Thanksgiving Extravaganza Dining at 150 Central Park
One of the highlights of our Cruise aboard ‘Allure of the Seas‘ was attending the Thanksgiving dinner at the ship’s elegant 150 Central Park.This specialty restaurant is located mid-ship on Deck 8 and is the centerpiece of the Allure of the Seas Central Park neighborhood.
The restaurant
150 Central Park is decorated in lovely muted neutral tones which create both an intimate and elegant dining experience for passengers. It is open daily for dinner and features two rotating, six courses, seasonal menus designed by Chef Molly Brandt. Chef Brandt is the esteemed winner of the Allure of the Seas Culinary Challenge. Her specialty is blending textures and spices from around the world. Like other specialty dining venues on cruises ships, there is a surcharge to experience this high-end dining experience. Reservations are strongly recommended, particularly during holiday cruises or if you would prefer to dine at an earlier seating.
Though a Prix-fix menu at $45 per person surcharge was a bit pricey, we decided to splurge since we were celebrating Thanksgiving. A lovely offering of favorite American staples with innovative twists provided us and fellow diners with a chance to sample new and exciting blends of textures and tastes .
The decor
The venue’s décor was a modern spin on old-fashioned elegance. Velvet and plush carpeting in hues of green and gold provided a posh atmosphere for discerning diners.The oval tables with a light gold tablecloths were set in white bone china with a thick gold trim and topped off with the cruise line’s glass stemware.
The menu was printed in gold lettering and was a great memento to take home.
From the minute we were seated for dinner, we were enchanted by the unique container of salts from around the world that accompanied the freshly baked rolls. There were six types of salts, and we loved them all except the red one from Hawaii that we thought smelled a bit like rotten eggs.
Our server explained each dish to us at length and recommended a choice of several wines with dinner. The assortment of wines was not included in the price of dinner.
The food selection
Our dinner choices included the Chile-spiked crab salad, smoked mayonnaise, pickled chorizo, crispy capers, celery caviar, olive oil tuile as well as the Camembert and Lager Soup which we found to be a bit salty. The Camembert Soup garnished with spiced caramel popcorn with cayenne pepper, crisp bacon, and arugula might be a problem for vegetarians.
The warm appetizers consisted of Cornbread gnocchi with brown butter, butternut scotch squash, wilted mustard greens, hazelnuts, and hen of the woods mushrooms. Olive oil poached sea bass with sumac-pistachio crust, cauliflower thyme couscous, and pomegranate molasses gastrique which was very subtle were also enjoyed specialties.
As the main course, one could choose from either apple cider marinated veal tenderloin-buttermilk spaetzle, brussels sprout slaw, ginger beer glazed apple and root vegetables, violet mustard veal jus or roasted Harris Ranch beef tenderloin seared broccoli florets with steak sauce spiked cherry tomatoes, onion tempura, and Caesar sauce hollandaise sauce.
Desserts
Dessert was a bit of a disappointment for all of us except our son who happens to love pudding of any sort. There was a sticky toffee pudding with star anise creme fraiche ice cream, and cinnamon cotton candy. Completing the excellent meal was a plate of Cheeses along with specialty coffees.
Our favorites
We had two dishes that we found outstanding. The veal was excellently prepared in its jus and the sumac poached sea pass with a very subtle hint of tartness was tasty.
Overall, dining at 150 Central Park made for a memorable Thanksgiving experience involving all the senses. We enjoyed the attentive service, upscale atmosphere, and the innovative seasonal cuisine the restaurant is so famous for offering.
