Osteria

[Keith1010]

Ivi, speaking for myself I am not discounting anyone's views.

 

With that said what people say about food is subjective.

 

Obviously, if everyone hates a dining venue that says something.

 

But while some do not like Osteria and I have seen this on CC and on another forum, I have also seen that others do like it on CC and on another forum.  

 

While Crystal didn't bring back everything from Prego they did bring back some items to Osteria and others to Waterside.

 

But IMHO a lot of this becomes moot given they have said they are bringing in a new dining venue to replace the existing one.

 

With that said (I know second time on this post I am using these words) since in the Q&A when this was mentioned they said authentic Italian I am pretty sure it won't be like Prego.  

 

And just like NYK brought in what is now called Umi Uma which thankfully the new ownership did bring back, and the previous owner brought in Silk given the background of the senior executives in that they are from Italy in my eyes it is understandable that they would like to have something that is Authentic Italian versus Italian American.  

 

Now if I was the owner, you can bet we would have a Hamburger and French Fry specialty restaurant. Just kidding.  Actually It would be a specialty restaurant specializing in all types of salads including Cobb Salad.  😃

 

Keith

[avalon244]

13 minutes ago, travelberlin said:

I agree that every body is different but I also think that if many people are giving some critical opinion, this can not be relativized as subjective. If many people are critical with the menu at a restaurant, any good management would listen and take corrective action. Not just think that those are subjective opinions.

 

Ivi

Perfectly stated!!!!

[Cruisemonty]

We dined at Osteria on our May cruise on Symphony and loved it. It is a definite upgrade from Prego, which we enjoyed on Serenity in September 2019. The menu was very similar to the January 2024 menu posted above. We ordered shrimp risotto, duck, beef tortelloni and gorgonzola crusted beef tenderloin, and everything was properly prepared and delicious. The strawberry and chocolate desserts were also outstanding, as were the small tarts served with them. 

[avalon244]

3 hours ago, Keith1010 said:

Ivi, speaking for myself I am not discounting anyone's views.

 

With that said what people say about food is subjective.

 

Obviously, if everyone hates a dining venue that says something.

 

But while some do not like Osteria and I have seen this on CC and on another forum, I have also seen that others do like it on CC and on another forum.  

 

While Crystal didn't bring back everything from Prego they did bring back some items to Osteria and others to Waterside.

 

But IMHO a lot of this becomes moot given they have said they are bringing in a new dining venue to replace the existing one.

 

With that said (I know second time on this post I am using these words) since in the Q&A when this was mentioned they said authentic Italian I am pretty sure it won't be like Prego.  

 

And just like NYK brought in what is now called Umi Uma which thankfully the new ownership did bring back, and the previous owner brought in Silk given the background of the senior executives in that they are from Italy in my eyes it is understandable that they would like to have something that is Authentic Italian versus Italian American.  

 

Now if I was the owner, you can bet we would have a Hamburger and French Fry specialty restaurant. Just kidding.  Actually It would be a specialty restaurant specializing in all types of salads including Cobb Salad.  😃

 

Keith

I'm only speaking for myself here, but I'm getting a little insulted by your continued Authentic Italian vs Italian American comparison. Not all Americans go to Olive Garden for their Italian food. I've been traveling the world for more than 50 years, including many trips to Italy, where I ate Authentic Italian food. I would venture to say the majority of Crystal cruisers fall into this same category. And at this point in my life, I know the difference between a good Authentic Italian menu and a bad one.

[Keith1010]

36 minutes ago, avalon244 said:

I'm only speaking for myself here, but I'm getting a little insulted by your continued Authentic Italian vs Italian American comparison. Not all Americans go to Olive Garden for their Italian food. I've been traveling the world for more than 50 years, including many trips to Italy, where I ate Authentic Italian food. I would venture to say the majority of Crystal cruisers fall into this same category. And at this point in my life, I know the difference between a good Authentic Italian menu and a bad one.

Crystal says that Osteria is Authentic Italian so I am quoting them.

 

As to Prego I am also quoting Crystal but yes that is my view. 

 

And my wife is half Italian and she learned from her Italian Grandmother  how to cook Italian so I am basing this on my own experience.  

 

Please don't get insulted because that is not my intent to put anyone down.

 

And there is no reason we can't agree to disagree without taking it personally.

 

I don't.

 

We can each have our own views.

 

[Ibis]

As has been previously posted, restaurants opinions are so very subjective. We dined in Osteria twice during our November 2023 cruise and we thought it was a tremendous improvement over Prego. The last time we dinned in Prego just before Covid we agreed we would not return on our next cruise. It was just so ordinary, in our opinion, and there are other places on the ship, to dine that suit our taste better. Just our opinion.. that is the key here. Every one is entitled to their  opinion and the opinions are sure to differ. We never considered making a big thing of it or demanding the owners change because some of us no longer found Prego appealing. We realize there is more to life than just one flavor.

So far on this trip we have dined in Osteria and greatly enjoyed the lobster starter, hand chopped Piemontese beef tartar, tortello di manzo, sea bass, and beef tenderloin. But those are things we enjoyed and would never assume they would please everyone so I hesitate to recommend. We hope to return before Miami. Just to remind everyone, a new partnership with a three star ITALIAN chef has been announced so there will be changes. Hopefully, they may satisfy some of those current unhappy campers. For us, Osteria provides the most authentic Italian dining experience we have found outside of Italy. It reminds us of being in a restaurant in Italy and that is one of the reasons we enjoy it so much.  The Crystal service and great atmosphere are two other reasons. 🥰
 

please excuse typos as we are rushing to get ready for another terrific Waterside dinner tonight! 

[BWIVince]

36 minutes ago, avalon244 said:

I'm only speaking for myself here, but I'm getting a little insulted by your continued Authentic Italian vs Italian American comparison. Not all Americans go to Olive Garden for their Italian food. I've been traveling the world for more than 50 years, including many trips to Italy, where I ate Authentic Italian food. I would venture to say the majority of Crystal cruisers fall into this same category. And at this point in my life, I know the difference between a good Authentic Italian menu and a bad one.

As an observer I don’t feel like anyone is trying to attack anyone’s experience with travel, as much as they’re trying to identify that Prego (definitely) served Italian American-style cuisine.  As an Italian American, I’m used to the Americanized cuisine, which is fine, but I’ve joked about Prego’s inauthenticity as an “Italian” restaurant for decades, even if it’s tasty enough.  My cousins in Italy don’t eat anything like what was served in Prego, and almost certainly would have been offended by it.

 

That said, Italian food is not a monolith.  It has lots of regional variations, and has modernist variations just like American cuisine has.  I live in a town with a celebrity chef known for his modernist techniques that are somewhat controversial and wildly popular at the same time.  If you told someone his flagship restaurant was a “New American” restaurant, and you went there expecting what you’ve had before in the same genre, there’s a great chance you’d walk away saying, “I’ve had New American cruise, and that’s not it” (even though it definitely is).  
 

This feels like one of those cases, and from the menus I’ve seen it definitely feels like a modernist take on Italian cuisine.  The cooking of raw shrimp with the residual heat of another plated element is definitely a modernist technique, for example.

 

To the point about the menus, Crystal DOES appear to be listening — I’ve seen them ball up the menus at least a few times now and start over with the concept.  That says, the history of Jade Garden says that a concept could go through a half dozen relaunches and never be popular, but that takes more than a year to determine.  In Symphony’s case it took 13 years.  Lol

 

Vince

Edited June 2 by BWIVince

[Texas Tillie]

1 hour ago, BWIVince said:

 
 

This feels like one of those cases, and from the menus I’ve seen it definitely feels like a modernist take on Italian cuisine.  The cooking of raw shrimp with the residual heat of another plated element is definitely a modernist technique, for example.

 

 

 

Vince

 

And I would have no problem if another plated element had enought residual heat to actually cook the raw shrimp, but the time I ordered it, it didn't!! 😮

 

Patty

[BWIVince]

4 minutes ago, Texas Tillie said:

 

And I would have no problem if another plated element had enought residual heat to actually cook the raw shrimp, but the time I ordered it, it didn't!! 😮

 

Patty

I’ve only had that technique done with shrimp once, but I’ve seen it done on Top Chef and other food shows before, and this reaction seems almost universal since it’s supposed to be pretty rare.  (…which isn’t my thing either, I’m with you.)

 

I think in North American culture especially, we’re not just used to fully cooked shrimp almost exclusively, we’re almost used to overcooked shrimp as the norm.  One bite of a “rare” shrimp, and alarm bells go off and more people than not with our background find it off putting.  I can remember on Top Chef once, Gail’s comment on a similar technique (though not with risotto) was something along the lines of the shrimp coming out “straight up squeaky.”  🫤.  
 

Hopefully that dish goes next, if it hasn’t already.  🤞 
 

Vince

[ChatKat in Ca.]

Prego was the creation of a celebrated restauranteur, Piero Selveggio. Very  Italian. Valentino in Santa Monica

Edited June 3 by ChatKat in Ca.

[BWIVince]

55 minutes ago, ChatKat in Ca. said:

Prego was the creation of a celebrated restauranteur, Piero Selveggio. Very  Italian. Valentino in Santa Monica

In fairness to Selvaggio, his features were slightly less Americanized, but Prego pre-dated Selvaggio by at least a decade, and he never had more than a handful of features on the Prego menu at any given time.   His consultancy was more like their deal with Wolfgang Puck, and not a licensing deal like the one with Nobu (sadly).

 

Vince

[Texas Tillie]

13 hours ago, BWIVince said:

I’ve only had that technique done with shrimp once, but I’ve seen it done on Top Chef and other food shows before, and this reaction seems almost universal since it’s supposed to be pretty rare.  (…which isn’t my thing either, I’m with you.)

 

I think in North American culture especially, we’re not just used to fully cooked shrimp almost exclusively, we’re almost used to overcooked shrimp as the norm.  One bite of a “rare” shrimp, and alarm bells go off and more people than not with our background find it off putting.  I can remember on Top Chef once, Gail’s comment on a similar technique (though not with risotto) was something along the lines of the shrimp coming out “straight up squeaky.”  🫤.  
 

Hopefully that dish goes next, if it hasn’t already.  🤞 
 

Vince

 

Thanks for your input, Vince. A risotto needs to remain, just not one with translucent, gray crustations on top!!

 

Patty

 

P.S. I grew up on the Gulf coast knowing the difference between shrimp cooked just right and ones that taste like rubber bands! That's the problem with the ones on the buffet at Marketplace that have been both over cooked and frozen!!

Edited June 3 by Texas Tillie

[travelberlin]

This is not at Osteria unfortunately…