Closing my eyes, I raised the glass to inhale the heady notes of the wine, then took a small taste. The cabernet sauvignon was soft; it lay on my tongue like a velvet blanket. Its earthy richness filled my mouth as only a bold cab can.
I could only nod at the sommelier, who smiled knowingly and filled our glasses with the deep, ruby red wine. It was a Michael Mondavi East & West Cabernet, a bottling that’s exclusive to Norwegian Cruise Lines.
For the first time in our cruising history, my husband Jim and I signed up for the specialty dining package. This came about because the fare for our Norwegian Epic Caribbean cruise included specialty dining, plus we splurged on the $686 upgraded premium plus beverage package, which came with two additional specialty meals attached. All told, we were eligible to dine in four specialty restaurants on our seven-day cruise. We felt like we had the golden ticket.
It was just our first night, and the wine already exceeded our expectations. Many highlights were to come. Our experience sold us: We’ve decided to sign up for the specialty dining package on our next cruise.
La Cucina: Like a Trip Back to Venice
For our first specialty dining foray, we chose La Cucina, the ship’s Italian restaurant. From the moment we walked in, the aroma of roast garlic filled the air. The host stand was just outside the entrance. The maître d’ led us into the first dining room, to a table for two tucked against the wall, under an impressive collection of wine. She sat our napkins in our laps, and placed the open menus in front of us.
Jim and I shared a smile over the tops of our menus, which translated to, “This is going to be incredible…like we are back at that trattoria in Venice.” That dining experience, where we asked the waiter to bring us a typical local meal, included four courses. It is the most immersive dining experience we’ve had, and had nearly ruined us for the many Italian dinners we’d had since that fell far short. Reading the menu was a journey back to our time in Italy, with some familiar dishes: Pasta e Fagioli, Calamari Fritti, and Spaghetti Carbonara, with some taking a modern twist on Italian classics such as Cartoccio Di Dentice Rosso Ai Frutti Di Mare (red snapper Livornese style, shrimp, clams, mussels, cherry tomatoes, herbs, potatoes, braised fennel, black olives).
Daring Dining Choices
Knowing we had to choose dishes to pair with the fantastic wine, I made a daring choice: Filletto Di Manzo Al Pepe Verde, a beef tenderloin with green peppercorn sauce and blue cheese-filled ravioli. I made the choice because I love the pairing of blue cheese with a big and bold Cab Sav.
Filletto Di Manzo Al Pepe Verde
When the dish was brought to the table, it was plated with two ravioli on the plate, the tenderloin resting on top of them, and one raviolo on top of the tenderloin, drizzled with pepe verde sauce, and a single basil leaf resting on top. This was a beautiful presentation, which allowed a peek of the ravioli, with just a bit of the blue cheese oozing out.
As I raised the first forkful of tenderloin with sauce and a bite of the ravioli, I closed my eyes to experience the taste explosion. The blue cheese ravioli was the dominant flavor, with the perfect pairing of the pepe verde sauce and the subtle flavor of the tenderloin following. This dish was culinary bliss, with three flavors complementing each other. Jim did not have to ask if I liked it, as a smile of sheer delight lit my face.
Though ravioli are typically a delicate dish, when you fill them with a bold and pungent flavor such as blue cheese, you would expect the flavor of the blue cheese to overpower the other flavors in a dish. Not so here. Though the blue cheese was dominant, it did not overshadow the other flavors; rather it allowed the flavors of both the beef and the sauce to show through.
Gamberi Fra Diavolo
Jim chose Gamberi Fra Diavolo — sautéed shrimp and spicy tomato sauce over linguini. Jim chose this dish because he loves spicy dishes. Fra Diaovlo means “brother devil” and is a fiery, bold sauce that can pack a punch. Fra Diaovlo sauce is typically created using hot peppers, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, and sometimes even jalapenos, as well as garlic, onion, tomatoes, and adding fresh herbs give the sauce depth of flavor. This sauce tends to behave like a volcano, as the layers of flavors just rush at the palate.
Jim was not disappointed — it was the standout dish of our cruise vacation for him. The Mondavi Cab was a perfect accompaniment for both dishes, bringing out the flavors of both with each sip and bite.
The ability to linger over dinner and take our time to savor each bite of food and sip of wine is a luxury and one that we were able to indulge in at La Cucina. It is so rare in today’s world to be in an intimate dining space, and hear each other over the other diners. There were only 10 other tables in the first dining room, and they were far enough away to not disturb each other. The food was brought to the table in intervals, allowing us to not get overwhelmed and rushed. The waitstaff was attentive but not disruptive, adding to the intimate ambiance.
Our dining experience in La Cucina left us sated but not overly full, and the portion sizes were more of the European style rather than the massive size of most American meals eaten out.
We loved our meal so much that we spent another of our specialty dining nights at La Cucina.
Moderno Churrascaria: Brazil at Sea
In contrast to our quiet, understated experience at La Cucina, our meal at Moderno Churrascaria was vibrant. We were joined by our friends, who were cruising with us. Moderno Churrascaria is an at-sea Brazilian steakhouse that offers a fun dining experience with a large array of food. Dining at Moderno is interactive dining.
After we arrived at the large one-room restaurant, the hostess seated us at a large table that could hold six guests. Though the venue was full, our table was located on the quieter side of the dining room, allowing us to carry on a bubbly conversation.
As the hostess gave us an overview of the dining experience, she placed napkins in our laps and took our drink orders. Our friends ordered the caipirinha, a traditional Brazilian cocktail that is similar to a mojito. It’s made with cachaça, a liquor made from sugarcane, sugar, and lime. Jim and I opted for another bottle of the Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon, knowing it would pair well with the meat selections.
Begin with the Appetizer Buffet
A massive buffet dominates the venue. It starts with a small salad bar. tThen comes the selection of meats and cheeses — soppressa, salami, and pepperoni, swiss, cheddar, and manchego along with marinated olives. Dipping sauces included au jus and mint. The sushi choices included California rolls and salmon rolls. This is your first course of the dining experience. It’s very easy to get filled up on the appetizers, leaving little room for the main star of the evening — the meat.
After we made through the buffet our server brought a selection of sides to accompany the meal: fluffy white rice; black beans, which added a nice dimension to the meat selections; sauteed mushrooms, which I love to pair with meats; deep-fried sticks of yucca, tender and with a consistency similar to potatoes; and Pão de Queijo, a traditional Brazilian cheese bread. I could have eaten a whole basket of the cheese bread myself.
Each table is presented with a card that’s red on one side and green on the other. Green lets the servers, called gauchos, know that you want more meat. Red means you’re satisfied for the time being. We turned our card green side up.
Enter the Gauchos — Let the Fun Begin!
The tableside fun began as the gauchos arrived, carefully balancing long skewers of meat. Each one arrived with a singular meat. Twelve were available, including six types of beef, two chicken choices, two lamb selections, two sausage selections, and one pork selection.
If you wanted a slice of the gaucho’s offering, you took your tongs, which were laid on the table beside your silverware, and gently gripped the edge of the meat slice as the gaucho continued to slice it. Once it was free, you took the slice of meat and placed it on your plate.
With so many options, it was difficult to say which meats was best. They were all flavorful and quite a feast. But the bacon-wrapped filet mignon, Filé Com Bacon, stood out. It was so tender I cut it with my fork. The smoky flavor of the bacon was the perfect accompaniment to the simple seasoning of the filet.
Another stellar dish was the Costela De Cordeiro, the lamb chops. This dish needed nothing to accompany it,the smoky lamb erupting with flavor. In contrast, the Pernil De Cordeiro, leg of lamb, with just a salt and pepper rub, needed fresh mint sauce to cut the gaminess and bring out the full flavor. Each bite was accompanied by a sip of that lovely Mondavi cab.
Cagney’s Steak House: Bring the Meat
Cagney’s is one of the most in-demand specialty dining venues on Norwegian Cruise Lines. If you don’t book in advance, you probably won’t get in. This was certainly the case for Jim and me. But there is a silver lining.
On one of our non-specialty nights, we got our taste of Cagney’s at one of the standard dining rooms, Taste. It was our back door to an elevated dining experience.
When you dine in one of the main dining venues, Taste or the Manhattan Room, you can order a Cagney Steak House steak for an additional charge. I did just that when dining in Taste.
I admit I am a steak snob, as Jim is quite the grill master at home. But I had heard so many fantastic things about Cagney’s I knew I had to try the steak. I chose the surf and turf, an 8 oz. filet mignon with lobster tail.
When the dinner arrived, it was apparent that the steak had been dry brined and then grilled, my favorite way to have steak, especially a filet mignon. I find that a brined steak is not only tender, but also dry brining adds a slight crusting to the steak, bringing out more of the natural flavor of the steak. The accompanying lobster tail was presented in its shell.
The steak was the perfect medium-rare temperature. As I took the first bite, accompanied by a sip of Pinot Noir, the flavor gently blossomed my palate the way any good filet mignon should. The lobster was a bit bland, but it did pair well with the filet. With this meal, we decided we would cruise on Norwegian again and will pre-book a dinner at Cagney’s.
Not All Specialty Restaurants are Special
In truth, not all our specialty dining experiences were stellar. Very similar in setup to La Cucina, Le Bistro is a small, intimate space. However, the decor, with rich wood paneling and ornate chandeliers felt more formal and sophisticated.
While our meals at Le Bistro were quite well presented, we found the flavors bland. The pan seared bay scallops in particular were flavorless and rubbery. Rarely have Jim and I left a restaurant without finishing our meal, but after the scallops we could not bear to stay. We instead chose to eat at the Garden Cafe, one of the standard dining options.
Though it is very noisy due to being a top choice for families with children, and its offerings typical of cruise ship buffets, it has, in our judgment, the second best pizza for a cruise ship (first place goes to Italian-owned MSC cruise lines).
Check, Please
The three great NCL specialty dining meals we enjoyed — La Cucina, Moderno Churrascaria, and Cagney’s — have changed my view of dining in specialty restaurants while cruising. We’ve decided to add specialty dining to our next cruise vacation.
As I am writing this piece and reminiscing about the dining experiences we enjoyed, thoughts of that trattoria in Venice play through my mind, tempting me to book an Italian weekend getaway to Venice. Perhaps that will be the next culinary adventure.
Betsi Hill blogs at BetsiHillTravel.
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