Jose Garces, Pubbelly Team to Run Restaurants on Norwegian Escape, Sailing in November

By Dan Myers for The Daily Meal
 
Setting out on its maiden voyage November 14, the Norwegian Escape will be the largest ship that the legendary cruise line has ever sailed. Departing from Miami year-round, its journey will take it to the Eastern Caribbean, but judging by the dining options on board, you might never want to leave the ship.
 
Chef Jose Garces, who runs some of Philadelphia’s most renowned restaurants, including Distrito, Village Whiskey, and Volvér, will take the helm at two restaurants on the ship. Bayamo will be seafood-focused but with a Latin twist. The fine-dining restaurant will feature outdoor seating on the ship’s “Waterfront,” a quarter-mile wraparound oceanfront promenade. His second restaurant on the ship, Pincho Tapas Bar, describes itself as “unlike any other restaurant at sea,” and will focus on shareable small plates “that redefine and improve upon centuries-old recipes.” These will be Garces’ first restaurants at sea.
 
Also notable is a restaurant from the team behind Miami’s renowned Pubbelly called Food Republic. The menu there (like at Pubbelly) will take on an international focus, with menu items ranging from Peruvian ceviche to creative sushi and Chinese noodles.
 
The dining options don’t end there, though. Carlo’s Bake Shop (by Buddy Valastro of Cake Boss fame) will have a location onboard, as will Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville. Other restaurants include Cagney’s Steakhouse, Teppanyaki (serving food prepared hibachi-style), a traditional French bistro, an authentic Brazilian churrascaria, a classic Irish pub, a café serving buffet-style meals, a gelato shop, and Tuscan-influenced La Cucina. If you’re looking to just have a drink, there will be a wine bar run by the Mondavi family, a craft beer and specialty cocktail bar called the District Brew House, the 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar, and an outpost of Tobacco Road (Miami’s oldest bar). There are also two main dining rooms, as well as Norwegian’s first private special-function room for large groups and events.
 
View original article