Tag: Seafood

Seabourn Encore Alaska Luxury Cruise Line

Seabourn Cruise Line Brings Alaska to the Table

The line's inaugural Alaska season aboard Seabourn Encore arrives with a new culinary program built around the region's wild ingredients, coastal traditions, and Indigenous art.

Seabourn Encore Alaska Luxury Cruise Line

Seabourn has always taken food seriously. But for its inaugural Alaska season aboard Seabourn Encore, the luxury line built an entire culinary program around the destination, one that unfolds differently across each voyage as the ship navigates narrow fjords and remote coastline between Vancouver and Juneau.

The program launched in May 2026 and runs through September. As Seabourn president Mark Tamis put it: “From the first evening on board through the final days of the voyage, the culinary program is designed to reflect where guests are and deepen their connection to the experience.”

That translates to locally sourced seafood, foraged ingredients, and dining moments timed to the sailing schedule across The Restaurant and The Colonnade.

The lineup spans the full day, which is unusual for this kind of regionally focused offering. It opens with a Surf & Sear Sailaway buffet on the first evening out of Vancouver or Juneau, pairing seafood and steak, with Weathervane Scallops and Chilled Alaskan Crab among the highlights. From there, guests can expect an Alaskan Seafood Boil built around an individual pot of King crab legs, salmon, mussels, bacon-wrapped scallops, and shrimp, served with paper tablecloths, Seabourn-branded bibs, and staff in lumberjack shirts and jeans.

Mid-cruise, Fisherman’s Table offers a shared tableside experience spotlighting salmon and halibut, timed to scenic sailing near Sitka or Misty Fjords depending on the itinerary. The Midnight Sun Dinner in The Restaurant is the more elevated evening, featuring Wild Mushroom Consomme, Alaska King Crab Salad, Olive Oil Poached Black Cod, and Baked Alaska. That dinner also features custom menu artwork created in partnership with Crystal Worl, an Alaskan Native artist whose work explores themes of Indigenous identity, nature, and place.

On the lighter end, there’s an Alaskan Brunch served during a scenic sailing day, with Smoked Copper River Salmon, Alaskan Crab Benedict, and a Foraged Mushroom Omelet on the menu as glaciers pass by outside. Lunch gets its own Alaskan moment with Fish & Chips made from sustainably sourced local fish, served alongside Alaskan Seafood Chowder and local beers.

The beverage program runs alongside all of it, with five specialty cocktails developed for the season. Two of them, the Glacier & Fir and the Inside Passage Punch, are made with Alaskan glacial ice. The others include Midnight Sun No. 20, which opens with anisette and finishes with cocoa and Westland whisky; Denali Bramble, which leans into regional berry flavors; and Aleutian Sunset, described simply as a classic patio pounder.

When the weather cooperates, the program extends to the open decks, where guests can enjoy a caviar event, Gluhwein and hot chocolate service, and Salmon & Corn Chowder with the scenery as a backdrop.

Seabourn Encore made its maiden arrival in Vancouver on May 14, 2026. Between now and September, the ship runs seven to 14-day voyages to ports including Juneau, Ketchikan, and lesser-known stops along the Alaska and Canadian Inside Passage. Every voyage includes glacier viewing, with more opportunities to visit Glacier Bay National Park than any other luxury cruise line currently offers. An Expedition Team of naturalists, historians, and wilderness experts travels on board each sailing, and optional Zodiac, kayaking, and hiking excursions are available through Ventures by Seabourn.

For more information or to book, visit seabourn.com.

Here’s How to Make Ina Garten’s Connecticut-Style Lobster Rolls

For most of New England, the lobster roll is a summertime staple: cold lobster salad dressed in mayo, tucked into a buttered bun. But for Ina Garten, the celebrated Barefoot Contessa and beloved cookbook author, there’s only one way to do it — Connecticut-style.

“When I first discovered a Connecticut lobster roll, there was no going back,” Garten confessed recently, sharing her go-to recipe on Instagram. The hot version swaps mayonnaise for melted butter and serves the lobster meat warm, creating what Garten calls “a roll worthy of a celebration.”

The method is as straightforward as it is decadent: She melts butter in a pan, tosses in chunks of cooked lobster with celery, salt, and pepper, and lets it gently heat through. A squeeze of lemon and a sprinkle of dill brighten the mix before it’s spooned into toasted buns, then finished with more dill and lemon for a summery kick. The result? A roll that’s luscious, lemony, and deeply satisfying.

Unlike its chilled cousin, the Connecticut-style lobster roll traces back to the 1920s, when it was first served at Perry’s in Milford, Connecticut. Today, it remains a regional favorite — and Garten’s version proves just how simple it can be to recreate at home.

Her recipe appears in Cook Like a Pro: Recipes & Tips for Home Cooks, one of the many cookbooks that have made Garten a trusted voice for home cooks who want elegance without intimidation. And as she notes, these rolls aren’t just for the Fourth of July. They’re a fast track to bringing coastal New England flavor to any summer table.

Whether you’re perched seaside or simply dreaming of the shore, Garten’s lobster rolls deliver all the charm of a beach shack classic — with a Barefoot Contessa upgrade.