Celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse is cooking up his first-ever seagoing restaurant aboard Carnival Cruise Line’s newest ship, Mardi Gras, that will set sail in summer 2020.
Emeril’s Bistro 1396 will showcase the chef’s signature dishes that earned him the reputation as one of New Orleans’ most acclaimed and respected chefs. “I’ve developed restaurants all over the country, but to create my first restaurant at sea – on a ship named Mardi Gras with its own French Quarter, no less – was an opportunity I simply could not pass up,” Lagasse said. “I’m excited to be a part of this brand new ship and bring a taste of the flavors of New Orleans cuisine to the guests sailing on Mardi Gras.”
Named after Mardi Gras’ hull number at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland, the bistro will celebrate New Orleans’ rich culture with Creole favorites and daily specials. The menu will include: oyster and cochon de lait po-boys, muffaletta sandwiches, Emeril’s signature barbecue shrimp, fresh seafood ceviche, roasted duck & Andouille sausage gumbo, jambalaya, and complements such as Creole potato salad with diced scallions, and red beans and “jazz-man” rice. Breakfast offerings will feature shrimp and grits and a shrimp Creole omelet.
The French Quarter is one of the ship’s six themed zones on Mardi Gras that’s slated to enter service in Europe Aug. 31, 2020, before repositioning to New York for a series of voyages. It will then shift to Port Canaveral for year-round seven-day Caribbean cruises beginning in October, 2020.
Thanks again Mr. Immen for an enjoyable account of the features of the new ship Mardi Gras. Now I’ll get my schedule organized so I can sail on her, avoiding hurricane season, spring break mayhem, (same as hurricane season), as is summer holidays (what with the ankle-biters also similar to hurricane time). Being retired, that should be easy to find a peaceful cruise experience.