"" Writer's Wanderings: Celebrity Solstice--Day at Sea and Tuscan Grill

Sunday, February 08, 2009

Celebrity Solstice--Day at Sea and Tuscan Grill

Breakfast at the Bistro on Five was absolutely delicious again. This time I had a scrambled egg mixture of tomatoes, sausage, onion, mushrooms and spinach. That was enough to tide me over until lunch. The coffee there is extremely good. I'm guessing whoever makes it has the right touch.

There were two more enrichment series lectures with the Solenders--one on Cole Porter and the other, Irving Berlin. The last lecture filled the Celebrity Central, the little cabaret venue on Deck 4, which indicates to me that word spread about how great the lectures and music were.

Afternoon tea was served daily in the Oceanview Cafe but on this day, there was a high tea as well served in the dining room. We enjoyed the tea and the scones with clotted cream as well as the little finger sandwiches.

We soaked up a few of the fading rays of the afternoon on Deck 15 by the lawn and then caught the last of the glassblowing show. They had made a beautiful vase. The neat thing about the glass shows is that they don't make the same thing every time. Each piece is a unique work of art.

Our evening meal was in the Tuscan Grill. The restaurant reminds me of an upscale New York restaurant. The menu favors Italian dishes but our waiter said the filet mignon was the best. We ordered the crab appetizer which I found a bit too salty but Bob loved. It was followed by a chop-chop salad with sweet Italian dressing for Bob and a Ceasar salad prepared tableside for me. The Ceasar was big enough that we could have shared it. I hate wasting food but knew if I ate the whole thing I wouldn't be able to face my entree.

Both of us ordered the filet for our entrees. They came looking like a sumptuous island in the middle of our mashed potatoes that were lightly flavored with horseradish. A small salad accompanied them on the plate. This would have been more than enough salad had I known. My filet was so tender the knife slid through it. But it was also so huge that we could have split one and had plenty to eat.

Now after feeling full to overflowing, I am ashamed to admit that I ordered dessert. I could not resist the Dark Chocolate Fondue offering. We ordered one to share and immediately the waiter said, "I will bring extra!" We insisted he just bring the usual. I'm not sure if he did but again, there was plenty to share. Okay, now this was the most mouth-watering, rich chocolately dark fudgy fondue you ever wanted to taste. I tried hard not to moan with every bite but I failed.

The last show for the cruise was a variety show made up of the singers and dancers dragging their garbage cans out to bang on and the circus-performing troupe sailing around the room on their trapezes. One of the acts that obviously was canceled from the first show because of the rough weather was a balancing act where the performer stacked chairs one by one almost to the top of the stage and did several hand stands along the way. David Meyer, the xylophone player did several classical pieces and the Oceans Four A Cappella group sang with music! They did songs from the Jersey Boys and rocked the house for a standing ovation.

It is always sad to walk back to the room and see the luggage lining the hall--the sign that the cruise is truly over. We added ours to the lot and went to bed.

Tomorrow: Disembarkation and more pictures.
Other specialty restaurants aboard cruise ships:
Crown Princess Sabatini's
Crown Princess Chef's Table

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