I’ve sailed on dozens of cruise ships. While I enjoy my time at sea, when it comes to shipboard dining, culinary satisfaction has always eluded me. If you eat to live, you may find the buffets and specialty restaurants palatable; but as someone who lives to eat, I find the food bad at worst, tolerable at best.
Oceania: A Culinary-Focused Cruise Line
Enter Allura, a brand-new small ship in Oceania’s luxury fleet. Oceania has a reputation as a culinary-focused cruise line. I did my research and was impressed that each ship has a ratio of one chef to every 10 guests. Allura offers guided cooking classes in a state-of-the-art culinary center to satisfy hands-on gourmets. Plus, Oceania’s dining program has none other than legendary Chef Jacques Pépin as patriarch. Still, when I booked a stateroom on Allura’s maiden voyage for six nights exploring ports in the Mediterranean this summer, I was skeptical.
Italian Food is Hard to Replicate at Sea
I lived in Italy for years and revere its foodways and culinary traditions. I’ve dined at numerous Italian restaurants on cruise ships and have always been disappointed by overcooked pasta and carpaccio cut so thick it could be mistaken for a T-bone.
The very things that define Italian cuisine, such as market-fresh produce and seasonal ingredients, are difficult to replicate at sea, where foodstuffs are ordered months in advance and delivered sight unseen.
I readily admit I’m a tough customer when it comes to Italian food. I decided to put Oceania’s reputation to the test and taste for myself by booking a table at Toscana, Allura’s Italian restaurant.
Toscana Immediately Impressed
Most cruise lines charge a pretty penny to dine at specialty eateries; but it doesn’t cost extra to indulge in Oceania’s array of high-end dining experiences.
Dinner reservation in hand, my husband and I were seated at a table with a view of the ocean. I was impressed by the giant wheel of Parmigiano-Reggiano. As soon as I opened the menu, I had a glimmer of hope, as each menu item was written in correct Italian, with none of the common spelling mistakes I so often see.
Olive Oil Is Not an Afterthought
As our bread was served, the Olive Oil Concierge wheeled an elegant cart toward us. That’s right, your meal at Toscana comes with the guidance of an olive oil expert. I was thrilled to see that the kitchen at Toscana understands that the correct olive oil can anchor and accent a dish. The cart held a collection of bottles of extra virgin olive oil from Tuscany, Puglia, Sicily, Liguria, and Lazio. Each olive oil was a different color, ranging from vivid green to pale golden. Concierge Mihai explained the nuances and tasting notes of each olive oil. He treated olive oil like liquid gold, giving it the care and attention you would a fine wine and suggested that we sample it like a fine wine - sniffing, swirling, and tasting. Our luscious basket of freshly-baked bread was a perfect sponge for the olive oil.
For some, olive oil and balsamic vinegar go together like milk and cookies. Three aged balsamic vinegars, all from Emilia-Romagna, were also on the cart, each with varied flavor notes and body.
On to Antipasti
The menu offered hot and cold antipasti. I went with carpaccio di manzo, paper-thin slices of beef topped with a windfall of forest green arugula and aged Parmigiano-Reggiano shavings, topped with a drizzle of my choice of olive oil.
Pasta That’s Al Dente
Next up was my primo piatto. It was tough to select from the tempting menu of pasta and risotto, but I was very happy with the Vulcano di Capelli d’ Angelo alla Sorrentina, thin strands of pasta coated with herb-infused fresh tomato sauce and mozzarella di bufala. My husband was delighted with his plump and pillowy tortelloni filled with spinach and ricotta.
Elegant in Its Simplicity
For the secondo piatto, we both chose the scallopine di vitello al Marsala, the delicate veal brightened with a light lemon sauce and the slightly sweet Marsala. Made with minimal ingredients, it was elegant in its simplicity.
A Sweet Finish
The dessert menu included crowd favorites such as tiramisu and a tempting dark chocolate confection with blood orange sauce. As it was the height of summer, we shared the apricot crostata, the buttery crust a perfect foil for the sweet, juicy fruit.
Oenophiles Will Be Satisfied
The wine list is impressive, including rare bottles from France, Italy, and California. A team of talented sommeliers was available to guide us to the perfect pairing.
Buon appetito!
