COME
AND
GET IT!
Can you imagine the maitre d of one of the Dreams signature restaurants standing at the door
ringing a dinner bell
and hollering that little refrain at the top of his lungs? Maybe at the Hoop-dee-doo Review, but on one of the cruse ships? Naaaaa
me neither, but it does paint quite the picture. First off... this just wont happen on any cruise ship (with the possible exception of an Elbonian liner), and secondly
even if we were in one of Steven Hawkings alternate universes, it wouldnt be happening this evening, because aboard the Disney Dream weve officially reached the Formal Night of the cruise.
The official dress code of cruising has changed over the years and also varies a bit more depending on the cruise line. On the great Transatlantic Liners of yore, diner was always a black tie affair (for the wealthy that is
if you were confined to steerage it was a whole other matter, but thats a rather different aspect of shipboard lore and history). With the passage of time, the mingling of the classes (God forbid) and the shift from touring to cruising, things have lightened up considerably and the expectations have grown a good bit looser in the past two decades alone. The first time I was aboard a cruse liner you were expected to wear what would now be called business casual every evening. The exception to this was the Captains Dinner (what now is called formal night) when it was more like the cruises of the early 1900s. I saw this first hand during our honeymoon better then twenty years ago. The first time I cursed on a DCL ship (many years later), formal night saw me in a suite and tie. Two years after that, I didnt need the jacket. This past outing, the business casual that was the regular daily norm twenty years ago, was all that was required for the dressiest evening aboard the Dream.
Times have changed.
Now, there will still be plenty of folks aboard that will dress to the nines. Some will do so out of habit or preference; others will be taking advantage of the moment to have formal family portraits done by the staff at Shutters (with or without a Character in the photo
both option are available on this evening). Tamara for one would be quite pleased if her family was at least observant of the finer points of fashion, but she mistakenly married me, and then we had a son who takes after me on this issue so
shes learned to relent (but is secretly making plans for the future possibility of having granddaughters to bring into the fold). Now, as I was saying
we did clean up a good bit for Formal Night on the Dream; but we settled for being dressed to the 7.5s rather then the 9s (less to pack and carry that way as well).
OK, now that weve sorted out all this dress code nonsense, its time for some grub.
Our fine dinning destination on this lovely evening:
Enchanted Garden
This venue is a new design concept for DCL. The Magic and Wonder both have a version of Animators Pallet, and the Dreams Royal Palace is similar to both Lumiere's and Tritons. Enchanted Garden however, is unique. Conceptually, it is inspired by the formal gardens of Versailles.
These gardens right here
The intention is to have you feel as if you were dining in one of the conservatories on the palace grounds. The Imagineers also decided to play with the atmosphere over the course of the dinning experience by transitioning the ambient lighting within the room to simulating a passage of time from late afternoon to dusk and then on into the evening. Here are a couple of images published by DCL to that illustrate the point
When we arrived at Table-66, our tablemates were already there. Well
the young ladies were. As with the previous evening, the grownups were experiencing one of the adult only restaurants and their eldest was charged with the chaperone duties for her younger siblings. Charming as these girls were (and they were), English was still their second language, so the conversation was subdued and pretty must divided by family. That didnt stop Daniel from entertaining the group though. I cant quote anything specific that was said, but there was general laughter within each exchange.
Another interesting point is that according to our serving team, we were being offered a brand new menu that was being débuted for the first time on our sailing. I suspect it was an experimental one as well, because Ive not seen anyone post or mention the changes we encountered, and because a couple of items were listed in both the appetizer column and as part of the Vegetarian section of the Main Courses column (and being as one of them had some meat in it, this was surely an oversight). All that being said, it was still an excellent meal.
Heres a look see at the menu
Yah I know
between the glare of the flash and the ridiculous scale of the image I cant read that either, so heres the translation
Appetizers
Cucumber Garden Roll
filled with Julienne of Carrots, Bell Peppers, Zucchini, flavored with Cilantro
and dressed with White Shoyu and Lemon Dressing
Ahi Tuna and Avocado Tower
With Crispy Noodles and Wasabi Dressing
North Atlantic Lobster Ravioli
With Roasted Garlic and Sweet Basil
in a light Tomato Broth
Thyme and Garlic Brioche
filled with Lobster, Morels and Porcini Muchrooms
and Leek Stew in a light Buttermilk Cream
Soups and Salads
Heirloom Tomato Soup
with Sour Cream, Croutons, and Basil
Cream of Green Asparagus
with Crab Meat and Asparagus Tips
Spinach and Raspberry Salad
tender Spinach tossed tithe fresh Raspberries, toasted Pine Nuts, and crumbled Gorgonzola
and a Raspberry Vinaigrette
Romaine Wedge
Fresh Crisp Romaine topped with a Creamy Romano
Dressing and Homemade Spiced Croutons
Bread Service
Multi-grain and Country Current rolls
with Chickpea-Garlic Purée
Main Course
Caramelized Sea Scallops
With Roasted Asparagus, Sun-dried Tomatoes,
and Pearl Pasta, garnished with Caramelized
Leeks and Veal Jus Reduction
Roasted Pork Tenderloin seasoned with Smoked Salt
Citrus flavored Polenta Cakes and Oven Roasted Carrots,
Parsnips and caramelized Granny Smith Apples
Pan-seared Sea Bass
With Saffron and Pea Risotto with
a Sweet Chili Glaze
Marjoram Scented All Natural Chicken
Half a Chicken served with Baked Sweet Potatoes
and Sautéed Baby Spinach
Slow Roasted Prime Rib
Thyme-roasted Vegetables, Double-baked Potato served with a natural jus
Vegetarian
Cucumber Garden Roll
filled with Julienne of Carrots, Bell Peppers, Zucchini, flavored with Cilantro
and dressed with White Shoyu and Lemon Dressing
Thyme and Garlic Brioche
filled with Lobster, Morels and Porcini Muchrooms
and Leek Stew in a light Buttermilk Cream
Heirloom Tomato Soup
with Sour Cream, Croutons, and Basil
Pearl-Barley Cakes with Shallots, Leeks, and Rosemary
Over sautéed Julienne of Carrots, Root Celery
and Leeks with a light Saffron Sauce
Glazed Portobello Mushrooms
With Brown Lentil and Parsley Sauce and
Sun-dried Tomato Cream Drizzle
Lighter Note Offerings
The Enchanted Garden Tuna Salad
Sushi Grade seared Tuna on Organic Field Greens,
Micro Greens, Wakame and Squid Salad, Sesame Seeds
and White Shoyu and Lemon Vinaigrette
Grilled Grain-fed Sirloin Steak
Slow Roaster Breast of Chicken
Oven Baked Fillet of Salman
The above three entrées are served with
Garden Vegetables and your choice of
Steamed White Rice or Baked Potato
So
what hit the table?
I suspect you have read enough about me to quickly pick out the entrée, but the appetizer was another one of those experiments that I was conducting while aboard the Dream. I decided to give this one a shot
That is the Ahi Tuna and Avocado Tower
sushi grade Ahi Tuna. Now Im one of those folks that will tell you that sushi is basically another word for bait. But I also figured that if I were ever going to try something that could possibly turn out to be a gastronomical mistake, then a high-end restaurant (where the bill has already been paid beforehand and I could also change my mind) was probably the best place to do it. Verdict? Not bad
not something Ill do on a regular bases, but not bad. The rest of my household did a better job with Tamara trying the Garden Roll and Max taking a stab at the Lobster Ravioli
OK, so what about that entrée? Well, the Prime Rib sounded very good
but I was in a Tenderloin kinda mood.
And as good as that looks, it tasted better; one of the best meals of the trip hands down.
The wife and youngen decided to test the seafood waters with the Sea Bass
and that turned out to be an excellent choice as well.
As I said earlier, part of the show aspect in the Garden is the lighting shift from day to night. Here are a couple more pictures to illustrate the point. The first was from the time the main course was served (depicting the sunset time frame), and the second was of the same spot in the room at about the time that the desert menus arrived.
And speaking of desert menus
heres a look at what was being offered up this evening
Dessert
Sweet Temptations
A trio of Esterhazy Cake, Strawberry Cheesecake, and Chocolate Silk Mousse
Steamed Lemon Buttermilk Pudding
With Citrus Reduction
Esterhazy Cake
Almond Meringue soaked in Maraschino Liqueur
and layered Pastry Cream
"Sacher" Chocolate Torte
With Apricot Sauce
Banana Foster Sundae
Rum-glazed Bananas, Vanilla Ice Cream,
Whipped Cream, and Caramel Sauce
No Sugar Added Dessert
Strawberry Cheesecake
With Whipped Cream and Fruit Coulis
Silky Dark Chocolate Mousse
With Whipped Cream and Berries
We put a good hurting on this menu.
Max and I had the Sacher
Tamara got the trio (because theres always just too much to pick only one)
and then we had them bring us the Lemon Pudding to split amongst us
(just to give it a taste and because
well
because we could).
Then on top of all that, Daniel decided once again to champion the underdog on the menu. Since no one at the table order the Banana Foster Sundae
He felt it was his duty to ensure that every one at the table got the Banana Foster Sundae in addition to what ever else was ordered. And as usual, it was very good (but for the first time, the ice cream wasnt better then some of our choices. Dang close
but no cookie, orrr
would that be banana? A little bit of coffee (which in the restaurants is properly brewed and not the Ness-cafe stuff up on the drink bar), and a bit more conversation with our hosts and among ourselves and we declared it a fine evening that would now be discussed in the past tense.
As we headed out to take a turn around the decks and enjoy the evening air, the Garden had finally completed its transition into full nighttime mode
Everything glowed and sparkled with a noticeable elegance. The Darkness has a magic and electricity about it. With only the shimmer of moonlight or subdued lamp light scattered here and there, the night has a certain ability to transform collections of mundane and ordinary objects into an enchanting landscapes and even surreal tapestries. Much of what appears to be beautiful (or in some cases sinister and frightening) during the nocturnal hours will often turn out to be just the same flotsam and jetsam that wed generally ignore during the day. Imagination and darkness make a great combination.