A Tasty Sneak Peek

[HostDave]

By Tim Rubacky, Senior Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Product Development

It’s an 8-day countdown to the return of the American Queen to American river cruising! All you riverboat fans are just like all of us here at the Great American Steamboat Company headquarters in Memphis. We’re so excited we can almost taste it! In fact, that’s closer to the truth than you might think.

Our Culinary Director, famed Southern Chef Regina Charboneau, is putting the finishing touches on the American Queen menus as the crew prepares to welcome its first guests. A native of historical Natchez, Mississippi, one of the steamboat’s stops on Mississippi River voyages, Charboneau will often be onboard overseeing the multiple dining venues, sharing stories of the region’s rich culinary history and holding court with chef friends from New Orleans and other port cities.

Drawing inspiration from America’s heartland, Chef Charboneau’s dishes will take advantage of the bountiful Mississippi River region, which offers an abundance of ingredients to work with including sustainable fish and seafood, farm-raised quail, free-range chicken, artisan cheeses, wild pecans, rice, honey, and stone-ground grits. Her vision is to re-create many American classics using the best seasonal ingredients and what the American Queen’s location on the river has to offer.

Why am I talking about the cuisine yet again? Because other than being a centerpiece of a river vacation, the cuisine is going to be particularly special. Of note for all of us is that Chef Regina wants to create new dishes that become synonymous with the American Queen. Recently, she gave us a mouth-watering preview of what she has in store.

-Andouille Hash; savory sausage hash topped with poached egg and sharp cheddar served with a corn cake
-Bananas Foster Stuffed French Toast; cream cheese stuffed French toast topped with sautéed bananas, brown sugar and cinnamon
-Crabmeat Beignet; petite beignet topped with crabmeat in a classic Mornay sauce
-Salmon Salad; seared salmon on seasonal greens laced with bacon-molasses vinaigrette
-Grilled Catfish or Shrimp Poboy; shredded lettuce, tomato and jalapeno tartar sauce
-Peppered Brisket of Beef; tender brisket in savory gravy with cracked black pepper served with mash potatoes and creamed spinach
-Pompano En Papillote; local pompano topped with julienne of spinach, sweet red peppers and carrots, lump crab meat, caper-lemon butter and encased in parchment paper
-Classic Bread Pudding with whiskey sauce

In just eight days, our first guests will get to dine on some of these extraordinary dishes. There are multiple onboard dining options with the centerpiece being the opulent J.M. White Dining Room, destined to be a favorite of culinary enthusiasts. Guests can indulge in classic favorites any time at The Front Porch of America which offers 24- hour dining or delight in grilled fare paired with spectacular views at the alfresco River Grill. Classic cocktails, enjoyed by such authors as Mark Twain and Tennessee Williams, have been painstakingly researched by Chef Charboneau’s team of mixologists to deliver authentic libations in the Grand Saloon and Engine Room Bar. Regina’s Jazz Brunch will be a highlight of each voyage and her elegant Southern Tea will be offered every afternoon.

I think it’s easy to see why we can’t wait to climb aboard and dig into Chef Regina’s amazing cuisine. So excited we can almost taste it? You bet!

Don’t forget to visit the Great American Steamboat Company Facebook Page for the latest news, photos and lively discussions about the American Queen, Mississippi river cruising and our ports of call.