Curtis Stone MDR Items

[traveling1969]

Recent postings seem to confirm my sincere disappointment. I'm a beef (red, red, red) lover and it was always nice to have the medallions as an alternative for those times when nothing else appealed. Add to that a little bearnaise and life was good. Seldom have we been able to get flank steak served rare enough for our taste. As the Stones said "Let it Bleed".

 

It's been a while since our last cruise so my question is this: are there any "always available" beef choices we would enjoy? If you enjoy chicken, good for you. If you enjoy salmon or another type of fish, good for you. If you enjoy a vegetarian or vegan dish, good for you. We enjoy our red meat and we want Princess to know it. Please bring back the medallions! They were perfect.

 

Harry

[OCruisers]

And according to many who have seen it, turn down the lights!!!

 

It was as if you were eating in a public library -- BRIGHT lights & bare wood tables. :eek:

[shredie]

 

It's been a while since our last cruise so my question is this: are there any "always available" beef choices we would enjoy? If you enjoy chicken, good for you. If you enjoy salmon or another type of fish, good for you. If you enjoy a vegetarian or vegan dish, good for you. We enjoy our red meat and we want Princess to know it. Please bring back the medallions! They were perfect.

 

Absolutely! My grandson would order medallions every night (even when he was very little.) No sauce, just meat. However, if you want beef, the spaghetti and meatballs on the kids' menu is "always available." Granted, it's not red meat, but I think it's mostly beef. I guess the kids' hamburger would qualify, too. :) To answer your question, though, no, there is no beef option on the "Always Available" side, or at least there wasn't the last time I sailed.

[Chris86]

This was how the dining room, always available Curtis Stone mahimahi was presented on the Emerald Princess. I found everything about it (especially the presentation...all white with a few flecks of chopped parsley) to be unremarkable.

 

Haha ok that isnt modern in the slightest. I was on the Australian cruise. Different items. However i understand everyones frustration if that came out

[OzKiwiJJ]

The Australian items aren't any better.

 

The chicken and leek pot pie is a small bowl with soupy filling and a slightly undercooked pastry top.

 

The ossobuco comes in a shallow bowl, a large piece of ossobuco plunked on a bed of something (mash?). I think there was a token sprinkle of parsley.

 

The pork belly presentation was similarly underwhelming. So underwhelming I can't remember what it came with - some sort of apple puree, I think, and something bland on the side.

[MSBerliner]

Have you ever seen a ham dinner served on Princess? Or is Stone anti-pork?

[JimmyVWine]

Have you ever seen a ham dinner served on Princess? Or is Stone anti-pork?

There are numerous reports here of pork belly dishes with Mr. Stone's name on them. Not "ham", but porcine none the less.

[MSBerliner]

There are numerous reports here of pork belly dishes with Mr. Stone's name on them. Not "ham", but porcine none the less.

Sounds like emergency rations for hill billys.

[OzKiwiJJ]

Have you ever seen a ham dinner served on Princess? Or is Stone anti-pork?

 

No, as evidenced by my comment on his pork belly dish, posted directly above your post.

 

However Curtis Stone is from Australia and ham dinners aren't common here, except at Christmas when carved ham off the bone is often served as part of a family buffet, and then the leftovers are used for salads or sandwiches.

[OzKiwiJJ]

Sounds like emergency rations for hill billys.

 

A good cut of pork belly, cooked properly (long and slow), is delicious.

 

Small pieces of crispy skinned pork belly paired with seared scallops is a match made in heaven. It's one of my favourite appetisers from this iconic Sydney restaurant. http://sydneycoveoysterbar.com/

 

Pork belly is also used in Asian cuisine, again cooked long and slow.

[mrswallace2012]

A good cut of pork belly, cooked properly (long and slow), is delicious.

 

Small pieces of crispy skinned pork belly paired with seared scallops is a match made in heaven. It's one of my favourite appetisers from this iconic Sydney restaurant. http://sydneycoveoysterbar.com/

 

Pork belly is also used in Asian cuisine, again cooked long and slow.

 

 

AGREED! Pork belly is truly delicious, I need to look at my menus from the Ruby and see what his offerings were and what we tried! I think many cruisers don't like change ;)

 

The picture above with salmon and cauliflower wasn't impressive, but I think that's not the norm for his dishes. I hope people can come to accept change and enjoy what Princess has for us in the future.

[mrs and mrs]

A good cut of pork belly, cooked properly (long and slow), is delicious.

 

Small pieces of crispy skinned pork belly paired with seared scallops is a match made in heaven. It's one of my favourite appetisers from this iconic Sydney restaurant. http://sydneycoveoysterbar.com/

 

Pork belly is also used in Asian cuisine, again cooked long and slow.

 

Gotta agree with that one.

 

Pork belly as a whole.

Pork belly,stripped and cut into cubes.Sold as pork rashers.

 

Give me a piece of pork and ill give you the best crackling ever,No additives,No rubbing salt into the skin.

Camp-oven,crappy old everyday oven,fan-forced oven.

 

This dish is very poorly thought out,for a commercial operation.

 

Cannot be done,with-out careful attention to the process of cooking.

[OzKiwiJJ]

The picture above with salmon and cauliflower wasn't impressive, but I think that's not the norm for his dishes.

 

Unfortunately it is the norm, at least for the MDR dishes. The three Aussie dishes are equally as unimpressive as the mahimahi (not salmon) and cauliflower dish. Unappetising to look at, and unappetising to eat.

[shredie]

The picture above with salmon and cauliflower wasn't impressive, but I think that's not the norm for his dishes. I hope people can come to accept change and enjoy what Princess has for us in the future.

 

The dishes I saw ordered by my table mates did have that same look. Monochromatic.

 

Change might be good, but some changes are better than others. Changing out people's old favorites just for the sake of changing something is not good.

[shredie]

Have you ever seen a ham dinner served on Princess?

 

I did have ham once. It was on a longer cruise (more than two weeks) where the menus have more variety. As I recall, the ham was pretty good.

[RJ2002]

On a recent Diamond cruise, we really enjoyed the chicken pot pie very much, on multiple occasions. I tried a couple of the other dishes (pork belly, and seafood choppino-style dish) were just so-so. Not bad enough to send back, but I would not order either of them again.

[GUT2407]

On a recent Diamond cruise, we really enjoyed the chicken pot pie very much, on multiple occasions. I tried a couple of the other dishes (pork belly, and seafood choppino-style dish) were just so-so. Not bad enough to send back, but I would not order either of them again.

 

I must agree. The pie was the only thing I'd have again, as long as they remember to put the filling in and have the consistency right, it was variable when I had it.

 

Sad bit is I can buy a frozen version up the supermarket that was equal to the best from Curtis and way better than the worst and even more important..... Consistent which it wasn't on Diamond.

[Esprit]

Excuse my ignorance but I've never heard of Curtis Stone. Have the CS items been removed from this summer's Med' cruises since Royal Princess did the TA?

 

If they have it sounds like we may have had a lucky escape!

[RocketMan275]

AGREED! Pork belly is truly delicious, I need to look at my menus from the Ruby and see what his offerings were and what we tried! I think many cruisers don't like change ;)

 

The picture above with salmon and cauliflower wasn't impressive, but I think that's not the norm for his dishes. I hope people can come to accept change and enjoy what Princess has for us in the future.

 

Most comments on the flavor and texture of these entrees have been very negative so it's not just the appearance of these entrees. Perhaps if CS and Princess were to provide better 'changes' there would be more acceptance.

[Shogun]

Hi Esprit

 

I suspect that you never noticed the items as they did not attract your attention,

 

 

yours Shogun

[stoneharborlady]

[quote=mrswallace2012;50522899 I think many cruisers don't like change ;)

I hope people can come to accept change and enjoy what Princess has for us in the future.

 

 

If the "change" is to remove beef medallions (an always available favorite of many Princess cruisers) and substitute some very unpopular dishes, as reported by many on this forum, I fear the "change" will continue to be unpopular. Seems though, that Princess is listening, and the "change" will change back before long.

Edited July 18, 2016 by stoneharborlady

[TNTLAMB]

If the "change" is to remove beef medallions (an always available favorite of many Princess cruisers) and substitute some very unpopular dishes, as reported by many on this forum, I fear the "change" will continue to be unpopular. Seems though, that Princess is listening, and the "change" will change back before long.

 

Not too likely. The Beef medallions were a replacement for a very popular steak entree (you used to get the whole steak not a few slices) and raised quite an outcry when they first came out. Many posters were certain that this "continued downgrading" was going to be the end of Princess.

Edited July 18, 2016 by TNTLAMB

[Shogun]

Hi

 

I would think as a group we welcome change, we travel the world looking for new experiences, new tastes and delights,

 

Princess has in the past got a few things very right, International Cafe,

 

Alfredos, Balcony Breakfast etc

 

However Curtis Stone MDR items do not fall into this group, they are poor

 

quality compared to what they replaced.

 

yours Shogun

[stoneharborlady]

Not too likely. The Beef medallions were a replacement for a very popular steak entree and raised quite an outcry when they first came out. Many posters were certain that this "continued downgrading" was going to be the end of Princess.

 

I did not mean they were bringing back the medallions, although many wish they would, me included. I meant that perhaps the Stone items would not be around very long, as they have proved to be very unpopular with many of those who have tried them. Initially Share was to have been installed on many ships, and those plans have already changed.

[TNTLAMB]

Hi

 

I would think as a group we welcome change, we travel the world looking for new experiences, new tastes and delights,

 

Princess has in the past got a few things very right, International Cafe,

 

Alfredos, Balcony Breakfast etc

 

However Curtis Stone MDR items do not fall into this group, they are poor

 

quality compared to what they replaced.

 

yours Shogun

 

You might be right. But then I can't ever being very fond of any of the "always available" items. Especially the fish entrees. I always assumed they were bland ordinary thawed and warmed-up kept for days in the steam table options for folks who didn't want to try the offered dishes. The medallions when offered as luncheon item on embarkation day are so much better than when off the always available menu, they aren't even comparable.

Edited July 18, 2016 by TNTLAMB