With a combination of the summer’s end, back-to-school agendas, new jobs, weekend trips with boyfriends, weddings, and a jam-packed upcoming fall season, it seems as if the Wander Crew is finding it even more difficult to plan adventurous excursions across the country and beyond. Lucky for us, our Southern California homebase allows us to plan small weekend staycations and getaways in neighboring counties.
Andrea and I had the privilege of jumping aboard Long Beach’s famed Queen Mary for their first ever progressive dinner. We were promised an evening, designed by the ship’s Chef Todd Henderson, full of cocktails, small bites, signature dishes, and more at various eateries throughout the ship. And we definitely left the LBC with a full belly and a glimpse into all of the delicious, new and signature tastes aboard the Queen.
We started the evening at the ship’s Observation Bar & Art Deco Lounge, which has been featured in several Hollywood blockbusters. After tasting a couple of their signature cocktails, we dove into a beautiful array of canapes.
Canape combinations like brie and kiwi, salmon tartar, shrimp bouchee, and roasted beef tenderloin were all fantastic. We also nibbled on a cheese trio that was out of this world. Drake Farms Chevre goat cheese, Nicasio Farms cows milk taleggio, and Miti blue sheep’s cheese was paired with pomegranate seeds, black cherries, smoked almonds, fresh honeycomb from Marshall Farms, and figs.
We mozied our way through the historic hallways and across the weathered wood floors to Chelsea’s Chowder House & Bar, a contemporary take on a traditional fish house. The food was a flowin’ and we tried everything that came our way.
The Maryland Style Crab Cake Sliders were beautifully plated with a chunky crab cake on a brioche bun with cabbage slaw and remoulade. We had shots of their famed Chelsea Clam Chowder along with their Roasted Corn Chowder, which quickly became the favorites of the evening. Other tastes at Chelsea’s included a Butter Poached Lobster with Vanilla Scented Boniato, a Bass Ale Braised Short Rib Skewer, and Beer Battered Fresh Cod with Fried Lemon Tartar Aioli. If you’re ever in town and want a casual and delicious meal aboard the Queen, I highly recommend dining at Chelsea’s.
Next up was dinner at Sir Winston’s Restaurant, the Queen’s five-star restaurant and lounge. Along with panoramic views of the ocean and downtown Long Beach, Sir Winston’s is one of our favorite places to go in the city for impeccable dining in a semi-casual atmosphere. In other words, it’s where Andrea and I go to get gussied up and have a fantastic meal.
We tried their signature Lobster Bisque, followed by a trio of Sir Winston’s award-winning dishes, including the Beef Wellington drizzled with a Truffle Sauce; a perfectly cooked Sea Scallop with Parsley Butter; and a Wild Mushroom and Chevre Streudel with Pine Nuts and a Maderia Glaze. Our meal was divine and paired perfectly with the wine choices.
Dessert was served in the Queen’s newest edition, the Tea Room. In correlation with the opening of Diana: Legacy of a Princess, a Royal Exhibition, the restaurant offers the traditional high tea, along with light sandwiches and salads, among many other bites. If you’re looking for a decadent, chocolatey night cap, you must visit the Tea Room before you leave.
We already knew that there were some pretty impressive dining options aboard the Queen Mary, but we had no idea how delicious a restaurant walk-about could really be on a grand ocean liner.
The Queen Mary is gearing up for its Dark Harbor Haunted Halloween Event this October and you better believe we’ll be partaking in ghost-infested mazes. The only problem is deciding on which restaurant to dine at after getting the crap scared out of us.
