Sub Grub Is Navy's Five-Star Secret
SAN DIEGO — It's lunchtime aboard the nuclear attack submarine Jefferson City and the tired crew -- some bearing fresh grease stains on their work overalls -- fills the tiny dining room, clearly ready to chow down.
On cue, mess specialist Richard Youhan begins slicing a 25-pound prime rib roast into half-inch-thick pieces, before gingerly transferring the second entree, baked lobster tails with spicy Old Bay Seasoning, onto a serving tray.
Sauteed mushrooms, baked potatoes and beef rice soup come next, with baskets full of hot, oven-baked bread that was made from scratch. For dessert Youhan, a petty officer 3rd class and former French pastry baker from Cypress, has prepared chocolate and lemon cakes made with real chocolate and freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Welcome to submarine life, where the Navy's chefs prepare what is widely considered to be the military's finest dining experience. Because nuclear subs stay submerged for as long as 90 days straight, serving better food is a way to make up for what is considered to be one of the toughest assignments in the military.
"When we're out to sea, the highlight of the day is food. There is not much else to look forward to," says senior mess specialist Salvador Rico, a petty officer 1st class and an 11-year veteran of the nation's nuclear submarine fleet.
Tom Clancy, best-selling author of "The Hunt for Red October," has raved about submarine food, writing that the dining experience is "truly a pleasure, as the Navy goes all out to give the men the best chow the taxpayer's money can buy."
Much about submarine life, particularly in the nuclear fleet, was kept secret during the Cold War.
But the closely held tradition surrounding submarine cuisine -- long dismissed as a myth outside the Navy -- has recently begun to emerge.
The Food Network cable channel has produced a television show devoted to food served aboard subs, and a cookbook is in the works with the working title "Deep Comfort: Cooking Secrets From America's Submarine Service."
The tradition dates to World War II, when sailors jealously marveled at a submarine's food inventory, which often included steak, lobster and freshly made sausage. It was on a sub that the Navy's first fresh milk dispenser was installed in 1960 after Congress passed legislation overruling Pentagon officials who had argued there was no room for it.
