The Queen Mary sails the culinary seas with a new menu that digs Into decades of history

The Queen Mary is sailing back in time with a new menu inspired by the ship’s history at its high-end restaurant while looking ahead toward new waters with a pair of brand new food spots aboard the storied vessel.

“It’s really kind of special. They were actual dishes served at the Queen Mary. We went back to the archives and found decades of historical menus and recipes and the chef and culinary team really took a deep dive,” said Kirt Finley, the executive director of food and beverage for the Queen Mary.

The ship’s upscale spot Chelsea Chowder House and Bar has just debuted a new menu dubbed Dining Through the Decades, which is made up of dishes dug out from the vessel’s nearly century-old history.

“When you’re dining off the menu it’s basically a meal you would have gotten aback in the 30s,” Finley said. “We found some dishes that could meet the modern palate and then we went back and found some culinary practices that they used on the ship and we duplicated them as close as possible.”

The items on the flashback menu include a potage soup made with cream, potatoes, carrots and leeks plus a lamb chop tourangelle with scalloped potato and succotash and a classic dessert known as an Ice Box Cake and even a salad that was meticulously recreated.

“We recreated the Delmonico Salad, which is a pretty straight forward salad, however we went back and we found the actual recipe for the dressing that goes on it and we duplicated that in the same sort of style they made,” he said.

Finley said the rotating menu will reflect other decades with the new menus items popping up throughout the year in the kitchen.

For passengers who want a quicker service option minus the culinary history the ship is also offering a new quick service coffee, tea, ice cream and pastry spot named Jubilee, which is located outside Promenade Cafe in the Promenade Lounge. It joins the Midship Market, a fast-service, grab-and-go concept that serves custom flatbreads, sliced-to-order sandwiches and the Rivet burger, which is a burger wrapped in a bun. Think of  a panini-style burger.

“Basically it’s a hamburger that’s encapsulated in the bun. So we make the burger in a burger press and it seals the burger and sauce inside the bun so it’s really mess free,” he said.