Today we start the journey back to Seattle with a brief stop in Victoria tomorrow night. Plenty of activities on board during the ‘At Sea’ days. It’s not raining today but there are gale force winds rocking the boat. The closed pools were sloshing and outdoor activities were cancelled. We took a visit to the top deck. Notice Theresa and I are the only ones on the top deck??
Back inside … most days the shopping floor features many bargains … winter wear, jackets, caps, watches, bags, perfume, jewelry and more. There’s usually a feeding frenzy of shoppers gathering round the counters especially early in the day.
Cruise ship food is amazing and I think on just about any cruise ship, you’ll find something appealing plus more. We loved having escargot for an appetizer on the dinner menu. Lots of steak, prime rib, seafood, and interesting things to try.
Typically, Theresa and I would order coffee and something light from room service to be delivered early like around 7:00 am. We’d follow up a few hours later with breakfast or sometimes later for lunch.
When it came to breakfast or lunch, we opted for the restaurant over the buffet … we like being waited on which doesn’t happen too often. Even though it’s the same restaurant, the menu changes daily.
Today, I found something on the lunch menu that I had always been curious about but never really felt compelled to try until today … chicken & waffles. I’ve seen this down south at Waffle House establishments and never understood the logic of wrecking good chicken with waffles and syrup. Apparently my kids have had it somewhere and like it. Curiosity won out today.
Doing a little research, I found out that Chicken & Waffles is not a new thing at all. Chicken and waffles came to Los Angeles by 1931, when they were served at The Maryland, a restaurant that marketed the dish as a Southern specialty. But my research shows that Chicken & Waffles are not found in any of the ‘big name’ southern cook books. So is it really a southern thing?
In New York, the dish was served in the African-American community in Harlem as early as the 1930s in such locations as Tillie’s Chicken Shack, Richard Wells’ jazz nightclub, and particularly the Wells Supper Club. In 1935 Bunny Berigan composed a jazz instrumental titled “Chicken and Waffles”.
Since the 1970s, chicken and waffles have gained popularity in Los Angeles due to the fame of former Harlem resident Herb Hudson’s restaurant Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles which has become known as a favorite of some Hollywood celebrities, referenced in several movies which spun off several more locations into a small chain.
My review of the cruise ship Chicken & Waffles … the chicken was so good I almost dumped the waffles but I knew this would be one of the few times (only time) I would try this delicacy. I’m not a fan of waffles or pancakes but will eat them if forced by some over zealous relative who loves making them. The combination of chicken and waffles with gravy was ok. I still can’t imagine eating this combination with syrup. Even if its a gravy thing it’s not something I would seek out or order instead of a good omelet or egg option. Chicken & Waffles just doesn’t make sense to me. (Historical information from 50Kitchen.com; TastingTable.com; Wikipedia.org)
Onward! Theresa and I went to the “Napkin Folding” session. It was fun and creative. Crazy to see how many people showed up to fold napkins.
Theresa and I also attended the “Zen Coloring” along with a few dozen other people. This was a very relaxing quiet time.
Now it’s time for Bingo! I can’t remember the last time I played bingo but it wasn’t for $1000. This awesome glass room was filled with eager bingo players plus a crazy long line of people wanting to buy cards.
Jane in Spain 