The previous installment can be found HERE.
As we started unpacking everything, we noticed that there
was PLENTY of storage space for two of us, and I think that we could have fit four
people’s clothes in what we had pretty easily (within reason…so long as they
all didn’t bring their entire wardrobe).
We did notice, though, that the last bag to arrive had a little moisture
on it, along with an interesting aroma.
I wonder if someone had something break in their suitcase and had the
resulting liquid land on our case. No
major worries, though (hakuna matata, right?), as the contents of the bag were
almost completely dry.
Sheri went to freshen up a little, while I headed out to the
verandah to watch the Florida coast slowly fade away. I then grabbed our phones, turned off the
cellular service as well as any roaming capabilities, connected us to the ship’s Wi-fi, and
signed up for the free 50 MB of data. When I checked the Disney Cruise Line App on the phone, I noticed that it came alive once I
was connected to the ship’s network.
That being done, we chilled for about 20 minutes and looked at the current day's Personal Navigator until it was time to
start getting ready for our meal at Remy.
Around this time, Sheri started making these phantom jerking
motions, quickly followed by, “did you feel that?” Feeling nothing, I assumed dementia was setting
in…oh, okay, yes, I could feel the ship moving a little, but it was nothing major. It was more of a lateral shimmying that we
felt.
It took a bit of research (and a lesson from Don, our
Skyline bartender), but I found that ships might have some motion when they’re
heading away from and towards Florida.
The Florida Current, which connects to the powerful Gulf Stream Current,
flows between Cuba and Florida from southwest to northeast. Cruise ships leaving Florida are cutting
across this current, which, if my maritime understanding is correct, can lead to a little motion (I was
in the Air Force, not the Navy, so don’t be too upset if I’m wrong).
We donned our Remy clothes, and, at 6:45, we made our way up
to Deck 12. We checked in, gave our bottle of 2013
Chappellet Signature Cabernet Sauvignon to the hosts, and were seated in
Meridian, which is a nautical-themed bar located between Palo and Remy. The motion was a bit more pronounced up here,
which made sense, since we were another 40 or so feet higher. She was definitely feeling it, but it
appears that either she wasn’t the sea-sick type or the scopolamine patch was
working. There were only two other
parties in Meridian at the time, including a larger party of eight who appeared
to be celebrating someone’s milestone birthday.
We were seated next to one of the windows in the restaurant
that overlooked the water, and it was apparent that it was a lighter
reservation day for Remy. We were one of
three tables seated in the room.
Kewl!
Alexia, from Marseilles, France, was our server, and she
quickly introduced the concept of Remy as she created our first concoction: the
Colette Cocktail. This was a flute of
Taittinger Champagne with pear-infused vodka added. An interesting note: when vodka is added to a
sparkling wine or champagne, it kills the effervescence. To counter this, they added a small cube of
dried pineapple, which provided the bubbles that one would expect to see.
This was an EXCELLENT start to the meal.
After this, we had new silverware placed in front of us
(yes, true SILVERware). Then, a small
spoon with a large crouton cube was placed in front of us. I knew exactly what this was, and I could not
wait to try it. It is an executive
chef’s interpretation of tomato soup, flash fried. The instructions were to eat it all in one
bite, which we both did. Ooooohhhhhh,
man….it was just as good as I had anticipated!
The plate and spoon were removed, and, after bread was
offered, a martini glass was then placed in front of us. This was foie gras with macadamia nuts over a
caramel base. With my lineage coming
from the Alsace-Lorraine region between France and Germany (where foie gras is
king), I knew I had to try it. The foie
gras was whipped to a mousse-like texture, and we were instructed to eat it
from the bottom-up (making sure we got caramel, which cut the saltiness of the
duck).
It……was….abso….lutely….a….maze….ing!!!!!
The meal had already paid for itself, even though something was missing.
Has anyone else noticed that we haven’t ordered our dinner
yet?
The champagne, soup, and foie gras were all from the
kitchen…extra courses in the experience.
Alexia returned with a special menu to see if we might be
interested in a Kobe beef and/or a caviar course, but we passed.
She then presented us with the bi-fold menus and
explained how the menus were created. Chef Arnaud Lallement from l'Assiette Champenoise -- a
Michelin three-star restaurant in Reims, France (that’s the highest rating in
the Michelin system), teamed up with Walt Disney World's Grand Floridian Executive Chef Scott
Hunnel (of AAA 5-Diamond rated Victoria and Albert’s and multiple semifinalist
for the James Beard Award) to come up with a French menu and an American menu,
where guests could pick and choose between them for each course. At Alexia’s recommendation, each of us
ordered one “country.” Sheri took
Lallement’s French menu (Saveur), while I ordered Hunnel’s American fare (Goût).
Soon after, the sommelier on
duty that night stopped by and let us know that he had our bottle but also
inquired whether we wanted to try a separate glass of wine to go with the
early, lighter courses. We let him pick,
and he returned with two glasses of Chardonnay that paired very well with the
seafood…VERY well!
The first courses came out,
along with more silverware. Sheri
received langoustine (aka, Norway Lobster), and I had Gulf shrimp with a nice
herb sauce. We each tried our own and
then the other’s plate, and we reported to Alexia which country won the battle
for that particular course. This course
was a draw. The langoustine was soft,
buttery amazingness, but the shrimp….yumm!!!
The next course came out, and
I’ll be honest…I can’t remember what I had, nor could Sheri. I didn't want to take pictures of each course in a restaurant like this (sorry, folks). It was around this time that the sommelier
decanted our cabernet, and it sat nearby, just out of reach, mocking us. I remember that this course was another draw
between France and America.
The next course paired an
amazing lamb from America (for me) with the best flippin' piece of fish (for her) that I think we have
ever tasted…it was a halibut served on some sort of confit. Viva la France – they took the lead (much to
the delight of our server). This course was
presented with a little flair, where the plates were covered and revealed to
both of us at the same time.
As this course was being
served, the cabernet was served. I may or may not have shed a tear or two of joy when I tasted the lamb with the Chappellet. We offered a little to the sommelier in case
he hadn’t yet tried this winery, and, as we expected, he was already familiar
with their wines. You know what that meant....more for us!
They cleared that course's plates and silverware out and
presented yet another main course (complete with another simultaneous reveal). I think my course was a short rib with a Bourguignon
sauce (I could have died happy after this meal), and I think Sheri had her own
different lamb course, because I remember her commenting that she had eaten
more lamb today than she ever had before.
Another draw.
Following all these courses,
we thought we were done.
Nope.
It was time for le course du
fromage.
Alexia cut off 10-12
different cheeses for us to try, ranging from the mild to the stronger
bleu. We loved nearly all of them! I think that both of us selected a brighter orange cheese that came from the Normandy region.
The wine was gone, but there
was still coffee to enjoy as we began the dessert course(s). There was so much that we simply couldn’t
remember exactly what we had. I’m pretty
sure that one of us had a plate that included custard served inside an egg
shell, a raspberry mousse, and a light chocolate square. Another dish had several small French pastries
called canelles with rum and coconut.
Finally, there was a plate with two different mini-pies (or tarts)…I’m
not sure what they were, but they were great.
The meal was winding down,
but it wasn’t over yet. We engaged in a short
conversation with one of the two other tables to be seated after us. They were celebrating their 22nd
anniversary at Remy and were doing the same thing that we did (each selects a
country’s set of dishes and shares).
They agreed that France narrowly defeated America.
The chef behind the doors
stopped by to check in on what we thought of the meals that he and his staff
created for us. I almost hugged him.
The last item before the
check was presented: a couple of lollipops, a small box of fine chocolates, and
a rose for Sheri.
Alexia should have dropped
the mic and walked off. The meal was
about as perfect as it could have been.
We settled up on the check and got a picture with our fantastic server.
Thanks, Alexia and the rest
of the Remy staff…it was truly a fantastic meal.
We decided to call it a night after such a great
experience. The ship’s movements seemed
to be much more muted (perhaps we’ve made it through the current?). When we opened the door to our stateroom, we
found the next day’s Personal Navigator, a few additional chocolates, and the
ever-popular towel animal. Another nice
touch with the turndown service was the accent pillow on our bed, which was
turned over to display, “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes”.
It was time to see if the motion of the ocean helps or
hinders sleep.
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