POA1

The pesto with the bread was a walnut pesto. Time to shower so we can go to breakfast.

I'm going to cheat and copy/paste the wines from the list. It's easier than trying to split screen on my phone so I can type from the list while looking at the wine list. Although I am taking a short cut here, please know that I care, about you, my dedicated research colleague. The wine we had while deciding which wines to order: Le Grand Courtage Brut Rosé. This Champagne runs $13. With Michelle's escargot, I paired the Pascal Jolivet Sancerre Sauvage, Loire Valley $24 My crab bisque's wine buddy was Domaine Houchart "Sainte Victoire" Côtes de Provence, a $12 rosé. I asked our waiter, Frank, for a suggestion to go with the foie gras. He went off-list and chose Sokol Blosser Evolution #9 Pinot Noir. Very nice pinot, but would not have been my first choice of pairings. But, ask for the pairing, live with your choice, I always say. The Pinot Noir was covered by the EBP. I'm not sure of the price. The lady loves her some Oregon pinot, so all's well. Our entrées got Chateau du Trignon, Côtes du Rhone. I feel like we're in a rut with this $12 red, but it's good at its job.

A lovely couple we met from Hawaii ordered the Salzberger Nockerl. The enormous souffle looked wonderful. I should have invoked the 'Always order the souffle" rule we have at House of Morgan, but I'd have picked the apple tart myself. As a general principle, I always order the dessert Michelle would have picked next if Michelle didn't pick the dessert she picked. (Put that on your secrets to 30+ years of wedded bliss boys.)

For dessert, Michelle had the apple tarte tatin. I had the crepes Suzette. They were preceded by a chocolate covered strawberry tree. The Chocolate Covered Strawberry Tree. While an interesting concept, it won't knock the Pinnacle Grill's Chocolate Truffles out of the top spot. Michelle's Apple Tarte Tatin. This was great, and there is fruit, so you know it's a health food. My Crepes Suzette. With all due respect to Suzette, I should have got the Profiteroles or negotiated to split the Salzberger Nockerl. Again, Michelle wins dessert. Our after dinner drinks were Grand Marnier for the lady. The gentleman had Hardys VSOP. You can get Grand Marnier on the SBP. You'll need the EBP for the cognac as it's $15.

If you are playing the home version of our game, you might realize that this was my second night of filet mignon. We must all make sacrifices in the name of science.

For our main courses, Michelle had the rack of lamb. I had the Tournadoes Rossini which is one of Rudi's signature items. We both had our proteins cooked medium rare. Both entrées were cooked perfectly and both were delicious. Shelly had a rack of lamb, rack of lamb, rack of lamb... Shelly had a rack of lamb... And Brian had Tournadoes.

For our second course, we both had the foie gras. As has been mentioned frequently and argued about often, it's a terrible and not a piece of goose liver. It was very good. I would not expect a whole piecc of foie gras at this price point. I do think that the description could be clearer though.

Prior to the soup & snails, bread was delivered. It was an extra crusty baguette accompanied by a series of accoutrements. There was goat cheese, roasted red pepper, black olive tapenade, anchovies, green olives, and classic tapenade. There's a pesto in the center. I'm pretty sure that Michelle knows what it is. I'm also pretty sure she would not appreciate having me wake her at 12:30 AM to ask, "Honey? That pesto... What was in it? "

My first course was the Crab Bisque. The lovely Michelle ordered the Escargot. (Michelle + Escargot is as safe a bet as Treasury Bonds or Brisn + Bourbon. Strictly blue chip stuff.) The crab bisque was full of flavor, with a decent amount of crab. I'd guess blue crab or peekytoe. The presentation of the snails was superb. Look at the tools on the right side of the plate. There are escargot tongs and a snail fork. That's some next level utensilry. We should have snapped a close up, but we will need to make do with a crop and zoom.

..We started with a glass of Le Grande Cortage Rosé Champagne. It's EBP eligible but is a touch over SBP While we were enjoying "sipping time," we ordered. Sel de Mer is a HAL rarity in that there is an amuse bouche. (Welcome taste from the chef, amuseé, something to tickle the palate.) Ours was salmon two ways, presented with a wink toward goldfish crackers. (At least that's this guy's interpretation.)

Back to dinner. We were seated promptly at 7:30, our scheduled reservation time. A little inside baseball info: The restaurant seats 46. If they could do 3 turns, starting at 5:00 PM, they would have a capacity of around 120 guests per night. However, not every guest shows up on time, orders 3 course, doesn't take a bathroom break, etc. Also, despite the best efforts, the kitchen sometimes has a bottleneck. Everything's prepared a la minute which both results in better food but also presents logistical challenges. So, for practical purposes, Rudi's probably does 80-90 covers per night. If you are not in the biz, let's pick up with dinner.

Having grown up in an era where children were sent to the corner store to buy cigarettes, I forgot to obscure the tot's face. (She was ordering Double Canadian Club, Hi-C back, in a sippy cup.

The Department for Good Parenting would like to remind you that you must be able to see across the bar in order to use your beverage package.

The charger plates. No idea how these are controversial, but they seem to be. These photograph more 3D than they look in real life.

Too late, but I was trying to find a Pinot Gris from Alsace. A gewürtztraminer would have been great. (Did you ever try to type an umlauted I on a phone?) Anywho... Photos first. Description to follow.

I forgot to post this with the Skyride images. It's the safety signage on all the landings on the Skyride stairs. Apparently if you fall, you are supposed to deploy razzle dazzle jazz hands.

I've never seen it by the glass on a ship.

While I am prattling on to kill time before dinner, I'd like to have a moment of silence in respectful memory of the room coffee tables that had a little pneumatic lift. I think we first encountered them on the Ryndam. Those tables were the best. You could leave them low for use as a coffee table or raise them up for a passible dining surface.

I consider those tags to be residual souvenirs. It's kind of embarrassing to find one from six years in the past, but we don't dress up as much for work as we used to.

I believe that the only holiday drink that we, and by "we", I mean Michelle, hasn't tried is Rudolph themed margarita. We're a little bit bummed that the coffee ones in the Dutch Café and Explorations Café / Crow's Nest haven't shown up yet. We took the holiday martini class a few years ago and were really looking forward to learning how to make craft cocktails that we will never make again. Ever. The holiday margarita will to wait until tomorrow. Sel de Mer has a very French menu, so we'll likely start with Champagne and try to pair all the courses with French wines. I'm a little stuck on the pairing for the foie gras device. I suppose I can toss it to the sommelier, Robert, but this kind of thing should be in my wheelhouse. I'm a little constrained because of the "by the glass" selections, even with the Elite Beverage Package.

First, buy a home or condo in Fort Lauderdale. Next, get a big, big suitcase and load it up. Take Uber, Lyft or a taxi to the ship. No flight cost. No bag fees. Never mind. The cost of the housing might eat into your savings. 😁

But since I am currently on board the Nieuw Statendam and I lived in Maine for a pretty long stretch - less than a half mile from the Maine Lobstermens Association in Kennebunk, I can say what they are serving now. The appearance of a spiny lobster tail is so different from a Maine lobster tail, a quick visual inspection will tell you what you are looking at. This time of year most of your Maine lobster is coming from the Maritimes in Canada, although the tails are probably frozen. (I don't know for sure. I'm just guessing.) Ned time someone thinks they're getting warm water lobster that's billed as Maine lobster, post a picture. That should settle it quickly.

I'll be in the cabana area tomorrow after breakfast if you want help. Just watch this thread and you'll probably see some random breakfast musings.

Laundry service has been great as usual. Turnaround has been less than 24 hours. I send it out daily. Laundry and pressing are my favorite part of four starishness