Pinnacle Grill or Special Rudi Dinner?

[bellevuecruiser]

Sailing Oosterdam May 5th to Alaska

 

Have read very positive reviews of the Pinnacle Grill. 

 

Have read less stellar reviews of the Special Rudi Dinner. 

 

Looking for recommendations of where to dine... Are both equally as good..   Visit Both during the cruise?

 

 

[JRG]

Hoo-Ha I have to step in here.   For Seafood you are too close not to go to Elliot's Oyster House or even the Crab-Pot for the freshest in anything seafood before you sail.    I just can't see anything on the HAL ships coming close to what is in your front yard right now.

 

Same for the beef...Metropolitan Grill or El Gaucho or even 13 Coins would be better than Halbeef.

 

In Pinnacle Grill they'll stack the crab-legs high but they are not as fresh as what you should be expecting.

 

For good dinner chow on board it has to be Tamarind or bust or maybe get lucky in the orange room....

Edited May 1, 2019 by JRG

[Hawaiidan]

food is very subjective...  what one likes another may find terrible !   If I suggest something I love  you would thus have to be me to enjoy it as much.      Many will give you their fervent recommendations.  Take them with interest  but  rely on your own taste in the final judgment.     Be confident is your choices that they will be better than  anything we can suggest.     You dont gotta eat anything anywhere unless your driven by passion........Take things as they come...really

As a note on king crab.   Its caught off the Alaska coast and Russia and off loaded and are cooked and flash frozen within hours prior to shipping as crab does not keep well if not frozen..   Every restaurant, store or food venue, unless your ON the crab boat is going to be frozen as is 90% of the fish you get is.......  

[bellevuecruiser]

Thanks for your feedback..   Your food philosophy is very profound...:)  

 

I like a very good ribeye steak..The DW loves Crab Cakes have also looked at some of Rudi dinner menus from past reviews.

Maybe leaning towards Pinnacle unless a Rudi reviewer steps up.

 

 

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

Just my opinion. not a big fan of Rudi's Sel  de Mer menu. Of the two, I would go to the regular Pinnacle Grill dinner. I think (but not totally sure) that crab cakes are still on that menu. Oosterdam does not have a Tamarind restaurant unfortunately.

[teacherman]

Pinnacle Grill on the Koningsdam.  I ordered the rib eye and asked that it be cooked medium and then charred/seared on the outside.  One of the better steaks I have enjoyed and probably the best on I have experienced on any ship.

[bellevuecruiser]

The Votes are in Pinnacle Grill is leading

 

This is the menu Link

Both Crab Cabs and Lobster bisque as apps

The DW's favs..

 

https://images.r.cruisecritic.com/pdfs/HAL-PinnacleGrill-menu_060717.pdf

 

 

[rkacruiser]

4 hours ago, bellevuecruiser said:

 

I like a very good ribeye steak..The DW loves Crab Cakes

 

My most recent experience at the Pinnacle Grill on Nieuw Statendam:  Crab Cakes are delicious, my ribeye steak was not.  No "beefy" flavor.  I am not a fan of any of the beef entrees offered in the PG on any HAL ship.  Why?  It is due to the type of feed the cattle are fed.  Princess Cruises Crown Grill uses Sterling Silver Beef (which HAL used to use); their steaks are delicious.  HAL's PG uses Double R Ranch Beef--consistently has disappointed me and I will no longer order a beef entree in the PG.  There are better choices on the menu.

 

Sel de Mar on the Nieuw Statendam was excellent in all respects.  I have not tried it as a "pop-up" version, but expect to do so this Summer on the Westerdam.

[bEwAbG]

I've done both on the Nieuw Amsterdam a few times in the past year (2 different sailings) and I thought the Sel de Mer pop-up was consistently good whereas Pinnacle service & quality could depend on the direction of the wind on any given day. Those travelling with me also gave the edge to Sel de Mer overall.

 

I'd vote for trying both.  They're different enough menus that it's worth doing, assuming you don't mind paying the extra money.

Edited May 1, 2019 by bEwAbG

[Despegue]

3 hours ago, bellevuecruiser said:

The Votes are in Pinnacle Grill is leading

 

This is the menu Link

Both Crab Cabs and Lobster bisque as apps

The DW's favs..

 

https://images.r.cruisecritic.com/pdfs/HAL-PinnacleGrill-menu_060717.pdf

 

 

That menu is no longer current.

[bellevuecruiser]

All Great feedback.. Don't mind paying the extra fee if the food is unique and a cut above.

 

From the feedback the Sel de Mer is back on the table. We'll be staying in Neptune so will ask the concierge

for menu and info when we board on Sunday.   

 

Any links to an update menu available?

[bEwAbG]

If you log in to the cruise planner and look at specialty dining that's available for your cruise, is there not a copy of the menu there?  I believe that's where I've seen it in the past.  I don't have a cruise currently booked to test that theory out.  

[kaiiak]

7 hours ago, SJSULIBRARIAN said:

Just my opinion. not a big fan of Rudi's Sel  de Mer menu. Of the two, I would go to the regular Pinnacle Grill dinner. I think (but not totally sure) that crab cakes are still on that menu. Oosterdam does not have a Tamarind restaurant unfortunately.

I just had the crab cake appetizer 2 weeks ago on the Nieuw Statendam in the PG. Very tasty. 

[Sharon in AZ]

3 hours ago, bEwAbG said:

If you log in to the cruise planner and look at specialty dining that's available for your cruise, is there not a copy of the menu there?  I believe that's where I've seen it in the past.  I don't have a cruise currently booked to test that theory out.  

Yes, you are correct, the menu is on the cruise planner under Dining Options, then going to the Pinnacle Grill.  I like the Pinnacle Grill menu and usually have the small filet which has always been excellent, however it has been 2 yrs since my last cruise.  I'll be going in June and will compare.

[AncientWanderer]

I think it depends on if you are more fond of meat or fish.  Our experience is that Rudi's is better for seafood.  We like the dover sole, and prefer Rudi's bouillabaisse to the cioppino that is on the PG menu.  The bouillabaisse has very delicious seasoning.  DH has always been happy with the catch of the day at Rudi's....even though it's probably frozen fish.

If I want a steak, I'd go to the PG and order a filet.  Can't go wrong with that.

That's just my two cents worth.  We've dined in both multiple times.

Edited May 2, 2019 by AncientWanderer

[bellevuecruiser]

16 hours ago, Sharon in AZ said:

Yes, you are correct, the menu is on the cruise planner under Dining Options, then going to the Pinnacle Grill.  I like the Pinnacle Grill menu and usually have the small filet which has always been excellent, however it has been 2 yrs since my last cruise.  I'll be going in June and will compare.

Hello

I've been looking for the area with the Menus of the various dining rooms.

Is the Cruise Planner on the HAL site or the cruisecritic site?

Can you provide a link? Can't seem to find that area of the new menus.

[Sharon in AZ]

8 hours ago, bellevuecruiser said:

Hello

I've been looking for the area with the Menus of the various dining rooms.

Is the Cruise Planner on the HAL site or the cruisecritic site?

Can you provide a link? Can't seem to find that area of the new menus.

I see you are already booked and sailing in just a few days.  You can view sample menus on the HAL site.  After logging in and going to your booked cruise go to ‘book dining’ it should show the Specialty Dining options.  I am on your same itinerary in June and The options are the Pinnacle Grill and Rudi’s and Canaletto.   This will be our 3rd time on the Oosterdam. I wish you happy sailing!

 

Edited May 3, 2019 by Sharon in AZ

[bellevuecruiser]

Thanks... I see where it is.. they close online booking 3 days before the cruise and I did find some menus.  we called HAL. They said go early to board at 11:30am on Sunday  Once on the ship book your specialty dining early and you'll get the reservations

before the 1pm cruisers come on.. Have you done that before?

[Sharon in AZ]

5 minutes ago, bellevuecruiser said:

Thanks... I see where it is.. they close online booking 3 days before the cruise and I did find some menus.  we called HAL. They said go early to board at 11:30am on Sunday  Once on the ship book your specialty dining early and you'll get the reservations

before the 1pm cruisers come on.. Have you done that before?

No I haven’t but I would definitely do what the HAL rep said. Not sure you will get your preferred time but worth trying. I actually like eating at the Pinnacle Grill for lunch but there isn’t a lunch option for my cruise so I am going to check once onboard.