Cucino del Capitano Inquiry

[gkthorn]

We are going on the Panorama, cross our finger, on March 27, 2021.  We normally try to avoid the Cruise Elegant Nights.  We don't like to dress up, so usually on those days we hit the specialty dining.  

 

Inquiry on those who have partook of Cucino del Capitano.

Any suggestions on the menu?

Are they fish heavy on the menu?    This one I ask, for my wife is not a huge fan of fish dishes.

Are the patrons normally family or couples?

How is the service?

How is the quality of the food?

 

Anything input we would be grateful for.

 

Glenn

[lidoplease]

We go to this restaurant if it's on the ship. It's free at lunch. For dinner, I love the meatballs as an appetizer and with the spaghetti. My husband likes the chicken parm, which is huge. One dessert I always get is a scoop of the cappuccino gelato. It comes with something, but I ask them to just bring me the gelato. I don't recall a lot of seafood. I'm not a fan of that either.

[firefly333]

50 minutes ago, gkthorn said:

We are going on the Panorama, cross our finger, on March 27, 2021.  We normally try to avoid the Cruise Elegant Nights.  We don't like to dress up, so usually on those days we hit the specialty dining.  

 

Inquiry on those who have partook of Cucino del Capitano.

Any suggestions on the menu?

Are they fish heavy on the menu?    This one I ask, for my wife is not a huge fan of fish dishes.

Are the patrons normally family or couples?

How is the service?

How is the quality of the food?

 

Anything input we would be grateful for.

 

Glenn

It's free for lunch. Just pay for dinner. Idk if they still do the free bottle of wine with a reservation the first night.

 

I'm not a big fan of Italian food, so dont go by me, but italian I wouldn't think has much fish on the menu. I've only seen it on Magic, but assume it's the same.

[Dunk]

As the folks above said, while it is free for lunch, it's basically just pasta. Definitely not the full menu. 

I had a great experience at dinner. I thought the food was delicious, and I found the service to be friendly and attentive. The menu is more traditional Italian; I'm also a Princess cruiser, and I found Cucino del Capitano to be more to my liking than their offering, Sabatini's. I think you can't go wrong. 

[stellarose]

we hit it on the breeze last year this time on embarkation. it was not crowded. we got a nice portion of pasta and bread sticks. 

[gkthorn]

3 hours ago, Dunk said:

As the folks above said, while it is free for lunch, it's basically just pasta. Definitely not the full menu. 

I had a great experience at dinner. I thought the food was delicious, and I found the service to be friendly and attentive. The menu is more traditional Italian; I'm also a Princess cruiser, and I found Cucino del Capitano to be more to my liking than their offering, Sabatini's. I think you can't go wrong. 

Ooh, good to know.  We usually partake of Sabatini's also for we primarily use Princess.  Appreciate you sharing your experience as well as the comparison.

[Saint Greg]

I have eaten there a couple of times. I wouldn't say it's fish heavy but they do have sea bass on the menu. I tried it once and wouldn't get it again. The pork chop is what I would recommend. But I would eat at JiJis twice before Cucina once if I were on a ship that had both. 

 

Scroll down to dinner time and you can see the menu and what I had:

 

https://saintgregtravel.com/christmas-magic-1st-sea-day/

 

 

https://saintgregtravel.com/vista-2nd-sea-day/

 

 

[gkthorn]

4 hours ago, lidoplease said:

We go to this restaurant if it's on the ship. It's free at lunch. For dinner, I love the meatballs as an appetizer and with the spaghetti. My husband likes the chicken parm, which is huge. One dessert I always get is a scoop of the cappuccino gelato. It comes with something, but I ask them to just bring me the gelato. I don't recall a lot of seafood. I'm not a fan of that either.

Thanks my wife will be happy to hear.

[DAllenTCY]

I dined there on the Horizon for dinner.  The bread is absolutely fantastic.....and the service is exceptionally good.  It is a very small venue....just across from Ji-Ji's (up a flight from the buffet.)

 

The Chianti bottle is reasonably priced in my opinion.

 

It is well themed (decorated) but without the traditional Italian music.

 

David

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[rs45thompson]

9 hours ago, Saint Greg said:

I have eaten there a couple of times. I wouldn't say it's fish heavy but they do have sea bass on the menu. I tried it once and wouldn't get it again. The pork chop is what I would recommend. But I would eat at JiJis twice before Cucina once if I were on a ship that had both. 

 

Scroll down to dinner time and you can see the menu and what I had:

 

https://saintgregtravel.com/christmas-magic-1st-sea-day/

 

 

https://saintgregtravel.com/vista-2nd-sea-day/

 

 

That bread looks delicious.  Do you have one for JiJis?

[Saint Greg]

35 minutes ago, rs45thompson said:

That bread looks delicious.  Do you have one for JiJis?

 

https://saintgregtravel.com/vista-cozumel/

 

 

https://saintgregtravel.com/panorama-2nd-sea-day/

 

 

https://saintgregtravel.com/panorama-mazatlan/

 

 

 

[rs45thompson]

1 minute ago, Saint Greg said:

 

 

https://saintgregtravel.com/vista-cozumel/

 

 

https://saintgregtravel.com/panorama-2nd-sea-day/

 

 

https://saintgregtravel.com/panorama-mazatlan/

 

 

 

Thank you!  I found it when I went to the other thread.  You got the duck twice and pork belly once.  I am assuming the duck is better?  I will have to try JiJi's when we go on the Horizon.

[Saint Greg]

14 minutes ago, rs45thompson said:

Thank you!  I found it when I went to the other thread.  You got the duck twice and pork belly once.  I am assuming the duck is better?  I will have to try JiJi's when we go on the Horizon.

Both are good. Actually I think I like the pork belly better. I had the duck twice but the visits were a year apart and I may have had the pork belly on my last visit. But both are good. I really like those seaweed crackers that come with the duck. All of my mains were good. Short rib was my favorite. Fried rice with shrimp was my favorite side. The wonton desert was weird. The creme brûlée and crepe desserts were both good. Definitely try JiJis on  Horizon. It’s a great deal at only $15/pp.

 

If you’re interested in the Teppanyaki, which they also have on Horizon, I ate there twice on panorama. The fried rice they make there is great. I had steak and lobster once and just steak the other time. I really liked the flavor on their steak. I would get just steak if I went back. You get to try all of the appetizers and desserts. These are the nights I had Teppanyaki if you want to see it. 

 

 

http://saintgregtravel.com/panorama-embarkation-day/

http://saintgregtravel.com/panorama-3rd-sea-day/

 

 

 

 

[rs45thompson]

23 minutes ago, Saint Greg said:

Both are good. Actually I think I like the pork belly better. I had the duck twice but the visits were a year apart and I may have had the pork belly on my last visit. But both are good. I really like those seaweed crackers that come with the duck. All of my mains were good. Short rib was my favorite. Fried rice with shrimp was my favorite side. The wonton desert was weird. The creme brûlée and crepe desserts were both good. Definitely try JiJis on  Horizon. It’s a great deal at only $15/pp.

 

If you’re interested in the Teppanyaki, which they also have on Horizon, I ate there twice on panorama. The fried rice they make there is great. I had steak and lobster once and just steak the other time. I really liked the flavor on their steak. I would get just steak if I went back. You get to try all of the appetizers and desserts. These are the nights I had Teppanyaki if you want to see it. 

 

 

http://saintgregtravel.com/panorama-embarkation-day/

http://saintgregtravel.com/panorama-3rd-sea-day/

 

 

 

 

Teppanyaki looks delicious.  Okay... I have two specialty restaurants to try on the Horizon. Thank you for the tips.

[ProgRockCruiser]

15 hours ago, firefly333 said:

I'm not a big fan of Italian food, so dont go by me, but italian I wouldn't think has much fish on the menu. I've only seen it on Magic, but assume it's the same.

Italy is surrounded by water, so the traditional menu does include a lot of seafood - it just hasn't translated as well to middle-America, where access to seafood is limited, so many people think of Italian as some form of pizza, spaghetti and meatballs, lasagna, and veal parmesan.

 

A local-to-me Italian restaurant here in CFL offers up six different seafood dishes, six different chicken dishes, four veal, and two eggplant.  Plus various pastas (option for shrimp) and the other usual pizza/calzone options.

[evandbob]

I believe that whatever the OP would wear to the Cucina or other specialty restaurant would be perfectly appropriate for the MDR elegant dining  night.

 

That said, I was disappointed with the 2 dinners I had in the Cucina. I did like the antipasto, but my chicken parm was way overcooked and could have served as a door wedge.  The pasta was the equivilent of the Olive Garden. 

 

Disclaimer:  I grew up in a Bronx Italian family and my G'Ma made her own pasta and gravy.  Eating authentic Italian peasant food at home and at Arthur Ave. (which is what the Cucina attempts to do) makes me difficult to please.

[MsTabbyKats]

1 hour ago, evandbob said:

I believe that whatever the OP would wear to the Cucina or other specialty restaurant would be perfectly appropriate for the MDR elegant dining  night.

 

That said, I was disappointed with the 2 dinners I had in the Cucina. I did like the antipasto, but my chicken parm was way overcooked and could have served as a door wedge.  The pasta was the equivilent of the Olive Garden. 

 

Disclaimer:  I grew up in a Bronx Italian family and my G'Ma made her own pasta and gravy.  Eating authentic Italian peasant food at home and at Arthur Ave. (which is what the Cucina attempts to do) makes me difficult to please.

Ditto...While not Italian, I'm a NYC lifer....and feel "that way" about all ethnic attempts on any cruiseline.

 

But...as a side note:  They have "sit down breakfast" omelet station.  You check off what you want, and you're served.   It was like that on at least 2 ships.  Plenty of seating, no buffet lines.  In addition, you can go to the buffet and grab "other things".

[dbrucern]

We love Italian food but were very disappointed and even after giving it a second try. Our meatballs were raw on the inside not once but twice and the pasta was cold.   However we loved JiJi's, the food was delicious and no one could complain they did not get enough to eat 

[SNJCruisers]

Been to Cucina on our two sailings on the Horizon.  By far the best item on the menu was the Tomahawk Pork Chop.  Had the fingerling potatoes as a shared side. 

Cucina and Jiji's @ 15 pp is a much better value than the Steakhouse @ 38 pp, IMHO, even though there will be others who disagree with me.  I feel that the quality as well as the choices at the Steakhouse have gone downhill over the past 10+ years.

[Saint Greg]

9 hours ago, SNJCruisers said:

Been to Cucina on our two sailings on the Horizon.  By far the best item on the menu was the Tomahawk Pork Chop.  Had the fingerling potatoes as a shared side. 

Cucina and Jiji's @ 15 pp is a much better value than the Steakhouse @ 38 pp, IMHO, even though there will be others who disagree with me.  I feel that the quality as well as the choices at the Steakhouse have gone downhill over the past 10+ years.

I haven’t had the entire menu but would definitely recommend that tomahawk pork chop. I had it in the...I believe Magic link I had in my earlier post.