My Recent Vacation

[Andy M.]

My recent vacation had some highs and lows. It was a combination of flying to Florida and visiting with SO's son, granddaughter and great granddaughter; taking a 5day/four night cruise around the Bahamas and getting stuck in Florida because of the storms in New England. We were stuck longer than most because we were flying "free" because granddaughter is a flight attendant and non-revenue passengers get a low priority.

Our stay in FL before and after the cruise was mostly at the Hard Rock Resort and Casino in Hollywood, FL. A very nice place with top notch restaurants.

We also visited SO's sister who recently moved to FL and bought a new home. We spent a day helping prepare the new home for moving day.

The cruise was another story. I didn't enjoy it. I know I'm in the minority. It was crowded, noisy and the food was nothing to write home about.

Enough of all that. The real reason for this post is to share with you some great food we had at a Japanese restaurant at the Hard Rock.

Wagyu Beef Tacos – spicy cilantro, soy, shallots, aji amarillo aoili

Tuna with Crispy Rice – Pan-Fried Sushi rice topped with spicy tuna and caviar

Beef Shishito – Tenderloin with ichimi jus

Beef Negima – Ribeye, scallions yakitori

Pork Belly – Berkshire pork with scallions, ginger, miso glaze

Duck Skewer

Hamachi Maki Roll

Ginger Pear Cake – pear cream, almond sorbet, miso butterscotch

Japanese Doughnuts – anko ganache, peanut butter, matcha anglaise


These were all delicious. We ate there twice.

The Tuna with Crispy Rice was one of the best things I have ever eaten anywhere!

 

[dragnlaw]

Andy - looks and sounds fantastic and EXTREMELY yummy!

 

[Dawgluver]

What pretty food! It sounds delicious!

 

[Kayelle]

Thanks for sharing your beautiful food with us Andy. You know how we are.

 

[Rocklobster]

Nice!!

 

[blissful]

yum and such nice presentations.

 

[Kaneohegirlinaz]

Andy, what a wonderful way to finish off a vacation that wasn't all-that for you.
Andagi-Okinawan Donuts are a sore spot for me.
Back home in Kaneohe, the neighbor across the street from us always made them for holidays, and let me tell you, I'm not sure how she made them, but them sat in your stomach like lead balls ACK!
Oh MAN!! Now, DH and I say year for the past what? 1/2 hour, "what was there name again?"

Oh and I meant to say, DH and I did the 4 night cruise from Los Angles to Ensenada and we felt the same. Cramped, damp, musty, CROWDED, noisy, and not great food at all... we decided we won't be spending our vacay dollars that way.

 

[Andy M.]

...Oh and I meant to say, DH and I did the 4 night cruise from Los Angles to Ensenada and we felt the same. Cramped, damp, musty, CROWDED, noisy, and not great food at all... we decided we won't be spending our vacay dollars that way.

Yeah, I'd rather go somewhere and enjoy that location - New Orleans, SanFrancisco, Quebec, etc.

 

[Kaneohegirlinaz]

Yeah, I'd rather go somewhere and enjoy that location - New Orleans, SanFrancisco, Quebec, etc.

We whole-heartedly agree with you there Andy!
Five years ago we were going to take the Alaska cruise for our anniversary ...
gave the deposit, had a balcony room reserved, the whole nine yards.
And then I totaled up what everything was going to cost for a 10 adventure...
alot more money than we really wanted to shell out for only ten days.
Instead, we spent a month on the road seeing National Parks AND spent less money.
(just to ring my own bell, my blog is at this time re-visiting that trip if anyone would care to read about it )

 

[Steve Kroll]

Looks great Andy!

I agree with you about cruise ships. Maybe we're both in the minority. Many years ago, I played in a band on a cruise ship for a total of 10 months. The cruise line asked us to sign a 2-year contract, but we passed. 10 months was way too long for me.

 

[Kaneohegirlinaz]

Andy, I forgot to ask you,
what did SO think of the cruise?

Heh ya Steve, hope you and MXK are having a good time!!! And 10 months on a cruise ship, wow! I give you credit man!

 

[Andy M.]

Andy, I forgot to ask you,
what did SO think of the cruise?...

She's been on other cruises in the past while this was my first. She felt we chose the wrong ship for a really good cruise. I would not choose to go on another cruise.

 

[Cheryl J]

Beautiful food pics, Andy.

Chalk me up as another non-cruiser. I've never been on one, but haven't had any desire to...I'm not good with crowds and need to be able to set my feet on dry land often and have unscheduled meals. My daughter and SIL have been on several and they love them. Except for the last one when she found out she was expecting 3 days before they left...lol. No wine and no partying for her on that cruise.

 

[GotGarlic]

Beautiful food pics, Andy.

Chalk me up as another non-cruiser. I've never been on one, but haven't had any desire to...I'm not good with crowds and need to be able to set my feet on dry land often and have unscheduled meals. My daughter and SIL have been on several and they love them. Except for the last one when she found out she was expecting 3 days before they left...lol. No wine and no partying for her on that cruise. [emoji38]

Just FYI, the cruise we went on stopped at a different island every day and we went ashore for several hours. I would not want to go on a cruise to nowhere [emoji38] Also, there are usually several restaurants with different hours - the formal dining room, bars and cafés that serve food and drinks all the time.

 

[Cheryl J]

Just FYI, the cruise we went on stopped at a different island every day and we went ashore for several hours. I would not want to go on a cruise to nowhere [emoji38] Also, there are usually several restaurants with different hours - the formal dining room, bars and cafés that serve food and drinks all the time.

True!

 

[Kayelle]

For the sake of conversation, I have another perspective on cruises, since I've been on 11 ocean cruises (the longest being 32 days) and 5 river cruises all over the world since 2007.
The very worst example of a cruise is a 3 or 4 day cruise, and it would have been a real mistake for me to think they were all like that. I did one of those long ago and I'd never do one of them again. They're generally known as a booze cruise party boat and nothing more. You are right..they suck and Carnival Line is the worst of the worst in that department.
On the other hand, since then I've never been on a cruise I didn't enjoy, some more than others. There are countless perks to cruising when the destinations are the point of the travel.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

Kayelle, "booze cruise" is a great name for them. Loverly's best friend asked her to go along with their group every year. Finally, she did go...and said the only good thing about it was sitting at the bar drinking and kidding with the barkeep. And swore she'd never do one like that again. Meanwhile, our neighbors from our last home did go on a cruise through the western side of the Gulf of Mexico, making a stop in many Mexican ports. He got to climb Mayan ruins while she and the girls shopped in the city. They went into port and saw something different every day.

...The cruise was another story. I didn't enjoy it. I know I'm in the minority. It was crowded, noisy and the food was nothing to write home about...

First and foremost, that food looks delicious and tempting - and I don't even like sushi. I'm glad you enjoyed your meal there. Too bad the floaty part of your trip was less palatable.

I have no interest in going on a big boat cruise either. However, I have given serious consideration to one of the small-boat types of cruises like the Viking River cruise line offers - if we got passports. However, there are a number of U.S. based cruises that travel the Mississippi, or the rivers in the Northwest - now that sounds like a cruise to take. No deep water, and I could see land from the boat all the time!

 

[Rocklobster]

I think they keep the food very generic and bland to attempt to satisfy picky and non adventurous eaters.

 

[roadfix]

Bummer to hear about the cruise. Your food pics look awesome though..
I've never been on a cruise but if I ever take one I obviously want it to be an adventure, but like anything else in life, it can be a crap shoot.