Acccording to a press release issued on November 9th, Seabourn revealed additional dishes for Solis, the new fine dining venue celebrating Mediterranean cuisine inspired by the places visited by the line’s ultra-luxury ships. One of the remarkable chefs leading Seabourn’s culinary talents to bring the Solis concept to fruition is Master Chef and Culinary Partner Anton “Tony” Egger, who possesses a deep knowledge of authentic dishes and ingredients from the seaside region, as well as of the culinary preferences and refined tastes of guests who travel on Seabourn all over the world.
“As the mastermind behind two of Seabourn’s most popular on-board dining concepts, Earth & Ocean and Sushi, Chef Tony brings to Seabourn both Michelin-level skills and his passion for travel and culinary,” said Natalya Leahy, president of Seabourn. “Tony has a remarkable record of success introducing new culinary experiences and partnerships. I am so proud to support his creative energy as he and our extraordinary team shape Solis into an experience our guests will love.”
Scheduled to launch on Seabourn Quest in January 2024, Solis is being shaped by Chef Egger to be a destination for Seabourn guests to savor “lighter, fresher, and healthier cuisine” from countries along the sun-splashed edges of the Mediterranean, including the coasts of France, Italy, Spain, Greece, Croatia, Morocco, Malta, and Turkey, as well as Tunisia, Algeria, and Egypt. Following is a selection of new dishes guests can look forward to when they visit Solis, along with Chef Egger’s thoughts and inspirations behind the dishes:
- Bistecca Alla Fiorentina – Tuscan Style 32 oz Beef Porterhouse Steak, Vegetable and New Potato Casserole. “While we were in Bologna developing the Gelato Program and at the end of our trip, we were visiting Florence and were invited by one of our Butcher Friends for Lunch and he made us this amazing Steak on his Grill, which was the Bistecca Alla Fiorentina!”
- Horiatiki Greek Village Salad – Barrel-aged feta cheese, cucumbers, Batala tomatoes, pickled red shallots, oregano and fresh mint. “It seems like every time a Chef shops from our ships, we discover a new way to offer Greek Salad. This is a modern take on a classic, conceived to highlight the carefully sourced ingredients that make it seem so delicate.”
- Fresh Tomato Tart – Boquerones, roasted garlic, oven-roasted eggplant puree, green olives. “We were inspired by Italian-style pizza, but we use a lighter and more delicate pastry tart instead. It offers a medley of Mediterranean flavors that accompany each flavor and texture very well.”
A longtime Seabourn partner whose remarkable run with the line began in 1998 as an Executive Chef, Chef Egger teamed with Senior Corporate Chef Franck Salein to conceive a restaurant that will satisfy guest preferences while continuing to elevate the world-class dining is renowned for the fleet. Inspired by Seabourn guests who, when surveyed, ranked Mediterranean cuisine as their top pick for a new restaurant and “fresh and healthy” as their preferred attributes, Chef Egger crafted an exceptional dining experience focusing on “coastal cuisine.”
“When people think of classic ‘French cuisine,’ for instance, it’s often more Parisian, drenched with butter and cream. But olive oil reigns in the south of France because it is so much warmer along the Mediterranean. Coastal cuisine is a popular diet and the basis for a lot of healthy living. That gives us a lot of inspiration,” Egger said.
This cuisine includes “foods of the sun” with garden produce ripened by long growing seasons, fresh seafood pulled from the sea, and regional takes on carbohydrates such as fougasse flatbread of Provence that is typically shaped like a wheat grain. The focus on the sun and warmth also inspired the name Solis, which is Latin for sun.
The menu that Chef Egger is crafting for Solis will include signature dishes and “inspired dailies” that change by the day based on the availability of ingredients and location when chefs bring back fresh delights from markets when ships are in port. The menu will also feature complimentary fine wines and premium selections from coastal regions available by the glass or bottle to pair with the restaurant’s coastal cuisine, as well as vintage-inspired cocktails curated by talented mixologists and fashioned with modern ingredients.
In addition, presentation will be a strong element of the Solis experience, with tableware of fine China and glassware mixed and matched and ingredients artfully arranged by color and texture to create mouthwatering scenes on the plate.
“Over the years, Chef Franck and I have listened intently to discover what Seabourn guests really enjoy about dining,” he continued. “With Solis, we’re combining all that we have learned and more into something they are sure to enjoy – and that we will enjoy creating.” Dishes, desserts, drinks and the restaurant design will all be integral to the experience, he assured. “But there will be more. The dynamic they create when combined together is what our guests will remember, and it will be fun for all of us in the kitchen to shape them.”
Born into a hospitality family in Austria, Chef Egger launched his culinary career via local apprenticeships while still in the prime of youth before moving on to expand his horizons, talents, and tastes at 5-star venues across four continents. After bringing those to Seabourn, Chef Egger transferred to the line’s headquarters, then based in Miami, as Corporate Executive Chef. Within two years, he was a lead food and beverage partner for the entire fleet while building the line’s reputation as a culinary leader through thoughtfully strategic moves and being intimately involved in the creation and launch of culinary operations on new Seabourn ships. He teamed with Chef Salein to expand the line’s cuisine by conceiving and developing popular venues such as Sushi offering authentic Japanese sushi on Encore-class vessels, and Earth & Ocean with daily menus highlighting sophisticated flavors inspired by the fleet’s travels around the globe.
