# Meals on long distance routes.



## Terry (Jan 9, 2018)

Are the diner meals on ld routes prepared from scratch or they prepared before

hand then heated and served, like airplane meals?


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## ParanoidAndroid (Jan 9, 2018)

Usually prepared beforehand, except steaks and omelettes (maybe a couple other things too), which are cooked to order.

Everything on the Cardinal, Lake Shore Limited, and City of New Orleans is microwaved (or convection ovened), but it's still pretty good if done right.


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## KleShreen (Jan 10, 2018)

On this topic, if you have a sleeper and therefore your meals are included in your fare, what does that include? Are there certain things you can and can't pick as part of your meal that is paid for with your fare?


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## Rail Freak (Jan 10, 2018)

Everything on the menu is included except adult beverages!


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## the_traveler (Jan 10, 2018)

Included items are:

Breakfast - any breakfast on the menu, juice, drink (coffee, tea, etc...), a side order of meat (bacon or sausage) if desired

Lunch - any lunch on the menu, if a burger you can also get cheese and/or bacon if desired, drink (coffee, etc...), dessert

Dinner - any dinner on the menu, side salad (you may have to ask for it), drink (coffee, etc...), dessert

Sometimes the side salads are automatically put on the table by the server, but sometimes you have to ask for it specifically. What I do many times if I do not want it, but I am seated with somebody from coach, is to order it and then give it to them! (They would have to pay $3 for it.) I also sometimes do the same with dessert!

Alcoholic drinks (beer, wine, etc...) are always extra.


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## Bob Dylan (Jan 10, 2018)

Also,depending on the Server/LSA, you can sometimes order from the "Kiddie Menu", which can be a Hot Dog( they used to be better with the Pretzel Bun) or Mac and Cheese!


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## KmH (Jan 10, 2018)

the_traveler said:


> Included items are:
> 
> Breakfast - any breakfast on the menu, juice, drink (coffee, tea, etc...), a side order of meat (bacon or sausage) if desired
> 
> ...


Juice & Coffee can be had with breakfast, probably coffee, juice &milk too but I've never done that.

A side salad can also be had with lunch and I've had 2 cans of soda with lunch too.

Dinner includes a roll. I sometimes had them substitute rice for the baked potato or the vegetables.


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## Devil's Advocate (Jan 10, 2018)

Steak is stocked frozen and then cooked to order. Eggs are stocked fresh but are not cooked to order. Potatoes are stocked fresh and then baked on board. To the best of my knowledge everything else is cooked and/or prepared somewhere else and then simply warmed again before serving.


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## ehbowen (Jan 10, 2018)

If you're having an entree salad for lunch or dinner there is usually a protein (chicken breast or salmon fillet) which can be added upon request inclusive with your sleeper passenger meal.


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## KleShreen (Jan 10, 2018)

the_traveler said:


> Included items are:
> 
> Breakfast - any breakfast on the menu, juice, drink (coffee, tea, etc...), a side order of meat (bacon or sausage) if desired
> 
> ...


Thank you! That is good to hear!


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## caravanman (Jan 11, 2018)

I can't remember the breakfast item name, but I recall that I was unable to pick and choose my omelette items, I assume it came as a pre-made mix in some way.

Ed


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## KmH (Jan 11, 2018)

It was my understanding eggs come onboard already scrambled and then are cooked as omelets or scrambled eggs.

Being already scrambled they take up lots less space and it aids portion control.


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## Devil's Advocate (Jan 11, 2018)

caravanman said:


> I can't remember the breakfast item name, but I recall that I was unable to pick and choose my omelette items, I assume it came as a pre-made mix in some way.


I believe the combination egg dishes (quesadilla, chilaquiles, omelets, etc.) are back to using commercial egg mix again. The generic scrambled egg option supposedly uses real eggs, but you still cannot have them made to order, which somewhat defeats the purpose of stocking fresh eggs.


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## Mystic River Dragon (Jan 11, 2018)

When I was auto-defrosting frozen potatoes in the microwave (to go with my microwave poached eggs), my kitchen had a lovely smell that reminded me of something--oh, yes, the long-distance dining car! Have I found out their secret to cooking potatoes?


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## KmH (Jan 11, 2018)

For omelets on LD trains like the CZ we get to choose cheddar, jack or no cheese, if we want guacamole, and if we want egg subsitute.

I bet if one asked, the green peppers and red onions could be left out.

Also served with the omelet is a side of tomato salsa.

We get to choose between roasted potatoes or grits too.

I've been disappointed with the potatoes enough times that now I get the grits instead.


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## Lonestar648 (Jan 11, 2018)

It would be easy to send a pouch of scrambled eggs to be opened, then the cook can ladle out one ladle per egg. At the restaurant, we used to make up batches of 140 or so dozen eggs in big containers for the day's scrambled eggs, which was used not just for scrambled eggs, but for omelets and French Toast. Amtrak could send prepared mix, all fresh, to be used accordingly. This summer, the omlets were definitely cooked elsewhere with a few toppings thrown on when heated up. I was told the peppers were in the omlets prior to coming on board.


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## Maverickstation (Jan 13, 2018)

The Food Fact site I also a good way to know what is created off train, and re-heated on board.

When you click the link for the actual offerings, you will get a pop up with nutritional data (if your like me and have to watch sodium ready carefully),

some have ingredient lists, and you'll see notes such as it is a meal kit, or it will state what company made it (like Amy's), and/or how the dining car

staff has to prepare it.

From what posters have commented, the Chef Inspired entrees are often in short supply.

http://www.amtrakfoodfacts.com

Ken


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## KmH (Jan 13, 2018)

About the scrambled eggs served on the CZ and I guess all LD trains using the national dining car menu:



> Two cage-free, pasteurized *whole shell eggs* scrambled to order . . .


And the omelet:



> A freshly made pasteurized cage-free, three egg omelet available *served plain*, *or with veggie filling* & a side of salsa, or with everything. . .


Pasteurized eggs are gently heated in their shells, just enough to kill the bacteria but not enough to actually cook the egg.


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## Devil's Advocate (Jan 13, 2018)

How do you explain the perfectly even color, unchanging texture, and inability to change virtually anything about the egg entrees if theyre stocked and cooked from whole eggs? It just doesnt add up at all. Maybe things are different on the single level eastern trains, but on the western Superliners the egg entries seem to be nothing but processed commercial egg mix.


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## Shortline (Jan 13, 2018)

I am no expert, but I am pretty sure they crack the eggs on board, both on Western and Eastern trains-I've noticed some are more scrambled than others, with some white still around, which is how I like them. My eggs this morning were great, light and fluffy, and clearly hand scrambled, not from a box. Served over the quesadilla, with tomatillo salsa and sausage, was actually very good, much better than I expected it to be!

I still have 3 nights to go to LA, so I'm sure I'll get sick of it, but there seems to have been an increase in quality recently. I actually enjoyed the dinner (tried the shrimp biryani-It was....not too bad, which is better than expected again.)


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## TinCan782 (Jan 13, 2018)

Bob Dylan said:


> Also,depending on the Server/LSA, you can sometimes order from the "Kiddie Menu", which can be a Hot Dog( they used to be better with the Pretzel Bun) or Mac and Cheese!


One time, my wife tried ordering BOTH mac and cheese and the hot dog from the children's menu. NOPE, one or the other but not both!


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## KmH (Jan 13, 2018)

Devil's Advocate said:


> How do you explain the perfectly even color, unchanging texture, and inability to change virtually anything about the egg entrees if theyre stocked and cooked from whole eggs?


Sometimes, people's perceptions are biased by their expectations?

That's something scientists have to be wary of when they do experiments to test a hypothesis.


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## Bob Dylan (Jan 13, 2018)

Is "..not too bad,which is better than expected.."" really a positive when it comes to Amchow?


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## KleShreen (Jan 13, 2018)

Maverickstation said:


> The Food Fact site I also a good way to know what is created off train, and re-heated on board.
> 
> When you click the link for the actual offerings, you will get a pop up with nutritional data (if your like me and have to watch sodium ready carefully),
> 
> ...


Thank you so much for this! Very helpful for getting the carbs for my diabetes =)


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## Shortline (Jan 14, 2018)

Bob Dylan said:


> Is "..not too bad,which is better than expected.."" really a positive when it comes to Amchow?


Actually I think it is. It's much better now than it was just a year or two ago, I used to actively avoid the dining car most of the time. Even free/included, was overpriced if it's not good. This trip however unnoticed a marked improvement, both on the Creacent, and the Capitol Limited. Other than not having any choices except the burger for lunch yesterday (really wanted to try the mussels) , it's been good. I passed on the burger and ate in DC....

So from my past experience, over decades of travel, better than expected is a positive.


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## Devil's Advocate (Jan 15, 2018)

Shortline said:


> I am no expert, but I am pretty sure they crack the eggs on board, both on Western and Eastern trains-I've noticed some are more scrambled than others, with some white still around, which is how I like them. My eggs this morning were great, light and fluffy, and clearly hand scrambled, not from a box. Served over the quesadilla, with tomatillo salsa and sausage, was actually very good, much better than I expected it to be!


I must admit that looks like real whole eggs from here. You can see the variations in color and texture plain as day. Commercial egg mix generally gives itself away with a lighter shade of yellow with extremely even color and texture. I've been told that sometimes the mix is used when the whole eggs run out, either due to heavy ordering or insufficient stock before departure. I've also been told that eggs vs. mix sometimes changes depending on other factors, such as changes in the price or availability of eggs and how the F&B budget is holding up relative to the number of recorded diners. No idea how much (if any) of that is true or not.


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## Shortline (Jan 15, 2018)

Me either. All three trains I've been on this week used real eggs. The Crescent, Capitol Limited, and the SW Chief. Breakfast (and really all) meals seem to be much better. The chilaquillea, steamed mussels, quesadilla, and even the Biryani are all nice changes from the regular endless scrambled eggs, burger, steak rotation. And just from observation, it looked like they were selling more of those new meals, than the old standbys. That's promising.


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## crescent-zephyr (Jan 15, 2018)

On the current menu, I think the Salmon is also grilled to order.

On the single level trains you can see and hear the whole eggs being cracked and scrambled if you have a seat close to the kitchen.


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