How Guy Fieri Brought Real Barbecue To Cruise Ships

[Jason 413]

When Guy Fieri is involved in a ribbon cutting ceremony, giant scissors just won't cut it. During the grand opening of Pig & Anchor Smokehouse | Brewhouse, Fieri’s BBQ joint onboard the Carnival Horizon, he passed on the oversize decorative scissors in favor of something he’s more used to handling: a knife. As he put it, “I’m not a seamstress, I’m a chef.”

Once the ribbon was cut and the bacon-topped sliders were served, Delish spoke to Fieri about how he managed to put an actual barbecue joint, smoker and all, on a cruise ship. But first, he shared the super-casual way the idea was born.

Fieri, who’s worked with Carnival Cruise Line for seven years, recalls sitting in his backyard with some folks from Carnival talking about what to do next. Fieri already had Guy’s Burger Joint onboard many other 'Fun Ships', and Carnival wanted to know what his dream restaurant looked like. Barbecue was at the top of his list. “Everybody loves barbecue,” he says. “It’s in every ethnicity.”

"We worked on it for a good year to keep it at the level that I was expecting."

For logistical reasons — open flames, propane — he didn’t think it was possible. But where there’s a Flavortown will there’s a way, and Carnival made it happen, preserving all of Fieri’s requests: real smoke, real wood, and no pellets. From there, he was able to work his magic in the kitchen. “We worked on it for a good year to really design a menu that was gonna make everyone happy and keep it to the level that I was expecting,” Fieri said.

The Carnival Horizon, which had its naming ceremony in New York City last week, is home to Fieri’s second rendition of the Smokehouse (the first is on the Carnival Vista). Its claim to fame — being the first restaurant at sea to have a full-on smoker. When you bite into Fieri’s Championship Pork Butt or Smoked Beef, you’ll taste the difference.

Along with meats, homestyle sides like Mac Daddy Mac 'n Cheese and Fieri's classic Trash Can Nachos, Pig & Anchor has its own brewmaster crafting four beers on the ship, and a cocktail menu that includes Bloody Mary's made with vodka soaked in pickled veggies. You can try Fieri's BBQ on the Carnival Horizon; this summer, the ship sails to Bermuda and the Caribbean on four- and eight-night cruises from New York.

By Madison Flager, Dish.com
Re-posted on CruiseCrazies.com - Cruise News, Articles, Forums, Packing List, Ship Tracker, and more
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