Curtis Stone Launches Restaurant On Princess Cruises
Chef Curtis Stone, owner of Maude in Beverly Hills and host of "Top Chef Masters" has launched SHARE, his first restaurant at sea aboard Princess Cruises.
Diners can choose to enjoy Stone's dishes at long communal tables or intimate leather banquettes around a warm brown design palette with hard wood floors. Overhead are some of the chef's favorite inspiring messages, including "family," "love," and "together," etched into clear hand-blown glass light coverings.
Dishes focus on seasonal ingredients and are designed to be shared among diners. The spring menu includes a charcuterie platter with jamón ibérico, salami, chicken liver parfait, and house pickles; a choice of a little gem or shrimp salad, cavatelli with beets and Brussels sprouts, or tagliatelle with crab for an appetizer; a choice of a roast turbot gratiné, butter-poached lobster with caramelized endive and endive foam, wild mushroom ragù, twice-cooked duck or beef cheek pie for an entrée; and sides of melted leeks, braised kale, and potato gratin with truffles.
A cheese course including Bethmale from France; La Gruta from Spain; Pantaleo from Italy, and Shaft Blue from California is also offered before desserts including a dark chocolate cremeux with burnt vanilla bean ice cream, ricotta fritters, and a raspberry and lemon tart.
Diners can also enjoy a special Chef's Table dinner including a galley tour with champagne and hours d'oeuvres and a special multi-course meal prepared by the executive chef on-board.
The tasting menu is $39 per person.
In addition to SHARE, Princess Cruises has also launched The Salty Dog gastropub offering diners gourmet small plates, specialty beers, craft cocktails, and whiskeys. In a partnership with Ernesto Uchimura, chef of the original Umami Burger and founding chef of Plan Check Kitchen & Bar in Los Angeles, the cruise line has created a pub style atmosphere with live music, a large bar, and a tasty new menu.
For $19, diners can enjoy an appetizer of crunch bread sticks and beer cheddar fondue and choose three plates including Gruyère grilled cheese with white tomato soup; jumbo lump crabcakes; calamari frites; beef short ribs; wild mushroom sauté; asparagus and toasted haloumi cheese; pork cheek; roasted cauliflower; roasted beets and goat cheese; lobster mac and cheese; beef short rib poutine, and a hamburger with grilled pork belly. Desserts include a bourbon chocolate pot de crème; coffee and doughnuts; strawberries and cream, and a lemon posset.