Chefdbrown & Crystal Cruises Mediterranean tour
I’ve got a great trip in the works for this fall for anyone who likes the idea of eating and drinking their way across the Mediterranean on the world’s best Luxury Cruise liner- I’ve been asked to host a Crystal Cruises tour in the Mediterranean this coming October…
It’s a great route, we cover all of my old stomping grounds from when I lived aboard Merv Griffin’s “MotorYacht Griff”, lots of familiar faces and places where I’ll host day trips along the way.
- We start in Monaco – the world of Chef Alain Ducasse, perhaps a cocktail at the Royal Monte Carlo Beach Club
- Genoa – just a short drive to Santa Margherita – (I had the best pesto I’ve ever tasted at Ristorante Puny)
- Rome – and a quick jaunt to Orvieto, the home of Domenica Fiore Olive Oil, lunch at the farm
- Naples – think pizza, pasta & espresso so hot it’s served with water to wet your lip so it doesn’t stick to the cup 😉
- Sicily – ridiculously good tomatoes, eggplant caponata, fantastic wine and more amazing olive oil
- Malta – Maltese fish soup – (Aljotta), and ricotta stuffed Kannoli to die for…
- Palma de Mallorca – crazy good calamari and a night life that will blow your mind
- Barcelona – what I believe is hands down the best food market anywhere, and the most vibrant city I know
- Toulon – because no trip to the Med is complete without a stop in Provence, home of the Bouillabaisse
- then back to Monaco again.
We’ll get to do day trips to all my old favorite spots from port to port, (and some of my new ones too, lol). Lunch in Orvieto is going to be incredible, in Naples we’re entertaining the idea of pizza school at Gambero Rosso’s Citta del Gusto; I’ve got great vineyards and more olive oils lined up in Sicly, Palma is gorgeous and has amazing Cava bars, and in Barcelona we’ll take a group ashore to go shopping in the market, then come back aboard for a cooking class with whatever we found that day… (think jamon, tuna and salt cod 😉 ). I love Provence, and Toulon’s a fishing town so the seafood’s amazing, but i’m also headed to a bakery for a tarte tatin…
One of the first stops will be to visit Cesare Bianchini in Orvieto- the producer of Domenica Fiore Olive oil, and a great friend-
It will be right in the middle of the harvest of their Olio Novello, so we can pull some fresh oil and then we’ll cook up a big family style feast in the villa overlooking the ancient Cathedral across the valley…
“Pasta di Scopa” was invented on this particular night – (broomstick pasta, lol)
the pasta was made with 3 types of local flour and some massive goose eggs that the neighbour brought over 😉
(Domenica Fiore photos courtesy of Noravera Visuals)
Lots more to come, i’ll keep you posted as I work it all out, lol…
Above all, I have to say, I’m blown away with the caliber of Crystal Cruises- the boat is absolutely stunning.
it’s as luxurious as any private super yacht I saw in my travels or any hotel I’ve worked in since…
I’ll be hosting smaller private dinners in the Vintner’s Room…
and there’s a Piero Selvaggio restaurant and a Nobu sushi bar on board as well!!
So if you love the Mediterranean, enjouy being waited on hand and foot, and live for amazing food and wine, drop me a line and let me know, there’s still time to book- we’re gonna have a lot of fun…