Executive Chef Brings Gourmet Dining to San Diego Cruise Line
Flagship Cruises & Events offers a unique, upscale dining experience on the San Diego bay.

SAN DIEGO, CA, January 28, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Dungeness crab-stuffed Pacific snapper, assorted caviars, and a chocolate fountain with fresh fruits aren't the type of fare one would expect to find on a sightseeing cruise, but that's the kind of fine dining visitors to San Diego enjoy when they book passage with Flagship Cruises and Events. Executive Chef Brian Gist has revolutionized the San Diego cruise line's menu from an ordinary two-entree offering to a diverse array of gourmet dishes rivaling anything found in upscale restaurants.

Gist joined Flagship Cruises and Events a decade ago after graduating from the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco and honing his skills with several West Coast restaurants and private yachts. Today he enjoys the reaction from passengers when they taste the food he and his staff prepare.

"A lot of people comment that they expected something like airline food - maybe boiled chicken and rice - so they're really surprised to get a very nice three-course meal," Gist said.

His secrets include buying local items whenever possible and preparing everything on site. Gist uses a nearby bakery for all breads and other baked goods and seeks out local produce. Each vessel has a complete commercial kitchen facility, so Gist brings fresh ingredients on board and prepares everything on the ship.

"I think that's one thing that makes us stand out against our competitors," he said. "We don't use a commissary like a lot of companies do. There's a big difference in the quality of the food when you prepare it somewhere else as opposed to doing everything on site."

Gist likens his set-up to that of a hotel banquet kitchen with one major exception - a hotel kitchen doesn't move. "At any given time of day, our vessels and even our personnel can be in several different locations, so that's a challenge restaurants don't face," he said.

Although the menu changes periodically, entree choices for the two-and-a-half hour San Diego dinner cruise might include grilled flat iron steak with a caramelized shallot demi-glaze, herb grilled chicken breast with artichoke and sun dried tomato cream sauce, and vegetarian strudel served with a roasted tomato ragu.

In addition to nightly dinner cruises, Flagship Cruises and Events offers a Saturday and Sunday brunch cruises featuring complimentary champagne and mimosas, live music and a gourmet buffet that includes chilled seafood, made-to-order omelettes, a carving station, salads, and elaborate desserts along with traditional breakfast items. The cruise is so popular that locals have voted it San Diego's Best Brunch.

The luxurious cruise ships are also available for private charter. Thirty to forty weddings are held on board each year, as well as a wide variety of corporate events for visiting conventions and conferences as well as local businesses.

About Flagship Cruises & Events: Delighting San Diego passengers since 1915, Flagship Cruises & Events offers extraordinary experiences unique to San Diego such as harbor cruises, holiday parties, gourmet dinner cruises, private charters, corporate events, weddings, award-winning brunches, whale watching, ferry services, water taxis, shopping, dining and more. The unchanging part of this historical company's operations is their commitment to providing quality services at the best value to visitors and residents of San Diego. To find out how Flagship Cruises & Events can create a memorable San Diego experience for you, visit www.FlagshipSD.com, check them out on Facebook, connect on Twitter or call 619-234-4111 or 1-800-442-7847.

Media Contact:
Jennifer Bradley
800-442-7847 ext 107
http://bit.ly/htkrFL

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