By Michele Stueven
When the Queen Mary ship, currently and permanently docked in Long Beach, originally set off on her maiden voyage from Southampton in England to New York in May of 1936, passengers dined on classic French-influenced cuisine, featuring dishes like Honeydew Melon Glacé, Croutes-au-Pot au Perles (potato soup), turbot, braised chicken (Poulard de Braisée Belle Mère), Pommes Garfield (French fries) and Fraises Chantilly.
Today, Kirt Finley, executive director of food and beverage, and Executive Chef Andre Lane have made the Long Beach landmark a dining destination once again with updates and nods to the nostalgic past.
As part of the ship’s extensive revitalization efforts, the menus across the seven dining areas are being reimagined. The latest addition is the Jubilee coffee shop, with a panoramic view of Long Beach, and filled with items highlighting Queen Mary’s history. It’s named after the famous mural in the original Art Deco Observation Bar.
The Jubilee leads into the Promenade Cafe, which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner with signature dishes like a short rib grilled cheese and a hefty dessert menu that includes mud pie for two. The breakfast buffet opens every morning at 6:30 a.m.
The Midship Marketplace has undergone a makeover, and now serves sliced subs and sandwiches to order, along with Lane’s signature creation, the Rivet Burger (he calls it the UFO burger). It’s a burger that’s been sealed shut with everything encapsulated inside the bun –— lettuce, tomato, house-made thousand island dressing and cheese. A variety of flatbreads includes the Boiler Room, a smoky combination of Italian sausage, mozzarella and caramelized onions topped with green onions.
Further down the deck, past the new Queen Mary art gallery filled with items that have been tucked away for decades, is the perfectly preserved Observation Bar. The Art Deco lounge serves small bites to accompany classic cocktails and live music underneath the custom mural over the first-class bar titled “The Royal Jubilee Week” by Alfred R. Thomson, a depiction of the 25th anniversary of the reign of King George V and Queen Mary.
In addition to stellar fish and chips sourced from local cod, the Chelsea Chowder House and Bar serves a cioppino overflowing with clams, mussels, shrimp and lobster in a saffron tomato broth and seafood towers. An afternoon tea is served on weekends.
The Royal Sunday Brunch features bottomless mimosas and multiple food stations in the first-class Grand Salon, where Captain James Sanders has been greeting passengers personally for 22 years in his full regalia.
