Not many dinners start with a 30-second moment of silence . . . But when you're recreating the last first-class meal on the RMS Titanic on the 100th anniversary of its demise, you have to pay your respects.
Saturday night, 12 of us gathered in the private Macy's Table dining area above the dining room of Cullen's Upscale American Grille in Clear Lake as guests of News 92 FM, which is sponsoring a series of Titanic dinners through September in conjunction with the Titanic artifacts exhibit at the Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS).
The meal itself has made headlines for its head-spinning price tag of $12,000 a table (of 12 people). Each dinner event includes a $1,000 donation to the museum and a glass of century-old wine.
A mixture of reporters, two HMNS Titanic experts and a pair of contest winners courtesy of News 92 FM, our group was about to embark into a 10-course dinner that would not have been uncommon for the first class passengers on the Titanic.
While the meal in 1912 would have multiple breaks for dancing and diners might have skipped certain courses depending on their food preferences, the Cullen's Titanic dinner was arranged to be enjoyed through a single three-to-four hour seating.
Chef Paul Lewis told CultureMap beforhand that he planned to make the portions smaller and adjust the menu slightly so diners in 2012 could experience all the original flavors in a single dinner.
According to HMNS curator Amanda Norris — who sat to my left and graciously answered my barrage of Titanic questions — a standard first-class ticket for the seven-day trans-Atlantic journey would have cost $57,200 a person in today's dollars. A deluxe version of first class with a private deck, which is what Kate Winslet had in the Titanic movie, would have cost $103,000.
"The Titanic owners, White Star, were also tapping into the immigration market and offered less expensive tickets for passengers," Norris said, noting that a second class ticket would have run $1,875 with a third class bunk at about $900.
HORS D’OEUVRES: Oysters a la Russe / Canapés à l’Amiral
Appropriately enough, the evening started with seafood items. While I totally forgot to get a picture of the shrimp Canapés à l’Amiral, I did manage to get the Oysters a la Russe, which were delicious.
COURSE ONE: Consommé Olga with Maine scallops, parsley and celeriac
The Consommé Olga is built upon the seafood hors d'oeuvres and foreshadowed the fish in course two. A 2004 port was paired with the dish.
COURSE TWO: Poached Scottish salmon with Sauce Mousseline, cucumber, caviar and chives
The second course was a particularly rich dish of salmon with a hollandaise-type sauce. Caviar was placed upon the cucumber and chives for good measure. Serves poured guests a glass of 2005 Château Latour.
COURSE THREE: Filet Medallions Lilli with seared foie gras, Pomme Anna, artichokes, truffles, Sauce Perigueux; also on the same plate, Chicken Sauté with Sauce Lyonnais and stuffed zucchini
Course three marked the first of a series of entree dishes. Chef Lewis noted that having multiple types of protein on a single plate was fairly common in the Continental-style dining of the early 20th century. The beef, chicken and foie gras were paired with a Bordeaux.
COURSE FOUR: Lamb with mint sauce, duck with apple puree and beef with Pomme Chateaux; sides of green peas, creamed carrots, rice pilaf, Pomme Parmentier and new potatoes
As was the style of the times, each item in the entree courses was plated separately by the servers, who asked diners which specific proteins and sides they would like.
Pictured from left to right are Tom Richards, manager Ryan Roberts, Jennie Jones and Melanie Ferguson along with our evening's two skilled servers.
COURSE FOUR: Lamb with mint sauce, duck with apple puree and beef with Pomme Chateaux; sides of green peas, creamed carrots, rice pilaf, Pomme Parmentier and new potatoes
Again, there were several types of meat on a single plate. Creamed carrots were one of the most-talked-about items of the evening as our group chatted in the lounge during a 10-minute break offered after the course.
COURSE FIVE: Punch Romaine
The fifth course is typically a palette cleanser of sorts. For us on Saturday, Chef Lewis brought out a lemon-flavored cocktail.
COURSE SIX: Roast Pennsylvania Squab with watercress, herbed croute, bread sauce and game chips
It was back to protein for course six, but only a single option this time. The bread sauce — a mixture of cream and bread crumbs which I'd never had — was another unsuspected highlight of the meal.
Included with the plate was a Robert Burns, a cocktail of Scotch and bitters that would have been all the rage in 1912. "This was basically the appletini of its day," restaurant manager Ryan Roberts told our table.
SEVENTH COURSE: Chilled asparagus vinaigrette, salad frisée, oranges and a radish
White asparagus is harvested throughout the spring, but April is the prime month — perfectly crisp. Working from the citrus flavors of the oranges in the salad, a Tom Collins-like cocktail of Jenever and lemon was served.
EIGHTH COURSE: Pâté de foie gras with a celery salad, toasted brioche and Sauterne jelly
Perhaps the most intriguing course of the night, the pâté de foie gras was served almost like a savory mousse covered with a layer of sweet wine jelly — a sort of transition dish into dessert.
A glass of Sauterne was included with the course.
COURSE NINE: Waldorf Pudding, poached Texas Hill Country peaches with Green Chartreuse jelly, two éclairs and French Vanilla ice cream
A four-part dessert plate packed a range of flavors into a single course. Knowing that Chartreuse is not the world's most beloved liqueur, Chef Lewis condensed it into a green ball of jelly that was cleverly served atop a pile of Texas peaches.
1907 MADEIRA
. . . And to go with dessert? How about a 105-year-old sweet wine?
1907 MADEIRA
The century-old Madeira wine, similar to Port, would have been a popular during the early 20th century.
COURSE TEN: Selection of Texas cheese with seasonal tree- and vine-ripened fruit
Included with star fruit, mango and dragon fruit were selections from Brazos Valley Cheese in Waco that closed out the evening on a Texas note.
BUT WAIT . . . THERE'S A BONUS TREAT
As if the 10 courses, eight drinks and hors d'oeuvres weren't enough, the Cullen's pastry chef gave each guest a parting gift to easily one of the most memorable meals I've ever had. Each food item was as good as the next and the service was able to keep the pace of what turned out to be a four-and-a-half hour experience — kudos to Cullen's for putting together an amazing event.
