Every day on a Windstar cruise offers a cornucopia of choices for foodie experiences with truly immersive culinary experiences such as “Market Shopping with the Chef” at local markets in many ports of call where you may pick up that evening’s fish entree or fresh local produce that magically is made into a gourmand delight by the same chef you shopped with. Each day on board brings a new opportunity to sip and savour new tastes from Galley Tours led by the ship’s Executive Chef and accompanied by a glass of bubbly and canapés to regionally-inspired wine, beer or cider tastings. All of the extras are complimentary Don’t miss out on morning Cooking Demonstrations or afternoon Mixology Classes — and all complimentary on Windstar’s small elegant ships.
AmphorA, the main dining room on each Windstar ship, is center stage for the rotating selection of featured James Beard recipes each evening. The new menus are rolling out to all Windstar ships by the end of the year and are currently available on Star Pride. Star Legend is next in line for the changes. Each dinner menu has two featured recipes from a James Beard-affiliated chef – either a starter, entrée, or dessert. The items are specially notated on the menu, and no “upcharge” or additional fee is charged for ordering these show-stopping dishes.
Guests may order Venison Carpaccio with shaved cabbage and cucumber coleslaw, toasted almonds, and aged local cheese as a starter one evening. The rich but light dish is from Chef Paul Berglund of The Bachelor Farmer in Minneapolis, MN and a James Beard Foundation award-winner for Best Chef Midwest. Berglund joined Windstar on an August 2017 cruise in Scandinavia, a region where he draws much of his culinary inspiration. On another evening, guests may order Grilled Guajillo Glazed Prawns with charred corn relish and creamy edam polenta as an entrée. The bright and tangy dish is from Chef Annie Pettry of Decca in Louisville, KY and a recent Top Chef contestant. Pettry joined Windstar aboard a June 2017 Culinary Cruise Collection sailing in Spain and Portugal, where she was inspired to create the dish using local ingredients.