Savor Main Dining Room (NCL Bliss)

After 2 serviceable, yet unremarkable meals at Taste and the Manhattan Room aboard the NCL Bliss, we were going to eat at the other main dining room - Savor.  We decided on lunch because we had one more specialty dining experience on the last night of the cruise at La Cucina.  Besides, having a sit-down lunch with service was something we hadn't done much of during the cruise.  Sure, the buffet was convenient, but avoiding the hustle and bustle slowed things down a bit.  So unlike the changing dinner menus in the main dining room every night, the lunch menu remained the same throughout the cruise.

On that note, we ordered a few things my parents suggested as they had visited Savor for lunch on a few occasions.  They recommended the Popcorn Shrimp as well as the Stuffed Potato Skins.  I thought the popcorn shrimp was pretty decent for what it was.  The shrimp were fairly large and the breading wasn't too thick.  It was still crispy and not overly greasy.  It came with cocktail sauce and also a jalapeno & cornichon dip (fancy tartar sauce).  Their interpretation of potato skins was good in our opinion.  Normally, we'd find cheese and bacon stuffed inside, but they went with something much lighter in a crab salad accompanied by mixed greens on the side.  So really, it was more of a fluffy crab salad that was on top on a fried potato skin (which we didn't end up eating).  

For myself, I decided on the Roasted Tomato Soup with pesto macaroni and crème fraîche.  I would have to say the NCL Bliss had a strong soup game.  I don't think I had one that wasn't good.  It applied to the tomato soup as well.  Exhibiting plenty of depth and rich flavors, the soup was smooth with a balanced amount of tanginess and sweetness.  The dollop of crème fraîche added a welcomed creaminess.  Even the macaroni was well-executed with and al dente herbaceousness.   Although haphazardly plated, the Cajun Shrimp Salad was pretty solid.  The plump shrimp were meaty with a sweet snap.  There was enough seasoning for some light spice and saltiness.  Underneath, the combination of arugula, radish and red onion was tossed in a sage vinaigrette.  I found it to be tangy with a bit of earthiness.

We had one last simple appie before our larger plates being the Chicken Nachos with cheddar, jalapeños, salsa, sour cream and guacamole.  The chips were similar to the ones found at The Local, so they were more crunchy and firm.  We much preferred the ones we had at Margaritaville.  Anyways, nothing particularly interesting here other than the pieces of chicken, which were a bit dry.  I guess this was okay if you were craving nachos, but the other appies were better in my opinion.  Off to the entrees, Viv went for the Shrimp Arrabiata with penne, spicy tomato sauce, black olives, parmigiano-reggiano and basil oil.  In terms of texture, the penne pasta was all wrong being too thick and gummy.  On the other hand, the flavor was pretty good with a spicy tanginess.  The shrimp were good too with an appealing meatiness.

For myself, I ordered the Roasted Leg of Lamb with rosemary gravy, grilled red bell pepper, eggplant and zucchini.  As much as the lamb was prepared medium, the meat itself was not that tender.  Being sliced thin helped matters somewhat, but it was chewy in spots.  I did like the gravy though as it was woodsy and well-seasoned.  Veggies were nicely grilled too with a caramelized smokiness.  As for my son, he went straight for the Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf smothered in BBQ sauce.  At first glance, the darn thing looked more like a meat pie than meatloaf.  Alas, it was definitely a meat loaf that was a little on the denser side, yet was still fairly moist.  The bacon on the outside was rather fatty and not rendered enough.  Sweet and tangy, the BBQ sauce was a compliment.  On the side, we found a twice-baked potato and grilled eggplant.

Not being super creative, my daughter once again chose the Fish & Chips made of pollack and accompanied by the usual tartar sauce.  I'm not sure what I could possibly say about this as it was meh.  The fish looked and ate more like the frozen ones you'd find at the supermarket.  Don't get me wrong, it wasn't terrible as the fish was flaky and moist and the batter was crispy.  It is just the dish was very unremarkable.  The one at Margaritaville was much better (at an extra cost though).  Onto dessert, I thought the Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake was pretty solid.  It had all of the characteristics of a good baked cheesecake.  Rich and creamy, it was purposefully sweet where the topping of peanut butter cups added aroma and even more sweetness.  Not sure if the chocolate sauce was necessary though.  There was enough impact to go around already.

Last two desserts consisted of the Key Lime Parfait and the Crème Caramel.  I quite enjoyed the key lime parfait as it was smooth and full of key lime essence.  As such, it was refreshing and light.  It sat atop some vanilla cream and a sprinkle of ginger crisp.  Also smooth and creamy, the crème caramel was smoky sweet while topped with crisps and fresh berries.  Believe it or not, this lunch service yielded some of the better desserts of the cruise so far (although we had one more meal after).  In fact, if you were to ever go on an NCL cruise (after the Covid-19 pandemic is over), doing at least one lunch service at Savor (or Taste) would be an okay alternative to the buffet.  However, have tempered expectations as the food ain't anything special.

The Good:
- Sit-down meal instead of the buffet
- Decent desserts
- Decent appies

The Bad:
- Decent, but not great either