Reminds me of my last cruise. The Navy changed the cook rating from MS or "Mess Specialist" to CS or "Culinary Specialist" and actually had very well paid civilian cooks from five star resturaunts and culinary schools employed aboard our carrier to teach gourmet cooking skills. It must have paid off because there was virtually nothing I ate that I found unpalatable (rotten lettuce in the Gulf notwithstanding but this wasn't the cook's fault). In fact, you could eat the food served on a carrier in a fine resturaunt and be happy to pay the bill. We have it made in the Navy.
I agree. The food on the ENTERPRISE was not up to five-star standards, maybe, but it was hot and there was plenty of it. We had roast beef two to three days per week while at sea -- which frequency earned it a nickname (RBA - "Roast Beef Again") among us snipes. (Roast beef is actually a good choice for long deployments: it freezes solid for EZ reefer storage, is fairly compact, and is relatively easy to cook). The breakfasts on board the E were especially good -- three-egg omelets and plenty of toast and bacon. Sure, we had a few dud meals (haze-gray Spam, anyone?), but on those occasions I just stuck to potatoes and salad and dipped into my gedunk stash to fill in the corners.
Navy chow at sea is good. Fresh food is the first thing you miss: although we baked our own bread (ah, the smell of MIDRATS), it sucked when we'd run out of fresh fruit and milk. (They'd serve us up that chunky UHT-sterilized "milk" and canned fruit instead.) We still ate well, but it sure felt good to see the good old SPICA (food ship) come over the horizon filled with milk, fruit, and Cokes.
Ashore, the food's not so great. The absolute worst food in the Navy is served at Grisholm Hall (the chow hall at the Recruit Training Center at NS Great Lakes) -- slop, pure and simple, but you don't care because you're so hungry. The best food I had ashore in the Navy: tied between the chow hall at the late, lamented Nuke School in Orlando, and the chow hall at NHQ Norfolk. Both were easily on a par with any commercial cafeteria in terms of quality and selection.
B-Chan
Former MM3, USS ENTERPRISE (CVN-65)