When the notecard arrived at our cabin door with a dinner invitation to a six-course tasting menu, I had no idea my head would be as bursting with ideas related to climate change as my stomach was stuffed with delicious food.
But then again, this was no ordinary meal.
Every guest on Lindblad Expeditions’ two newest ships, the 128-passenger National Geographic Endurance and National Geographic Resolution, are invited at least once per cruise to the small-group dining space on the ship’s top deck, called Charlie’s Table and Cook’s Nook, respectively.
On the Resolution, the meal’s theme is zero waste, while on my ship, the Endurance, it’s climate change.
The evening begins like many on cruise ships, with Champagne, as guests mix and mingle. As they sip their drinks, they’ll learn that Lindblad’s culinary team spent hundreds of hours formulating the menus for these special dinners, ensuring that the ingredients represent the line’s commitment to choosing food that is planet-friendly and close to zero waste.
The food also happened to be outstanding, in both taste and presentation.
With the Svalbard islands in the Norwegian Arctic as the backdrop, we dined on courses named The Melting of the Polar Caps, with blackened barramundi and avocado mousse; Zero Waste, which paired arctic char with tomato jelly and leek skyr; and Free Roaming, Happily Fed Veal Tenderloin, served smoked with wild mushrooms and lingonberry.
Each course also came with a short presentation from the chef: Kelp Forest Soup paired with the importance of kelp to marine life; an Ode to the Bees dessert with the significance of bees to food ecosystems; and Let’s Keep Our Oceans Clean, a scallop dish whose “crispy fishing net” served as a reminder of the perils of industrial fishing.
A course on the climate change menu, Kelp Forest Soup, comes with a lesson on the importance of kelp to marine life. (Courtesy of Lindblad Expeditions)
The meal and menu reflect both Lindblad’s ethos as a company and the values — based on my dinner companions — that people on this ship seemed to have.
What most guests don’t know is that the catalyst for the climate change menu was a beehive that had fallen to the ground.
Ana Esteves, Lindblad’s vice president of hotel operations, saw the hive while walking her dog. It got her thinking about the trouble that bees are in and other issues facing the planet.
Charlie’s Table and Cook’s Nook were already being used for “storytelling” dinners, such as one centered around how Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton and his crew ate — reflective of modern ways — and menus that focused on the regions the ships were in.
The beehive inspired Esteves, a former chef, to make the story about Earth.
The Ode to the Bees dessert, a nod to the significance of bees to food ecosystems. (Courtesy of Lindblad Expeditions)
“I am a firm believer that a tasting menu without a story or without meaning behind it is just another tasting menu,” she said. “There’s no innovation there. I always like to push boundaries a little bit.”
Esteves said the point is not to be political but to inspire conversation about compelling issues, such as plastic in the oceans, “just to get us to talk about the problems we face right now.”
While enjoying the zero-waste menu, for example, guests also learn from the presentation how Lindblad tackles food waste, which along with sustainable food sourcing is a company priority. Buying local “helps with waste because things are fresher, which helps with turnover, reduces the carbon footprint because we’re provisioning locally and gives back to the local communities,” Esteves said.
In several regions, Lindblad’s long partnerships with local farmers enables them to know exactly what they’ll need ahead of each sailing season, reducing waste. Esteves said Lindblad’s sustainable seafood program is “very dear to my heart.” She knows how and where every piece of fish served in the fleet is caught and often knows the captain of the fishing boat.
“In our repeat destinations like Galapagos or Baja California, I know these fishermen and their wives and kids, because we build those relationships,” she said.
Reaction to the dinners has been overwhelmingly positive, for both the meals and their message.
“I’ve gotten feedback that it’s better than a Michelin-star restaurant,” Esteves said. “We’re just really happy that we can make people happy and tell stories from our perspective on climate change and zero waste, layering in surprise and delight, because we want to make our guests feel pampered.”
