Top Chef Alumni Bryan Voltaggio Partners with Scenic Luxury Cruises for Special 2022 Culinary Sailing Through South of France
Foodies, Francophiles and Top Chef fans alike take note: Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours will be partnering with Top Chef favorite Bryan Voltaggio for a special, culinary-themed departure of their popular South of France river cruise in October 2022.
The 11-day cruise, Spectacular South of France with Top Chef Bryan Voltaggio, sails round trip out of Lyon on October 20, 2022 and is currently open for booking on Scenic’s website.
Guests booking this special departure will have multiple opportunities to interact with and learn from Chef Bryan. The sailing kicks off with an evening welcome reception featuring a bespoke cocktail and the chance to meet the Chef Bryan in person.
An onboard cooking demonstration will offer guests the opportunity to watch and learn—and sample—a new recipe from the Top Chef, while a lecture on seasonal cooking and French cuisine will deepen guests understanding of the culinary bounty of the region. Guests will have the chance to score a reservation for an intimate meal with Chef Bryan in L’Amour, the specialty dining restaurant onboard. Finally, the highlight of the sailing for many will be a four-course, onboard dinner created and prepared especially for the cruise by Chef Bryan and enjoyed by all guests on board.
“Lyon and the entire Burgundy region represent the gastronomic heart of France. From truffles and cheeses to the wide variety of wines, this area is a culinary lovers’ dream,” said Chef Bryan Voltaggio. “I look forward to partnering with Scenic on this very special sailing and taking their guests on a journey of culinary exploration.”
In addition to Chef Bryan’s programming, this itinerary offers plenty of opportunities for culinary pursuits in and around the heart of France’s gastronomic hub.
In the quaint village of Tournus, guests can join highly trained hounds and their owners locating and sampling French truffles, or visit the restaurant of three-star Michelin chef Georges Blanc for a cooking demonstration. A tour and tasting at a family-owned olive farm is on tap in charming Tarascon, while an opportunity to sample the celebrated wines of Châteauneuf-du-Pape at a Côtes de Rhône vineyard is available in Avignon. As with any Scenic river cruise, all shore excursions are included in the cruise fare.
“Scenic is known for its excellent culinary offerings, from the fine dining available on board our river and ocean ships, to our epicurean-themed sailings and onboard cooking schools,” said Maggie Carbonell, Vice President Marketing for Scenic USA. “We believe this partnership with Chef Bryan Voltaggio is a logical extension of our culinary program and one that will allow our guests a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience an incredible, curated culinary journey.”
The sailing will take place on board Scenic Sapphire, which carries just 149 guests on the Rhône and Saône rivers. The ship is equipped with a bespoke cooking emporium called Scenic Culinaire where guests can take part in tailored cooking classes for up to 10 at a time. Classes will be offered by Scenic’s chefs throughout the sailing, including in Avignon where guests can opt to visit a local market with the ship’s chef before returning to Culinaire to create dishes with the fresh, local ingredients.
Chef Bryan Voltaggio is a culinary innovation to Mid-Atlantic cuisine, a restaurateur and television personality. A Maryland native and James Beard Foundation Award finalist, Bryan creates menus driven by the region’s fresh, seasonal, organic ingredients and strives to engage diners in supporting local agriculture through his choice of dishes that change with the seasons. In 2021 he starred in his own Food Network series “Battle of the Brothers” with brother Michael Voltaggio. He has also released two cookbooks Home: Recipes to Cook with Family and Friends and VOLT.Ink. Bryan opened his first restaurant, Volt, in 2008, which he reinvented during the pandemic as Thacher & Rye. A graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, he is also executive chef for Showroom and chef and partner at STRFSH, Voltaggio Brothers Steakhouse, and Estuary with his brother Michael Voltaggio.
(Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours)
