Princess Cruises Ruby Princess

Page 32

Crown Grill

Overview

The Crown Grill is the choice for gourmet steak and seafood options, served in the opulent atmosphere of a top-notch steakhouse. There is certainly an abundance of rich wood and leather to go around, giving the room a decidedly “old boy’s club” feel. Princess boasts that the Crown offers fare “grilled to your specific tastes,” with wine options to match.

Advertised as an upscale restaurant, we were a little disappointed by what we encountered here. The service was well below expectations: The staff didn’t pay attention to which side they were using to serve, or if they were reaching over the table, and definitely no ladies first in here. They never asked if you would like your glass refilled with wine, they just went ahead and did it. The napkins weren’t folded when you went to the restroom, either. These may sound like picky qualms, and though we can dine happily without these extra notes of service, we know what to expect of upscale dining, and the quality we look for was unfortunately absent. Our main waitress was definitely friendly, but a little over attentive, not leaving us to enjoy our meal at the appropriate times.

The design of the Crown Grill is certainly swank. There are photographs of New York City on the wall and a modern, open kitchen where you can watch the chefs hard at work. All together, the atmosphere is very cozy, just what you’d expect from a fancy steakhouse.

(Photo by Peter Knego)

(Photo by Peter Knego)

(Photo by Peter Knego)

(Photo by Peter Knego)

(Photo by Peter Knego)

(Photo by Peter Knego)

(Photo by Peter Knego)

(Photo by Peter Knego)

Food

Some menu samples include black tiger prawns and papaya salpicon, carpaccio of pine nut, lobster cake, soup, like a pancetta bisque, salads like the Grill Salad with grape-balsamic dressing, and a seafood selection with mussels, bass, prawns and of course a whole page of chops and steaks. Side orders, like any respectable steakhouse house, are ordered separately, including asparagus, a loaded baked potato, and mashed potatoes.

For an appetizer, we had the scallops and foie gas, paired with apples and a sauce. The foie gras with fennel and a radish salad was quite tasty, the foie gras just melting away in the mouth, perfectly paired with the lighter bit of salad.

As a second course, the mussels in white wine sauce were well cooked, but bland. There was virtually no seasoning. We could pass on this next time around.

To finish the meal, we ordered the veal chop in Madeira, marinated with herbs and sauteed mushrooms and a side of garlic herb French fries. This whole dish was way too big. The mushrooms and the veal were cooked well, but a little dry. The fries were good, but they gave us a heaping portion. Curiously, we noticed that the mushrooms had more garlic than the fries. All together, we were not overly impressed by our dinner at the Crown Grille.

Of course we had to have the dessert sampler. It started with a seven layer s’mores stack, then a molten dutch chocolate obsession, followed by a wild berry and apple cobbler, and finally a lemon meringue pudding tart. Of the four, the meringue was the best. The s’mores were too sweet for our taste.

(Photo by Peter Knego)