Cruise Travel....

ALL-STAR CHEFS

An inside persepctive of the world-famous chefs designing today's cruise-ship menus

With many top chefs aligning their stars with various cruise lines, it seems only a matter of time until Emeril Lagasse of "Food TV" fame comes onboard. The cries of “Bam!” from Lagasse and his loyal following could certainly kick the star chef scene at sea up yet another notch.

Star chefs are now involved with cruise lines and ships in various roles, including one-time sailings and demonstrations, permanent consulting roles for all dining, and even opening a namesake specialty restaurant at sea (like Todd English on Cunard Line's new Queen Mary 2). Whatever the role in and out of the galley, star chefs have certainly taken cruise line cuisine way above sea level.

The “celebrity” chef scene started, appropriately enough, with Celebrity Cruises and Michel Roux. Oddly, the concept actually evolved from a land-based wedding back in the late 1980s. Roux says, "In 1989, the ship owner John Chandris, who co-founded the line that ultimately became Celebrity Cruises, asked me if I would cater for a family wedding [for 750 people] in Athens. This meal so impressed John Chandris that he decided I could probably apply that same engineering precision to boats and cruises. Not one ship had yet been built for Celebrity Cruises, but I was brought in as a consultant."

In his role as Celebrity’s culinary and wine consultant, Roux brought world-class dining to cruise ships, including ultra-elegant experiences in specialty restaurants like Millennium’s Olympic, Infinity’s SS United States, Summit’s Normandie, and Constellation’s Ocean Liners. Some 15 years later, Roux still takes an average of six cruises a year, sends members of his culinary team on even more sailings, and revises and updates ship menus approximately every six months.

However, many longtime favorites of Roux--and Celebrity's palate-pleased following of repeat cruisers and diners--have been on the ship menus from the start. "I'd say there are at least 30 items on the menus at any given time that were on that first ship with Celebrity,” Roux recalls. “I love these dishes and, obviously, so do the guests." Several of these favorites, including Goujonettes de Sole au Sauternes (strips of sole poached in Sauternes), Coq au Vin a la Bourguignonne (chicken casserole in red wine), and Tarte des Demouiselles Tatin (upside-down apple tart), are also featured in Roux's autobiography, Life is a Menu.

The long list of chefs and restaurateurs that followed in Roux’s tasty wake have included: Wolfgang Puck, Nobu Matsuhisa, and Piero Sebaggio (all aboard Crystal); Charlie Palmer (Seabourn); Joachim Koerper (Silversea); Jacques Pepin (Oceania); Paolo Belloni and Cualtiero Marchesi (Costa); Joachim Splichal (Windstar); Rudi Sodamin (Holland America Line) and, earlier this year, Todd English (Cunard).

Cunard Line’s involvement with Todd English (and, earlier, Daniel Boulud) provides a perfect example of the evolution of star chefs since the early days of Roux’s involvement with Celebrity. The famed four-star chef Boulud became Cunard’s Culinary Advisor in 2002 and also oversaw the menus for several of the restaurants on the Queen Mary 2 until the creative culinary partnership ended earlier this year. “His sophisticated and exquisite pairing of foods greatly influenced the final Queen Mary 2 menus created by our corporate chefs,” says David Gevanthor, Cunard Line’s vice president, yield management and marketing.

With the christening of the Queen Mary 2 earlier this year, the ship’s 156-seat signature restaurant (called, simply, Todd English) created perhaps the pinnacle of the star chef scene at sea. Along with designing delectable menus, English worked closely with the London-based firm, designteam[no capitalization, Charlie], to create a stunning dining atmosphere that matches his contemporary cooking.

English’s now-famous Olives restaurants throughout the U.S. have been joined by several Figs locations, many stand-alone dining ventures, and much more, leading to many accolades--including being named in 2001 as one of People magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful People”. Like many star chefs at sea, he’s also a top TV chef and cookbook author.

The dinner menu at Todd English includes Paella Olivacious, an Olives signature dish described by English as an “untraditional-traditional” paella with braised lobster, clams, mussels, assorted fish, and chicken--all in a delectable chorizo broth with saffron short grain rice (see recipe). According to English, “Being involved with Queen Mary 2 is very exciting. While it is a challenge, it is also an honor for me to operate the signature restaurant onboard the greatest luxury liner in the world.” Reservations for the already-popular restaurant are required and there’s a $20 surcharge for lunch and $30 for dinner. Surcharges are fairly common in specialty restaurants, but this varies by line and ship.

Between Michel Roux and Todd English, many other star chefs have turned up the heat in cruise ship kitchens. The result has been a menu of star-struck options on a majority of ships. The food and personalities of these various chefs cross cultural borders, making for a cornucopia of cuisine options at sea.

Windstar Cruises was also at the forefront of the star chef movement, first collaborating with Joachim Splichal and The Patina Group back in 1994. Still going strong 10 years later, the relationship has included the introduction of “Signature Cuisine”--following Splichal’s philosophy of using the best seasonal ingredients in the most straightforward manner, yet always with an element of surprise. The bistro-style of The Patina Group restaurants is a perfect match for the casually elegant atmosphere found aboard the intimate ships of Windstar, including the Splichal-inspired alternative dining venue, The Bistro (on the Wind Surf).

“It is a great pleasure to explore the foods of the world as the ships of Windstar travel the globe,” says Splichal. “Food plays such an important role in the overall travel experience and I enjoy exposing guests to new things--a special dish unique to a country, a certain aroma, or an unexpected combination of flavors--as all will evoke memories of exotic experiences long after a guest has returned home.”

“What was motivated by our desire to bring a distinctive dining experience to guests aboard Windstar ships has been rewarded with rave reviews and consistent recognition of both travel and food critics,” says Tom Russell, Windstar’s vice president of marketing and sales. “The culinary program [Splichal] has spearheaded aboard our ships is an integral part of Windstar’s award-winning success.” Windstar also features “Sail Light” cuisine created by the author and columnist Jeanne Jones.

Crystal Cruises has packed a trio of chefs (and cuisines) onboard its vessels, including: Jade Garden (featuring Asian specialties from Wolfgang Puck’s Chinois on Main in Santa Monica); The Sushi Bar and Silk Road (with menus designed by Nobu Matsuhisa); and the Italian-styled Prego (with influences from Piero Selvaggio’s Valentino in Santa Monica and Las Vegas).

With Paolo Belloni and Gualtiero Marchesi, Costa offers a dynamic Italian duo. The Costa Victoria and Costa Atlantica both feature the specialty restaurant, Ristorante Magnifico by Zeffirino. Since 1939, Zeffirino’s in Genoa has gained universal recognition--including the introduction of pesto sauce! The family-owned restaurant has welcomed guests like Frank Sinatra, Liza Minelli, and even Pope John Paul II. Supervised by the great chef Paolo Belloni, Costa’s guests are treated to sumptuous meal selections, exquisite preparations, and impeccable service--just like Zeffirino’s in Genoa.

Onboard Costa Atlantica and Costa Mediterranea, Gualtiero Marchesi created the specialty restaurants Ristorante Club Atlantica and Ristorante Club Medusa by Marchesi. His Michelin three-star restaurant is located at his luxury hotel in Italy’s Franciacorta wine district. Marchesi personally wrote the menus for the restaurants and he and his staff are actively involved in the production and presentation of dishes, as well as special training to create an authentic “Marchesi” experience at sea.

Seabourn’s relationship with Charlie Palmer provides another excellent example of the star power of chefs. Palmer’s culinary enterprises ashore include successful restaurants and luxury catering businesses in some of the nation’s most competitive and high-profile cities. His work with Seabourn has definitely given the line’s food a high (and tasty) profile.

From the start, Palmer took a hands-on approach with Seabourn’s dining experiences--training the line’s chefs in his restaurants ashore, personally attending the introduction of Seabourn’s completely new menus in the line’s open-seating restaurants. His “progressive American cooking” brought bold flavors, a focus on fresh seasonal ingredients, and playful presentations to Seabourn guests.

Jacques Pepin, pubic television cooking star and much more, has a similarly tasty situation with Oceania Cruises. Pepin oversees all culinary programs for the line, including the creation of menu offerings, wine lists, and the training of onboard executive chefs. In addition, he sails aboard the ships of the line several times each year, working with ship chefs, conducting culinary demonstrations, lectures, specially designed “Epicurean Excursions,” and even the line’s first Culinary Arts Festival at Sea this past August (another is planned for 2005).

“For me to work with an organization like Oceania Cruises, something has to click and something has to click in terms of philosophy of cooking,” says Pepin. “Quality of course is extremely important for a chef and certainly extremely important on a cruise ship.”

Silversea’s ongoing relationship with Europe’s Joachim Koerper recently extended into the introduction of alternative gourmet dining venues. The restaurants, known as Saletta aboard the line’s smaller ships and Le Champagne aboard the larger vessels, offer signature culinary creations by Koerper, who is considered one of Europe’s finest chefs and has achieved a coveted Michelin two-star rating with Girasol in Moraira, Spain. Popular dishes in Saletta and Le Champagne include Koerper’s Foie Gras with Fig Chutney as an appetizer, Fresh Red Mullet with Chorizo Iberico and Tomato Confit as an entree, and his classic Petit Four “Girasol” for dessert.

Over in China, Martin Yan developed distinctive regional menus for Viking River Cruises and their China Yangtze Cruisetours. With the pioneering cooking show, “Yan Can Cook,” as well as numerous cookbooks, Yan brings almost 30 years of star chef experience to cruise ship cuisine. “The name Martin Yan is synonymous with Asian cooking,” says Jeff Dash, president of Viking River Cruises. “Because he has decades of expertise in preparing Eastern cuisine for Western audiences, it made sense to partner with him in developing the menu for our new China cruises.”

Yan personally created four distinctive family-style meals, each comprised of eight dishes highlighting tastes from a variety of China’s regions. He also trained Viking River Cruises chefs. Dinners generally feature Chef Yan’s specially designed menus alternating with Western-style meals, including an on-deck barbecue.

Another recent development on the star chef skyline was the announcement that Master Chef Rudi Sodamin was named culinary consultant for Holland America Line’s fleet. “Chef Sodamin has a long history in the cruise industry and is a highly respected culinary innovator and leader,” says Stein Kruse, president and chief operating officer of Holland America Line.

Sodamin, the author of eight cookbooks, who has worked with Royal Caribbean and Cunard Line, and is widely regarded as one of the leading chefs on the seven seas. He is slated to be the driving force behind the enhancement of Holland America’s already superb dining experience, including the creation of a new line of signature menu items.

Thus, from Michel Roux to Todd English and Rudi Sodamin, the star-chef scene is brighter than ever. Could Emeril be following in their wakes someday? Let’s hope so!

SAILING WITH THE CHEFS

Another tasty aspect of so many star chefs heading to the high seas is that many lines are hosting world-renowned chefs for special sailings, as well as inviting them to prepare specific dishes for ongoing appearances on menus.

For instance, Crystal Cruises recently completed the eighth year of its Wine & Food Festival, drawing some of the most respected names in food and wine to various special sailings (past guests have included Sam Choy and Andre Soltner). Though details were still being developed at press time, the 2005 Wine & Food Festival looks to be just as tasty. Crystal was also the first line to offer exclusive Wine and Champagne Makers Dinners at sea, as well as offering programs like The Best Young Chefs of Italy and more.

Seabourn Cruise Line recently completed its second annual Great American Food & Wine Festival aboard the Seabourn Pride. This 13-day sailing included cooking demonstrations by Charlie Palmer and Robbin Haas, as well as several of the signatures dishes on menus and optional tours and visits to local culinary institutions on the itinerary (including clam chowder in Newport, cheese steaks in Philadelphia, steamed blue crabs in Baltimore, and a lowcountry culinary tour by Carolina Food Pros in Charleston). The 2005 itinerary for the third annual Great American Food & Wine Festival departs New York on October 16 and sails 14 days to Nassau. As with the 2004 version, the itinerary will include many of the eastern seaboard’s capitals of regional cuisine. This year, Seabourn also will host a third season of Chefs’ Circle--a series of culinary cruises aboard all three of the all-suite Yachts of Seabourn that features chefs invited by Charlie Palmer and includes cooking demonstrations, tastings, signatures dishes, and, when possible, the lines “Shopping with the Chef” excursions. Past guest chefs have included Dean Fearing, Rob Feenie, Jean Marie Lacroix, and Todd Gray.

Radisson Seven Seas has taken a slightly different approach by aligning with Le Cordon Bleu for an exclusive ongoing culinary program. Established in 2001, the program includes cuisine prepared by Le Cordon Bleu-trained chefs in exclusive restaurants on two of the line’s ships. In addition, several select cruises feature a wide range of cooking demonstrations, hands-on lessons, wine seminars and tastings, and sailings with star chefs (including 10 cruises in 2005).

Silversea Cruises' Culinary Cruises provide another similar way to cruise with star chefs. The cruises feature Relais & Chateaux-Relais Gourmand chefs from around the world. Though 2005 Culinary Cruises chefs haven’t yet been announced, the 2004 versions included Relais Gourmand chefs Christopher Freeman and Anne Desjardins, as well as Michel Roux’s nephew, Michel Roux Jr., who is obviously following in his uncle’s cooking wake.

NCL America’s new Pride of Aloha features the cooking of Hawaii’s top chefs in a unique way. Each night, the ships two main restaurants offer regional Hawaiian specialties from seven of the islands’ most famous chefs, including Darryl Fujita, Beverly Gannon, and Warren Uchida. One signature dish from the celebrity chefs is featured each night, like Beverly Gannon’s Paniolo Ribs with Haliimaile Barbecue Sauce and Crispy Onion Strings.