#to have been remembered like some of his contemporaries). there's a slew of soon to be famousish faces to spot as well‚ including early

[miamisecretescapes]

Miami Secret Escapes |  

8 Cruises From Miami With Luxury Dining Experiences

With tastebuds getting more refined and travelers expecting more when it comes to their dining experiences, cruise ships continue to capitalize and deliver on some of the most outstanding and innovative cuisines by bringing chef collaborations, wine tastings and culinary programs to the seas and beyond.

On Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas, cruisers looking for Tuscan cuisine can pop into famed British chef Jamie Oliver’s Italian eatery. Open for lunch and dinner, guests can opt for one of the chef’s homemade pastas made fresh daily, or grilled options like lamb or pork. At 105 Central Park, it’s Royal Caribbean’s own global chefs who are front and center as they showcase the latest in contemporary seasonal cuisines. After a gourmet meal, make your way to Vintages, a wine bar aboard the Royal fleet, which features one-of-a-kind wines from top winemakers that are exclusive to Royal Caribbean. From California to South African wines, sample a tasting or a bottle of the ship’s finest vintages. On the newly refurbished Navigator of the Seas, slurp up oysters at Hooked Seafood, and if you need to catch a game and a beer, Playmaker’s Sports Bar and Arcade has you covered.

Buzz-worthy MSC Seaside, boasts acclaimed James Beard Award-winning chef Roy Yamaguchi and his restaurant, Asian Market Kitchen. Diners can choose a live-action teppanyaki grill or keep it light and fresh with sushi, sashimi and selections from the raw bar. Chef Roy’s Hawaiian/European-influenced cuisine is also reflected in dishes like lobster fried rice and a curry wine sauce rack of lamb. On the MSC Meraviglia, which is slated to hit the port of Miami very soon, cruisers will have the opportunity to dine at Michelin-starred Spanish chef Ramon Freixa’s new restaurant, Hola! Tapas. A Mediterranean style social restaurant with an emphasis on shared plates like jamón ibérico, tortilla espanola and more. Expect to see it on the majestic MSC Bellissima as well. Come hungry.

When you ‘Choose Fun’ on Carnival Cruise, you’re also choosing some fun-tactic dining options. The not-to-be-missed spots include Guy’s Pig and Anchor BBQ Smokehouse, where you can get some of that roadside BBQ action like Blue Ribbon chicken with a side of his famous mac n’ cheese available on five of the line’s ships. The most anticipated restaurant coming to a ship near you, is Emeril Lagasse first sea venture, Emeril’s Bistro 1836, on the Carnival Mardi Gras. The New Orleans cuisine restaurant, will have Creole favorites like oyster and cochon de lait po-boys, roasted duck & Andouille sausage gumbo, jambalaya, shrimp and grits and bananas foster. Carnival will also be the first cruise line to can and keg their own beer (already available on Horizon and Vista), fleetwide. Enjoy a ParchedPig West Coast IPA, an intense beer loaded with bitterness with a bright flavor profile and distinctive aroma of citrus and pine.

One of the biggest names to hit the high seas for Celebrity Cruises, is renowned French chef Daniel Boulud. Boulud will become the brand’s Global Culinary Ambassador with a slew of culinary programs sure to seduce the palette. A three-course menu developed by Boulud will be offered at all the Luminae restaurants fleetwide. Sure to be a sold out experience, the "Chef’s Table by Daniel Boulud" will allow guests to enjoy champagne and canapés on arrival, a five-course dinner with wine pairings. The dinner also comes with one of the chef's cookbooks. Training with the best just became a reality thanks to Celebrity’s Culinary Mentorship Program, where up-and-coming chefs will be hands-on in Celebrity Kitchens as well as one of Boulud’s many restaurants.

How does a butter poached Alaskan King Crab, brown butter Berkshire pork chop, and roasted crab legs sound? To a foodie, it sounds like a feast to remember, and now, thanks to Australian super chef, Curtis Stone, you can eat like a king (and queen) when you dine at the newly revamped, SHARE, aboard Princess Cruises. Chef Stone is all about creating artistic dishes in a warm, and celebratory setting, where his dishes transcend flavor and cultural influences. Now imagine doing that in six exquisite courses. He, along with his personal sommelier, hand picked all the wines. You’ll have your choice of Barolo to Piedmonte and Ribera del Duero from Spain and beyond. Let’s not forget the "Crafted by Curtis" menu selections also available in the main dining room. After a Curtis Stone meal, you’ll want to unwind with a prestigious glass of wine selected by Princess sommelier Doug Frost. Select from 142 wines to be exact.

On Azamara Cruises, you get to be a part of your own culinary journey, thanks to the Azamara Chef Experience available in Dubai. Imagine pursuing the city’s Fish Market for the fresh catch of the day, that’ll later be used for your evening dinner! Once that’s been selected, cross the street to the Fruit and Vegetable market where you can pick vegetables like zucchini, egglant, fresh strawberries and more before making your way to the Spice Souk for traditional Arabic Herbs. If you thought you were fully immersed in Dubai’s food scene, think again. Partner up with an Azamara expert for a visit to Dubai’s Camelicious Farm, home to over 4,000 milk-producing camels where you’ll become an expert on the dairy process Last on the foodie excursion, a stop at the city’s Coffee Museum where you’ll sample brews from around the world. Then it’s back on the ship to eat your finds in what is sure to be an unforgettable meal.

In what’s sure to be a grand welcome, Virgin Voyages, will be welcoming their first sea venture, The Scarlet Lady, to the port of Miami in 2020 and the dining options are already creating a buzz. With a cocktail program like no other, Razzle Dazzle (named for the camouflaging pattern painted on warships from WWI and WWII), will be the ship’s resident drag brunch, where sailors are treated to a show from the ship’s resident drag performer and friends. Expect a vibrant scene offering up vegetarian fare as well as fun cocktails and fresh juices. There’s no in between. If you’re looking for ultra-luxe dining, you’ll find it at Wake, aboard the Scarlet Lady. A mid-20th century steak and seafood haunt with chop house atmosphere but vintage feel. Expect lots and lots of champagne.

Oceania Cruises is know for ‘the finest cuisine in the world,’ so expect to dine on some of the finest food at sea. Led by esteemed chef, Jacques Pepin, Oceania cruises offers everything from a distinguished culinary center where state of the art cooking classes are held for a close knit group of 24, and guests will get to try their hand at everything from French cuisine to plant-based menus. If you’re looking for a more immersive experience, guests team up with a master chef to tour and shop the local markets in Europe and French Polynesia, and use their buys to cook up a simmering meal on board. There are some foodies who really want to rub elbows with Pepin himself, and they’ll have an opportunity to do so once a year, where they are treated to individualized menus, lectures and demos by Pepin. Mark your calendars—it’s happening aboard the Marina this September.

[northcountryprimitive]

“You Can Hear Someone’s World View Through Their Guitar.” An Interview with Josh Rosenthal of Tompkins Square Records

This interview originally appeared at North Country Primitive on 11th March 2016

Josh Rosenthal’s Tompkins Square Records, which has recently celebrated its tenth anniversary, has become somewhat of an institution for music fans, thanks to Josh’s consistent championing of American Primitive guitar, the old, weird America and various other must-hear obscurities he has managed to pluck from the ether. Not content with running one of the best record labels on the planet, he is now also an author, and about to go out on tour with various musicians from the wider Tompkins Square family in support of his new book, The Record Store of the Mind. We caught up with him this week and pestered him with a heap of questions - our thanks to Josh for putting up with us.

Congratulations on The Record Store of the Mind – it’s an absorbing and entertaining read. Has this project had a long gestation period? How easily does writing come to you - and is it something you enjoy doing? It certainly comes across that way…

Thanks for the kind words. I don’t consider myself a writer. I started the book in November 2014 and finished in May 2015, but a lot of that time was spent procrastinating, working on my label, or getting really down on myself for not writing. I could have done more with the prose, made it more artful. I can’t spin yarn like, say, your average MOJO writer. So I decided early on to just tell it straight, just tell the story and don’t labour over the prose.

I particularly like how you mix up memoir, pen portraits of musicians, and snippets of crate digger philosophy… was the book crafted and planned this way or was there an element of improvisation - seeing where your muse took you? And is there more writing to follow?

If I write another book, it’d have to be based around a big idea or theme. This one is a collection of essays. As I went on, I realised that there’s this undercurrent of sadness and tragedy in most of the stories, so a theme emerged. I guess it’s one reflective of life, just in a musical context. We all have things we leave undone, or we feel under-appreciated at times. I wasn’t even planning to write about myself, but then some folks close to me convinced me I should do. So you read about six chapters and then you find out something about the guy who’s writing this stuff. I intersperse a few chapters about my personal experience, from growing up on Long Island in love with Lou Reed to college radio days to SONY and all the fun things I did there. Threading those chapters in gives the book a lift, I think.

Tell us a bit about the planned book tour. You’ve got a mighty fine selection of musicians joining you on the various dates. I imagine there was no shortage of takers?

I’m really grateful to them all. I selected some folks in each city I’m visiting, and they all are in the Tompkins Square orbit. Folks will see the early guitar heroes like Peter Walker, Max Ochs and Harry Taussig and the youngsters like Diane Cluck, one of my favourite vocalists. You can’t read for more than ten minutes. People zone out. So having music rounds out the event and ties back to the whole purpose of my book and my label.

It’s clear from the book that you haven’t lost your excitement about uncovering hidden musical gems. Any recent discoveries that have particularly floated your boat?

I’m working with a couple of guys on a compilation of private press guitar stuff. They are finding the most fascinating and beautiful stuff from decades ago. I’ve never heard of any of the players. Most are still alive, and they are sending me fantastic photos and stories. I have been listening to a lot of new music now that Spotify is connected to my stereo system! I love Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith. Her new one is out soon. I like Charlie Hilton’s new album too.

Any thoughts on the vinyl resurgence and the re-emergence of the humble cassette tape?

Vinyl has kept a lot of indie record stores in business, which is a great development. As a label, it’s a low margin product, so that’s kind of frustrating. If you’re not selling it hand over fist, it can be a liability. The model seems to be - make your physical goods, sell them as best you can within the first four months, and then let the digital sphere be your warehouse. I never bought cassettes and have no affinity for them, or the machines that play them.

Turning to Tompkins Square, did your years working for major labels serve as a good apprenticeship for running your own label? Did you have a clear idea of what you wanted the label to look like from the outset or has the direction its taken developed organically over time?

Working for PolyGram as a teenager and then SONY for 15 years straight out of college was formative. I like taking on projects. My interests and the marketplace dictate what I do. I’ve always felt like the label does me instead of vice versa. For example, the idea of releasing two, three or four disc sets of a particular genre served me well, but now it feels like a very 2009 concept. It doesn’t interest me much, and the commercial viability of that has diminished because it seems the appetite for those types of products has diminished.

Working in relatively niche genres in the current music industry climate can’t be the safest or easiest way to make a living. Is there a sense sometimes that you’re flying by the seat of your pants?

We’re becoming a two-format industry - streaming and vinyl. The CD is really waning and so is the mp3. The streaming pie is growing but it’s modest in terms of income when you compare it to CD or download margins at their height. I don’t really pay much mind to the macro aspects of the business. I just try to release quality, sell a few thousand, move on to the next thing, while continuing to goose the catalogue. The business is becoming very much about getting on the right playlists that will drive hundreds of thousands of streams. It’s the new payola.

American Primitive and fingerstyle guitar makes up a significant percentage of Tompkins Square releases, going right back to the early days of the label – indeed, it could be said that you’ve played a pivotal role in reviving interest in the genre. Is this a style that is particularly close to your heart? What draws you to it?

Interest in guitar flows in and out of favour. There are only a small number of guitarists I actually like, and a much longer list of guitarists I’m told I’m SUPPOSED to like. Most leave me cold, even if they’re technically great. But I respect anyone who plays their instrument well. Certain players like Harry Taussig or Michael Chapman really reach me - their music really gets under my skin and touches my soul. It’s hard to describe, but it has something to do with melody and repetition. It’s not about technique per se. You can hear someone’s world view through their guitar, and you can hear it reflecting your own.

You’ve reintroduced some wonderful lost American Primitive classics to the world – by Mark Fosson, Peter Walker, Don Bikoff, Richard Crandell and so on. How have these reissues come about? Painstaking research? Happy cratedigging accidents? Serendipity? Are there any reissues you’re particularly proud of?

They came about in all different ways. A lot of the time I can’t remember how I got turned on to something, or started working with someone. Peter was among the first musicians I hunted down in 2005, and we made his first album in 40 years. I think Mark’s cousin told me about his lost tapes in the attic. Bikoff came to me via WFMU. Crandell - I’m not sure, but In The Flower of My Youth is one of the greatest solo guitar albums of all time. I’m proud of all of them !

Are there any ‘ones that got away’ that you particularly regret, where red tape, copyright issues, cost or recalcitrant musicians have prevented a reissue from happening? Any further American Primitive reissues in the pipeline you can tell us about – the supply of lost albums doesn’t seem to be showing signs of drying up yet…

Like I said, this new compilation I’m working on is going to be a revelation. So much fantastic, unknown, unheard private press guitar music. It makes you realise how deep the well actually is. There are things I’ve wanted to do that didn’t materialise. Usually these are due to uncooperative copyright owners or murky provenance in a recording that makes it unfit to release legitimately.

You’ve also released a slew of albums by contemporary guitarists working in the fingerstyle tradition. How do you decide who gets the Tompkins Square treatment?  What are you looking for in a guitarist when you’re deciding who to work with? And what’s the score with the zillions of James Blackshaw albums? Has he got dirt on you!?

It takes a lot for me to sign someone. I feel good about the people I’ve signed, and most of them have actual careers, insofar as they can go play in any US or European city and people will pay to see them. I hope I’ve had a hand in that. I did six albums with Blackshaw because he’s one of the most gifted composers and guitarist of the past 50 years. He should be scoring films. He really should be a superstar by now, like Philip Glass. I think he’s not had the right breaks or the best representation to develop his career to its full potential. But he’s still young.

Imaginational Anthems has been a flagship series for Tompkins Square from the beginning. The focus of the series seems to have shifted a couple of times – from the original mixture of old and new recordings to themed releases to releases with outside curators. Has this variation in approach been a means by which to mix it up and keep the series fresh? Are you surprised at the iconic status the series has achieved?

I don’t know about iconic. I think the comps have served their purpose, bringing unknowns into the light via the first three volumes and introducing some young players along the way. Cian Nugent was on the cover of volume 3 as a teenager. Daniel Bachman came to my attention on volume 5, which Sam Moss compiled. Sam Moss’ new album is featured on NPR just today! Steve Gunn was relatively unknown when he appeared on volume 5. There are lots more examples of that. I like handing over the curation to someone who can turn me on to new players, just as a listener gets turned on. It’s been an amazing experience learning about these players. And I’m going to see a number of IA alums play on my book tour : Mike Vallera, Sam Moss, Wes Tirey - and I invited Jordan Norton out in Portland. Never met him or saw him play. He was fantastic. Plays this Frippy stuff.

What’s next for you and Tompkins Square?

I signed a young lady from Ireland. Very excited about her debut album, due in June. I’m reissuing two early 70’s records by Bob Brown, both produced by Richie Havens. Beautiful records, barely anyone has heard them.

[surelypovichjr]

Surely Gets a Brazilian, Part 2: Waxing Poetic On My Big Olympics Scoop

Part 1 of my Brazilian adventure can be found here.

Part 2

A plane touches down at Galeão International Airport. Amongst its passengers a writer, a great writer, a man, naturally. But this man is not just any writer—no— this man is a sportswriter, sent south undercover of night on a mission of remarkable import—to bravely type up an Internet article about athletic events played by young people.  

Of course, the man had been an athlete in his salad days; a backup point guard at Charles W. Woodward High in Rockville, Maryland. No slouch on the hardcourt, the boy averaged nearly several points per game—he set the team record for highest three point shot percentage in a season, with a damn perfect 100% accuracy on one attempt, in the final thirty seconds of a junior year thrashing of Whitman High—a school record that stands to this day. (Editor’s Note: Charles Woodward High School closed in 1987. Today, the building operates as Tilden Middle School.)

That being said, it was clear that the boy simply wasn’t cut from the same athletic cloth as his contemporaries, like DeMatha’s Adrian Dantley or even his teammate and one-time bar mitzvah partner, Chip Rosenbaum; a slew of physical detractments inherited from the boy’s German ancestors had taken its toll on his portly frame.

Dantley’s DeMatha squad. Guess who they lost to that one time? Yers Surely!

Chip would often poke fun at his friend’s grotesquely wide Silesian ankles and thin birdlike arms, which were viewed as a sign of attractiveness amongst the aristocracy of the 19th century Holy Roman Empire. In fact, the boy was thrown out of the Adas Israel Hebrew School when he joked that no one in his family had lifted a weight since his great-great-great-great grandfather helped build the pyramids at Giza. Despite its bald-faced ludicrousness, the veracity of this statement has yet to be overturned. 

Even though Chip would ceaselessly lampoon him, the two remained good friends for a time, even if they did constantly compete, and argue, oh how they argued! Constantly! Most of the times it was about mundane shit but other times, it got heated—like the time the two debated for six hours about which joint made the best matzoh ball soup in the Washington area. Chip was a Hofberg’s guy while his friend couldn’t get enough of the Silver Diner’s delicious piping hot broth—Chip couldn’t understand how one’s mouth could take such punishment. To settle the matter, the two spent all day playing hooky from school, driving all throughout the Washington area, avoiding truancy officers and tasting soups. Their disagreement remained...the friendship was never the same after that.

A 1950s menu from Hofberg’s Kosher Delicatessen. JHSGW Collections, gift of Ann Hofberg Richards.

Still, despite his horrifying asthma, the boy possessed a certain intelligence that more than made up for his Transylvanian feet and congenital gout. The writer had always played basketball with a mental grip that sometimes escaped the Chip Rosenbaums of the world, and as the years wore on and the modicum of athletic prowess that he thinly grasped bid adieu to his flabby fat fuck body, the man found that he retained the capacity to understand the idiosyncracies of the game, to comment on that which he could no longer do, to criticize those that could still perform, to yell and bemoan the way in which Adrian Dantley couldn’t hit a free throw to save his whore mother’s life.

Knock knock?

Who’s there?

It’s me, sportswriting, and I’m here to tell you that you are a natural fit for this profession.

The man was pudgy now but actually still very attractive in a weird I wanna fuck that old guy kinda way. Oh, If only he could be twenty in his sixty-seven years old brain! Why, the great writer would show these world class Olympic athletes a thing or two, no question, Carl. He'd probably fuck their girlfriends too...like he did Chip Rosenbaum’s steady behind the Bethesda Hot Shoppes after the Danny Gatton show in ‘78...but of course he could still totally make women orgasm a lot, a no-brainer given his legendary girth. His dick works very well, I'm told. But that is a whole host of other great stories the well-endowed man, who is actually me, will one day tell, obviously some names will have to be changed— legal reasons—ongoing cold cases—but that's neither here nor there.

The Hot Shoppes where I made it with this hot redhead who went by the name of Sherri Epstein after a Danny Gatton show back in ‘78. Ask for the Mighty Mo—fantastic burger—also the nickname for my crank.

Deplaning onto the tarmac, the veteran reporter finds himself smack dab in the middle of Brazil, sent to Rio over two years before any other sportswriter. Six hundred days. Six hundred days for one lone wolf to mush out ahead of the pack, to befriend the slighted, to lift up the downtrodden, and maybe, lend a helping hand. Sledding through the airport, the man stops to buy a sandwich, an exotic one he's never tasted before. The talented writer takes a long slow bite of the sandwich, which has some kind of sauce whose flavor he cannot place, unfamiliar and unArbys-like on his undiscerning sportswriter palate. Discarding the unsatisfying meal, he goes outside, where a dog, a husky mix of some sort, saunters up to greet him. The man looks with some curiosity at the puppy, who is slow and confused in returning his gaze. With a gentle shrug the dog takes a whiz all over the man’s polyester slacks...six hundred days left to go...so much for a leg up, I guess.

In line at the taxi stand, the writer suck into my nostrils some of Brazil’s finest air. Immediately I find myself wholly reviled by the fetid stench that has taken root in my deepest olfactory senses.

“Smells like corruption,” says the man, wretching on a second lungful.

Sherri Epstein. 

Waiting for me outside is a prepubescent punker holding a can of my favorite ginger ale.

“We meet again,” says a tall boy with strawberry hair.

“Yeah, uh, who are you?” 

“I’m Trevor, your photographer...I bailed you out after the thing with your child support and your altercation with the North Bethesda Police Department.”

“Doesn’t ring a bell. You have to understand, I get bailed out of jail quite a bit for altercations with the North Bethesda Police Department.”

“Really?”

“Obviously not, what the hell is wrong with you? I’m a model fuckin’ citizen,” I say, swigging the ginger ale.

“Soo, you do remember me then?”

“Honestly. No.”

“Okay, well, if you wanna just follow me,” he says opening the passenger door to his rental car. “Bill sent me your flight itinerary and told me to scoop you up so we can get started. Only got a couple years til this whole Olympics thing starts, hehe.”

The writer has been married enough times to know that this will be a terrible match. Best for us to just go our separate ways now. Call the service, explain yer still under the warranty, and they'll send the gal back to one of the countries with a -stan suffix, no questions asked. That's the ticket.

“I don't need you or your fancy camera,” he tells his lame photographer.

“This is an iPhone,” he says.

“And this middle finger is an I-hate-you. Make like an omelette and flip, ‘fore I get mad.”

“No one’s gonna tie me down,” says the writer, as Trevor gets back into his car and drives away. Bill’s heard the stories. The man thinks he can babysit a Povich. The penis wheels on that guy, muses the man, shaking my head.

With the chaperone gone, Surely Povich Jr. is ready to plunge taint deep into my Rio adventure.

My first stop is the library, natch, where Yers Surely spends upwards of an hour doin hardcore research on everything blue, yellow, and green the colors that are on the Brazilian flag, I soon find out. There's also a River whose naming rights have been purchased by one of the world's largest online book stores—might this be the connection I need to root out the corporate corruptions? Time will tell. 599 more days to get to the bottom of it.

The librarian’s name is Isabel, a meek and pretty girl in that traditional sort of way. Isabel seems like a very simple girl, shy, but helpful, unconfidently pursing her lips even though she says that she’s been working here for a few years now. I nod and look into Isabel’s hazel eyes, which are obscured by a pair of bifocals, reading glasses, necessary for perusing the many books that are held in this library. Isabel laughs in a way that I like but cannot put my finger on, lilting with a femininity that I myself do not possess. Her hair is the color of a box of blonde hair coloring, blond and yellow, cropped into a nest at the top of her head with a pencil. She also had great cans.

“Call me Izzy,” she says, pointing me towards several key books on South American corruption.

“Most of these are in Portuguese,” I say, drawing a frowny face on one of the covers.

“You will have to compensate the library for the damage to the book jacket,” says Izzy.

Content with my progress, I decide that it’s time to knock on back to my Airbnb to smoke a ferocious doob.

“Hasta la an hour or so,” I tell my librarian friend.

Home is a five story walk up near the Copacabana. My grand nephew, Mike Kemp had found the place on the World Wide Web. the proprietor Jorge couldn't be a nicer guy. The minute I checked in he was offering me all the good stuff, killer Amazonian Broccoli, Yayo de Janeiro, and also some kinda hallucinogen made from a poison dart frog--I could already tell that Jorge was really a top landlord, even if he was a talking dolphin now, which I thought was a very strange choice to make on his part.

Stoned on frog dust, I check email to find a missive from long-time ladyfriend Sun Xi, or rather, her lawyer, one Warren M. Wagglestein:

Dear Surely,

As you are well aware, you have been deficient in your payment of child care and support for Ms. Xi and her child, Ping Povich. You are in arrears for back payments in the amounts of $4,674.89, pretty much all payments since you received the results of your blood test.

Mr. Povich, I understand that you are a sportswriter in an ever-dwindling media landscape of diminishing returns for your quality reporting on great men of sport. Nonetheless, it is our legal obligation to inform you that all wages earned within the United States or for U.S. based employers will result in the immediate garnishment of your wages for purposes of covering these back payments.

In essence, I strongly advise you not to return to the North Bethesda area. Sun Xi and I are very happy together-- we are engaged to be married at the Pooks Hill Marriott this spring. Moreover, your son, Ping, has begun studies at Brandeis University. He no longer wishes to be a sportswriter like his father. You can imagine that his mother and I are merrily elated at his wise decision to become an athlete.Young Ping is quite the swimmer these days. Very impressive.

Stay in Brazil, Surely!

Warren

What a mockery Ping has made of the Povich name! A fucking athlete. Truly a disgrace.

The Grosvenor Market, which I am no longer banned from frequenting. Stone’s throw from both my duplex and the Pooks Hill Marriott. I threw a stone at it one time after my Milano’s were all melted. I got banned cuz of that.

Putting down Warren’s letter, I can't help but think to myself what Dad would do in a situation such as this one. I remember the time he recounted the occasion of his big story on Ty Cobb. Of course, Dad hated that racist Cobb but not as much as he loved the way that openly proud member of the Ku Klux Klan ran those bases.

“It’s always important to remain objective,” Dad said. “The story is bigger than how much I hate Ty Cobb for being racially insensitive and beating minorities within inches of their lives. It’s about the baseball and how he ran those bases dammit. That's the story that needs to be told. Not the assaults on minorities. Leave that fluff for the tabloids. You're a sportswriter, son. That's a sacred thing.”

Dad was right about this responsibility...Which is why I decided to stick it out around Brazil to see what happened with the Olympic Games. Besides, My prospects for earning pay stateside were pretty much scuttled. As such, I did what I knew dad would to pay for Ping’s tuition. Not pay for it at all and Wait for the little fucker to age out of being a dependent...textbook Povich move. It was just like Dad’s many different families and my 10 half-brothers who came to contest his will back in 1998. Now that's what I call a family reunion!

“Surely, yer a chip off the old block,” Dad would say, if he were still alive and not floating above me in an ethereal amphibian induced hallucination.

“Thanks, Dad,” I'd reply.

I just remembered that one of my half-brothers is named Caleb...wonder how he's doing.

Still tripping my crank off, I get a yellow taxi cab back to the library, as there’s a hardcore skin joint next door, whose books boobs I wanna check out.

The City of Goddess is a gold medal strip club nary a stone’s throw away from the Biblioteca Nacional; it’s also very close to one of the modern world's most horrifying slums, which in Portuguese-speak are exotically referred to as horrifying favelas.

Indeed, many of the sex workers employed by the City of Goddess hail from these highly impoverished locales, where the money they earn stripping for members of the Brazilian Parliament and International Olympics Committee, are passed down to their families and those neighbors in need.

“Mr. Povich, is that you?” asks a stripper, in nuthin’ but a 100 years of solitude themed g-string.

“Hey Isabel!” I exclaim, recognizing my helpful librarian.

I watch as Izzy sashays her way down the catwalk, admiring her provocative bikini bottom that features the tired hand of an aged farmhand white knuckling a banana. Is it suggestive of a boner, perhaps, but also, the plight of unfair labor practices in the Americas.

Frog I tripped balls on.

“So Surely, did you find someone to translate the book on Rio’s corrupt political class that I placed on your workstation, earlier today?”

“Unfortunately, I haven’t had the chance. Unless...”

“Meet me in the champagne room,” she replies.

“Sounds good Izzy. Are we gonna talk sex stuff. Maybe negotiate a price for services?”

“We can talk about that...or we can talk about...other stuff,” she says, grinding on my slacks, finally dry from all the dog urine that had accumulated earlier in the day. “For instance, in Rio, the poor and marginalized are never too far away from those places where millions of dollars in public money are being spent to build a volleyball stadium.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“You're a reporter aren't you?

“One of the best!”

“Doing an exposé on corruption before the Olympic Games?

“I believe so!”

“So write that down.”

“That’s a good idea, Izzy. Say do you know where the guy with all the skirt steak went? He was just here a minute ago and, well, I guess maybe he’ll be in the VIP area.”

Sure enough, he is in the VIP area, where I bear witness to a schmorgasbord of greased palms. All around me are good looking men, the bourgeois upper-class of Rio mixed with the seedy underbelly of the city’s criminal classes, blended together in pursuit of big tits and the best all you can eat buffet this side of the equator.

“Be careful who you talk to, Surely. These are some heavy hitters,” says Izzy, cozying up to a table of men to pour them a bottle of expensive vodka. One of the men in the party seems to know my librarian friend better than the rest, and after a moment of whispering in her ear, he seems receptive to an introduction.

“Mr. Povich, Isabel has told me so much about you,” says a man, dressed dapper in pants that aren’t soaked in urine.

“Do I know you?”

“It’s been years Surely, but indeed we do.

My mind is clouded from jet lag and the psychotropic poison of brazil’s most endangered frog, but still somewhere in my deepest recesses I slowly look past the man’s impeccable tan. That smile. The chai necklace...

“I knew it was you...I recognized those East German ankles from across the club. It’s me, Chip Rosenbaum!”

“Holy shit!” I say, recognizing my old friend. “Chip, what the hell are ya doin’ here?”

“We’ll get to that in a minute.”

“Well...you look great,” I tell him, “and I just gotta say, I'm truly sorry about that thing years back.”

“With Sherri Epstein?”

“Nah, with the soup. Though, I gotta be honest...I still maintain that Silver Diner had the best matzoh ball soup in the entire area at the time.”

“Surely, they never made matzoh ball soup at the Silver Diner...only chicken noodle.”

“Nah, I think you’re mistaken there. They made a wonderful broth. Way better than that shit they served Hofberg’s...not sure why you liked it but hey, that’s your journey, I guess.”

“Surely, that was never what I was mad abou...I...anyway, it’s water under the bridge...or rather, premature ejaculation with Sherri Epstein behind the Hot Shoppes, right?”

“Oh, I don't think that's what happened. I think I made it with her in the family Volvo and that we orgasmed together to completion a whole bunch, no? Anyway, let's let bygones be bygones, eh Chip?”

“Whatever you say, Surely,” says Chip, giving me a clap on the back. “Rest assured, as sure as you jizzed your slacks with Sherri Epstein behind the Hot Shoppes, I forgive you...and I also have your story. But first, a business proposition.”

Imagine this but in bikini form. You get the picture.

I wet my beak with a conga line of coke Chip had procured seemingly out of nowhere. Chip went on to ask me to go into business with him instead of penning a potentially inflammatory story about Rio’s underbelly of vice and crime. I had to admit, like the patented scoop shot that beat Springbrook High at the buzzer back in December ‘76, Chip Rosenbaum had just made one of his classic great points.“It’s a boring story,” I admitted. 

At this, Chip seemed very happy. He showed his joy by handing me several 50 real bank notes with an endangered jaguar printed on the back. I gladly took the money and spent it four and a half seconds later, foisting it affectionately into the garmented string of a nearby sex worker. I don’t think it was a bribe.

“So, Chippy-boy. What’s this big business proposition you got in mind?” “Tell me Surely, what do you know about...American Respectable Burger Yeasayers?”

“You mean...Arbyyyyy’s?...?”

[mythandritual]

"You Can Hear Someone's World View Through Their Guitar." An Interview with Josh Rosenthal of Tompkins Square Records

This interview originally appeared at North Country Primitive on 11th March 2016

Josh Rosenthal's Tompkins Square Records, which has recently celebrated its tenth anniversary, has become somewhat of an institution for music fans, thanks to Josh's consistent championing of American Primitive guitar, the old, weird America and various other must-hear obscurities he has managed to pluck from the ether. Not content with running one of the best record labels on the planet, he is now also an author, and about to go out on tour with various musicians from the wider Tompkins Square family in support of his new book, The Record Store of the Mind. We caught up with him this week and pestered him with a heap of questions - our thanks to Josh for putting up with us.

Congratulations on The Record Store of the Mind – it’s an absorbing and entertaining read. Has this project had a long gestation period? How easily does writing come to you - and is it something you enjoy doing? It certainly comes across that way...

Thanks for the kind words. I don't consider myself a writer. I started the book in November 2014 and finished in May 2015, but a lot of that time was spent procrastinating, working on my label, or getting really down on myself for not writing. I could have done more with the prose, made it more artful. I can't spin yarn like, say, your average MOJO writer. So I decided early on to just tell it straight, just tell the story and don't labour over the prose.

I particularly like how you mix up memoir, pen portraits of musicians, and snippets of crate digger philosophy... was the book crafted and planned this way or was there an element of improvisation - seeing where your muse took you? And is there more writing to follow?

If I write another book, it'd have to be based around a big idea or theme. This one is a collection of essays. As I went on, I realised that there's this undercurrent of sadness and tragedy in most of the stories, so a theme emerged. I guess it's one reflective of life, just in a musical context. We all have things we leave undone, or we feel under-appreciated at times. I wasn't even planning to write about myself, but then some folks close to me convinced me I should do. So you read about six chapters and then you find out something about the guy who's writing this stuff. I intersperse a few chapters about my personal experience, from growing up on Long Island in love with Lou Reed to college radio days to SONY and all the fun things I did there. Threading those chapters in gives the book a lift, I think.

Tell us a bit about the planned book tour. You’ve got a mighty fine selection of musicians joining you on the various dates. I imagine there was no shortage of takers?

I'm really grateful to them all. I selected some folks in each city I'm visiting, and they all are in the Tompkins Square orbit. Folks will see the early guitar heroes like Peter Walker, Max Ochs and Harry Taussig and the youngsters like Diane Cluck, one of my favourite vocalists. You can't read for more than ten minutes. People zone out. So having music rounds out the event and ties back to the whole purpose of my book and my label.

It’s clear from the book that you haven’t lost your excitement about uncovering hidden musical gems. Any recent discoveries that have particularly floated your boat?

I'm working with a couple of guys on a compilation of private press guitar stuff. They are finding the most fascinating and beautiful stuff from decades ago. I've never heard of any of the players. Most are still alive, and they are sending me fantastic photos and stories. I have been listening to a lot of new music now that Spotify is connected to my stereo system! I love Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith. Her new one is out soon. I like Charlie Hilton's new album too.

Any thoughts on the vinyl resurgence and the re-emergence of the humble cassette tape?

Vinyl has kept a lot of indie record stores in business, which is a great development. As a label, it's a low margin product, so that's kind of frustrating. If you're not selling it hand over fist, it can be a liability. The model seems to be - make your physical goods, sell them as best you can within the first four months, and then let the digital sphere be your warehouse. I never bought cassettes and have no affinity for them, or the machines that play them.

Turning to Tompkins Square, did your years working for major labels serve as a good apprenticeship for running your own label? Did you have a clear idea of what you wanted the label to look like from the outset or has the direction its taken developed organically over time?

Working for PolyGram as a teenager and then SONY for 15 years straight out of college was formative. I like taking on projects. My interests and the marketplace dictate what I do. I've always felt like the label does me instead of vice versa. For example, the idea of releasing two, three or four disc sets of a particular genre served me well, but now it feels like a very 2009 concept. It doesn't interest me much, and the commercial viability of that has diminished because it seems the appetite for those types of products has diminished.

Working in relatively niche genres in the current music industry climate can’t be the safest or easiest way to make a living. Is there a sense sometimes that you’re flying by the seat of your pants?

We're becoming a two-format industry - streaming and vinyl. The CD is really waning and so is the mp3. The streaming pie is growing but it's modest in terms of income when you compare it to CD or download margins at their height. I don't really pay much mind to the macro aspects of the business. I just try to release quality, sell a few thousand, move on to the next thing, while continuing to goose the catalogue. The business is becoming very much about getting on the right playlists that will drive hundreds of thousands of streams. It's the new payola.

American Primitive and fingerstyle guitar makes up a significant percentage of Tompkins Square releases, going right back to the early days of the label – indeed, it could be said that you’ve played a pivotal role in reviving interest in the genre. Is this a style that is particularly close to your heart? What draws you to it?

Interest in guitar flows in and out of favour. There are only a small number of guitarists I actually like, and a much longer list of guitarists I'm told I'm SUPPOSED to like. Most leave me cold, even if they're technically great. But I respect anyone who plays their instrument well. Certain players like Harry Taussig or Michael Chapman really reach me - their music really gets under my skin and touches my soul. It's hard to describe, but it has something to do with melody and repetition. It's not about technique per se. You can hear someone's world view through their guitar, and you can hear it reflecting your own.

You’ve reintroduced some wonderful lost American Primitive classics to the world – by Mark Fosson, Peter Walker, Don Bikoff, Richard Crandell and so on. How have these reissues come about? Painstaking research? Happy cratedigging accidents? Serendipity? Are there any reissues you’re particularly proud of?

They came about in all different ways. A lot of the time I can't remember how I got turned on to something, or started working with someone. Peter was among the first musicians I hunted down in 2005, and we made his first album in 40 years. I think Mark's cousin told me about his lost tapes in the attic. Bikoff came to me via WFMU. Crandell - I'm not sure, but In The Flower of My Youth is one of the greatest solo guitar albums of all time. I'm proud of all of them !

Are there any ‘ones that got away’ that you particularly regret, where red tape, copyright issues, cost or recalcitrant musicians have prevented a reissue from happening? Any further American Primitive reissues in the pipeline you can tell us about – the supply of lost albums doesn’t seem to be showing signs of drying up yet…

Like I said, this new compilation I'm working on is going to be a revelation. So much fantastic, unknown, unheard private press guitar music. It makes you realise how deep the well actually is. There are things I've wanted to do that didn't materialise. Usually these are due to uncooperative copyright owners or murky provenance in a recording that makes it unfit to release legitimately.

You’ve also released a slew of albums by contemporary guitarists working in the fingerstyle tradition. How do you decide who gets the Tompkins Square treatment?  What are you looking for in a guitarist when you’re deciding who to work with? And what’s the score with the zillions of James Blackshaw albums? Has he got dirt on you!?

It takes a lot for me to sign someone. I feel good about the people I've signed, and most of them have actual careers, insofar as they can go play in any US or European city and people will pay to see them. I hope I've had a hand in that. I did six albums with Blackshaw because he's one of the most gifted composers and guitarist of the past 50 years. He should be scoring films. He really should be a superstar by now, like Philip Glass. I think he's not had the right breaks or the best representation to develop his career to its full potential. But he's still young.

Imaginational Anthems has been a flagship series for Tompkins Square from the beginning. The focus of the series seems to have shifted a couple of times – from the original mixture of old and new recordings to themed releases to releases with outside curators. Has this variation in approach been a means by which to mix it up and keep the series fresh? Are you surprised at the iconic status the series has achieved?

I don't know about iconic. I think the comps have served their purpose, bringing unknowns into the light via the first three volumes and introducing some young players along the way. Cian Nugent was on the cover of volume 3 as a teenager. Daniel Bachman came to my attention on volume 5, which Sam Moss compiled. Sam Moss' new album is featured on NPR just today! Steve Gunn was relatively unknown when he appeared on volume 5. There are lots more examples of that. I like handing over the curation to someone who can turn me on to new players, just as a listener gets turned on. It's been an amazing experience learning about these players. And I'm going to see a number of IA alums play on my book tour : Mike Vallera, Sam Moss, Wes Tirey - and I invited Jordan Norton out in Portland. Never met him or saw him play. He was fantastic. Plays this Frippy stuff.

What’s next for you and Tompkins Square?

I signed a young lady from Ireland. Very excited about her debut album, due in June. I'm reissuing two early 70's records by Bob Brown, both produced by Richie Havens. Beautiful records, barely anyone has heard them.

[miamisecretescapes]

Miami Secret Escapes |  

8 Cruises From Miami With Luxury Dining Experiences

With tastebuds getting more refined and travelers expecting more when it comes to their dining experiences, cruise ships continue to capitalize and deliver on some of the most outstanding and innovative cuisines by bringing chef collaborations, wine tastings and culinary programs to the seas and beyond.

On Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas, cruisers looking for Tuscan cuisine can pop into famed British chef Jamie Oliver’s Italian eatery. Open for lunch and dinner, guests can opt for one of the chef’s homemade pastas made fresh daily, or grilled options like lamb or pork. At 105 Central Park, it’s Royal Caribbean’s own global chefs who are front and center as they showcase the latest in contemporary seasonal cuisines. After a gourmet meal, make your way to Vintages, a wine bar aboard the Royal fleet, which features one-of-a-kind wines from top winemakers that are exclusive to Royal Caribbean. From California to South African wines, sample a tasting or a bottle of the ship’s finest vintages. On the newly refurbished Navigator of the Seas, slurp up oysters at Hooked Seafood, and if you need to catch a game and a beer, Playmaker’s Sports Bar and Arcade has you covered.

Buzz-worthy MSC Seaside, boasts acclaimed James Beard Award-winning chef Roy Yamaguchi and his restaurant, Asian Market Kitchen. Diners can choose a live-action teppanyaki grill or keep it light and fresh with sushi, sashimi and selections from the raw bar. Chef Roy’s Hawaiian/European-influenced cuisine is also reflected in dishes like lobster fried rice and a curry wine sauce rack of lamb. On the MSC Meraviglia, which is slated to hit the port of Miami very soon, cruisers will have the opportunity to dine at Michelin-starred Spanish chef Ramon Freixa’s new restaurant, Hola! Tapas. A Mediterranean style social restaurant with an emphasis on shared plates like jamón ibérico, tortilla espanola and more. Expect to see it on the majestic MSC Bellissima as well. Come hungry.

When you ‘Choose Fun’ on Carnival Cruise, you’re also choosing some fun-tactic dining options. The not-to-be-missed spots include Guy’s Pig and Anchor BBQ Smokehouse, where you can get some of that roadside BBQ action like Blue Ribbon chicken with a side of his famous mac n’ cheese available on five of the line’s ships. The most anticipated restaurant coming to a ship near you, is Emeril Lagasse first sea venture, Emeril’s Bistro 1836, on the Carnival Mardi Gras. The New Orleans cuisine restaurant, will have Creole favorites like oyster and cochon de lait po-boys, roasted duck & Andouille sausage gumbo, jambalaya, shrimp and grits and bananas foster. Carnival will also be the first cruise line to can and keg their own beer (already available on Horizon and Vista), fleetwide. Enjoy a ParchedPig West Coast IPA, an intense beer loaded with bitterness with a bright flavor profile and distinctive aroma of citrus and pine.

One of the biggest names to hit the high seas for Celebrity Cruises, is renowned French chef Daniel Boulud. Boulud will become the brand’s Global Culinary Ambassador with a slew of culinary programs sure to seduce the palette. A three-course menu developed by Boulud will be offered at all the Luminae restaurants fleetwide. Sure to be a sold out experience, the "Chef’s Table by Daniel Boulud" will allow guests to enjoy champagne and canapés on arrival, a five-course dinner with wine pairings. The dinner also comes with one of the chef's cookbooks. Training with the best just became a reality thanks to Celebrity’s Culinary Mentorship Program, where up-and-coming chefs will be hands-on in Celebrity Kitchens as well as one of Boulud’s many restaurants.

How does a butter poached Alaskan King Crab, brown butter Berkshire pork chop, and roasted crab legs sound? To a foodie, it sounds like a feast to remember, and now, thanks to Australian super chef, Curtis Stone, you can eat like a king (and queen) when you dine at the newly revamped, SHARE, aboard Princess Cruises. Chef Stone is all about creating artistic dishes in a warm, and celebratory setting, where his dishes transcend flavor and cultural influences. Now imagine doing that in six exquisite courses. He, along with his personal sommelier, hand picked all the wines. You’ll have your choice of Barolo to Piedmonte and Ribera del Duero from Spain and beyond. Let’s not forget the "Crafted by Curtis" menu selections also available in the main dining room. After a Curtis Stone meal, you’ll want to unwind with a prestigious glass of wine selected by Princess sommelier Doug Frost. Select from 142 wines to be exact.

On Azamara Cruises, you get to be a part of your own culinary journey, thanks to the Azamara Chef Experience available in Dubai. Imagine pursuing the city’s Fish Market for the fresh catch of the day, that’ll later be used for your evening dinner! Once that’s been selected, cross the street to the Fruit and Vegetable market where you can pick vegetables like zucchini, egglant, fresh strawberries and more before making your way to the Spice Souk for traditional Arabic Herbs. If you thought you were fully immersed in Dubai’s food scene, think again. Partner up with an Azamara expert for a visit to Dubai’s Camelicious Farm, home to over 4,000 milk-producing camels where you’ll become an expert on the dairy process Last on the foodie excursion, a stop at the city’s Coffee Museum where you’ll sample brews from around the world. Then it’s back on the ship to eat your finds in what is sure to be an unforgettable meal.

In what’s sure to be a grand welcome, Virgin Voyages, will be welcoming their first sea venture, The Scarlet Lady, to the port of Miami in 2020 and the dining options are already creating a buzz. With a cocktail program like no other, Razzle Dazzle (named for the camouflaging pattern painted on warships from WWI and WWII), will be the ship’s resident drag brunch, where sailors are treated to a show from the ship’s resident drag performer and friends. Expect a vibrant scene offering up vegetarian fare as well as fun cocktails and fresh juices. There’s no in between. If you’re looking for ultra-luxe dining, you’ll find it at Wake, aboard the Scarlet Lady. A mid-20th century steak and seafood haunt with chop house atmosphere but vintage feel. Expect lots and lots of champagne.

Oceania Cruises is know for ‘the finest cuisine in the world,’ so expect to dine on some of the finest food at sea. Led by esteemed chef, Jacques Pepin, Oceania cruises offers everything from a distinguished culinary center where state of the art cooking classes are held for a close knit group of 24, and guests will get to try their hand at everything from French cuisine to plant-based menus. If you’re looking for a more immersive experience, guests team up with a master chef to tour and shop the local markets in Europe and French Polynesia, and use their buys to cook up a simmering meal on board. There are some foodies who really want to rub elbows with Pepin himself, and they’ll have an opportunity to do so once a year, where they are treated to individualized menus, lectures and demos by Pepin. Mark your calendars—it’s happening aboard the Marina this September.

[miamisecretescapes]

Miami Secret Escapes |  

8 Cruises From Miami With Luxury Dining Experiences

With tastebuds getting more refined and travelers expecting more when it comes to their dining experiences, cruise ships continue to capitalize and deliver on some of the most outstanding and innovative cuisines by bringing chef collaborations, wine tastings and culinary programs to the seas and beyond.

On Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas, cruisers looking for Tuscan cuisine can pop into famed British chef Jamie Oliver’s Italian eatery. Open for lunch and dinner, guests can opt for one of the chef’s homemade pastas made fresh daily, or grilled options like lamb or pork. At 105 Central Park, it’s Royal Caribbean’s own global chefs who are front and center as they showcase the latest in contemporary seasonal cuisines. After a gourmet meal, make your way to Vintages, a wine bar aboard the Royal fleet, which features one-of-a-kind wines from top winemakers that are exclusive to Royal Caribbean. From California to South African wines, sample a tasting or a bottle of the ship’s finest vintages. On the newly refurbished Navigator of the Seas, slurp up oysters at Hooked Seafood, and if you need to catch a game and a beer, Playmaker’s Sports Bar and Arcade has you covered.

Buzz-worthy MSC Seaside, boasts acclaimed James Beard Award-winning chef Roy Yamaguchi and his restaurant, Asian Market Kitchen. Diners can choose a live-action teppanyaki grill or keep it light and fresh with sushi, sashimi and selections from the raw bar. Chef Roy’s Hawaiian/European-influenced cuisine is also reflected in dishes like lobster fried rice and a curry wine sauce rack of lamb. On the MSC Meraviglia, which is slated to hit the port of Miami very soon, cruisers will have the opportunity to dine at Michelin-starred Spanish chef Ramon Freixa’s new restaurant, Hola! Tapas. A Mediterranean style social restaurant with an emphasis on shared plates like jamón ibérico, tortilla espanola and more. Expect to see it on the majestic MSC Bellissima as well. Come hungry.

When you ‘Choose Fun’ on Carnival Cruise, you’re also choosing some fun-tactic dining options. The not-to-be-missed spots include Guy’s Pig and Anchor BBQ Smokehouse, where you can get some of that roadside BBQ action like Blue Ribbon chicken with a side of his famous mac n’ cheese available on five of the line’s ships. The most anticipated restaurant coming to a ship near you, is Emeril Lagasse first sea venture, Emeril’s Bistro 1836, on the Carnival Mardi Gras. The New Orleans cuisine restaurant, will have Creole favorites like oyster and cochon de lait po-boys, roasted duck & Andouille sausage gumbo, jambalaya, shrimp and grits and bananas foster. Carnival will also be the first cruise line to can and keg their own beer (already available on Horizon and Vista), fleetwide. Enjoy a ParchedPig West Coast IPA, an intense beer loaded with bitterness with a bright flavor profile and distinctive aroma of citrus and pine.

One of the biggest names to hit the high seas for Celebrity Cruises, is renowned French chef Daniel Boulud. Boulud will become the brand’s Global Culinary Ambassador with a slew of culinary programs sure to seduce the palette. A three-course menu developed by Boulud will be offered at all the Luminae restaurants fleetwide. Sure to be a sold out experience, the "Chef’s Table by Daniel Boulud" will allow guests to enjoy champagne and canapés on arrival, a five-course dinner with wine pairings. The dinner also comes with one of the chef's cookbooks. Training with the best just became a reality thanks to Celebrity’s Culinary Mentorship Program, where up-and-coming chefs will be hands-on in Celebrity Kitchens as well as one of Boulud’s many restaurants.

How does a butter poached Alaskan King Crab, brown butter Berkshire pork chop, and roasted crab legs sound? To a foodie, it sounds like a feast to remember, and now, thanks to Australian super chef, Curtis Stone, you can eat like a king (and queen) when you dine at the newly revamped, SHARE, aboard Princess Cruises. Chef Stone is all about creating artistic dishes in a warm, and celebratory setting, where his dishes transcend flavor and cultural influences. Now imagine doing that in six exquisite courses. He, along with his personal sommelier, hand picked all the wines. You’ll have your choice of Barolo to Piedmonte and Ribera del Duero from Spain and beyond. Let’s not forget the "Crafted by Curtis" menu selections also available in the main dining room. After a Curtis Stone meal, you’ll want to unwind with a prestigious glass of wine selected by Princess sommelier Doug Frost. Select from 142 wines to be exact.

On Azamara Cruises, you get to be a part of your own culinary journey, thanks to the Azamara Chef Experience available in Dubai. Imagine pursuing the city’s Fish Market for the fresh catch of the day, that’ll later be used for your evening dinner! Once that’s been selected, cross the street to the Fruit and Vegetable market where you can pick vegetables like zucchini, egglant, fresh strawberries and more before making your way to the Spice Souk for traditional Arabic Herbs. If you thought you were fully immersed in Dubai’s food scene, think again. Partner up with an Azamara expert for a visit to Dubai’s Camelicious Farm, home to over 4,000 milk-producing camels where you’ll become an expert on the dairy process Last on the foodie excursion, a stop at the city’s Coffee Museum where you’ll sample brews from around the world. Then it’s back on the ship to eat your finds in what is sure to be an unforgettable meal.

In what’s sure to be a grand welcome, Virgin Voyages, will be welcoming their first sea venture, The Scarlet Lady, to the port of Miami in 2020 and the dining options are already creating a buzz. With a cocktail program like no other, Razzle Dazzle (named for the camouflaging pattern painted on warships from WWI and WWII), will be the ship’s resident drag brunch, where sailors are treated to a show from the ship’s resident drag performer and friends. Expect a vibrant scene offering up vegetarian fare as well as fun cocktails and fresh juices. There’s no in between. If you’re looking for ultra-luxe dining, you’ll find it at Wake, aboard the Scarlet Lady. A mid-20th century steak and seafood haunt with chop house atmosphere but vintage feel. Expect lots and lots of champagne.

Oceania Cruises is know for ‘the finest cuisine in the world,’ so expect to dine on some of the finest food at sea. Led by esteemed chef, Jacques Pepin, Oceania cruises offers everything from a distinguished culinary center where state of the art cooking classes are held for a close knit group of 24, and guests will get to try their hand at everything from French cuisine to plant-based menus. If you’re looking for a more immersive experience, guests team up with a master chef to tour and shop the local markets in Europe and French Polynesia, and use their buys to cook up a simmering meal on board. There are some foodies who really want to rub elbows with Pepin himself, and they’ll have an opportunity to do so once a year, where they are treated to individualized menus, lectures and demos by Pepin. Mark your calendars—it’s happening aboard the Marina this September.