MORE OF A GOOD THING

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One of the joys of talking with our guests is learning not just their likes and dislikes, but also receiving genuinely helpful suggestions on how to even further enhance the American Queen Steamboat Company product. We’ve know for a long time that one of the most popular spots on the American Queen is the Front Porch of America. For those of you who haven’t had the chance to sail with us, the Front Porch of America is a large open-air covered deck at the front of the boat that provides panoramic views of the river, the scenery, and the cities and towns which glide gently by as we make our way up and down America’s waterways. We recognized that it is an idyllic location and upped the ante by adding in dozens of rocking chairs and even several porch swings to create a true Southern ambiance. Sitting on the Front Porch of America is heaven, pure and simple.

Immediately aft of the Front Porch of America with a semi-circular row of windows overlooking the covered deck and with screen-door entrances on either side is a dining area. It often was referred to by the same name as the porch in front of it because, essentially, the two spaces flow as if they are one. With the elegant Southern-inspired fare in the dramatic two-deck J.M. White Dining Room, the food service in the dining area off the Front Porch of America was always simple with a continental breakfast and, during the rest of the day, hot popcorn, plump hot dogs, fresh sandwiches, warm cookies, soda, ice cream and coffee.

But the area is so sublime and our guests so eager to spend time there, that the dining area off the Front Porch of America is now the Front Porch Café and we have vastly expanded the food offerings at all times of the day. As you can imagine, the wonderful location of the Front Porch Café has made it immensely popular for a casual breakfast, lunch or dinner. We have brought the hearty favorites of the J.M. White Dining Room and combined them with lighter fare for a casual and relaxed menu that is immensely tempting.

For example, all the traditional breakfast favorites are still available, such as fresh fruit, breakfast cereals, granola, oats, creamy grits, muffins, yogurt, juices and beignets, but we’ve added a number of a la carte items that have proven to be the stars of the show. Guests can order a classic Southern Breakfast Plate with eggs and crisp apple wood bacon or sausage with choice of savory grits or red potato home fries. Of course, there are omelettes made to order with choice of onion, tomato, mushroom, ham, bacon, sausage, cheddar, Swiss or spinach. There’s now Eggs Benedict, the traditional poached egg served on toasted English muffin with Canadian bacon and hollandaise, as well as Bananas Foster Stuffed French Toast and Blueberry Pancakes. Guests love the Andouille Hash, a poached egg served on a bed of smoked sausage hash with onion and bell pepper and topped with cheddar cheese.

Even in the buffet area, we’ve added several Savory Stratas (a baked egg casserole) such as one with fresh spinach, mushrooms and gruyere cheese and another with diced ham, ched­dar cheese, potatoes and caramelized shallots. We also offer, depending on the day, a Breakfast Burrito with scrambled eggs, potatoes, bell pepper, onions and cheddar cheese served in a warm flour tortilla with salsa. You can also find that Southern favorite: Buttermilk Biscuits and Gravy.

Lunch still features Fresh Deli Sandwiches, but now they’re made to order on mini baguettes. And Juicy Hot Dogs and Angus Burgers are joined by Marinated Chicken Breasts basted with white barbecue sauce, Smoked Baby Back Ribs that are fall-off the bone tender, and Beer Bratwurst steamed in American lager then grilled and served with caramelized onions. Grilled Grouper with a seasoned jerk spice is a big hit, too. The menu varies each day, ranging from Savory Mushroom Crepes and Duck and Smoked Sausage Gumbo with white rice to Crisp Pepperoni Pizza and Rotisserie Chicken seasoned with lemon and fresh rosemary.

Some of the sides offered at lunch are as popular as the entrees. Guests rave about our Maple-Bacon Baked Beans; Slow-cooked American Style Potato Salad with diced Idaho potato, egg, celery, bell pepper and onion with mayonnaise dressing; Macaroni Pasta Salad with grilled shrimp; Hearty Potato Chips seasoned with parmesan and truffle oil; Baked Ziti with tasty meat sauce and mozzarella cheese; Mixed Green Salad available with grilled chicken, salmon or shrimp; and our Cauliflower Salad tossed with capers, onion and vinaigrette dressing. And that’s to name just a few!

Dinner takes center stage with offerings that rival those in the J.M. White Dining Room. For example, take a look at one recent evening’s menu which featured choices such as Garlic Studded Prime Rib served au jus with horseradish cream sauce; Rotisserie Pork Loin glazed with cane syrup and Creole mustard glaze; Chicken Skewers basted with soy-honey glaze and sweet chili dipping sauce; Crab Cakes cooked golden brown and served with remoulade sauce; a Poached Salmon Salad with fresh mixed greens and cucumber-dill dressing; Creole Vegetable Soup with sweet potatoes, turnip greens and Andouille sausage; Caesar Salad with Reggiano, garlic croutons and creamy dressing; a Bibb Salad with avocado, grapefruit segments and classic French dressing; Marinated Vegetable Salad grilled and tossed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar; Roasted Red Potatoes with Fresh Herbs; and a Sautéed Vegetable Medley of zucchini, yellow squash, bell pepper and baby carrots.

On another night, guests sat down to Rotisserie Chicken in a black pepper-Worcestershire marinade; Smoked Corned Beef Brisket glazed with cane syrup and served with creamy horseradish sauce; Pasta Jambalaya, a Louisiana concoction of smoked pork sausage, chicken and shrimp with orzo pasta; Sautéed Grouper finished with white wine, lemon and fresh herbs; Grilled Shrimp Salad on a bed of greens with tomato, artichoke, red bell pepper, and egg with red pepper vinaigrette; and White Bean and Andouille Soup. A variety of vegetables such as Glazed Carrots cooked in an orange-honey glaze, Roasted Potatoes with Sea Salt, and Green Beans with Toasted Almonds seasoned with brown butter rounded out the selection.

Keep in mind, the bounty listed in the two paragraphs above are just the choices from two different evenings. You can imagine the many dishes offered during a cruise of a week or more. Based on feedback, we know that some of our guests favorite entrees include the Rotisserie Leg of Lamb seasoned with sea salt, garlic, and rosemary; Smoked Meatloaf glazed with red sauce and apple wood bacon; Pan-Seared Lemon Chicken served with preserved lemon; Pecan Crusted Salmon finished with a drizzle of nutty brown butter and lemon; Rotisserie Stuffed Beef Flank Steak stuffed with ratatouille and fresh mozzarella; Chicken Piccata sautéed with seasoned bread crumbs and finished with lemon, fresh herbs and capers; Louisiana Baked Oysters in garlic-herb butter; Grilled Andouille Sausage; Steak Diane sautéed and served with brandy cream sauce; and Pan Seared Halibut with smoked tomato cream sauce.

Believe it or not, the dishes mentioned in this blog are just the tip of the iceberg of what is available as part of the expanded menus in the Front Porch Café. And if you were able to read this blog without your mouth watering, then you have more willpower than our chefs who confess that sometimes when writing and editing new menus, they have take a break and head up to the Front Porch Café to sample the array of cuisine to top off their energy level!