There are a number of ways to indulge in innovative culinary masterpieces created by globally-revered James Beard Foundation chefs. You might score a table at a JBF chef’s popular restaurant, attend a Taste America showcase that celebrates a city’s culinary creativity, or snag a coveted invite to an event at the James Beard House on 12th Street in New York City — an historic townhouse where culinary icons have for decades defined America’s food scene.
Or you can sail Windstar Cruises and, if you’re like me, combine your James Beard experience with a magnificent Wind Surf sailing to tropical paradises like Panama, Isla de San Andres, Roatan, Costa Maya, and Cozumel, snorkeling ashore or sunbathing poolside (sunscreen and aloe gel provided).
In 2015, Windstar Cruises partnered with the James Beard Foundation thanks to a shared dedication to culinary perfection, sustainability, and diversity. The result is a Windstar dining experience that delivers culinary excellence and vision with an emphasis on locally sourced ingredients, authentic flavors, and genuine experiences both on board and ashore.
You’ll find the James Beard influence on all Windstar sailings … but for the most immersive culinary adventure, consider one of the line’s special James Beard-themed sailings where the featured chef is also your shipmate!
James Beard Favorites…on Every Windstar Sailing
Even before the 342-guest, 14,745-grt Wind Surf sets sail on its James Beard Foundation and Mayan Legacies sailing, the culinary focus is evident. Up on deck, the ship’s 26,881 square feet of majestic sails are unfurled against a soundtrack of Vangelis’ “Conquest of Power” and a backdrop of Colon, Panama. Meanwhile, I am in the ship’s elegant Amphora dining room perusing a dinner menu filled not only with traditional Windstar favorites but an assortment of dishes created by James Beard Foundation chefs who had previously showcased their talents aboard. These up-and-coming chefs embrace global influences and push boundaries, employing modern techniques and trends while incorporating innovative ingredients into their dishes.
I glance around my table as our first course is served and notice that all six of us have chosen the rich and flaky tomato tart appetizer, a recipe from Louisville, Kentucky, chef Annie Pettry, who encases a filling of parmesan and gruyere into a crispy semolina crust spiked with cheddar and drizzled with chili dressing. We’re divided, however, when it comes to main course — half of us choose Seattle, Washington, chef Renee Erickson’s pan-roasted sea bream sitting atop a mound of piperade peppers while the other half selects Boston, Massachusetts, chef Tracy Chang’s generously portioned koji-marinated beef strip steak, perfectly medium rare and served with miso carrots and a riot of wild mushrooms tempura.
The Chef as Your Shipmate
It is late morning on a sea day and Wind Surf is en route to Roatan, Honduras. In the ship’s lounge, guests assemble for their introduction to Chef Jose Garzon who, in an educational and often hilarious cooking demonstration, prepares for us humitas, a moist and flavorful Ecuadorian corn cake steamed in soaked corn husks and drizzled with citrus butter.
With his pierced ears and funky tattoos, the Ecuadorian chef is….
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