My NCL cruise

Come rain or shine, a healthy dose of sea air can bolster any appetite - not a bad thing if the food is worth waiting for

That may sum it up in giving you an idea of just how "bad" the food was and yet it certainly did not stop those who just wanted to eat - and eat - and eat

This was not my first cruise - nor my last - but my expectations from past experience was severly and sorely shaken by NCL

It seems that new kitchen staff was added on to the cruise the day of my departure and there was on this new staffs part a confussion as just how to cook - I wondered where the exec chef was and if he ever did a spoon taste on anything that came out of the galley

I actually thought that the method to NCL's madness was to have such bad food so you would have to patronize one of the Specialty Restos on board that had an extra cover charge of anywhere from $15 to $30/pp
But after doing some detective work and asking many questions, I found out they were no better

From overcooked to undercooked, to food cooked in rancid oil, this was definitely not a cruise for a foodie
Desserts that a diabetic would turn up their nose to and not be able to crave - Jello pudding would be more satisfying
To have to endure the same menu for another day would make one want to fly home to their own kitchen and cook with "sabor", "gusto", and plenty of garlic
Oh how I wanted to be able to cook something comforting and familiar - flavourful and satisfying and with garlic
Never realized you can get the DT's from "not enough garlic"

Tickets may be cheap to allow one to cruise, but it is made up in $11.75 for a beer, $9 for a cocktail, $6 for a coke or club soda, $20 to play bingo and the list goes on

This cruise was what NCL calls Freestyling - no demands put on anyone as to when to eat and what to wear
That needs to change in a big way - it is one thing to go casual, but to go in ripped and torn jeans to dinner, or to sit by someone who should never wear a bathing suit...
The elegance of cruising did no longer exist here
No Captains dinner or Captains Table with foie gras, shrimp, caviar or salmon, no Garde Manger work, no food presentations to dazzle over in amazement and no midnight feasts or chocolate madness
And ice sculptures did not exist

The shows were entertaining - not Broadway - but entertaining never the less

While docked in Freeport we stared all day at some type of mining quarry facility and hardly anyone left the ship
But thankfully when reaching Nassau I had a lovely quiet day at the saltwater pool, have a burn to prove it and also managed to catch up on some reading
That was my intentions from the beginning to do on this cruise
No touristy programs for me

Met some very nice people and I am glad my Spanglish was okey dokey because this should have been called the Little Havana cruise - I enjoyed that part as they know how to enjoy life and have very hearty laughs and wonderful smelling cigars

NCL does need to address some things - perhaps no smoking in the Casino, a bit of a dress code, cheaper prices in their on board shoppes and a little more wooing also on their part to make people want to come back...

I am sure the shock of receiving ones bar bill just before departing, put many into cardiac arrest and will think about how to cruise in the future

Cheers to the crew who have left their families to work very hard and make it a pleasure to sail
I heard many of their stories and watched them work on their feet all day to please -and that in itself is a feat

For me, not to have to make beds, clean or cook was a bit of a joy and I did wish I had one more day in the sun

I only wish my hunger were sated by better offerings

Vive Sol, Mountain View, CA

Vive Sol is a cheerful, elegant Mexican restaurant on El Camino Real in Mountain View. (Palo Alto Sol, on California Avenue in Palo Alto, is the same menu and owners.) It's a lvovely place. Sit-down with table service and nice decor, lots of Mexican artifacts -- and on our recent trip, a lot of Dia de los Muertos stuff was still up. They serve regional dishes from teh Mexican state of Puebla. Hrz and I both had the Enchiladas Al Sol with cheese. Two enchiladas, one in creamy orange-colored guajillo sauce and one in dark, rich mole sauce, accompanied by refried black beans and tomato-kissed Mexican rice. With the cheese filling (also available with chicken or beef), it's an incredibly rich and delicious plateful. The mole is a bit sweeter than I'd prefer but otherwise its a perfect meal. My dad-in-lay had the Pollo Ranchero, chicken strips with a savory stew of peppers and onions; the Bistec Ranchero is also excellent. Mom-in-law had Pollo Negro, chunks of chicken in a tangy sauce of white wine and cream served on a bed of fresh raw spinach. Everything was delicious, as it always is.
The Palo Alto location is a bit more cramped but excellent in every other respect.

TED PETERS FAMOUS SMOKE FISH

http://tampabay.citysearch.com/profile/2693868/south_pasadena_fl/ted_peters_famous_smoked_fish.

This is a family owned restaurant that has been in the same spot for over 50 years (since 1951)
It sits on the main strip of Pasadena Avenue as you are entering the St Pete beach area - and it is a very busy and noisy street

I caught a review on the Food Network, and since knowing I would be in the area, I wanted to do my own to see how honest they are

It is totally al fresco dinning with picnic tables - and if you stay for lunch, the hardwood seats are not suited for anyone with back problems

The smokehouse is a seperate building and you are welcome to go see the process and to buy the fish directly from there
The restaurant puts together the dinners - with all the "fixins"
I ordered a pint of their famous fish dip - which after trying it at home reminds me of grilled tuna salad at high end prices

Next on my list was to get 2 dinners, so I decided on the smoked salmon and the mahi-mahi

The smell drove me crazy in the car on the drive back and I was hoping it was going to be worth my little adventure

The table was set at home and we dove in
The dip was a hit as was the salmon
The mahi was a little too heavy on the smoke
The cole slaw had a hint of pineapple juice mixed in and was very tasty, but the potato salad was excellent - made in the German style with lots of bacon
There was enough food there to feed six people - you get a pound slab of each fish

Overall, I would say if you are in the area stop by but don't go out of your way
The 2 dinners and pint of dip cost $45 and it is cash only - and be prepared to have your hands and clothes smell of smoke for the rest of the day

Ted Peters Famous Smoke Fish
1350 Pasadena Avenue
Pasadena, FL
In St Pete

Felidia Ristorante

What can I say? Felidia is my favorite NYC restaurant so far, and it's going to take something spectacular to outshine this classic Italian restaurant. The admiration for it's founder is national at the very least, and Lidia Bastianich was honored by NYC with the title of Grand Marshall in this year's Columbus Day Parade on 5th Avenue.

The menu is seasonal and because our reservation was in Fall, we were treated to the regular Fall menu, plus a list of offerings made exclusively with Winter squashes as the main ingredient(have you ever heard of a Fall squash?). We started our meal with a special charcuterie offering that included Kobe beef cured in coffee, duck with juniper berries, several types of pork with savory curing agents and all were served with dried fruits and aged balsamic. While I ordered a warming and filling Delicata and barley soup from the special menu, my companion ordered the pear and fresh pecorino ravioli that is a staple on the Felidia menu, so creamy and delicious. All items are described on her website linked at the bottom of this review.

My entree was also selected from the squash menu and was a Blue Hubbard risotto with Humbolt Fog goat cheese and a smattering of watercress with a single demitasse spoonful of 25 year old balsamic which was ceremoniously opened and poured at the table. Why didn't I insist on licking the spoon? It was clearly one of life's lost moments. My dinner partner ordered lamb cooked two ways. His plate was layered with fresh steamed vegetable tidbits, two perfectly cooked French cut lamb chops and an osso buco of lamb, better know as the neck that had been braised to perfection. Mashed butternut squash finished the offering. On Christmas Eve 2005 we had an equally wonderful experience with a perfectly cooked roast duck, and the year before was every bit as good. Our starter at that time was foie gras cooked 3 ways. Unfortunately, that is no longer on the menu.

http://felidia.lidiasitaly.com/index2.htm

Patsy's

John's, move over, Patsy's get's my vote for a great Italian style pizza in NYC. The restaurant is family friendly, moderately priced, comfortable and considering there is no carpeting, you do not need to yell at your companions to have a conversation.

Their regular pizza is the star. The sauce is sweet as though every tomato in it was vine ripened. The mozzerella was fresh, rather than the aged mozzerella of typical restaurant pizzas. Together with the fresh basil leaves you have a little slice of heaven in your hands. The dinner rolls seemed freshly baked and had the texture of a sourdough although they were sweet.

If you are a meatball and spaghetti fan, you will not be disappointed by the veal meatballs; if that was beef, they fooled me completely. The cheese ravioli with pistachio sauce was lovely and delicate in taste. They were rich yet subtle in flavor. Click on the first photo for adresses.

Risottoria

I've peered into the window of this small, West Village restaurant on my last 3 trips to NYC. This time I finally crossed the threshold into the dining room and risotto bar. Small may be an understatement for this risotto, pizza and paninni emporium. The tables are no more than 1" apart and have to be moved completely to allow a diner to be seated at the banquette that lines the main wall. If truth be told, I resisted since the recipes as listed on the menu looked very non traditional. What a breath of fresh air. The sweetcorn and porcini risotto with truffle oil was delicious and I am now encouraged to start experimenting on risotti at home. The truffle oil was a bit heavy handed, but my dinner companion had no complaint when it was scooped from my plate and drizzled over his porcini risotto. Both risotti were competently executed with a generous amount of porcini in each dish.

The roasted beet salad with walnuts and truffle oil was less stellar. The combination of the earthy beet and earthier truffle oil sounded appealing, but in reality, it was overkill. The restaurant is located on Bleeker Street just a block south of John's Pizzaria.