Murano

We ate at the specialty restaurant Murano tonight.  There are two different menus.  The first menu is the "Five Senses Gastronomic and Vineyard Tour" which includes several courses with wine and is an additional charge.  I did not get a picture of that menu, but was able to find an example from the Celebrity Solstice here.

The other option was a more standard menu and this is what we chose to do.

The service at Murano was the best we had for our entire cruise.  The sommelier was not only actually available here, but was attentive and helpful.  The staff was especially enamored with Sweet Pea.  (I do want to mention that Murano would probably not be a good choice for some children.  Sweet Pea is used to sitting through very long dinners with us and will happily order off of adult menus.)

I failed to remember to take photos of our food until the end of the meal, but have included links to pictures of the same dishes that I found on the web.

For my starter, I ordered the Warm Goat Cheese Soufflé, which was very good.  It was rich and creamy with a not-too-strong goat cheese flavor. I would definitely order it again. (Photo of the Warm Goat Cheese Soufflé from Beyond Ships)

Ross ordered the Diver Scallop Wellington Style, which was not great.  There was far too much "Wellington" and not nearly enough scallop.  The scallop was too small and overcooked, while the puff pastry was doughy.  I can see how this would have been good if it was prepared correctly with a true large diver scallop, but I can not recommend the version that we got. (Here is a photo of the Diver Scallop Wellington Style from Lavender and Lovage)

Grandma Trudy ordered the Creamy Main Lobster Bisque, but did not care much for it.  It did have a fishy flavor, but not the sweet lobster flavor she wanted.  It was not lost on us that it was listed on the menu as "Main" lobster bisque (without the "e") instead of "Maine" lobster bisque.  (Photo of the Creamy Main lobster Bisque from Mami Eggroll)

Sweet Pea's Wild Forest Mushroom Cappuccino was exceptionally good, with a deep earthy flavor and a rich, frothy texture.  Just perfect.  (Photo of the Wild Forest Mushroom Cappuccino from Mami Eggroll)

For her entrée, Sweet Pea ordered the Dover Sole Veronique which was entertainingly deboned tableside.  She loved the show and thought it was delicious.  (Photo of Dover Sole Veronique from ThePreismans.com)

 

Ross and Grandma Trudy split the Chateaubriand for Two, which they both adored.  The meat was extremely tender and served with a choice of either Béarnaise or Cabernet sauce.  Ross thought this was his best meal of the trip.  (Photo here from photobucket user tlcohio)

 

 

I ordered the Herb Crusted Lamb Rack which was excellent.  (Photo from Flickr user snow_cheetah)

 

 

After our entrees, we were offered a selection of excellent cheeses from Murano's cheese cart.  Ross, who is clearly not shy, requested a small serving of each type of cheese that was on the cart.  Luckily, I was able to profit from his boldness.

 

 



Ross ordered a glass of Taylors 20 Year Old Tawny Port to enjoy with dessert, which had a rich fruity flavor.

 

 

 

 

Of course we ordered dessert, too.

 

 

 

Grandma Trudy and Ross split the Les Six Etoiles du Murano for Two, which is a collection of six small desserts in shot glasses to share.  Ross thought these were good, but Grandma Trudy wished she had gotten a scoop of gelato.  (Hey look, I remembered to take a picture this time!)

 

 

 

I had the Grand Marnier Soufflé which was divine.  The soft and fluffy texture was perfect and it had a delightful orange flavor.   This was probably my favorite dessert of the cruise.  I might have regretted it, but I would have eaten another one if it had been in front of me. :)

 

 

 

 

Our server told Sweet Pea that he wanted to make her the Crêpe Ballon Rouge because it has such a fun tableside presentation.   He made a big deal of asking what her favorite type of berries were and setting those aside to use.

 

 

He filled a crêpe with a scoop of ice cream and then folded it over into the "balloon" shape.  Then he cooked the berries and flambéed them (which he assured me would burn off the alcohol) with Chambertin.  He added some balsamic vinegar and pepper and then arranged everything beautifully on her plate.

 

The Crêpe Ballon Rouge was a beautiful and delicious dessert.  I am really happy that they suggested making it for her.