And a fun time was had by all: Eureka Springs Chocolate Lovers Festival 2011.

• GRAV WELDON
• TINY BIRD NESTS: Chocolate covered shredded wheat & jelly beans

The snow this week could have really made a mess of things in Eureka Springs this weekend — but thankfully enough, the sun came out and road crews cleared the highways in plenty of time for crowds to roll in for the Eureka Springs Chocolate Lovers Festival Saturday.

This year’s festival saw some major improvements in exhibits and a good number more vendors and such at the Best Western Inn of the Ozarks conference center. Hundreds came in to view the chocolate competition, eat a cupcake and check out one of the four chocolate fountains going on-site.

• GRAV WELDON

I had an interesting time of it. I was fortunate enough to come up here last year, a building year for the festival. Snowed that year, too. Last year we had five or so entries in the chocolate competition; this year there were 20. About half were amateur entries, including the cutest little chocolate mice made by a 16-year old girl. They were really cool — the creamy half of an Oreo cookie topped with a chocolate dipped maraschino cherry and a Hershey’s Kiss with piped dots for eyes and almond slivers for ears. The cherry stems were the tails. Very cool.

• GRAV WELDON

This cake was the winning cake in the Best Decorated competition. I am kicking myself right now because I cannot find my notes on who won! Look at the little details, though — the acorns and branches and twigs along with the two cute little owls. Right before the competition began the artist was using a makeup brush to dust cocoa powder onto the little flowers and ribbons to make them “blush.” So cute.

• GRAV WELDON

Then there was Sugar Leaf out of Branson, a commercial operation I discovered a couple of years ago when working on a Culinary Branson article. I was glad to see them participate. Their extensive wedding cake included a wine bottle made entirely from chocolate that I swear looked like the real thing, a single strapped high heel shoe and several gorgeous layers — including this layer of rose blooms. This cake came in third in the Best Decorated competition. They also placed first in the professional Best Tasting Cake competition with these adorable little chocolate “paper sacks” full of chocolate cake, a gooey vanilla icing, whipped creams and fresh blueberries and strawberries.

• GRAV WELDON

The organizers took great care once again in making sure everyone had their absolute fill of chocolate. I’d estimate there were close to 50,000 chocolate pieces there! There were all sorts of items, like the pieces at the top — ‘bird nests” of chocolate covered shredded wheat with jellybean “eggs.” There were turtles, chocolate covered marshmallows and S’mores, white chocolate German chocolate cake balls, all sorts of fudge, chocolate coated popcorn, chocolate covered espresso beans, chocolate pretzels, malted milk balls, brownies of just about every sort and shape. This year Cabot Cheese Company from Vermont donated 300 pounds of cheese — and this was pretty excellent, since after all that sweetness it’s good to get a bit of savory stuff, too. I noticed quite a few people actually using the chocolate fountains to chocolate-coat their cheeses!

It’s good to see the festival grow. It was a disappointment that the chocolate conference originally scheduled for Friday had to be cancelled, since the roads were just too treacherous for people to safely make it. I came in Friday afternoon and had no problem in that area — though leaving Little Rock Friday morning I did deal with the mess on I-430! Coming through Rogers there was still far more than a foot of snow on the ground. Eureka Springs didn’t get so much, but it’s still everywhere here — everywhere except on the pavement, thank goodness.

I ended up taking off before the end of the big event — the gala dinner and dance offered up for a separate admission. Some of the dresses were fabulous… and I envied the chance the folks there because some of the silent auction items were just awesome.

Anyway, more going on this weekend in Eureka Springs I’ll be covering. If you’re thinking about it, put a note in your appointment book about saving next Valentine’s Day weekend for the Chocolate Lovers Festival. I think you’ll get a kick out of it.

Burger joint of the week: Markham Street Grill and Pub

I've got your blue cheese burger right here. And as far as blue cheeseburgers go, you can’t get any sharper or tangier than Markham Street Grill and Pub’s Black & Blue Burger.

The space that once held one of my most treasured lost restaurants, Kelley’s Irish Bistro — is now a sports-type over-21 establishment with many redeemable dining options and pub fare. The burger’s just the start of it.

I don’t go in during the evening hours — I’m sensitive to cigarette smoke and by that point in the day it’s just a bit too much for me. But I’ll sometimes duck in incognito and grab a plate or an appetizer while preparing for my appointed rounds.

One of the house favorites is the Tight A.. Nachos ($8.95). Now, I’m pretty sure we all know what those two dots stand for. It’s a big stack of tortilla chips, and unless you’re able to down lots of food in one sitting this is a two-person or more pile of stuff. The pile is topped with cheese, ground beef, red onion bits, tomato bits, jalapeno slices, sour cream and — though it’s not mentioned on the menu — mine came with some of the house cheese dip as well. The queso is white and thick and meant for that ground beef.

They offer a plate lunch special every day for $6.95, a meat-and-two veg sort of deal. The Chicken Fried Chicken on Tuesday is a grand choice; covered with your choice of gravy, it’s a substantial chicken breast hand breaded and deep fried with a nicely seasoned batter. The potatoes that come with it are great. The corn? It’s corn.

But that’s neither here nor there — because you are interested in the burger. And this burger has to be the most pungently blue-cheesy of any blue cheese burger I have ever had. The meat itself is redolent of black pepper. It’s topped with a more than generous helping of blue cheese crumbles and an onion ring. For just that, it’s a powerful enough burger sandwiched between those toasted buns.

But if you add on the blue cheese dressing that comes with the plate, you’re in for a blue cheese smack-in-the-face. It’s heady strong and smart, a slap to the taste buds in the most tangy fashion. If you don’t like blue cheese you won’t like this burger. But if you don’t like blue cheese, what are you doing ordering this burger in the first place?

The burger comes with chips for $7.95. Fries or onion rings are $1.50 more — fries are skin-on and better than average but the battered onion rings are even better. You could also substitute a small salad or fresh fruit for $1.95. I’d suppose if you got blue cheese dressing and crumbles on that salad, you might create a blue cheese singularity.

You’ll find Markham Street Grill and Pub at 11321 West Markham across the street from Michael’s and Office Depot. The place is open 11 a.m. to midnight every day. (501) 224-2010 or check out the website.

French Quarter time.

• KAT ROBINSON
• BLACKENED: Coop's Place burger

While we're all waiting for a thaw here in Central Arkansas, I thought I might direct you towards twoNew Orleans eateries I experienced right before I took off on my cruise last month.

I adore Coop's Place. It's a little stop on Decatur I make a point to visit every time I'm down that way. Usually I go for smoked duck quesadillas or the lamb riblets, but this time around I covered the po'boy style burger offered there for Serious Eats. It's cooked through and served on a French roll and I am all about some of that action.

Unfortunately, not every New Orleans restaurant is awesome, as I have sadly come to realize forFelix's Restaurant. Location seems to be the main reason why this so-so spot on the corner of Bourbon and Iberville has managed to survive for decades — especially in its location across the street from the ACME Oyster House. I won't be fooled again.

French toast time.

• KAT ROBINSON
• FRENCH TOAST: For snow days

So, wondering what to do with all those eggs, that bread and that milk you just purchased? Why not make French toast? The perennial “lost bread” classic could come in handy to feed your family and use your precious store-bought resources while you’re stranded during this snow event.

In my honest opinion, French toast is best made with either stale or slightly toasted bread. Old eggs aren’t necessary, but I find I like to mix just a little — maybe a teaspoon or two — of sour cream into the batter.

So for those who need a French toast recipe, here it is.

Bread — white, wheat, French, Italian, multi-grain, almost any will do. Stay away from rye and savory breads
Eggs — one egg per ¼ loaf of bread
Milk — ½ cup per egg
1 teaspoon vanilla per egg
Shake of cinnamon, if that’s your thing
Butter to coat the pan

Beat all ingredients except bread together (that’d be messy). Heat a skillet or griddle to medium heat. Melt a little butter on the griddle. Drop bread into egg batter. Let it sit for just a moment, then flip it and sit for a moment. Slide a spatula under the bread, remove it from the batter and place it on the griddle/skillet surface. Turn the heat down to medium-low. Wait until the egg has firmed up to the toast and slightly browned and flip it over carefully with a separate clean spatula. Let cook for another three to five minutes and slide onto a plate.

How do you make your French toast?

Side items star at Pudgy Pig BBQ

• KAT ROBINSON
• RING OF SMOKE: Under the "crust" on Pudgy Pig's beef brisket

The Russellville contingent of Eat Arkansas fans have been after me to go check out this new barbecue place in town. Problem’s been, every time I’ve pulled up in the parking lot of Pudgy Pig BBQ, the place has been deserted.

Monday I gave them one last shot. I figured, I’d been there too early one day (they open at 11 a.m.), too late one evening (they close at 7 p.m. on weekdays), too wrong day (they’re never open on Sunday) and just unlucky all the way around. Maybe it was a sign.

Still, I was relieved to see the OPEN sign lit above the door when we drove up. I did go check the front door to make sure it was open before the family poured out of the vehicle, though.

• KAT ROBINSON

Inside, we found a pretty big restaurant. There’s a wooden divider up by the door, so it was hard to tell just how big the place was, but behind it the store goes straight back a ways. You could get a crowd of 40 in there.

We were the only customers that early afternoon, coming in after 2 p.m. The menu is written on chalkboard above the counter. There was a daily special — a medium pork sandwich, one side and a drink for $8.29.

We each ordered something different. Paul’s dad went for a large pulled pork sandwich (not pictured) with crinkle cut French fries and coleslaw for $9.69. The sandwiches listed on the board are Pudgy (for pork) and Moo (for brisket) and each comes in one of three sizes with a choice of that or a basket.

Paul went for the pulled pork BBQ Meat Platter ($8.29) and I chose the same but with beef brisket ($9.29). Both came with two sides and two triangles of Texas toast. We sat down and our beverages were brought to the table.

I thought it was cute — the restaurant has a high chair but no booster seat, but the proprietor (whose name escapes me right now) brought out a t-shirt box for Hunter to sit on. It was the perfect height.

He was the only one working at the time, his wife having taken off for a break. I gathered that the business is just the two of them, which explains the hours. He told me he comes in at six each morning to start the smoker.

Our lunches were delivered a few minutes later. I’ve never seen barbecue brought out on a square “fancy plate” before, but no matter, it’s still barbecue, right?

• KAT ROBINSON

So first the meat. Paul found his pulled pork to be rather soft and juicy, nicely shredded but not very smoky. It was tender, though. He tried it with the regular sauce and liked it. He also tried it with a special mustard sauce that the owner calls “pork sauce,” a mustard and brown sugar concoction that was very, well, mustardy. Paul pronounced it a better sauce for the meat.

• KAT ROBINSON

I suppose I should mention those sauces. There are three on the table 

• KAT ROBINSON

— the mild, which comes across as a honey-based sauce with plenty of good rub spices like paprika and black pepper. There’s the spicy, which is a kicked up version of the mild, just as sweet and about on par with the average mild sauce elsewhere. And then there’s the cayenne, which we were told was based on Frank’s Red Hot Sauce. The “pork sauce” is available on request.

My brisket was pull-apart soft, no knife required (or provided, I probably should ask). It was a tiny bit dry but had a very deep red smoke ring. I found it went best with the spicy sauce — enough sweetness to augment the beef and enough spices to give it depth.

• KAT ROBINSON

While the meats were good, the side items were fantastic. Utterly fantastic. The traditional coleslaw wasn’t too milky. The Cajun coleslaw, though — well, you need to try it. It’s a blend of cabbage, green onions, Granny Smith apples, Craisins (sweetened and dried cranberries), a little bit of green Jalapeno and a little hint of cayenne. 

• KAT ROBINSON

We got a sample of it and were just overjoyed.

Then there were the two different potato salads. Paul tried the Home Style Potato Salad — which includes bacon, green onions and little pieces of tomato. He pronounced it good for a mayo-based potato salad, the caveat being he prefers his potato salads with mustard. The chunks of skin-on red potato range up to half an inch and are firm but not quite mash-tender.

• KAT ROBINSON

I tried the Country Potato salad, which was also mayo based but which featured skin-off potatoes with bits of red onion and celery. This is a very smooth potato salad, and I ended up losing about half of it to Hunter, who could not get enough of it. She chose it over the Home Style version.

• KAT ROBINSON

And then there was the Fried Corn on the Cob. I’ve had versions of Fried Corn on the Cob before, and every other time it’s been battered before being deep fried. Not here. The frozen cobbettes are thrown directly into the deep fryer, drained and buttered. And they’re good… the deep frying caramelizes the corn, making it firmer and sweeter. I got in a few bites before Hunter decided she wanted it. It was funny to watch — she consumed all of the kernels and then went to town chewing on the cob. If we hadn’t taken it away from her she would have undoubtedly started to take chunks out of the woody part.

In all, we were pleased with our visit. The price range seems a bit up there compared to Old Post BBQ across town, but the quality of the side items makes up for it. Baked beans, fried okra and green beans are other side item options. All sides are $1.75 for a single, $3 for a half pint and $4.75 for a pint. I think I’ll be getting a pint of that Cajun coleslaw and the County Potato Salad next time I come through.

You can also have a baked potato, baked sweet potato or side salad with your meal but it costs a bit more.

• KAT ROBINSON

One more thing… when I went back to my notes, I noticed that there were other items I’ll have to try. The pork ribs have been highly recommended and I’ll have to get a human guinea pig to give them a shot. There are also sausages (Polish, bratwurst and hot links), smoked turkey breasts and stuffed baked potatoes — I’m going to have to ask if beef can be substituted for the pork listed with them. I also need to ask about the Rib Scraps for People for $3.99 — would that be four-legged people? Hm.

I also missed out on the Triple Layer Bars at the front… $2.25 for these big hunks of chocolate, coconut and peanut butter. Maybe next time.

You’ll find Pudgy Pig BBQ a block east of Weir Road on Parkway (geez, they just built Parkway when I lived there in the early 90s!) — so it’s an easy off-and-on from the interstate at the new Weir Road exit. They’re open Monday-Thursday 11 a.m.-7 p.m., an hour later on Friday and Saturday and like all proper barbecue restaurants closed on Sunday. (479) 967-6062.

Burger cred.

• KAT ROBINSON
• BRING IT BACK: The Box's famed juicy gutbomb

To say I've eaten my share of burgers is a bit of an understatement. It's almost a hobby for me these days. Thing is, I'm always looking for a good burger — but I keep getting the same recommendations over and over again.

So I'm going to make it easy. Want to see a good number of the burgers I've consumed? Check out thisalbum on my Facebook fan page — and let me know what burger I'm missing that really needs to be included. Might be fun. Also, be sure to comment on the burgers you've eaten as well.

Delectable Elegance at The Grand Taverne.

Is there such a thing as casual elegant? Upscale comfort? There must be a word somewhere for the sort of atmosphere you find at The Grand Taverne in Eureka Springs.

The restaurant is housed in the historic Grand Central Hotel on Main Street, down in the valley. The building has a great history to it, dating back to 1880 as the place where passengers first arrived after deboarding trains that had come down from the North. In modern times the facility was renovated top to bottom in 1987, updated with fine suites for guests upstairs and a full service spa and salon downstairs but somehow maintaining that Victorian era grandeur.

The restaurant itself was named after the very first full-menu service restaurant that offered table service -- Le Grande Taverne de Londres, opened in 1782 in Paris. The name was chosen to convey a sense of attention to detail on food quality and service.

Its chef, Dave Gilderson, was schooled at L’Ecole de Cuisine Francais Sabine de Mirebek in England. He apprenticed in the south of France before returning to the states and working his way up through a number of assignments, including Branson’s Big Cedar Lodge and his first stint as Executive Chef at The Candlestick Inn. Gilderson came to the Grand Central Hotel to open The Grand Taverne in 2003.

I’ve enjoyed fine dining at The Grand Taverne before. It’s where my husband and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary in 2009 during one of Eureka Springs’ grand Food and Wine Weekends. That was a fantastic meal of beautiful foods -- a Duck Confit with bitter greens and Madeira cherries, a lightly spicy butternut squash soup, Grilled Veal a la Perigordine and a fine selection of paired wines. As always I chronicled it in my notes and took photographs -- but when I returned from the trip and looked through what I had I realized I could not do the restaurant or its chef full justice because I had not taken lighting into account. My photographs were just not up to the job.

I promised myself that when I got the chance I’d go back and chronicle another meal there -- but take someone along who could properly photograph the food. I’m so glad I had the chance to be hosted at the restaurant this January… to get another chance to celebrate a meal there and relate the experience to you.

The first thing I noticed when we came in was the music. There was a small group of people who were chatting back and forth with the pianist, who was popping along with some of the greatest tunes of the singer songwriter era. I was glad we were seated within ear and eyeshot of the piano, but I would have a greater surprise later on.

Turns out the musician we enjoyed that evening was none other than Jerry Yester of the Lovin’ Spoonful. That’s right -- he even played a couple of the group’s greatest hits for us over the course of the evening, including “Do You Believe In Magic?” and one of my favorites, “Summer in the City.” He also cranked out hits from other artists and did a rendition of The Eagles’ “Desperado” -- a parody called “Avocado” that seriously cracked me up.

Being on-duty, I passed on the offered wine for my traditional iced tea. We started off with the fabulous house bread and butter. The bread is a rustic, light flavored pastry; large of crumb, it was moist and delicate but strong enough to stand up to a cutting knife. The butter was sweetened with honey, and the combination of the two was pleasant and hard to put down.

Choosing what to dine on was a little difficult. The Pan Seared Sea Scallops with lobster butter sauce ($11) looked tempting, as did the Pan Seared Crabcake with smoked tomato remoulade, creole red pepper cream ($13). But we both opted for more salad-y things. Grav chose the simplicity of a Classic Caesar Salad ($6). It was a fine selection of crisp greens tossed in a housemade dressing with grated parmesan, croutons and fresh cracked black pepper, a good example of how the salad should be prepared.

I chose the Grilled Romaine Heart ($8), which came dressed with chunks of Roma tomato and Parmesan cheese drizzled with both Caesar dressing and a balsamic reduction. The romaine had been grilled just to the point of bringing out the flavors, wilty but not mushy. The inspired combination of savory Caesar dressing and tangy-sweet balsamic glaze did not overpower the dish but elevated it to a level of elegance you don’t traditionally expect from a salad. It was mighty pretty, too.

We debated over the menu briefly, each of us having narrowed down our selections to the same two menu items. It was almost a flip of a coin to determine who would choose the Roasted Rack of Lamb (Cointreau mint sauce, gratin dauphinois potato, $39) or the Classic Preparation of Half Duckling (Blueberry citrus jus, dried cranberry wild rice, $28). Both were equally appetizing. We agreed to sample and share.

I drew the duck, and I am so glad I did. It was, without a doubt, the best thing I’d tasted that month. The first bite I was overtaken with a range of flavors that started with blueberry and citrus, a light pepper, red wine and the richness of red-meat duck. I had started with the breast medallions and was ever so pleased with the flavor and texture -- meat that literally melted on the tongue spiced and marinated by a chef who understood the nature of duck. As much as I was thrilled with this, I was surprised by the entirely different preparation of the leg -- stuffed with spinach and herbs and completely savory, compared to the sweetness of the breast. The cranberry wild rice was augmented with a sweet wine-soaked cabbage that almost blended into it in the subdued light. The dish was served up with an attractive display of orange and grapefruit segments.

The lamb, on the other hand, drew mixed reviews. I was quite taken with the lovely balance of flavors of orange and mint in its crust. The meat had been cooked just up to rare, a warm center, three well-filled lightly trimmed bones with an ample amount of flesh and not too much fat. At first I thought a similar red wine sauce had been used for both, but there were subtle differences. The lamb’s glaze was sweeter, and here there were also those slivers of sweet wine-pickled cabbage. The glaze might have been a bit too sweet for the dish but the side item -- paper thin wafers of potato layered between buttery creaminess -- were tasty.

On the dessert menu we found a selection of five dessert martinis ($8) -- chocolate, coffee, Grasshopper, Golden Cadillac and Brandy Alexander. I demurred on these, tempting as they were, because driving was in the near future and I’m a hopeless lightweight. There were three choices on the dessert menu that night -- a flourless Chocolate Paradise, White Chocolate Crème Brule and a Montrachet Goat Cheese Cheesecake. We sampled the latter two.

The crisp top to the Crème Brule was a perfect layer of burnt sugar. The flavors beneath were a little odd to me, strong on notes of cocoa butter and with an almost slick texture.

It did not compare to the cheesecake, which was one of the richest cheesecakes I have ever had, with a delightful sharpness that played against the sharp tang of the splendid strawberry balsamic reduction pooled at its base. The lemon cracker applied to the edge was sweet with no tartness and very light, perhaps as a counterpoint to the dish. Perfect cheesecake texture, unusual flavor juxtaposition but it worked so well.

I had discovered I’d come to the end of yet another perfect meal from Chef Gilderson. It made me a little blue. On the other hand, I was stuffed and starting to feel the drowsiness a good meal brings on. Our fabulous classic rock musician jammed on comfortably as we took our leave.

I understand fully why so many of my friends in Eureka Springs say this is the place they go for special occasions. The Grand Taverne has a measure of the gentry about it, very high-class and handsome but still accessible to all. This is where you should consider bringing your date for that special evening.

You’ll find The Grand Taverne inside the Grand Central Hotel in Eureka Springs at 37 North Main Street. Call (800) 344-6050 for more information or check out the hotel’s website.

Burger joint of the week: Burger Mama's

• KAT ROBINSON
• TALL AND WIDE: Burger Mama's Double with Cheddar.

You can’t talk about burgers in Little Rock without talking about Mama Bea’s — er, scratch that. Make that Burger Mama’s.

Yeah, there’s a connection. You can read about it in our review from a few years ago. To me, I keep thinking Mama Bea’s, because that’s what I grew up with. But it is in deed Burger Mama’s.

And there is indeed a burger at Burger Mama’s. Actually, there’s a lot of burgers at Burger Mama’s. You can stack ‘em, pack ‘em or even have them made with ground turkey if you are so inclined.

• KAT ROBINSON

Of course, it’s been a few years since I really sat down and thought about a burger at Burger Mama’s. Been there since many times — usually heading through the drive-thru after calling in an order from points south to pick up a couple of doubles or triples tightly wrapped in aluminum foil to take home and feel guilty over lately. Still, I needed to do the appropriate research before writing a burger story.

Burgers come with one, two or three 6 ounce hand-patted patties, black pepper and salt seasoned on a seedless buttered bun that’s usually indented with finger marks from where the girls smash the bun on. They come dressed with mayo, mustard, lettuce, tomato, pickles and a solid slice of white onion.

The turkey burgers are strangely enough slightly cheaper than the beef burgers — running 4.35, 5.35 and 6.60 for one, two and three patties respectfully as compared to ten cents more on each for those beef ones. To me, a burger is beef.

• KAT ROBINSON

I went for the two-patty burger and added some Cheddar cheese for 80 cents. You can also add Swiss for the same, Velveeta Hot Mexican for 85 cents or grilled onion for .50, American cheese for 60 cents or bacon or chili for a buck and a half. Those chili burgers… well, if you get them through the drive-thru, make sure you’re standing over the sink when you open them.

They are messy burgers. There’s no guts and glory to these burgers — at nearly a third a pound each, these smashburgers are hefty and tall. Cut one in half if you’re going to tackle it.

• KAT ROBINSON

I did just that, and still managed to nearly make a mess of myself getting both hands around the half to get it to my mouth. The onion’s a bit overwhelming — tasty and strong but boy I sure felt it the rest of the day. The cheese is shredded and melted into the meat a bit. The black pepper is the prime seasoning here and if you don’t like it you’re not going to like this burger. That being said, get the ketchup out and dip the side of that burger a little. There you go. Knew you’d like it.

Everything about this burger is excessive. There’s too much meat, too much onion, too much tomato and lettuce and far too many pickles. If you’re wise you’ll take half home in a box for later, and that’s what you’ll eat over the sink.

• KAT ROBINSON

French fries are good, sweet potato fries even better but really you need some of the flour-drenched thick-cut onion rings ($2.59). It doesn’t take many to fill my gullet, and I am happy for them. They make me happy, nicely golden and the onion bits are all sweet and caramelized. Dang, I need to place a pick-up order now.

You’ll find Burger Mama’s at Kanis and Shackleford. They have a drive-thru but it’s best if you call in your order before you go pick a burger up — it takes a while, since they’re all hand-patted and made from scratch. Remember the napkins. Open 10:30 a.m. - 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 10:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to eight on Sunday. (501) 225-2495.

Dining aboard the Carnival Triumph.

My husband and I took a cruise with our friends aboard the Carnival Triumph this January. It was my first cruise. Considering what I do for a living, I was interested in the food offered -- but all I could find were a few small lists containing some of the menu items. For your convenience, I've assembled this listing of items we tried on the ship.

The photo above is of the Black Tiger Shrimp Cocktail, which as far as we could tell is offered at every dinner in the formal dining room. It's four shrimp served with cocktail sauce.


Cured Salmon and Candied Tomatoes
With dill cream, stewed apples and grapes in lemon dressing
Very tasty. There are also cheese "crackers" in the construction of the appetizer.


Heart of Iceberg Lettuce
Choice of Blue Cheese, Thousand Island, Ranch, Balsamic Vinaigrette or French Dressing
It was... lettuce with a few bits of this and that. My husband actually got the better deal with a traditional Caesar salad.


Grilled Flat Iron Steak from American Choice Beef
Three peppercorn sauce, macaroni and cheese and Vichy carrots


Indian Vegetarian Dinner
Cottage Cheese and Peas, Roasted Vegetable Mash with Indian Spices, Slow Cooked Chick Peas with Indian Bread Stuffed with Red
This confused me. I mean, were they really going to serve cottage cheese? I was happily surprised when I got my dish and discovered it was Matter Paneer, Navratten Korma and Dahl Makhani with Naan. Why not call it this? And all were good -- but the naan, which was okay but not naan, rather a strange flat onion yeast bread. Odd… but I liked it.


Vanilla Crème Brule
Baked vanilla cream garnished with assorted berries


Black Forest Gateau
Chocolate cake filled with Bing cherries, heavy cream and Kirschwasser


Croissant at breakfast. There are a lot of beverages available at breakfast -- pineapple, apple, tomato, grapefruit, prune and orange juice, coffee and milk. You can also get plain, strawberry or peach yogurt; cream of wheat or grits; omelets with ham and/or cheese; eggs boiled, poached, fried or scrambled; waffles or pancakes; French toast with cinnamon sugar; corned beef hash, ham, bacon, hash browns, pork sausage links, chicken sausage links, turkey bacon.


Oatmeal is served with brown sugar and raisins. I asked for nuts and was told they didn't have any -- but nuts are available on the Lido deck.


The chicken sausages are nicely turned and tasty.


Lunch in the Paris Dining Room. This bread is a soft French roll. It was served at just about every meal.


California Rolls
This was odd sushi -- the orange bits are candied ginger. The rolls were filled with real crab leg meat, avocado and cream cheese, served with the traditional pickled ginger and wasabi paste. The sushi here was far superior to the sushi served at the on-board sushi bar. My recommendation on that -- don't bother. Sushi was also served one night on the Lido Deck at the South Beach Club Buffet.


Create Your Own Burger
Freshly Grilled Lean Beef Burger on Toasted Sesame Seed Bun with Crisp Shoestring Potatoes, American Cheddar Cheese, Sauteed Onions, Bacon, Guacamole, Sauted Mushrooms, Chili con Carne, Pick Your Choice Of Topping
The cheeseburger aboard ship was one of my major disappointments. Patties are already thoroughly cooked and they weren't spiced at all. For someone who travels a lot of places to review burgers, this one just failed.


Oven Baguette with Shrimp and Crabmeat
Lettuce, Sliced Tomato, Cucumber
The closest thing I could relate to this creation is the Subway Seafood and Crab sandwich. I don't even know if those are made any more.


Chocolate Gateau
I have to hand it to the kitchen crew here -- this is one mighty pretty piece of cake. It was all right as far as cake goes -- not fantastic but certainly cakey.


Black Forest Glace
A small scoop of chocolate ice cream with black cherries in their own sauce.


West Indian Roasted Pumpkin Soup
Blended with chicken broth and a touch of cream
Get this. It's yummy. There's a nice little heat to the concoction that I rather enjoyed.


Baked Stuffed White Mushrooms
Spinach, Romano cheese and fine herbs
They were good, I will give you that. They were served with a sliver of phyllo dough that fell apart when you bit into it.


Supreme of Hudson Valley Duck
Roasted Broccoli Florets, Yukon Gold Potato Mash
Fabulous. The duck was perfect, a nice red-meat sort of duck with a lot of flavor, hints of orange and such in there. The cheese cracker in the potatoes was also awesome.


Duet of Broiled Maine Lobster Tail and Grilled Jumbo Black Tiger Shrimp
Yukon Gold Potato Hash, Broccoli Florets
It's lobster tail. You can order two of these if you want, and they'll bring you two identical plates. A gentleman a table over ordered four -- two at a time. No eyebrows were raised.


Tender Roasted Prime Rib of American Beef Au Jus
Cooked to perfection, Baked Potato with traditional toppings
It was served in a bit of gravy with potatoes and onion rings and a single strip of tomato as garnish. And it was quickly gone. Very good.


Dinners are completed with a dessert menu and a choice of beverage -- cappucino, espresso, hot chocolate or coffee. The cappucinos were my beverage of choice after the first night -- when I went for a single shot of espresso. Very uniform.


This is the cheese plate -- offered along with desserts at each dinner. It's Port Salut, Brie, Gouda, Imported Swiss and Danish Blue served with a few pieces of fruit and nutty bread.


Cherries Jubilee
Almost identical to the Black Forest Glace except vanilla ice cream was used. Still yummy.


Apple Tart
I didn't try this -- one of my table mates did. Pretty but a little impractical to eat.


This is the famed Chocolate Melting Cake. You can find the recipe here. It's offered for dessert at every meal, along with a selection of ice creams and sherbets and a tropical fruit plate.


A Study in Sushi
Seared Ahi Tuna, Norwegian Salmon Tartar in Spicy Lemon Sauce, Maine Mussel With Marinated Seafood
This was a tasty little treat... the seared Ahi Tuna was definitely the star, perfectly cooked and topped with a little pickled seaweed. One of my favorites.


Chilled Cucumber Soup with Dill
The waiter would come out with any cold soup like this with a bowl that contained only the garnish, then bring a small pitcher of soup to go in the bowl.


Grilled Filet of Norwegian Fjord Salmon
Served with Mushrooms and Wild Rice
Tasty little cheesy wild rice dish on the side of this one.


Broiled Filet of Mahi Mahi
Served with Vegetable of the Day
This was a rather good piece of fish. It's a Carnival Classic and it's offered several different nights on the cruise. The accompaniment was a creamed cheesy potato dish and green beans with a glassy savory noodle.


Braised Style Short Ribs with Aged Premium American Beef
Roasted Eggplant and Wild Rice
These short ribs were fork tender and tasty. The eggplant was breaded but also very good. The green beans were a surprise. The rice? The rice was just weird... fried Asian-style rice.


Warm Fig Date and Cinnamon Cake
Served with Rum Raisin Ice Cream
One of my favorite desserts, though I didn't expect that when I ordered it. It's a very warm and soft spice cake and it goes perfectly with the ice cream.


This is the hot chocolate. It's very creamy and comes with a cappucino style froth.


While I took most of my meals in the formal dining rooms, I did venture up to the Lido Deck. This is a shot of the relishes at the NY Deli.


And here are a couple of the NY Deli guys. Though I didn't photograph it, I did have a Reuben here. Nicely done, though I prefer a higher meat-to-slaw ratio.


There's a 24 hour pizzaria on-board. I did try a piece of the goat cheese pizza, it was pretty good. Friday morning of the cruise, though, there wasn't a soul to be found in there around 4:45am. Then again...


On Tuesday night of the cruise the Lido Deck served up a selection of finger foods -- including the mentioned sushi and these -- Mozzarella fingers served up with an orangish marinara.


Smoked Duck and Caramelized Onions
When I first tried the duck it tasted just like ham. It panicked me just a little bit! But very, very good.


Another shot of the smoked duck.


Sliced Beef Tenderloin with Noodle Salad
Marinated with Peanut Dressing


Beef Stroganoff
Beef Tenderloin Tips in a Creamy Mushroom Sauce, Garnished with Pickles, Beets and Sour Cream, Served with Homemade Spaetzle
It was all right. The cheesy spaetzle with it was great.


Assorted Seafood Newberg Style
Black Tiger Prawns and Ocean Scallops, Tossed with a Creamy Lobster Sauce, Served with Saffron Pilaf Rice
My husband really liked this.


Rack of New Zealand Spring Lamb Dijionnaise
Marinated with Garlic and Fresh Herbs, Baked with Dijon Mustard Crust, Spiced Carrot and Turnip Mash, Boulangere Potatoes
Fan-freakin'-tastic. Five bones of nicely turned roasted lamb. Better than lamb I've had in some high-class restaurants.


Grilled Marinated Center Cut Pork Chop
Grilled Zucchini and Boulangere Potatoes


Bitter and Blanc
Warm Dark and White Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce
-- a white and dark chocolate bread pudding. It's pretty righteous.


The wait staff tends to dance. You will get used to this.


Tuesday night I came back to our room and discovered this plate of chocolate covered strawberries. They were nicely refreshing.


Wild Mushroom Cream Soup
Enhanced with Fresh Herbs
You want to get this.


You can order more than one of any item at dinner. My husband tended to order at least one of the Black Tiger Shrimp Cocktails at most meals.


Chicken Tenders Marinated in Thai Spices
Boston Lettuce, Carrots and Sweet Chili Sauce


Vine Ripe Beefsteak Tomatoes with Buffalo Mozzarella
Marinated with Basil Vinegar and Virgin Olive Oil


Pan Fried Fillet of Red Snapper
Black Olives, Panko Crusted Green Beans
This was quite excellent -- a perfectly cooked piece of red snapper topped with a tangy yellow sauce and tomato bits. The green beans were interesting and tasty.


Duet of Petit Filet Mignon with Short Rib Confit
Oven Roasted Potatoes, Red Burgundy Wine Sauce
This was a fall-apart hunk of roasted beef with lots of red wine sauce. Lots. It was served with a hunk of potato and a ramekin of broccoli and carrots, which were widely ignored by the crowd.


Chocolate Raspberry and Vanilla Cream Cake
With Almond Sponge, Raspberry Couli and Raspberry Sorbet
A nice blend of flavors.


Diet Pumpkin Pie
Light in calories but not in flavor with all the Authentic Spices, Dessert is Prepared with a Sugar Substitute
... actually rather tasty.


Warm Chocolate Melting Cake
Served with Vanilla Ice Cream
... this time I tried it. It's a lava cake and it's generally good -- the ice cream is essential.


Fried Calamari Rings
Tomato Sauce
These were nice and light and not all that rubbery like calamari tends to get. The orange sauce was plain, but the calamari was good.


Nicoise Salad
Hearts of Romaine Lettuce, Tuna Chunks, Potato Slices, Green Beans, Tomato Wedges and Anchovy, Served with Traditional Vinaigrette Dressing
We got into an argument with the wait staff over this. It was served up with yellow mustard as the dressing. Yellow mustard.


Chicken Parmigiana
Pan-fried Supreme of Chicken, Baked with Mozzarella Cheese, Served Over Trennette Neapolitan


Philly Steak Sandwich
Hoagie with Shredded Beef, Onion and Cheese
Pass on this.


Salmon Paillard
Grilled Fillet of Pacific Salmon on Lemon Dill Sabayon, Steamed Vegetable Julienne, Nature Potato
A Spa Carnival selection, I was quite pleased with this.


Grand Marnier Cheesecake
Essentially Mandarin Orange creamcake. Tasty but not as represented on the menu.


Delice of the Ocean
Black Tiger Shrimp, Ahi Tartare and Hickory Smoked Pacific Salmon served with Watercress and American Cocktail Sauce
Another winner with me -- smoked salmon, tuna tartar and shrimp with sauces.


So pretty I had to shoot it twice.


Cinnamon Pumpkin, Squash, Yam and Cheddar Pie
Vegetarian Entree
I have to hand it to Carnival -- they've really gone out of their way to make sure there's a tasty vegetarian option at every meal. I liked this a lot, especially the polenta cakes.


Escargot Bourguignonne
Burgundy Snails in Garlic Butter with an infusion of Chablis and Pernod
The little snails were just swimming in butter. They were like little cholesterol bombs of joy topped with cheese and served with a phyllo dough breadstick.


Grilled Jumbo Tiger Shrimps
Served with Our Special Marinara Sauce, Mustard Potatoes
Larger shrimp, perfectly cooked and served up with debris-like cauliflower, peas and as much greenery garnish as the dish could handle.


Chateaubriand with Sauce Bearnaise
Sliced Grilled Beef Shoulder Tender
The Chateaubriand was very, very rare. We'd asked for medium rare to rare, considering other meats we'd ordered on the boat had been cooked a bit too done for our likes. This was downright bloody, but it was also rather tender and tasty. Served up with potatoes and peas.


Amaretto Cake
Almond Flavored Chocolate Cake
Pretty and apparently delicious.


Baked Alaska
Vanilla Sponge with Assorted Ice Cream and Baked with Meringue
The Baked Alaska? Well, it was all right.


We came back to our room Thursday night to find this unusual plate of... well, I still haven't figured out what it all was. Chocolate covered dates and some weird other stuff.


Here's what the Paris Dining Room looks like. Both of the dining rooms are two story affairs.


Overnight, there's always peanut butter and jelly, though I couldn't find the bread.


This is the average room service tray for breakfast. Each item comes separately -- so if you order salmon and a bagel they'll be on different plates. You should tip a couple of bucks -- a dollar a person -- for items through room service.


Room service breakfast melon plate.


Room service breakfast salmon plate.


I asked for Eggs Benedict without ham, and eventually got one.


Here's what Eggs Benedict looks like with the ham. There's also a serving of corned beef hash and pork sausage. Melon just comes with it, apparently. If you eat corned beef hash, ask for a double order.


The butter aboard ship is salty. My companions really liked it.


This is a single serving of waffles, which came with butter and blueberry preserves.


Neptune's Chef Salad
Hearts of Iceberg Lettuce, Greenland Baby Shrimps, Poached Ocean Scallops, Alaskan Snow Crab Meat and Fresh Pacific Salmon, Garnished with Tomato Wedges and Watercress, Served with Your Choice of Dressing
We argued over this a bit with the wait staff, which insisted there was already a dressing on the salad. We gave in on it, only to hear the same conversation happen at the table next to us. That table was also directed to head to the Lido Deck if they wanted a burger because it was close to the end of lunch.


Pan Fried Filet of Idaho Rainbow Trout
Golden Butter and Toasted Almond Slivers
This was a disappointment. The skin side of the fish was breaded and the fish itself was way overcooked. That, and when did panko start standing in for almonds?


Chocolate Sundae
Vanilla Ice Cream, Chocolate Sauce, Whipped Cream and Toasted AlmondsThis was pretty good for what it was.


There was a chocolate buffet on Friday on the Lido Deck. It turned out to be stuff you could have the staff dip in chocolate.


Lobster Bisque
Hearty Lobster Soup with Cream and Oak Wood Aged Brandy
were told was lobster bisque. It was not a bisque. It was foul. We sent it back. Everyone at our table did.


New England Crab Cake
Served with Apple Relish, Roasted Red Pepper and Rosemary Remoulade
I liked it -- but I didn't use much of the remoulade.


Norwegian Salmon with Dill Mousseline
Creamed Garlic, Spinach, Gratin Potatoes
Another decent salmon dish, this time with firm baked salmon. The spinach was a little weird, but the gratin potatoes were awesome.


Tender Prime Rib of American Beef with Au Jus
Baked Potato with Traditional Toppings
We asked for it medium rare and got it rare. The meat was fine but it needed salt.


Grand Marnier Souffle
served with Orange Vanilla Sauce
It was wonderful.

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