excellent” was the norm and “very good” was the exception. I did notice a significant difference in variety between the Seabourn Spirit and the Seabourn Odyssey in the casual dining area. While I always found something to my liking, there is no question that from presentation to methods of cooking, the smaller yachts have their limitations…but Seabourn has a way of working with them so that the culinary product is merely different, not of lesser quality.
I started the cruise with a designed and concentrated effort to utilize Seabourn’s tours. The concept, for me, failed miserably. The first tour was a struggle (especially having to be compared with our Venetian Wine Walk the day before), the second tour was cancelled due to Shopping With The Chef, the third was cancelled due to a lack of interest, the fourth was a wonderful wine tasting overshadowed by a overwhelming guide and local music and, by then, I just couldn’t be bothered with the fifth, so I did my own thing…and found a little bit of heaven.
While I enjoy learning more about the history of a port and seeing more of its countryside than can usually be accomplished without a tour or guide, for me, personally, focusing on wandering the town and finding that special restaurant or shop or scene or person is just more of what I prefer my travel to be. Such an approach is unnerving and/or unfulfilling for some, but alas that is why they make chocolate and vanilla ice cream. And I do enjoy both, but definitely have more vanilla than chocolate. In other words, I am not “anti-tour” I just think I need to be very selective in what they are.
All in all, the 2009 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Spirit was a great success. We enjoyed many different wines and while the foods were not nearly as varied as in the past, they were very much enjoyed…especially the fish. Most importantly, as we explored four countries in seven days, we had fun. We had lots of fun.
It was “The Best”!
1. A travel book on the cruise area;
2. A culinary book focused on the cruise area;
3. An exceptional walking wine and food tour in Venice, Italy before the cruise;
4. A private galley tour with a special wine and caviar;
5. A private trip to the Fonda aquaculture farm in Slovenia;
6. A high quality wine tasting (5 wines and a grappa) at Santomas winery in Slovenia; and,
7. My being available to deal with whatever issues come up along the way whether it be how to cost-effectively get from the ship to the airport in Venice or making last minute arrangements for an extended stay in Venice when the city was effectively “sold out” to, say, finding a little place to enjoy an espresso or a couple of bottles of wine.
I am pleased that each of these provided my group with some real added value, both economically and experientially.
One thing that really stood out for me was that, unlike what I am reading more about on other cruise lines (such as Regent Seven Seas), there was absolutely no sense of a particular waiter or bartender being “the best”, but rather there was a desire to enjoy the styles and personalities of every waiter and bartender, purser and stewardess. Each person mentioned they loved Arnold or Hein, David or Heidi, Leigh or Jeremy, but there was never a concern that there would be a drop in service…It simply never happened. And from Captain to Hotel Manager to Chef, the Seabourn senior officers were omnipresent.
Another thing I appreciated was the cuisine was consistently excellent. There was almost nothing that was just OK. In reality, “excellent” was the norm and “very good” was the exception. I did notice a significant difference in variety between the Seabourn Spirit and the Seabourn Odyssey in the casual dining area. While I always found something to my liking, there is no question that from presentation to methods of cooking, the smaller yachts have their limitations…but Seabourn has a way of working with them so that the culinary product is merely different, not of lesser quality.
I started the cruise with a designed and concentrated effort to utilize Seabourn’s tours. The concept, for me, failed miserably. The first tour was a struggle (especially having to be compared with our Venetian Wine Walk the day before), the second tour was cancelled due to Shopping With The Chef, the third was cancelled due to a lack of interest, the fourth was a wonderful wine tasting overshadowed by a overwhelming guide and local music and, by then, I just couldn’t be bothered with the fifth, so I did my own thing…and found a little bit of heaven.
While I enjoy learning more about the history of a port and seeing more of its countryside than can usually be accomplished without a tour or guide, for me, personally, focusing on wandering the town and finding that special restaurant or shop or scene or person is just more of what I prefer my travel to be. Such an approach is unnerving and/or unfulfilling for some, but alas that is why they make chocolate and vanilla ice cream. And I do enjoy both, but definitely have more vanilla than chocolate. In other words, I am not “anti-tour” I just think I need to be very selective in what they are.
All in all, the 2009 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Spirit was a great success. We enjoyed many different wines and while the foods were not nearly as varied as in the past, they were very much enjoyed…especially the fish. Most importantly, as we explored four countries in seven days, we had fun. We had lots of fun.
It was “The Best”!
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Seabourn Spirit 2009 Food & Wine Cruise - Doing It The Iamboatman Way
Note: As the internet was effectively non-functioning during most of the cruise I have posted a number of blog entries all at once. Be sure to start at the bottom and work you way up to this one.
The next day, our last, was Trieste, Italy. I had booked a tour which was to highlight some castles and local wines, but I was pretty toured out after our Slovenian guide, Montenegro being such a disappointment and Otapaji being just OK, so I cancelled and went with another couple for a walk around town.
Trieste is a beautiful town with wonderful architecture, lots of cafes and shopping. In a typical Iamboatman manner, we looked at this café and that café for a place to have a coffee. And then I saw “the place”. It was an ancient wine bar called La Tecia which was oozing: rounded brick ceilings, wooded arched supports and tiny tables crammed into dimly lit spaces. We ordered two local wines (Fantin Nodar Friulano Tocai - a white; and Lis Neris Bottigua - a cab) and a platter of salami, prosciutto and fresh ham and another of a variety of cheeses.
There we sat for a couple of hours thinking, “This is the best”. It was. I had another great food & wine moment and it was with my wife and good friends happened upon by accident and enjoyed feeling just a little bit like a local.
A bit of power shopping thereafter (always dangerous after drinking wine for two hours!) and it was time to return to the Seabourn Spirit to pack and for a final soak in the forward spa watching the world go by and talking about nothing.
A final excellent dinner with great service and wonderful food (duck breast), coupled with a nice Cote de Rhone and it was off to the Club as it was a bit too windy for the Sky Bar. David, a proper butler (and a quirky, but charming young man), prepared my final cigar – and he is magic with it – and it another memorable moment on deck, watching the seagulls and terns fishing in the water lit by the lights of the Seabourn Spirit as we sailed out of Treiste.
It was, alas, time for the 2009 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise to come to an end.
I will provide some final thoughts separately.
The next day, our last, was Trieste, Italy. I had booked a tour which was to highlight some castles and local wines, but I was pretty toured out after our Slovenian guide, Montenegro being such a disappointment and Otapaji being just OK, so I cancelled and went with another couple for a walk around town.
Trieste is a beautiful town with wonderful architecture, lots of cafes and shopping. In a typical Iamboatman manner, we looked at this café and that café for a place to have a coffee. And then I saw “the place”. It was an ancient wine bar called La Tecia which was oozing: rounded brick ceilings, wooded arched supports and tiny tables crammed into dimly lit spaces. We ordered two local wines (Fantin Nodar Friulano Tocai - a white; and Lis Neris Bottigua - a cab) and a platter of salami, prosciutto and fresh ham and another of a variety of cheeses.
There we sat for a couple of hours thinking, “This is the best”. It was. I had another great food & wine moment and it was with my wife and good friends happened upon by accident and enjoyed feeling just a little bit like a local.
A bit of power shopping thereafter (always dangerous after drinking wine for two hours!) and it was time to return to the Seabourn Spirit to pack and for a final soak in the forward spa watching the world go by and talking about nothing.
A final excellent dinner with great service and wonderful food (duck breast), coupled with a nice Cote de Rhone and it was off to the Club as it was a bit too windy for the Sky Bar. David, a proper butler (and a quirky, but charming young man), prepared my final cigar – and he is magic with it – and it another memorable moment on deck, watching the seagulls and terns fishing in the water lit by the lights of the Seabourn Spirit as we sailed out of Treiste.
It was, alas, time for the 2009 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise to come to an end.
I will provide some final thoughts separately.
Seabourn Spirit 2009 Food & Wine Cruise - Food, Wine and, ummm, Music
The second part of our day in Koper, Slovenia was the private Ensemble Experience which was a tour of Piran followed by a wine tasting at Santomas vineyards. The town tour was hampered by a guide that talked way, way, way too much. That, however, became a distant memory when we arrived at the winery. Santomas is breathtakingly beautiful and, remarkably, the present facility is only two years old (and a labor of love by its owner). Everything from the pressing area to the restaurant where we had our tasting was done first class.
Not expecting much, I was really blown away by the quality of these moderately priced wines. I won’t bore you with the varieties other than to note that each of the five wines (one white, three red, one dessert) were interesting in their own rights and were presented with a really nice offering of prosciutto, a variety of cheeses, olives, local bread and, for the dessert wine, pastries.
A first class experience.
There was one funny/frustrating aspect: The tour company provided us with a Slovenian folk music trio that sang and played a bit too loudly for the entire tasting. When the tasting was over they hopped in their car and headed to…the Seabourn Spirit for the barbeque. That resulted in our group listening to about three hours of Slovenian folk music…and a serious headache! But I digress.
We arrived back at the ship just in time to wash up and hit the deck for the always great Deck Barbeque albeit we were still at the dock. The highlight was the Fonda sea bass. It was so good (and I am a picky fish eater) I shunned most of the offerings and had two fish! Give credit to the fish and to the Seabourn galley staff. They could have easily ruined the fish by being fancy or not giving it enough respect. Instead, with Bjoern’s guidance, it was perfection!
After a bit of the Rock the Boat show on deck, I called it an early evening retreated to my suite for about 45 minutes just to have some quiet. Like I was being set up, at returned to the Sky Bar at 11:00 pm for the sailaway…and like a bad joke the Slovenian folk music started again. Fortunately, the ship was starting to move and the music faded away. A nightcap under the stars and all was right with the Seabourn world.
Between visiting the Fonda aquaculture farm, the Santomas wine tasting and the Deck Barbeque it was a truly fantastic day.
Not expecting much, I was really blown away by the quality of these moderately priced wines. I won’t bore you with the varieties other than to note that each of the five wines (one white, three red, one dessert) were interesting in their own rights and were presented with a really nice offering of prosciutto, a variety of cheeses, olives, local bread and, for the dessert wine, pastries.
A first class experience.
There was one funny/frustrating aspect: The tour company provided us with a Slovenian folk music trio that sang and played a bit too loudly for the entire tasting. When the tasting was over they hopped in their car and headed to…the Seabourn Spirit for the barbeque. That resulted in our group listening to about three hours of Slovenian folk music…and a serious headache! But I digress.
We arrived back at the ship just in time to wash up and hit the deck for the always great Deck Barbeque albeit we were still at the dock. The highlight was the Fonda sea bass. It was so good (and I am a picky fish eater) I shunned most of the offerings and had two fish! Give credit to the fish and to the Seabourn galley staff. They could have easily ruined the fish by being fancy or not giving it enough respect. Instead, with Bjoern’s guidance, it was perfection!
After a bit of the Rock the Boat show on deck, I called it an early evening retreated to my suite for about 45 minutes just to have some quiet. Like I was being set up, at returned to the Sky Bar at 11:00 pm for the sailaway…and like a bad joke the Slovenian folk music started again. Fortunately, the ship was starting to move and the music faded away. A nightcap under the stars and all was right with the Seabourn world.
Between visiting the Fonda aquaculture farm, the Santomas wine tasting and the Deck Barbeque it was a truly fantastic day.
Seabourn Spirit 2009 Food & Wine Cruise - Its About The Fish!
Chef Bjoern arranged for a private inspection of a aquaculture farm outside Koper, Slovenia. Having a background in marine biology and worked as a biological aid for the United States’ National Marine Fisheries Service I was quietly very excited for this. I think the others were more like, “OK. That’ll be ‘interesting’”.
Our “guide” for our journey to the Fonda aquaculture farm in Piran, Slovenia, Irena Fonda, was a bit quiet at first, but this charming woman with a doctorate in molecular biology, came alive when we reached what we would learn is her family business. We boarded an ordinary 10 passenger pontoon boat with a bag of fish food, some water and what I thought was three bottles of champagne improperly iced upside down in a bucket of ice along with a very nice blue shopping bag.
The process of raising the fish(sea bass or locally known as branzino), which takes five (5) years was explained and it was emphasized that the nets are free of all antibiological agents which would kill organisms trying to grow on the nets, that would also introduce poison to the fish. As such a very labor intensive process of net replacement and manual cleaning is required. Also, rather than the fish being fed lots of low quality feed and artificial colors which would cause them to get fat (and thus to market weight, but at low quality, quicker) and look pretty (think color added to farmed salmon), these fish are fed less more often and the amounts eaten are measured every day. (My wife now understands why I have always said do not purchase farm raised fish: It isn’t terribly healthy, it looks funny to me and it doesn’t taste that good either.)
After stopping at the large round nets (each of which were pristine) with increasing larger fish we had a surprise: a very rare sighting of a young sea turtle. They were more excited than we were as they had never seen a sea turtle in their waters. Just a little bonus and a harbinger of the magic that was about to happen.
Tied off to one of the nets a presentation was made. The bag contained a Styrofoam box with a nurtured five year old sea bass fish beautifully presented and protected all of which was explained as to everything from the wrapping to the date tagging (so you know the fish is fresh) to the frozen gel used (as ice would melt and injure the meat). While the fish was then being prepared for some sashimi tasting (which was incredible) we savored gently smoked sea bass.
Oh, yes, that upside down champagne was actually a great treat. It was a Refusco wine prepared in a champagne style. The cool thing about the wine is that it is not purged in the process as is done with champagne, so the sediment is allowed to settle in the neck of the bottle, which is then opened. underwater (quite a feat!). It was a delicious and paired, surprisingly, well with the fish. (Those of the “You don’t drink red wine with fish” really have it wrong!!)
Then as we started to have the sashimi it was explained that Fonda also presses its own olive oil from its private grove and it also uses salt from the salt farm right next door…and it was all being served to us.
After a tour of the salt farm, which still produces the salt by hand processes that date back hundreds of years, Bjoern, the Seabourn chef then arranged for some sea bass to be delivered to the ship for the Deck Barbeque that evening.
What an experience!
Our “guide” for our journey to the Fonda aquaculture farm in Piran, Slovenia, Irena Fonda, was a bit quiet at first, but this charming woman with a doctorate in molecular biology, came alive when we reached what we would learn is her family business. We boarded an ordinary 10 passenger pontoon boat with a bag of fish food, some water and what I thought was three bottles of champagne improperly iced upside down in a bucket of ice along with a very nice blue shopping bag.
The process of raising the fish(sea bass or locally known as branzino), which takes five (5) years was explained and it was emphasized that the nets are free of all antibiological agents which would kill organisms trying to grow on the nets, that would also introduce poison to the fish. As such a very labor intensive process of net replacement and manual cleaning is required. Also, rather than the fish being fed lots of low quality feed and artificial colors which would cause them to get fat (and thus to market weight, but at low quality, quicker) and look pretty (think color added to farmed salmon), these fish are fed less more often and the amounts eaten are measured every day. (My wife now understands why I have always said do not purchase farm raised fish: It isn’t terribly healthy, it looks funny to me and it doesn’t taste that good either.)
After stopping at the large round nets (each of which were pristine) with increasing larger fish we had a surprise: a very rare sighting of a young sea turtle. They were more excited than we were as they had never seen a sea turtle in their waters. Just a little bonus and a harbinger of the magic that was about to happen.
Tied off to one of the nets a presentation was made. The bag contained a Styrofoam box with a nurtured five year old sea bass fish beautifully presented and protected all of which was explained as to everything from the wrapping to the date tagging (so you know the fish is fresh) to the frozen gel used (as ice would melt and injure the meat). While the fish was then being prepared for some sashimi tasting (which was incredible) we savored gently smoked sea bass.
Oh, yes, that upside down champagne was actually a great treat. It was a Refusco wine prepared in a champagne style. The cool thing about the wine is that it is not purged in the process as is done with champagne, so the sediment is allowed to settle in the neck of the bottle, which is then opened. underwater (quite a feat!). It was a delicious and paired, surprisingly, well with the fish. (Those of the “You don’t drink red wine with fish” really have it wrong!!)
Then as we started to have the sashimi it was explained that Fonda also presses its own olive oil from its private grove and it also uses salt from the salt farm right next door…and it was all being served to us.
After a tour of the salt farm, which still produces the salt by hand processes that date back hundreds of years, Bjoern, the Seabourn chef then arranged for some sea bass to be delivered to the ship for the Deck Barbeque that evening.
What an experience!
Seabourn Spirit 2009 Food & Wine Cruise - Split, Croatia: Shopping With the Chef & Chilling Out Seabourn Style
Unfortunately there was a failure of the motherboard for the internet satellite system on board, so posting my blog as it was happening just wasn’t possible. Nonetheless, here it is…and know that it was, in the end, one of the best cruises I have ever taken.
We started our day in Split, Croatia, after a very pleasant breakfast at the Veranda, Shopping With the Chef. Because the interest was so great, Seabourn expanded the number that could go to about 30, which was a bit much, but which also had Seabourn arrange for a guide to give us a short walking tour. After a brief orientation it was off to the fish market.
It was a bit lean in the smallish fish market with clear signs of overfishing taking its toll. It was especially sad to see small soles that haven’t had even a chance to breed being offered for sale. The Chef purchased some sea bass and sardines as there wasn’t much else of interest. (The sardines wound up in the Veranda for lunch the next day and the sea bass became part of the Chef’s Tasting Menu.)
It was then a short walk through the really interesting and pretty walled city to the vegetable and fruit market. Things were much more robust there and it seemed that everyone was selling tiny Italian plums. (Local grapes were delivered to everyone’s suites later in the day.)
We thanked the Seabourn staff as it was time to explore more of Split, a town I would readily come back to. It really just felt like a very friendly place to be and it was just enjoyable. We stopped in a café and noticed that the food really wasn’t very exciting, consisting of some pretty standard fare…and pizza was offered everywhere. (I had given, as “pillow gifts”, a book on Croatian cooking, so I knew it was not going to be a world class experience, but rather more one of comfort foods.) We ordered some Croatian beer (I do not recall the brand) and, to be honest, it was awful. The aftertaste stayed with me literally for hours. That pretty much shot any chance at discovering the Croatian wines (and I heard from others on the tour I was originally going to take that the wines really were pretty ordinary).
After a very relaxing day in a beautiful place we headed up to the forward whirlpool – having joked with Jaco, the bar waiter, very early in the day that we would be there at 3:30 p.m. – and at precisely 3:30 p.m. he arrived with glasses and a bottle of champagne. A few of us spent the rest of the afternoon in the forward spa. This was followed by another bottle of champagne and the ever important supervision of the locals fishing (and watching one particularly curious cuttlefish who seemed interested in everything). And then it was time for the sailaway. It was, simply, a Seabourn afternoon.
I received a note when I returned to my suite that the ultra-luxury wine tasting and lunch at the best restaurant in Kotor, Montenegro has been cancelled due to lack of interest and, with virtually no time to arrange anything else, I was kind of stuck. But, alas, I had a plan…and would be very happy if it worked. It was then a wonderful dinner and an evening sitting under the stars enjoying it all with friends…a great Seabourn evening.
We started our day in Split, Croatia, after a very pleasant breakfast at the Veranda, Shopping With the Chef. Because the interest was so great, Seabourn expanded the number that could go to about 30, which was a bit much, but which also had Seabourn arrange for a guide to give us a short walking tour. After a brief orientation it was off to the fish market.
It was a bit lean in the smallish fish market with clear signs of overfishing taking its toll. It was especially sad to see small soles that haven’t had even a chance to breed being offered for sale. The Chef purchased some sea bass and sardines as there wasn’t much else of interest. (The sardines wound up in the Veranda for lunch the next day and the sea bass became part of the Chef’s Tasting Menu.)
It was then a short walk through the really interesting and pretty walled city to the vegetable and fruit market. Things were much more robust there and it seemed that everyone was selling tiny Italian plums. (Local grapes were delivered to everyone’s suites later in the day.)
We thanked the Seabourn staff as it was time to explore more of Split, a town I would readily come back to. It really just felt like a very friendly place to be and it was just enjoyable. We stopped in a café and noticed that the food really wasn’t very exciting, consisting of some pretty standard fare…and pizza was offered everywhere. (I had given, as “pillow gifts”, a book on Croatian cooking, so I knew it was not going to be a world class experience, but rather more one of comfort foods.) We ordered some Croatian beer (I do not recall the brand) and, to be honest, it was awful. The aftertaste stayed with me literally for hours. That pretty much shot any chance at discovering the Croatian wines (and I heard from others on the tour I was originally going to take that the wines really were pretty ordinary).
After a very relaxing day in a beautiful place we headed up to the forward whirlpool – having joked with Jaco, the bar waiter, very early in the day that we would be there at 3:30 p.m. – and at precisely 3:30 p.m. he arrived with glasses and a bottle of champagne. A few of us spent the rest of the afternoon in the forward spa. This was followed by another bottle of champagne and the ever important supervision of the locals fishing (and watching one particularly curious cuttlefish who seemed interested in everything). And then it was time for the sailaway. It was, simply, a Seabourn afternoon.
I received a note when I returned to my suite that the ultra-luxury wine tasting and lunch at the best restaurant in Kotor, Montenegro has been cancelled due to lack of interest and, with virtually no time to arrange anything else, I was kind of stuck. But, alas, I had a plan…and would be very happy if it worked. It was then a wonderful dinner and an evening sitting under the stars enjoying it all with friends…a great Seabourn evening.
Seabourn Spirit 2009 Food & Wine Cruise - Meeting Up With The Big Sister & Chef's Surprises
The next day in Kotor, Montenegro, started out with a bit of excitement. When I stepped into the Veranda for breakfast the Seabourn Odyssey was berthed right behind us. It was great to see her again and also to say hello to some of my clients who were enjoying a cruise on her.
An interesting note for those of you who think she is too large: I have two couples sailing with me who thought the same thing…until they saw her in person. They are now very excited to cruise with her on the 2010 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise. And those on the Seabourn Odyssey concerned that their experience would be less personal came away with a very positive and personal experience.
It was then off to walk around the old city and, possibly, walk up the incredibly steep hillside to a church and fortress. My first impression while I was walking through the local market was one similar to that I had when visiting the Ukraine: It could be really nice, but there is just a sort of slightly not maintained, slightly dirty, less than energetic, feel about the place. There was not a restaurant or café that attracted me and the shops were very ordinary. Others complained about beggars, though I didn’t see any.
We did start the climb up the absurdly steep hill, but we knew starting out making it to the top is something you have to really want to do. When we reached the point where it said 2€ per person, we stopped and quickly retreated to level ground and a more comfortable walk.
Now for my plan: I decided to try to make my own wine tasting and gourmet lunch at the restaurant we were to visit. So we walked over to it and it was allegedly all booked out for a group that was not for the Seabourn Spirit or the Seabourn Odyssey. Curious...and I am looking into this.
At that point I didn’t want to further impact my day, so we returned to the Spirit for a nice lunch at the Sky Bar, a sleep and a soak in the forward spa. After beating my head against the wall, not knowing of the seriousness of the internet issue, it was time for a an exceptional Chef’s Tasting Menu for dinner.
The next day was a late rise as it was a Marina Day in Truike Bay, Croatia. After a dip in the marina’s pool, it was a banana ride followed by kayaking where a friend and I somehow wound up pulling our wives’ paddleboat around the bay. It was then a Sky Bar lunch.
My group was then given a private tour of the galley with Bjoern, the executive chef, and some very nice wine and caviar. Really having the time to understand all that goes on in the galley puts things into some perspectives you would never think of. I will write more about this another time, as it really is a topic unto itself, but just know that I will never arrive for dinner at 9:00 p.m. again as it really puts the galley into chaos. (It is not improper, but it just isn’t something I would do because I would feel guilty.)
After our tour it was a bit of relaxation and boy would we need it for our day in Koper, Slovenia was jam packed! Bjoern let us know we had another surprise in store: An early morning private experience before our afternoon Ensemble tour.
An interesting note for those of you who think she is too large: I have two couples sailing with me who thought the same thing…until they saw her in person. They are now very excited to cruise with her on the 2010 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise. And those on the Seabourn Odyssey concerned that their experience would be less personal came away with a very positive and personal experience.
It was then off to walk around the old city and, possibly, walk up the incredibly steep hillside to a church and fortress. My first impression while I was walking through the local market was one similar to that I had when visiting the Ukraine: It could be really nice, but there is just a sort of slightly not maintained, slightly dirty, less than energetic, feel about the place. There was not a restaurant or café that attracted me and the shops were very ordinary. Others complained about beggars, though I didn’t see any.
We did start the climb up the absurdly steep hill, but we knew starting out making it to the top is something you have to really want to do. When we reached the point where it said 2€ per person, we stopped and quickly retreated to level ground and a more comfortable walk.
Now for my plan: I decided to try to make my own wine tasting and gourmet lunch at the restaurant we were to visit. So we walked over to it and it was allegedly all booked out for a group that was not for the Seabourn Spirit or the Seabourn Odyssey. Curious...and I am looking into this.
At that point I didn’t want to further impact my day, so we returned to the Spirit for a nice lunch at the Sky Bar, a sleep and a soak in the forward spa. After beating my head against the wall, not knowing of the seriousness of the internet issue, it was time for a an exceptional Chef’s Tasting Menu for dinner.
The next day was a late rise as it was a Marina Day in Truike Bay, Croatia. After a dip in the marina’s pool, it was a banana ride followed by kayaking where a friend and I somehow wound up pulling our wives’ paddleboat around the bay. It was then a Sky Bar lunch.
My group was then given a private tour of the galley with Bjoern, the executive chef, and some very nice wine and caviar. Really having the time to understand all that goes on in the galley puts things into some perspectives you would never think of. I will write more about this another time, as it really is a topic unto itself, but just know that I will never arrive for dinner at 9:00 p.m. again as it really puts the galley into chaos. (It is not improper, but it just isn’t something I would do because I would feel guilty.)
After our tour it was a bit of relaxation and boy would we need it for our day in Koper, Slovenia was jam packed! Bjoern let us know we had another surprise in store: An early morning private experience before our afternoon Ensemble tour.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Seabourn Spirit 2009 Food & Wine Cruise - Finally Onboard...Err, I Mean, Home!
We boarded the Seabourn Spirit and it was, as it should be in our dreams, like coming home. Everything was as it was when we left months ago: Consistently exceptional.
As we boarded so late, after our walking wine tour, we had just enough time to go to our suite, see the incredible flower display Pam Conover had placed in our suite (when I die they should be so nice!), unpack (an unusual treat for us!) and head up for the muster drill. This was quickly followed by the sailaway – with champagne flowing…and there is no better sailaway than Venice.
We were invited to dine with the Rachael, Assistant Cruise Director, from South Wales, the first night. At that point I didn’t know if she could sing or dance, but what I did quickly learn was that she was absolutely charming. During dinner the chef, Bjoern Wassmuth, stopped by and let me know that he had arranged “Shopping With The Chef” in Split, Croatia and that we were already on the list. I figured that would be better than the Taste of Split tour I had signed up for, so my plans for a guided trip changed a bit.
Dinner was flawless, both in cuisine and conversation. After a nice tawny port with my favorite, the cheese platter, it was up to the Sky Bar for an evening whiskey, a nice cigar and some good conversation. It was as if I was…no I was…at home.
The next morning, in Optaija, Croatia, I was “blessed” with my tour of Krk Island and Nada Winery starting out at 8:15 a.m. I have Island. It was nice to see the Croatian countryside, and the excellent roads, but it wasn’t really what I was looking for as the ride was long. We stopped at the lovely little town of Omisalj which was very much asleep on the early Sunday morning. From there it was another 45 minutes to Vrbnik, a really charming town which towers over the sea complete with wonderful stone buildings, narrow streets and interesting architectural details.
We were let off at the Nada Winery…and I immediately knew that the winery was not what I thought it would be. We were served original, herb and fig grappa (komovica) before we were escorted into the building’s basement for a promotional video…all before our wine tasting. If you are even marginally interested in understanding a wine, drinking grappa beforehand pretty much assures it will not happen. So I soldiered on…I mean unless it is really bad wine I’ll drink it. Eventually we were seated in a very attractive restaurant where bottles of a white wine (Zlahtina), a red wine (forgot the name) and a dessert wine (Prosek) were set on the table with one glass per person with small plates of a cured ham and cheese. The wines were really nothing to speak of.and no one actually spoke of them. Not much of a wine tasting. It was a wander around town before heading back to the ship after another long drive.
It was, surprisingly,already formal night and we were invited to dine with the Captain, Magnus Bengtsson, which was enjoyable and a good bit of fun. We had a bit of a chat about his time as staff captain o f the Seabourn Odyssey during and after its construction as well as some of the plans for the Seabourn Sojourn.
A nightcap at the Sky Bar and looking forward to Split in the morning.
As we boarded so late, after our walking wine tour, we had just enough time to go to our suite, see the incredible flower display Pam Conover had placed in our suite (when I die they should be so nice!), unpack (an unusual treat for us!) and head up for the muster drill. This was quickly followed by the sailaway – with champagne flowing…and there is no better sailaway than Venice.
We were invited to dine with the Rachael, Assistant Cruise Director, from South Wales, the first night. At that point I didn’t know if she could sing or dance, but what I did quickly learn was that she was absolutely charming. During dinner the chef, Bjoern Wassmuth, stopped by and let me know that he had arranged “Shopping With The Chef” in Split, Croatia and that we were already on the list. I figured that would be better than the Taste of Split tour I had signed up for, so my plans for a guided trip changed a bit.
Dinner was flawless, both in cuisine and conversation. After a nice tawny port with my favorite, the cheese platter, it was up to the Sky Bar for an evening whiskey, a nice cigar and some good conversation. It was as if I was…no I was…at home.
The next morning, in Optaija, Croatia, I was “blessed” with my tour of Krk Island and Nada Winery starting out at 8:15 a.m. I have Island. It was nice to see the Croatian countryside, and the excellent roads, but it wasn’t really what I was looking for as the ride was long. We stopped at the lovely little town of Omisalj which was very much asleep on the early Sunday morning. From there it was another 45 minutes to Vrbnik, a really charming town which towers over the sea complete with wonderful stone buildings, narrow streets and interesting architectural details.
We were let off at the Nada Winery…and I immediately knew that the winery was not what I thought it would be. We were served original, herb and fig grappa (komovica) before we were escorted into the building’s basement for a promotional video…all before our wine tasting. If you are even marginally interested in understanding a wine, drinking grappa beforehand pretty much assures it will not happen. So I soldiered on…I mean unless it is really bad wine I’ll drink it. Eventually we were seated in a very attractive restaurant where bottles of a white wine (Zlahtina), a red wine (forgot the name) and a dessert wine (Prosek) were set on the table with one glass per person with small plates of a cured ham and cheese. The wines were really nothing to speak of.and no one actually spoke of them. Not much of a wine tasting. It was a wander around town before heading back to the ship after another long drive.
It was, surprisingly,already formal night and we were invited to dine with the Captain, Magnus Bengtsson, which was enjoyable and a good bit of fun. We had a bit of a chat about his time as staff captain o f the Seabourn Odyssey during and after its construction as well as some of the plans for the Seabourn Sojourn.
A nightcap at the Sky Bar and looking forward to Split in the morning.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Goldring Travel's 2009 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Spirit - Some Pre-Cruise Thoughts and My Plan
Organizing this year's Food & Wine Cruise has been a bit "interesting" and a bit frustrating. But, in the end, it will be a great time and a wonderful experience.
The economy took a toll with not only some cancellations immediately after the stock market meltdown, but with an unfortunate last minute cancellation. Making matters worse (at least for me), contrary to what you have heard, this particular cruise has been oversold for many months! So people that were interested in joining the cruise after the cancellatoins were unable to...even if they were willing to pay for an upper suite! That, obviously, left me with a smaller group than normal, but some great opportunities to do things a bit differently.
The first thing I did was create a more intimate special event. Rather than a more formal wine tasting onboard the Seabourn Spirit, I arranged a walking wine and food tour in Venice with a a certified Italian Sommelier (AIS) and Master Cheese Taster (ONAF) where we will sample no less than 6 wines and quite a number of cicchetti (Italian tapas, if you will) after an early morning (at least for Venice) wander through the Rialto Market.
Then I decided that with a more intimate group I had the ability to take a really hard look at Seabourn's new Epicurean Collection of shore excursions. While, for example, Regent Seven Seas is focusing on no additional cost and more crowded tours, Seabourn eliminated its somewhat underutilized complimentary Seabourn Experiences on most cruises, and has upscaled its offerings and truly limited the number of people who can participate in certain of them. (Remember, I don't believe in the "a group is joined by the hip" approach, but rather there are limited - but worthwhile - group experiences...like the Venice walking tour.)
For example, in Montenegro I am going to try out the "Montenegro's Resplendent Cuisine and Wines" Epicurean Tour , where we will start the day with a guided 1½ hour walking tour of Kotor's old town with its narrow streets and medieval plaza and then walk to Galion Restaurant and sit on its enclosed terrace cantilevered over the water where we will enjoy an introduction to Montenegrin wines while absorbing the breathtaking views of the Bay of Kotor. Your tasting will be lead by either a local winemaker or sommelier and will include wines made from local grape varietals like Vranac and Krsta, along with wines made from more familiar Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. Our expert will talk about the different grape growing regions of Montenegro and reveal a few of the unique winemaking traditions. After the lesson, you'll enjoy more Montenegrin wines paired with a 3-course meal prepared by Galion's executive chef.
In Split, Croatia we will have a walking tour of the Old Town followed by trip to TERRA wine cellars, apparently in very unique old house, where we will have with a tasting of some of the region's various cold game cuts, traditionally prepared salamis, domestic deserts, and a great selection of Dalmatian wines.
In Triese, Italy we will travel to Duino Castle (about 30 minutes away) to explore its gardens and history and then it will be off to Castello di Spessa, the hospitality facility of the Pali Wines Group, to visit the prestigious cellar and taste some superb wines. Since the 16th century, Castello di Spessa has been producing top quality wines, but its present cellar is a fitted out old military bunker that built at the end of the '30s and used during the Second World War. We will then sample award-winning red and white wines in a charming 18th century atmosphere with exceptional scenery; again part of Seabourn's Epicurean Collection.
Uncharacteristically, I will be partaking of yet more organized shore opportunities. While I will most definitely have time to explore the port independently, I am using this cruise to sort of test out the extensive use of Seabourn's shore experiences so that I can let you know how they measure up. Sometimes challenging your comfort level can be doing the "ordinary", I guess. (I am not sure Seabourn offers "ordinary" and these experiences are nothing like those offered on larger ships, but it is probably as close as I am ever going to get!)
I will also be hosting the Ensemble Travel Group's complimentary shore experience in Kopor, Slovenia...where we will be visiting Šmarje near Capodistria, in the heart of Slovenian Istria, where there are the vineyards and olive orchards of Ludvik Nazarij Glavina. During the visit to the wine cellars there will be a tasting of five wines and grappa accompanied by a snack of local specialties such as homemade breads, olives, cheese and olive oil.
So, for me, if gout doesn't set in...or some other malady from excessively enjoying ones self...I am sure to have a great experience learning about some places I have never been...and one I love. Heck, isn't food and wine the key to an area's culture and history?
The economy took a toll with not only some cancellations immediately after the stock market meltdown, but with an unfortunate last minute cancellation. Making matters worse (at least for me), contrary to what you have heard, this particular cruise has been oversold for many months! So people that were interested in joining the cruise after the cancellatoins were unable to...even if they were willing to pay for an upper suite! That, obviously, left me with a smaller group than normal, but some great opportunities to do things a bit differently.
The first thing I did was create a more intimate special event. Rather than a more formal wine tasting onboard the Seabourn Spirit, I arranged a walking wine and food tour in Venice with a a certified Italian Sommelier (AIS) and Master Cheese Taster (ONAF) where we will sample no less than 6 wines and quite a number of cicchetti (Italian tapas, if you will) after an early morning (at least for Venice) wander through the Rialto Market.
Then I decided that with a more intimate group I had the ability to take a really hard look at Seabourn's new Epicurean Collection of shore excursions. While, for example, Regent Seven Seas is focusing on no additional cost and more crowded tours, Seabourn eliminated its somewhat underutilized complimentary Seabourn Experiences on most cruises, and has upscaled its offerings and truly limited the number of people who can participate in certain of them. (Remember, I don't believe in the "a group is joined by the hip" approach, but rather there are limited - but worthwhile - group experiences...like the Venice walking tour.)
For example, in Montenegro I am going to try out the "Montenegro's Resplendent Cuisine and Wines" Epicurean Tour , where we will start the day with a guided 1½ hour walking tour of Kotor's old town with its narrow streets and medieval plaza and then walk to Galion Restaurant and sit on its enclosed terrace cantilevered over the water where we will enjoy an introduction to Montenegrin wines while absorbing the breathtaking views of the Bay of Kotor. Your tasting will be lead by either a local winemaker or sommelier and will include wines made from local grape varietals like Vranac and Krsta, along with wines made from more familiar Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. Our expert will talk about the different grape growing regions of Montenegro and reveal a few of the unique winemaking traditions. After the lesson, you'll enjoy more Montenegrin wines paired with a 3-course meal prepared by Galion's executive chef.
In Split, Croatia we will have a walking tour of the Old Town followed by trip to TERRA wine cellars, apparently in very unique old house, where we will have with a tasting of some of the region's various cold game cuts, traditionally prepared salamis, domestic deserts, and a great selection of Dalmatian wines.
In Triese, Italy we will travel to Duino Castle (about 30 minutes away) to explore its gardens and history and then it will be off to Castello di Spessa, the hospitality facility of the Pali Wines Group, to visit the prestigious cellar and taste some superb wines. Since the 16th century, Castello di Spessa has been producing top quality wines, but its present cellar is a fitted out old military bunker that built at the end of the '30s and used during the Second World War. We will then sample award-winning red and white wines in a charming 18th century atmosphere with exceptional scenery; again part of Seabourn's Epicurean Collection.
Uncharacteristically, I will be partaking of yet more organized shore opportunities. While I will most definitely have time to explore the port independently, I am using this cruise to sort of test out the extensive use of Seabourn's shore experiences so that I can let you know how they measure up. Sometimes challenging your comfort level can be doing the "ordinary", I guess. (I am not sure Seabourn offers "ordinary" and these experiences are nothing like those offered on larger ships, but it is probably as close as I am ever going to get!)
I will also be hosting the Ensemble Travel Group's complimentary shore experience in Kopor, Slovenia...where we will be visiting Šmarje near Capodistria, in the heart of Slovenian Istria, where there are the vineyards and olive orchards of Ludvik Nazarij Glavina. During the visit to the wine cellars there will be a tasting of five wines and grappa accompanied by a snack of local specialties such as homemade breads, olives, cheese and olive oil.
So, for me, if gout doesn't set in...or some other malady from excessively enjoying ones self...I am sure to have a great experience learning about some places I have never been...and one I love. Heck, isn't food and wine the key to an area's culture and history?
Friday, August 28, 2009
Celebrity Equinox - Dining With the Captain and the Reidel Wine Seminar
The great thing about a great cruise is that so many great things are happening you don’t have enough time to write about them as quickly as you like…because there are other great things to be done.
Our next day, August 24th, was a sea day. It nicely allowed us to rest up before four hectic days visiting Israel and Egypt. However, I was so busy and having so much fun that “rest” never really happened. (I am actually writing this after having been to Israel and Egypt – which were truly fascinating and enlightening experiences – and which I will write extensively about.)
After spending some time with the kids, being a bit frustrated by the crowds around the pool and spas, and attending the Corning Hot Glass Show, which is quite popular, both in its education and the fun of hoping you will win one of the beautiful glass pieces they create in front of you, it was time to start checking out some of the Celebrity Life wine seminar offerings. Note, however, that the Celebrity Life program announced seems to be more of a repackaging of already existing Celebrity offerings; just with a bit more cache.
I attended the Reidel sponsored seminar on how the shape of the wine glass affects the taste of the wine. While I was familiar with the concept, what I had never done in quite so much detail was drink wine out of the various “wrong” glasses to confirm the glass makes a serious difference – good and bad. It was, to be sure, enjoyable and even a bit enlightening…and I have drunk and talked about my fair share of wine in my time. At the end of the seminar (which costs $87) you are given a voucher for a single set of four Reidel crystal glasses which you can carry off or have shipped for a reasonable price. You are also given the option of purchasing additional sets at a discounted price.
While I usually am very skeptical of the cruise lines pushing anything onboard which costs money, I honestly believe this seminar/purchase is an excellent value for anyone interested in wines except for the true expert. And Celebrity limits the number of people per cruise that can take the seminar to 40 (a number which was not reached on our cruise.) Also, this seminar is not available on every Celebrity cruise, so if you are interested, you may want to check in advance…though you cannot sign up for the seminars before boarding.
On the next sea day Celebrity will be holding a Wines From Around the World tasting in Cellar Masters. It is presented not so much as a seminar, but an opportunity to taste 20 different wines from 12 different countries along with appropriate canapés and such. Frankly, at a cost of $20 per person I think it is another tremendous value, even if you don’t care about another other than having a few glasses of wine. I will, of course, let you know how it goes.
I also had the honor of dining at the Captain’s Table with Captain Apostolos Bouzakis. Aside from the fact that my DW sat next to him and had nothing to do with me because she was so charmed by him and his good looks, Captain Bouzakis was the most open, friendly and animated captain I have dined with. Of course he answered questions, but he made us laugh. The Captain has invited us to the bridge and I am truly looking forward to seeing what one of the most state of the art large cruise ships has onboard.
Our next day, August 24th, was a sea day. It nicely allowed us to rest up before four hectic days visiting Israel and Egypt. However, I was so busy and having so much fun that “rest” never really happened. (I am actually writing this after having been to Israel and Egypt – which were truly fascinating and enlightening experiences – and which I will write extensively about.)
After spending some time with the kids, being a bit frustrated by the crowds around the pool and spas, and attending the Corning Hot Glass Show, which is quite popular, both in its education and the fun of hoping you will win one of the beautiful glass pieces they create in front of you, it was time to start checking out some of the Celebrity Life wine seminar offerings. Note, however, that the Celebrity Life program announced seems to be more of a repackaging of already existing Celebrity offerings; just with a bit more cache.
I attended the Reidel sponsored seminar on how the shape of the wine glass affects the taste of the wine. While I was familiar with the concept, what I had never done in quite so much detail was drink wine out of the various “wrong” glasses to confirm the glass makes a serious difference – good and bad. It was, to be sure, enjoyable and even a bit enlightening…and I have drunk and talked about my fair share of wine in my time. At the end of the seminar (which costs $87) you are given a voucher for a single set of four Reidel crystal glasses which you can carry off or have shipped for a reasonable price. You are also given the option of purchasing additional sets at a discounted price.
While I usually am very skeptical of the cruise lines pushing anything onboard which costs money, I honestly believe this seminar/purchase is an excellent value for anyone interested in wines except for the true expert. And Celebrity limits the number of people per cruise that can take the seminar to 40 (a number which was not reached on our cruise.) Also, this seminar is not available on every Celebrity cruise, so if you are interested, you may want to check in advance…though you cannot sign up for the seminars before boarding.
On the next sea day Celebrity will be holding a Wines From Around the World tasting in Cellar Masters. It is presented not so much as a seminar, but an opportunity to taste 20 different wines from 12 different countries along with appropriate canapés and such. Frankly, at a cost of $20 per person I think it is another tremendous value, even if you don’t care about another other than having a few glasses of wine. I will, of course, let you know how it goes.
I also had the honor of dining at the Captain’s Table with Captain Apostolos Bouzakis. Aside from the fact that my DW sat next to him and had nothing to do with me because she was so charmed by him and his good looks, Captain Bouzakis was the most open, friendly and animated captain I have dined with. Of course he answered questions, but he made us laugh. The Captain has invited us to the bridge and I am truly looking forward to seeing what one of the most state of the art large cruise ships has onboard.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
AFAR Magazine - The Launch of a Road Hopefully More Traveled
This past Tuesday I attended the launch party for AFAR Magazine, the newest (and I believe best) travel magazine out there.
Launch parties tend try to wow you with flash. This one didn't; rather it was just cool. I wanted to bottle the "feel". It was held in a three story home in Greenwich Village which was filled with the owner's artifacts and collections from her travels around the world. In one room there was a restaurateur serving its Basque foods and wine, in another Tang Dynasty musicians (they were young, the instruments old), yet another had a Moroccan food on one side and French baguette inspired foods on the other...and, importantly, incredible chocolates in between. Indian music in another room and digeridoo playing in the roof garden. Owners, editors, publishers, writers and many different languages were all heard.
In other words, it captured what "travel" does for many: Inspiration.
Media Life's article: Making the Case for AFAR Magazine is quite interesting if you want get into the nitty gritty of the magazine's approach.
Now, substantively, I have had a chance to start reading the premiere issue of AFAR and am very excited that the substance has lived up to the pre-publication hype. This is like a magazine of old: You have to actually read the articles. It will take you time and thought. It is not a Conde Nast list of the 1,000,000 top restaurants in the Caribbean. It is a journey discovering, in part, why and how bread is such an important part of French daily life. It is about living in a lodge that you can only reach via zip line.
Ad Age wrote: "there are a few articles that seem to clock in at 4,000 words. WORDS! Remember when magazines used to use words, rather than shiny pictures, charticles and infographics?! "
Of course, the point of the magazine - and my post today - is not to encourage everyone to zip line to a tree top lodge in the middle of a jungle, but rather to start to think about some simple things as you travel...as you cruise...such as not only that you want to have pasta in Italy, but what kind of pasta and why; to feel and taste the difference between it and the boxed stuff you eat at home. To taste the earth in the tomatoes and to envision the farmers picking them only hours earlier.
And, hopefully, from that pasta your thoughts will transform from checking off X when you are in Naples, to (for me personally) being excited to return to Capri to that litle restaurant overlooking the harbor where in 2003 we had a just incredible pizza we watched being crafted in a brick oven with flames flying everywhere.
And from that to exploring, in more depth, the people of a place you have "been to" before. On our upcoming cruise on the Celebrity Equinox we stop in Kusadasi yet again. But are going back to Sirince, Turkey -just us- to more explore the local people, wines and foods...which we touched on when on our 2008 Food & Wine Cruise. Raise your hands: How many of you would have said, "I have been to Ephesus before and I don't want to shop in the bazaar, so I will just stay on the ship."?
I so believe in AFAR magazine and its importance to developing travel as inspiration rather than as a trophy or (so we are being realistic...philiophy only goes so far!) as a compliment thereto, Goldring Travel not only is supporting the effort as an advertiser, starting today I am going to provide a complimentary subscription to AFAR Magazine to every booking for cruise or land tour with Goldring Travel.
Launch parties tend try to wow you with flash. This one didn't; rather it was just cool. I wanted to bottle the "feel". It was held in a three story home in Greenwich Village which was filled with the owner's artifacts and collections from her travels around the world. In one room there was a restaurateur serving its Basque foods and wine, in another Tang Dynasty musicians (they were young, the instruments old), yet another had a Moroccan food on one side and French baguette inspired foods on the other...and, importantly, incredible chocolates in between. Indian music in another room and digeridoo playing in the roof garden. Owners, editors, publishers, writers and many different languages were all heard.
In other words, it captured what "travel" does for many: Inspiration.
Media Life's article: Making the Case for AFAR Magazine is quite interesting if you want get into the nitty gritty of the magazine's approach.
Now, substantively, I have had a chance to start reading the premiere issue of AFAR and am very excited that the substance has lived up to the pre-publication hype. This is like a magazine of old: You have to actually read the articles. It will take you time and thought. It is not a Conde Nast list of the 1,000,000 top restaurants in the Caribbean. It is a journey discovering, in part, why and how bread is such an important part of French daily life. It is about living in a lodge that you can only reach via zip line.
Ad Age wrote: "there are a few articles that seem to clock in at 4,000 words. WORDS! Remember when magazines used to use words, rather than shiny pictures, charticles and infographics?! "
Of course, the point of the magazine - and my post today - is not to encourage everyone to zip line to a tree top lodge in the middle of a jungle, but rather to start to think about some simple things as you travel...as you cruise...such as not only that you want to have pasta in Italy, but what kind of pasta and why; to feel and taste the difference between it and the boxed stuff you eat at home. To taste the earth in the tomatoes and to envision the farmers picking them only hours earlier.
And, hopefully, from that pasta your thoughts will transform from checking off X when you are in Naples, to (for me personally) being excited to return to Capri to that litle restaurant overlooking the harbor where in 2003 we had a just incredible pizza we watched being crafted in a brick oven with flames flying everywhere.
And from that to exploring, in more depth, the people of a place you have "been to" before. On our upcoming cruise on the Celebrity Equinox we stop in Kusadasi yet again. But are going back to Sirince, Turkey -just us- to more explore the local people, wines and foods...which we touched on when on our 2008 Food & Wine Cruise. Raise your hands: How many of you would have said, "I have been to Ephesus before and I don't want to shop in the bazaar, so I will just stay on the ship."?
I so believe in AFAR magazine and its importance to developing travel as inspiration rather than as a trophy or (so we are being realistic...philiophy only goes so far!) as a compliment thereto, Goldring Travel not only is supporting the effort as an advertiser, starting today I am going to provide a complimentary subscription to AFAR Magazine to every booking for cruise or land tour with Goldring Travel.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Goldring Travel's 2009 Food & Wine Cruise - Seabourn Spirit Update
As I mentioned the other day, I had an unfortunate last minute cancellation for the Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise aboard the Seabourn Spirit, departing on September 26, 2009, round trip Venice, so there may still be an opportunity to join us.
For those going, thinking about going, wishing they could go...or just curious, I have finalized our Walking Wine Tour of Venice. Here are the details:
On Saturday, September 26, 2009, at about 10:30 a.m. we will meet in the lobby of the Ca’ Segredo Hotel and take a one minute ride in a traghetti (a simple gondola) across the Grand Canal to the Rialto Market. (If you watch Anthony Bourdain’s show, No Reservations – Venice on the Travel Channel you can see the market…which, because it is Italy, is in no rush to open, so we don’t need to start too early! Here is list of restaurants Tony has visited: Tony's Venice Restaurants )
After a casual wander we will take the traghetti back to Ca’ Segredo Hotel and meet up with our guide for the walking tour, which will start at 11:30 a.m. and last about 3 hours…stopping, of course, to eat and drink. (Don’t worry about starting at 11:30 a.m., the Venetians will have started drinking before us!)
WINES OF VENICE AND THE VENETO - Explore the hidden corners of Venice with your expert wine guide, who is a professional sommelier. Enjoy a glimpse of local life while learning about traditional local wines and their place in the local culture. You will visit 2 wine bars (enoteche) in an authentic area of Venice, off the beaten path. In each wine bar, your personal sommelier will select two typical quality wines for you to taste, each paired with small Venetian appetizers, called cicchetti. We will start with white wines, and finish with red wines.
During your time together, you will learn about the most important aspects of Italian wine production and its role in Italian culture. Regardless of your level of wine knowledge, you will find this walk both informative and fun. Your guide will be happy to focus on any particular wine topic that interests you most, including history, tasting guidelines or quality standards.
Our guide: MARIO PICCININ - Mario is a certified Italian Sommelier (AIS) and Master Cheese Taster (ONAF). His background also includes a degree in the Science of Food Production from the University of Bologna. Mario, a native of Milan, has lived in the Veneto for 35 years, and his grandmother was from the Cannaregio sestiere of Venice. He is an experienced wine educator, and particularly enjoys the wine tasting seminars he regularly organizes for the U.S. diplomatic corps in Italy. In the past Mario led a seminar on Italian wine and food for the undergraduate students of Boston University studying in Padova. He also works as a travel consultant, specializing the wine and food of the Veneto, Friuli and Trentino Alto-Adige. Mario lives in Padova with his wife, Rachel, a native of Ohio, and their two children. He can often be heard to say "A glass of wine is not merely something to drink, but a true reminder of our history, traditions and culture."
We will end the tour back at Ca’ Segredo where we can take a water taxi to the Seabourn Spirit.
As you read from my often, it is more about seeking out and understanding the local life that brings a traveler memories. I think this is an excellent start to a week celebrating food and wine and, of course, discovering the local life, as we cruise the Adriatic Sea.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
A Possible Last Minute Opening - 2009 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise
I may have a last minute opening for my 2009 Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Spirit departing September 26, 2009 roundtrip Venice.
You can get much of the infomration here: 2009 Food & Wine Cruise
I have some additional information concerning our walking wine tour in Venice pre-cruise, suggested shore excursions and hotel, if you are interested.
Email me if you are interested in this really great itinerary to places which are new to most and great for exploring new wines and foods.
You can get much of the infomration here: 2009 Food & Wine Cruise
I have some additional information concerning our walking wine tour in Venice pre-cruise, suggested shore excursions and hotel, if you are interested.
Email me if you are interested in this really great itinerary to places which are new to most and great for exploring new wines and foods.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
2010 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Legend
Even though it is still months from the 2009 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise (http://goldringtravel.blogspot.com/2008/10/2009-golding-travel-food-wine-cruise-on.html with limited space still available), I am already working on the 2010 Food & Wine Cruise. (Hint: You won't believe the price!)
With Seabourn expanding into the Middle East, I have chosen a seven day roundtrip Dubai, U.A.E. cruise departing on November 28, 2010. It will visit Dubai, Bahrain, Qatar, Abu Dhabi, Sir Bani Yas, and Oman.
Late November is a great time to visit this area as the daytime temperatures are comfortable and the evenings can even be a bit cool. I am planning on arranging for a pre-cruise Desert Safari outside of Dubai, including an exotic dinner under the stars (extra cost). As always there will be the complimentary Goldring Travel Food & Wine Tasting and a suprise or two along the way.
While there are some restrictions on the consumption of wine in some of the ports, the fact is that the Middle East is not exactly a hot bed of wine production. However, the paring of wines with a rather diverse and very interesting palate of Middle Eastern cuisines will be a lot of fun. And if you are a vegetarian (or would like to focus on vegetarian dishes) this is actually the ideal cruise experience.
I am sure many of you are saying, "OK. I have heard of most of these places, but where the heck is Sir Bani Yas?!" It is an island off the coast of Abu Dhabi which has many unique features. This is a new venture on a very old island. Opened only recently to tourists, it holds itself out as a "nature tourism" spot; not an eco-tourism one. What does this mean? It means that this island is largely "reclaimed" from the sea and has been involved in creating a lush environment with mangroves, trees and grasses where only sand once existed. It is said that one mangrove tree will be planted for every visitor (but they started by planting over 3,000,000 of them!) Virtually everything has/is being brought to the island, including 40 giraffe, 400 Arabian oryx (extinct in the wild), stripped hyena, various deer and blackbucks (and, possibly soon, cheetah) among other wildlife. All of the irrigation is run by the largest wind turbine in the Middle East. So whether you want to trek, bicycle, drive or kayak the focus here is on nature and wildlife in a man-made ecology.
So with so many wanting to experience the "Glitz and Glamour" of Dubai, wondering what Oman, Bahrain and Qatar are really like (I will write more on this later!), and now pondering "What's up with Sir Bani Yas?) now is a great opportunity to book this cruise at an incredible starting price of less than $3,500 per person.
With Seabourn expanding into the Middle East, I have chosen a seven day roundtrip Dubai, U.A.E. cruise departing on November 28, 2010. It will visit Dubai, Bahrain, Qatar, Abu Dhabi, Sir Bani Yas, and Oman.
Late November is a great time to visit this area as the daytime temperatures are comfortable and the evenings can even be a bit cool. I am planning on arranging for a pre-cruise Desert Safari outside of Dubai, including an exotic dinner under the stars (extra cost). As always there will be the complimentary Goldring Travel Food & Wine Tasting and a suprise or two along the way.
While there are some restrictions on the consumption of wine in some of the ports, the fact is that the Middle East is not exactly a hot bed of wine production. However, the paring of wines with a rather diverse and very interesting palate of Middle Eastern cuisines will be a lot of fun. And if you are a vegetarian (or would like to focus on vegetarian dishes) this is actually the ideal cruise experience.
I am sure many of you are saying, "OK. I have heard of most of these places, but where the heck is Sir Bani Yas?!" It is an island off the coast of Abu Dhabi which has many unique features. This is a new venture on a very old island. Opened only recently to tourists, it holds itself out as a "nature tourism" spot; not an eco-tourism one. What does this mean? It means that this island is largely "reclaimed" from the sea and has been involved in creating a lush environment with mangroves, trees and grasses where only sand once existed. It is said that one mangrove tree will be planted for every visitor (but they started by planting over 3,000,000 of them!) Virtually everything has/is being brought to the island, including 40 giraffe, 400 Arabian oryx (extinct in the wild), stripped hyena, various deer and blackbucks (and, possibly soon, cheetah) among other wildlife. All of the irrigation is run by the largest wind turbine in the Middle East. So whether you want to trek, bicycle, drive or kayak the focus here is on nature and wildlife in a man-made ecology.
So with so many wanting to experience the "Glitz and Glamour" of Dubai, wondering what Oman, Bahrain and Qatar are really like (I will write more on this later!), and now pondering "What's up with Sir Bani Yas?) now is a great opportunity to book this cruise at an incredible starting price of less than $3,500 per person.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Science Responds to Needs of Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruises on Seabourn!
I was reading my daily email from The American Scientist and, when I saw the two articles one right after the other, I thought of our recent Food & Wine Cruise:
Scientists to Measure Effects of Earthquakes on Acropolis
from the Chicago Tribune (Registration Required)
ATHENS, Greece (Associated Press)—For thousands of years the Acropolis has withstood earthquakes, weathered storms and endured temperature extremes, from scorching summers to winter snow. Now scientists are drawing on the latest technology to install a system that will record just how much nature is affecting the 2,500-year-old site. They hope their findings will help identify areas that could be vulnerable, allowing them to target restoration and maintenance. Scientists are installing a network of fiber optic sensors and accelerographs—instruments that measure how much movement is generated during a quake.
http://snipurl.com/4wh1s
Persistence Pays Off With New Drug for Gout
from the (Raleigh, N.C.) News & Observer
The line of work Dr. Mike Hershfield has pursued for most of his 32-year research career at Duke University is basically scientific social service. He adopts orphans. Specifically, he takes on so-called orphan diseases—afflictions so rare that the big pharmaceutical companies have no financial incentive to develop treatments. Hershfield and his team at Duke are among more than a dozen research groups at Duke, UNC-Chapel Hill and private biotech companies in the Research Triangle Park area that have contributed to a wave of new treatments for people suffering from diseases such as immune disorders, rare cancers and cystic fibrosis. Each disease afflicts fewer than 200,000 Americans, but all the orphan diseases added together strike an estimated 25 million. http://snipurl.com/4xo11
Yes, during the 2008 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise on Seabourn we marveled at the Acropolis and truly overindulged ourselves with Seabourn’s incredible food…not to mention our little Food & Wine tasting.
So we now know that science is working to preserve the antiquies...and our big toes!
I am working on special plans for our 2009 Seabourn cruise, including a complimentary Ensemble Experience in Kotor, Montenegro (a UNESCO World Heritage site), but I just found the order of above articles too funny not to pass on right away.
Scientists to Measure Effects of Earthquakes on Acropolis
from the Chicago Tribune (Registration Required)
ATHENS, Greece (Associated Press)—For thousands of years the Acropolis has withstood earthquakes, weathered storms and endured temperature extremes, from scorching summers to winter snow. Now scientists are drawing on the latest technology to install a system that will record just how much nature is affecting the 2,500-year-old site. They hope their findings will help identify areas that could be vulnerable, allowing them to target restoration and maintenance. Scientists are installing a network of fiber optic sensors and accelerographs—instruments that measure how much movement is generated during a quake.
http://snipurl.com/4wh1s
Persistence Pays Off With New Drug for Gout
from the (Raleigh, N.C.) News & Observer
The line of work Dr. Mike Hershfield has pursued for most of his 32-year research career at Duke University is basically scientific social service. He adopts orphans. Specifically, he takes on so-called orphan diseases—afflictions so rare that the big pharmaceutical companies have no financial incentive to develop treatments. Hershfield and his team at Duke are among more than a dozen research groups at Duke, UNC-Chapel Hill and private biotech companies in the Research Triangle Park area that have contributed to a wave of new treatments for people suffering from diseases such as immune disorders, rare cancers and cystic fibrosis. Each disease afflicts fewer than 200,000 Americans, but all the orphan diseases added together strike an estimated 25 million. http://snipurl.com/4xo11
Yes, during the 2008 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise on Seabourn we marveled at the Acropolis and truly overindulged ourselves with Seabourn’s incredible food…not to mention our little Food & Wine tasting.
So we now know that science is working to preserve the antiquies...and our big toes!
I am working on special plans for our 2009 Seabourn cruise, including a complimentary Ensemble Experience in Kotor, Montenegro (a UNESCO World Heritage site), but I just found the order of above articles too funny not to pass on right away.
Friday, October 10, 2008
2009 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Spirit
I am pleased to announce that the 2009 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise will be on September 26, 2009 aboard the Seabourn Spirit. This is a really spectacular seven day cruise (roundtrip Venice) visiting Italy, Croatia, Montenegro and Slovenia.
Embarking and disembarking in romantic Venice,Italy affords many options, both pre- and post- cruise; whether it be a gondola ride or a walk through St. Mark's Square or a visit to the Murano glass factory, there is so much culture and architecture to see and ambiance to soak up, the options are limitless.
The first port is Opatija, Croatia, the Riviera of Croatia with its walkways and cafés running along the water and wonderful seafood restaurants and upscale hotels right along the seafront. There are beautiful parks, extraordinary botanical plantings and, for those interested, paragliding.
The second port is Split, Croatia is a World Heritage Site with busy port, beaches, a walled palace and so much more. Suffice it to say, Fodor's calls this port "so spectacular and unusual that a visit is more than worth your time." Seabourn is offering a canoing trip that sounds quite enticing.
Next is Kotor, Montenegro, a UNESCO site, is one of the best preserved Medieval towns on the Adriatic. With beautiful overhanging cliffs it is an extraordinary vision. UPDATE: I will be offering a complimentary Ensemble Experience here. (Details are still being finalized.)
Triluke Bay, Croatia is up next; a protected cove for a Marina Day and to relax in incredible beauty with ancient villages, beaches, olive groves and such.
Koper, Slovenia is the fourth port where wine and cheese is at the fore with a number of unique options available including a visit to a local winery in an antique car or a walking tour with a wine and cheese tasting along the way. This is another ancient town with cobblestone streets and interesting shopping as well.
Back to Italy, as Trieste is our last port. This city is said to have a more Viennese than Venetian heritage with Slavic dialects and foods being most common. This medieval town has the largest seaside square in Europe. Just image the wine and culinary treats which await us there!
As a bonus, Seabourn has just priced this as a 50% off cruise for anyone who has previously sailed with Seabourn or any of the Carnival group of cruise lines. Add the additional discount (and added benefits - to be announced later) that Goldring Travel provides and this is a tremendous travel bargain both as to experiences and pricing.
I am also pleased that the demand to join our exclusive and small group for the 2009 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise aboard the Seabourn Spirit has been fantastic. With every person who enjoyed the 2008 Food & Wine cruise having booked for this one (and quite a number are making this their third one!), it is a testament not only to the added benefits of being part of the group, but the fun we have.
If you are interested, I would urge you to make your booking now for the cruise is quickly filling up. (Yes, even now!). And remember: The added benefits such as the Food & Wine Tasting, are exclusive to those who book with Goldring Travel. If you are interested, call me at (877) 2GO-LUXURY or email me at eric@goldringtravel.com.
Embarking and disembarking in romantic Venice,Italy affords many options, both pre- and post- cruise; whether it be a gondola ride or a walk through St. Mark's Square or a visit to the Murano glass factory, there is so much culture and architecture to see and ambiance to soak up, the options are limitless.
The first port is Opatija, Croatia, the Riviera of Croatia with its walkways and cafés running along the water and wonderful seafood restaurants and upscale hotels right along the seafront. There are beautiful parks, extraordinary botanical plantings and, for those interested, paragliding.
The second port is Split, Croatia is a World Heritage Site with busy port, beaches, a walled palace and so much more. Suffice it to say, Fodor's calls this port "so spectacular and unusual that a visit is more than worth your time." Seabourn is offering a canoing trip that sounds quite enticing.
Next is Kotor, Montenegro, a UNESCO site, is one of the best preserved Medieval towns on the Adriatic. With beautiful overhanging cliffs it is an extraordinary vision. UPDATE: I will be offering a complimentary Ensemble Experience here. (Details are still being finalized.)
Triluke Bay, Croatia is up next; a protected cove for a Marina Day and to relax in incredible beauty with ancient villages, beaches, olive groves and such.
Koper, Slovenia is the fourth port where wine and cheese is at the fore with a number of unique options available including a visit to a local winery in an antique car or a walking tour with a wine and cheese tasting along the way. This is another ancient town with cobblestone streets and interesting shopping as well.
Back to Italy, as Trieste is our last port. This city is said to have a more Viennese than Venetian heritage with Slavic dialects and foods being most common. This medieval town has the largest seaside square in Europe. Just image the wine and culinary treats which await us there!
As a bonus, Seabourn has just priced this as a 50% off cruise for anyone who has previously sailed with Seabourn or any of the Carnival group of cruise lines. Add the additional discount (and added benefits - to be announced later) that Goldring Travel provides and this is a tremendous travel bargain both as to experiences and pricing.
I am also pleased that the demand to join our exclusive and small group for the 2009 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise aboard the Seabourn Spirit has been fantastic. With every person who enjoyed the 2008 Food & Wine cruise having booked for this one (and quite a number are making this their third one!), it is a testament not only to the added benefits of being part of the group, but the fun we have.
If you are interested, I would urge you to make your booking now for the cruise is quickly filling up. (Yes, even now!). And remember: The added benefits such as the Food & Wine Tasting, are exclusive to those who book with Goldring Travel. If you are interested, call me at (877) 2GO-LUXURY or email me at eric@goldringtravel.com.
Goldring Travel's 2007 Seabourn Food & Wine Cruise - Some Observations
Having provided some detailed information on the 2008 Food & Wine Cruise I thought I would go back in time and provide my observations, previously posted on Cruise Critic (and therefore in shorter form) regarding last year's Food & Wine Cruise. It was fun looking pack and comparing the two.
I thought I would give a brief post on how things are going so far. It is amazing how Seabourn continues to outdo itself and come up with ways to make you say, “WOW”.
At the meeting with Wilhelm, the Hotel Manager, and Willy, the Executive Chef, to discuss just how the wine and food events were to happen, Chef Willy advised he had found some extraordinary cheeses in the market in Barcelona for our wine tasting/food paring event. Extraordinary was an understatement.
Then Chef Willy decided that on the morning of the wine tasting/food paring event that best thing to do was for him to take myself, the James Beard awarding winning restaurateur and his chef into Palamos to do some last minute shopping. We came away with some exceptional Spanish hams to supplement some special Spanish sausages Seabourn made available to us…along with some homemade(by the Chef) marinated anchovies!
We also picked up a really wonderful Torres red wine (Mas La Plana) while on the Torres winery tour in Tarragona and some more local sherry and wines for the tasting…asking which were what the locals drank.
But now it was the Sommelier’s (Ingo’s) chance to show off, taking our “modest” tasting to literally world class levels working with our expert to come up with surprising and, frankly, awe-inspiring parings with some very creative wines supplementing our selections. Listening to Ingo and our expert discussing the wines and paring was truly a privilege.
In the end we had a private tasting with 5 samplings of caviar (3 different ways!), six hams/sausages, four cheeses and anchovies pared with fourteen different wine tastings plus vodka in a frozen block of ice served in frozen glasses. And it was all presented in the perfect crystal for each wine with the food presented elegantly by four waiters on perfectly dressed tables…complete with grapes draping down from the windows in our ‘tasting room”.
Every one of us (I think including Wilhelm, Chef Willy and Ingo) left that “small, little” tasting knowing that we had just experienced a truly world-class event that James Beard himself would have been proud to have been a part of.
While, obviously, it would not have been possible without Seabourn’s assistance, it was Seabourn’s incredible talented staff, inability to say, “no” and remarkable intuitive service that created a memory of a lifetime…and some very fortunate and still smiling guests.
P.S. Reading this post it seems like it is a publicity release. The amazing things are (a) it isn’t; and, (b) it isn’t embellished. It really was better than I have explained!
Next relevant post:
We had a phenomenal time! Each day Seabourn outdid itself complimenting our events...and even creating its own event for us.
Shopping with Chef Willy in Marseille was fantastic; walking the quay finding new fisherman arriving with their catch as others finished selling off theirs. Seabourn purchased some beautiful fish as did our chef for our private menu as well as for the ship's guests and crew.
The next day...we did it again! In Le Lavandou Seabourn arranged a little surprise: a private guide to explain all of the local items in the market. Even after it was over the guide said she wanted to stay with us because we all were having so much fun. Chef Willy arranged for our chef and myself a tasting of sea cucumber; a truly once in a lifetime experience...because you taste it once and never in your lifetime will you want to try it again!
That evening our chef had a cooking demonstration blending local fish (Marseille) and shellfish (Le Lavandou) with chorizo (Palamos, Spain) to make a dish that seemed so simple, but was another WOW. Seabourn taped it and broadcast it on the ship's TV for others to see. Ingo, the sommelier, did not stand by, however. He brought out a wonderful white and red wine - with the finest crystal, of course - to compliment the event.
But then Chef Willy and Ingo surprised us by announcing we would be having a Farewell Dinner. The menu was incredible, paired of course with wonderful wines:
- Pallimades tartar in a potato "sandwich" (a fish obtained on the quay in Marseille)
- Baby Potato with Crème Fresh and Caviar
- Foie Gras with Caramelized Apple
- Duck Consommé with Puff Pastry Shell (my personal favorite!)
- Veal Osso Bucco
- Our chef's "Soup & Sandwich" (a special brioche with a secret filling all dipped into a chocolate soup).
By the way, did I mention we had a great time enjoying everything else about Seabourn, the ports and the wonderful guests we met on our cruise. Little extras like in St. Tropez there was a sailing regatta with over 100 classic sailboats, the real sailing "yachts" and some superyachts just seemed like icing on the cake. Heck, we didn't even have a single rainy day or any seas worthy of mention.
I cannot imagine how this cruise could have been better. But with next year's [2008] Food & Wine cruise already being booked, I better figure out how pretty fast!
I thought I would give a brief post on how things are going so far. It is amazing how Seabourn continues to outdo itself and come up with ways to make you say, “WOW”.
At the meeting with Wilhelm, the Hotel Manager, and Willy, the Executive Chef, to discuss just how the wine and food events were to happen, Chef Willy advised he had found some extraordinary cheeses in the market in Barcelona for our wine tasting/food paring event. Extraordinary was an understatement.
Then Chef Willy decided that on the morning of the wine tasting/food paring event that best thing to do was for him to take myself, the James Beard awarding winning restaurateur and his chef into Palamos to do some last minute shopping. We came away with some exceptional Spanish hams to supplement some special Spanish sausages Seabourn made available to us…along with some homemade(by the Chef) marinated anchovies!
We also picked up a really wonderful Torres red wine (Mas La Plana) while on the Torres winery tour in Tarragona and some more local sherry and wines for the tasting…asking which were what the locals drank.
But now it was the Sommelier’s (Ingo’s) chance to show off, taking our “modest” tasting to literally world class levels working with our expert to come up with surprising and, frankly, awe-inspiring parings with some very creative wines supplementing our selections. Listening to Ingo and our expert discussing the wines and paring was truly a privilege.
In the end we had a private tasting with 5 samplings of caviar (3 different ways!), six hams/sausages, four cheeses and anchovies pared with fourteen different wine tastings plus vodka in a frozen block of ice served in frozen glasses. And it was all presented in the perfect crystal for each wine with the food presented elegantly by four waiters on perfectly dressed tables…complete with grapes draping down from the windows in our ‘tasting room”.
Every one of us (I think including Wilhelm, Chef Willy and Ingo) left that “small, little” tasting knowing that we had just experienced a truly world-class event that James Beard himself would have been proud to have been a part of.
While, obviously, it would not have been possible without Seabourn’s assistance, it was Seabourn’s incredible talented staff, inability to say, “no” and remarkable intuitive service that created a memory of a lifetime…and some very fortunate and still smiling guests.
P.S. Reading this post it seems like it is a publicity release. The amazing things are (a) it isn’t; and, (b) it isn’t embellished. It really was better than I have explained!
Next relevant post:
We had a phenomenal time! Each day Seabourn outdid itself complimenting our events...and even creating its own event for us.
Shopping with Chef Willy in Marseille was fantastic; walking the quay finding new fisherman arriving with their catch as others finished selling off theirs. Seabourn purchased some beautiful fish as did our chef for our private menu as well as for the ship's guests and crew.
The next day...we did it again! In Le Lavandou Seabourn arranged a little surprise: a private guide to explain all of the local items in the market. Even after it was over the guide said she wanted to stay with us because we all were having so much fun. Chef Willy arranged for our chef and myself a tasting of sea cucumber; a truly once in a lifetime experience...because you taste it once and never in your lifetime will you want to try it again!
That evening our chef had a cooking demonstration blending local fish (Marseille) and shellfish (Le Lavandou) with chorizo (Palamos, Spain) to make a dish that seemed so simple, but was another WOW. Seabourn taped it and broadcast it on the ship's TV for others to see. Ingo, the sommelier, did not stand by, however. He brought out a wonderful white and red wine - with the finest crystal, of course - to compliment the event.
But then Chef Willy and Ingo surprised us by announcing we would be having a Farewell Dinner. The menu was incredible, paired of course with wonderful wines:
- Pallimades tartar in a potato "sandwich" (a fish obtained on the quay in Marseille)
- Baby Potato with Crème Fresh and Caviar
- Foie Gras with Caramelized Apple
- Duck Consommé with Puff Pastry Shell (my personal favorite!)
- Veal Osso Bucco
- Our chef's "Soup & Sandwich" (a special brioche with a secret filling all dipped into a chocolate soup).
By the way, did I mention we had a great time enjoying everything else about Seabourn, the ports and the wonderful guests we met on our cruise. Little extras like in St. Tropez there was a sailing regatta with over 100 classic sailboats, the real sailing "yachts" and some superyachts just seemed like icing on the cake. Heck, we didn't even have a single rainy day or any seas worthy of mention.
I cannot imagine how this cruise could have been better. But with next year's [2008] Food & Wine cruise already being booked, I better figure out how pretty fast!
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