Day #3: Dinner and a Show (Updated)

When I last left you, I mentioned that we enjoyed an excellent dinner at Chops and were entertained at the headliner show, featuring Brenda Cochrane. But, it was late here, and I was tired. So, here's the updated complete run down:

Chops, a steakhouse at sea, is one of the two specialty restaurants aboard Brilliance. We arrived for our 7:00pm reservation and were promptly seated at a table by the window. Libby and I both stated with a Shrimp Cocktail. Libby then enjoyed a Caesar salad. I opted for onion soup and a beefsteak tomato and onion salad with blue cheese crumbles and dressing. All starters were good, though not particularly memorable. For our mains, I selected a 10oz filet mignon. Libby had a braised pork shank. And, we shared number of sides: potatoes, corn, and wild mushrooms. My steak was melt-in-your-mouth good (of high-end steakhouse quality). But, as good as my dish was, Libby's pork shank was better. It was succulent, tender, and flavorful: an outstanding dish! For dessert, Libby had a luscious “chocolate mud pie” (a high-end version of the Mississippi classic), and I enjoyed a coffee-infused brulee cheesecake that was wonderful, though not really a rival for my “best cheesecake ever” award (still held by Marchand's Grill in St. Petersburg – after 14 years of looking for its equal!).

We finished dinner around 8:45. Just in time for the 9:00 stage show. Tonight's headliner was Scottish singer Brenda “The Voice” Cochrane, who has performed in the West End in shows such as Chicago. She sang a number of standards and covers of 1950s pop hits. Her voice was very pleasing, and her stage presence was even more so. Had she not been successfully as a singer, she probably could have done well as a stand-up comedian.

All in all, this was an enjoyable evening!