# Amtrak Half Roasted Chicken Replaced



## seat38a (May 2, 2016)

Looks like the half roasted chicken has been replaced on the menu. The menu description shows it as "ask your server" and Amtrak Food Facts shows it as a chicken breast. I never ordered the chicken so I won't miss it myself.


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## crabby_appleton1950 (May 2, 2016)

Quote*:* *"*Amtrak Half Roasted Chicken Replaced*"*

Did they replace it because it was only '_half roasted_'? :giggle:


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## JayPea (May 2, 2016)

crabby_appleton1950 said:


> Quote*:* *"*Amtrak Half Roasted Chicken Replaced*"*
> 
> Did they replace it because it was only '_half roasted_'? :giggle:


I was thinking the same thing :lol:

I prefer chicken breasts to the half roasted variety served on Amtrak so see this as a welcome change.


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## Bob Dylan (May 2, 2016)

This is the first Positive News regarding Food in the Diners in a long time!

Hopefully we'll get a report on whether or not it is fully roasted and how it tastes from a member soon!


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## seat38a (May 2, 2016)

Going by Amtrak Food Facts and not the menu, it looks like new items such as chicken sliders have been added as well. PPC items have FINALLY changed as well. I'm guessing that the menu's themselves will be updated soon.


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## oregon pioneer (May 2, 2016)

I never would order the half chicken based on the calorie count, but once when I was on a VERY late EB, we were only offered two choices for dinner (after we should have already been in CHI). One of them was the half chicken, so I got it. It was too much food so I could not eat it all. A chicken breast would be much better for me.


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## shelzp (May 2, 2016)

I had the chicken last week and it is an improvement because that half chicken was too much food. What I received had the same barbecue sauce that they put on the 'special' (pork) that they have every day of the week now. I thought it was good. It seems like I read that they will change the chicken selection so you should check with your server. In my case the server is the room attendant.


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## Devil's Advocate (May 2, 2016)

seat38a said:


> PPC items have FINALLY changed as well.


The new PPC items are fully prepared off site prior to departure from the originating station, including the application of mandatory spreads and sauces, leading to a substantially worse dining experience than anything I've ever had on the PPC previously. Any semblance of enjoying a "premium" meal in the Pacific Parlor Car has been washed away with the most recent menu changes.

*Stale bread, dried out turkey loaf, wilted veggies, and disgusting unavoidable mayonnaise based spread on a plastic plate.*


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## crabby_appleton1950 (May 2, 2016)

Devil's Advocate said:


> seat38a said:
> 
> 
> > PPC items have FINALLY changed as well.
> ...


What's "PPC" ?


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## the_traveler (May 2, 2016)

PPC = Pacific Parlour Car on the CS. It serves a different menu than that served in the Dining Car.


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## shelzp (May 2, 2016)

I had a tuna sandwich in the PPC recently and I thought the guy stood there and prepared it fresh. I'm not a PPC fan and I've only eaten in there two times but that sandwich was good. Last summer I had a breakfast sandwich that was still frozen in the middle that was the worst thing I ever received on Amtrak so you just never know.


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## Cina (May 2, 2016)

Alas- no more lamb shank on the PPC?







Edit: Oh wait- there it is!


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## pennyk (May 2, 2016)

shelzp said:


> I had the chicken last week and it is an improvement because that half chicken was too much food.


I also had the chicken breast last week (on the Silver Meteor), and thought it was an improvement over the half chicken.


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## Jim G. (May 2, 2016)

Lamb shank on the CL was the BEST meal I ever had on any Amtrak train !


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## chakk (May 2, 2016)

That's Lamb Chop, Not Lamb Shank.


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## chakk (May 2, 2016)

CS has been offering chicken breast as the entree in the meal-brought-to-your-seat service to coach passengers for a couple months, at least.


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## crescent-zephyr (May 2, 2016)

Jim G. said:


> Lamb shank on the CL was the BEST meal I ever had on any Amtrak train !


Agreed.... I honestly think the Lamb Shank was the best entree I've ever had on any train period. During the "chef-inspired" period a few years ago there were alot of winners. The Lamb Shank, the Mahi Mahi, the Beechers Macaroni and Cheese Entree, etc.

It proves that the current staff, with the current vendor, with the cureent "somewhat pre-prepared" cooking methods, can provide a great product. All it takes is ordering for the premium entrees from the vendor and putting them on the menu. (oh yeah... and paying for it.).


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## Railroad Bill (May 2, 2016)

pennyk said:


> shelzp said:
> 
> 
> > I had the chicken last week and it is an improvement because that half chicken was too much food.
> ...


I had the chicken breast on the Cap 30 Friday night and it was very good. Much better than the 1/2 chicken although it was not bad. The pork shanks were also enjoyed by our model railroad crew trip as was the excellent steaks. And the new cheesecake with Greek yogurt was better than the former cheesecake taken off the menu. My food report for this week..


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## Bob Dylan (May 2, 2016)

Thanks for the "boots on the train" reports on the New menu items! 

I never cared much for the half chicken, but the new offering sounds good ( if Penny likes it it has to be good! ) and the new cheese cake sounds much better than the sorry mystery in a cup one that was being served!


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## seat38a (May 2, 2016)

Bob Dylan said:


> Thanks for the "boots on the train" reports on the New menu items!
> 
> I never cared much for the half chicken, but the new offering sounds good ( if Penny likes it it has to be good! ) and the new cheese cake sounds much better than the sorry mystery in a cup one that was being served!


Anything has to be better than the "strawberry" cheesecake they were serving for a while. Was a total disappointment when they replaced the plain with fruit topping with the pre mixed garbage.


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## RPC (May 2, 2016)

The half chicken was too much for me as well. OTOH, when my teenage son was along, it was just right for him  !


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## Devil's Advocate (May 2, 2016)

seat38a said:


> Bob Dylan said:
> 
> 
> > Thanks for the "boots on the train" reports on the New menu items!
> ...



*Here is Amtrak's new scoop of CoolWhip in a bag dessert...*




*Here is Amtrak's new gas station grade "Chocolate Creme" dessert...*


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## Yumacool (May 2, 2016)

Amtrak makes mistakes in the diner, but generally does a fairly decent job considering the constant criticism they get from Congress. One thing that bothers me is that my wife has to have gluten free food and the situation on the diner seems to get worse and worse. We frequently ride the Coast Starlight and she used to enjoy the salmon fillets. Unfortunately, that was removed from the menu and replaced with crab cakes, which contain breading, making it a no go. She could eat the half-chicken, but since it has been replaced with a chicken breast covered with who-knows-what, so that also may be a no go. Very slim pickings for her, indeed. I think there are a great number of gluten free people out there who need to speak up!


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## crescent-zephyr (May 2, 2016)

Agreed Yumacool. The crab cakes are also a no-go for those who can't have shellfish, which are a lot of people. If I was going to have a restaurant with only 5 or 6 entrees, I would pick entrees that have the most appeal for people of various diets.


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## MARC Rider (May 2, 2016)

I had the roasted half chicken on my trip on the Silver Snail last fall. That was when leakage from a rainstorm shut down the grill, so no steak. I actually thought it was pretty good. The chicken, that is, not the rather salty rice that came with it. But it was wasn't that bad, really.


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## Lonestar648 (May 2, 2016)

It seems that the Amtrak management team that decides on the menu changes is only considering financial savings based on their thinking all passengers have NO allergy or other food sensitivity or restrictions.


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## seat38a (May 2, 2016)

Do you think the riders on the Silver Star, are complaining about special meals and diets  The only realistic response from Amtrak will probably be: "Too many people can't eat our food blah blah blah. So we decided to remove the dining cars and make the sleepers cheaper."


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## Seaboard92 (May 2, 2016)

A lot depends on the vendor and the amount of money put into it. I know Deutsche Bahn in Germany their good is ok. It's a better quality then amtrak. But the cake on it which I really like actually is prepackaged completely. And one time they forgot to take the wrapper off of it so now I can order it by itself without riding. If your lucky they warm it up


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## PVD (May 2, 2016)

The legit medical conditions that make gluten free diets necessary can result in very severe conditions if not managed properly. That being said, the number of real situations versus the people who don't even know what gluten is but think they need to avoid it is staggering. Anyone who has or knows someone with Celiac conditions knows how serious this really is. The fad diet people make it worse, because people don't take it as seriously as they should.


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## daybeers (May 2, 2016)

PVD said:


> The legit medical conditions that make gluten free diets necessary can result in very severe conditions if not managed properly. That being said, the number of real situations versus the people who don't even know what gluten is but think they need to avoid it is staggering. Anyone who has or knows someone with Celiac conditions knows how serious this really is. The fad diet people make it worse, because people don't take it as seriously as they should.


Have fun with this: https://youtu.be/AdJFE1sp4Fw


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## Thirdrail7 (May 2, 2016)

What is supposed to be in that bag, DA?


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## Devil's Advocate (May 2, 2016)

Thirdrail7 said:


> What is supposed to be in that bag, DA?


Not entirely sure to be honest. It looked like ice cream but tasted like _CoolWhip_. It reminded me of those oddball desserts you receive in coach when flying out of locations like Moscow or Manila. From what I understand many countries don't have formal rules or regulations on what precisely constitutes "ice cream" so they are able to manufacture and sell products that _look_ like conventional ice cream but come with a weird taste and and texture. That's not to say that alternative products such as CoolWhip are "bad" per se, but I would prefer they be up front about what you're consuming rather than trying to make it look like something else.


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## crescent-zephyr (May 3, 2016)

Between the plastic sealed blankets and vaccum sealed ice cream, Amtrak is reinventing the term "classy."


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## Devil's Advocate (May 3, 2016)

seat38a said:


> Do you think the riders on the Silver Star, are complaining about special meals and diets  The only realistic response from Amtrak will probably be: "Too many people can't eat our food blah blah blah. So we decided to remove the dining cars and make the sleepers cheaper."


I have no specific knowledge or special connection with anything that's going on but I cannot help but wonder what the endgame is for all of this. I like the idea of having at-seat meals in coach but it's terribly unfortunate that they have to be generic precooked heat and eat meals like you get on an aircraft. Taking the train allows for plenty of time to properly prepare and cook a good meal but instead that benefit is being wasted on cost cutting. How far _must_ it go before it can hope to break even and how far _can_ it go before it ceases to be a worthwhile service in the minds of the majority of passengers? In the end I often find myself thinking that if today's Mica Meals become a permanent mainstay then I'd probably rather just go without entirely. I'll either bring my own food or schedule stopovers where I can find a good meal or I'll simply cease taking Amtrak on anything longer than a day trip. Which I presume is the long term goal of people like Mica and Shuster. I don't want to be falling into their trap but I'm seriously disappointed with the current options and I seem to end up eating less and less on each trip.


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## Cho Cho Charlie (May 3, 2016)

Devil's Advocate said:


> AmtrakCoolWhipScoop.jpg
> 
> 
> 
> ...





Devil's Advocate said:


> AmtrakCoolWhipScoopBite.jpg


I guess I have been an Amtrak passenger for too long. When I look at those pictures, my eye ignores the food and looks at the plates. Are those real Amtrak plates I see?


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## OBS (May 3, 2016)

No real plates. Those are the Corelle plastic disposables that have been in use for awhile...


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## OBS (May 3, 2016)

According to the Spring/Summer Dining car update, the dessert is a new brand of single serve Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.

Also, it is a Pork Shank served for lunch with the BBQ sauce, and a "Thyme scented chicken breast" served with a spiced sweet potato sauce is the dinner item.


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## keelhauled (May 3, 2016)

OBS said:


> According to the Spring/Summer Dining car update, the dessert is a new brand of single serve Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.


RIP the Haagan-Dazs.


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## seat38a (May 3, 2016)

OBS said:


> According to the Spring/Summer Dining car update, the dessert is a new brand of single serve Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.
> 
> Also, it is a Pork Shank served for lunch with the BBQ sauce, and a "Thyme scented chicken breast" served with a spiced sweet potato sauce is the dinner item.


According to Amtrak Food Facts, it looks like its "Blue Bunny Brand prescooped ice cream ball" They have it in fine print when you click on the Haagen-Dazs Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. That probably explains the terrible taste people are reporting. I've thrown away Blue Bunny ice cream when I first bought it.


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## seat38a (May 3, 2016)

keelhauled said:


> OBS said:
> 
> 
> > According to the Spring/Summer Dining car update, the dessert is a new brand of single serve Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.
> ...


Haagan-Dazs keeps coming back. It was replaced with the other Chao brand for a while and then made a comeback.


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## OlympianHiawatha (May 3, 2016)

seat38a said:


> OBS said:
> 
> 
> > According to the Spring/Summer Dining car update, the dessert is a new brand of single serve Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.
> ...


Blue Bunny is outright NASTY!

As for the Half Chicken, I consider myself to be a Warrior Eater usually leaving nothing on the plate for the Kitchen Cat, but when I've had the Chicken I've often gotten up from the Diner Table with decent meat still on the bone. I just didn't want to get any more foundered than I already was-and after 2-3 days on train, that is easy to do


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## Manny T (May 3, 2016)

For me dessert is both a treat and a reward. That's the way I was raised. You have to eat your meal, and you have to clean your plate, but in the end there will some tempting home-baked treat for dessert, so it's worth making the effort.

I look at the pictures posted here and my stomach turns. To be trapped with this choice of garbage or that is not my idea of the way to end a meal.

I know this is a First World Problem. But we live in the First World of consumer choices. I agree with DA on this one. Almost time to opt out I think.


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## niemi24s (May 3, 2016)

I certainly hope those with an outspoken disdain for Amtrak food refrain from doing so verbally at the table. I dread the thought of trying to enjoy a meal in the diner with a tablemate whining about this or that.

And while I suppose it's great comfort to commiserate and otherwise slobber all over each other about how awful the food is, I'd like to think all those displeasures are passed on to Amtrak in writing. Hate to think we're the only ones who have to suffer through it.

Just my 2¢ worth.


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## D.P. Roberts (May 3, 2016)

There's a typo in there somewhere - either the menu is wrong (it says Haagen-Dazs), or the food link is wrong (it says Blue Bunny). I think - and hope - it's very possible that the menu is correct, and they just put a link to the wrong item.

*EDIT: well, shoot. It looks like the new menus are already online (dated 4/16), and they specifically state Blue Bunny ice cream.

In looking at the new menus online, it bothers me that several of the "core entrees" are simply listed as "specials" on the menu, even though they're well-defined as staples on Amtrak Food Facts. In my experience, many of the dining car attendants don't know what the specials are, call things by the wrong name, or simply make something up if I ask them. It makes me wonder if the cooks are even making the specials at all.

I find it frustrating because two of the "special" items on the new menu - the chicken sliders and the salisbury steak - are things I'd like to try. I strongly suspect that they won't be available, but I'm curious to know whether anyone has seen either of them yet.


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## Cho Cho Charlie (May 3, 2016)

seat38a said:


> keelhauled said:
> 
> 
> > OBS said:
> ...


I have always enjoyed their Haagan-Dazs. Yea, I am a plain and simple person, and high quality, good tasting, vanilla ice cream is my favorite.


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## Bob Dylan (May 3, 2016)

Blue Bunny is "Bottom of the Barrel" Ice Cream which is featured as the sale deserts at lots of low end grocery stores.

Sort of looks like Ice Cream but definitely doesn't taste like the better ones.


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## seat38a (May 3, 2016)

Bob Dylan said:


> Blue Bunny is "Bottom of the Barrel" Ice Cream which is featured as the sale deserts at lots of low end grocery stores.
> 
> Sort of looks like Ice Cream but definitely doesn't taste like the better ones.


They sell this brand at Walmart. I bought it once and have been buying Haagan Daz or Breyers or anything else than Blue Bunny. Seriously the only time I've thrown out ice cream.


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## MikefromCrete (May 3, 2016)

Lonestar648 said:


> It seems that the Amtrak management team that decides on the menu changes is only considering financial savings based on their thinking all passengers have NO allergy or other food sensitivity or restrictions.


Congressman Mica doesn't care about food allergies, only the bottom line.


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## fillyjonk (May 3, 2016)

Haagen-Dasz being replaced by Blue Bunny seems symptomatic of many things going on in our culture. (Sigh).

(I used to buy Blue Bell - I live in their "service area" - but the listeria thing kind of put me off ice cream)


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## Tennessee Traveler (May 3, 2016)

Not sure when you guys are talking about but I rode Empire Builder, Coast Starlight, and California Zephyr in April and all featured and served Haagan Daz vanilla ice cream. I got it at every lunch and dinner while on this trains.

As for Blue Bunny Ice Cream, I have bought and enjoyed Blue Bunny no sugar added vanilla ice cream at Walmart. Maybe I'm just weird, I like Denny's too.


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## seat38a (May 4, 2016)

Tennessee Traveler said:


> Not sure when you guys are talking about but I rode Empire Builder, Coast Starlight, and California Zephyr in April and all featured and served Haagan Daz vanilla ice cream. I got it at every lunch and dinner while on this trains.
> 
> As for Blue Bunny Ice Cream, I have bought and enjoyed Blue Bunny no sugar added vanilla ice cream at Walmart. Maybe I'm just weird, I like Denny's too.


The menu has been updated finally to show that Blue Bunny is being served. They might be just finishing up their current inventory before changing over. Its been showing on Amtrak Food Fact in fine print that its Blue Bunny.


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## shelzp (May 4, 2016)

Tennessee Traveler said:


> Not sure when you guys are talking about but I rode Empire Builder, Coast Starlight, and California Zephyr in April and all featured and served Haagan Daz vanilla ice cream. I got it at every lunch and dinner while on this trains.
> 
> As for Blue Bunny Ice Cream, I have bought and enjoyed Blue Bunny no sugar added vanilla ice cream at Walmart. Maybe I'm just weird, I like Denny's too.


I was on an Amtrak trip in April and in the middle of my ten days on trains the menu changed. The thing I noticed immediately was that they were serving French toast instead of pancakes. Plus the cheesecake was different and to me the current one is better than the previous strawberry variety. Then I got the chicken and I also liked it better than the half chicken they'd been serving for so long.


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## shelzp (May 4, 2016)

D.P. Roberts said:


> There's a typo in there somewhere - either the menu is wrong (it says Haagen-Dazs), or the food link is wrong (it says Blue Bunny). I think - and hope - it's very possible that the menu is correct, and they just put a link to the wrong item.
> 
> *EDIT: well, shoot. It looks like the new menus are already online (dated 4/16), and they specifically state Blue Bunny ice cream.
> 
> ...


They've been serving Salisbury steak in the coach cars on the western routes for awhile now. They announce a 'Just for You' meal and I've noticed that at dinner time it's been Salisbury Steak, mashed potatoes, bottle of water and a chocolate chip cookie for $12. They also have a lunch special of sandwich, chips, water, cookie for $9 that they bring to people at their seat in coach. On the Coast Starlight and Empire Builder the employees say it's been popular and well received. I recall hearing the announcement for it last summer. So far these meals are just for coach and the coach attendants serve the people. I wonder if this will be in the sleepers at some point too. It's ok for me as I don't care to go to the diner but I do hate to see the diners removed. Employees seem to think it's going that way. One mentioned to me that there have been FDA employees on board recently to advise about food service onboard.


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## JayPea (May 4, 2016)

The salisbury steak was available as a special for the dining car passengers when I was on the CS in March and found it very good.


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## Anderson (May 4, 2016)

Well, crud. The dessert options have, IMHO, slipped noticeably in the last few years (the chocolate/peanut butter ice cream was my favorite and I've got a friend who still laments the loss of the sorbet).


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## fillyjonk (May 4, 2016)

Hey! French toast is back, at least on the TE! (I like that much better than the pancakes that replaced it).

I can do without dessert but I'm happy to have the French Toast back for breakfast.


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## Devil's Advocate (May 4, 2016)

fillyjonk said:


> Hey! French toast is back, at least on the TE! (I like that much better than the pancakes that replaced it).


The French Toast seems to be back on many if not most long distance routes, presumably as part of a single massive restocking purchase.




So far as I am aware both the French Toast and potatoes are precooked, frozen and recooked, but they seem to take such punishment surprisingly well. The eggs are fresh but for some reason can only be ordered in scrambled form with no exceptions. The sausage patties are where Amtrak really dropped the ball. For some inexplicable reason they appeared to be boiled in water until flavorless and then served at room temperature. Cutting into one released a surprising amount of gray liquid onto everything else. I used to enjoy the McDonald's style sausage patties from before the Mica Meals but since then both the pork and chicken patties have become virtually inedible to my palate.


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## printman2000 (May 5, 2016)

What meal is that pictured? I did not know you could get French toast with all that other stuff.


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## peconicstation (May 5, 2016)

printman2000 said:


> What meal is that pictured? I did not know you could get French toast with all that other stuff.


It's the regular Breakfast Special, The Engineer.

http://www.amtrakfoodfacts.com/restimg2/force/template/1/Amtrak__Food_Facts/w432/h340/AMTRAK-4-20-16-B6.pdf


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## printman2000 (May 5, 2016)

Wow. In all my rides I have never seen that being offered or served.


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## keelhauled (May 5, 2016)

printman2000 said:


> Wow. In all my rides I have never seen that being offered or served.


I had it last month on the Lake Shore Limited. It wasn't described on the printed menu (just "special") but the server explained it unprompted.


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## Philly Amtrak Fan (May 5, 2016)

shelzp said:


> They've been serving Salisbury steak in the coach cars on the western routes for awhile now. They announce a 'Just for You' meal and I've noticed that at dinner time it's been Salisbury Steak, mashed potatoes, bottle of water and a chocolate chip cookie for $12. They also have a lunch special of sandwich, chips, water, cookie for $9 that they bring to people at their seat in coach. On the Coast Starlight and Empire Builder the employees say it's been popular and well received. I recall hearing the announcement for it last summer. So far these meals are just for coach and the coach attendants serve the people. I wonder if this will be in the sleepers at some point too. It's ok for me as I don't care to go to the diner but I do hate to see the diners removed. Employees seem to think it's going that way. One mentioned to me that there have been FDA employees on board recently to advise about food service onboard.


Well assuming ...

1) There is diner service

2) It comes included in sleeper packages

3) You get these meals delivered to your sleeper and it's included in sleeper packages...

Then you are asking whether sleeper passengers would rather the "just for you" meals be brought to your room or go to the diner where you have more assumedly fancier meal choices. I'm guessing they wouldn't be that popular in this case. If they make it onto the Silver Star they might work though.


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## Lonestar648 (May 5, 2016)

I would prefer the Diner over eating in my room. The opportunity to meet and talk with other passengers from around the USA and other countries while having a meal is one of the best things of traveling by train. I want to take time enjoying the meal, the passing scenery, and the people sitting at the table.


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## Bob Dylan (May 6, 2016)

printman2000 said:


> Wow. In all my rides I have never seen that being offered or served.


Ditto! This looks like something from Denny's.Very Interesting! I'd like to try this on my upcoming trip on the Eagle IF it's available??( I did note that there's an extra charge for Breakfast Meats/ does this mean Sleeper pax pay extra too?? )


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## JayPea (May 6, 2016)

Bob Dylan said:


> printman2000 said:
> 
> 
> > Wow. In all my rides I have never seen that being offered or served.
> ...


I had this special on the EB in March. It was very good too. No charge either for breakfast meat.


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## D.P. Roberts (May 6, 2016)

keelhauled said:


> printman2000 said:
> 
> 
> > Wow. In all my rides I have never seen that being offered or served.
> ...


I'm fairly certain that the "Engineer" special started a year or two ago - I know it was available during my trip last summer, but I never ordered it because it only has a half portion of French Toast. IIRC, the two breakfast specials were given the creative names "The Conductor" and "The Engineer" on Amtrak Food Facts, but I don't think either name made it to the official menus.

Now "The Conductor" has been replaced with the new Jalapeno Gravy, which also sounds interesting. I'll probably never try it even though I'll be onboard for 5 breakfasts in 6 days, because Railroad French Toast...


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## Bob Dylan (May 6, 2016)

Jalapeno Gravy???? "That's a some a Spicy Meatball!"


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## Cho Cho Charlie (May 6, 2016)

Lonestar648 said:


> I would prefer the Diner over eating in my room. The opportunity to meet and talk with other passengers from around the USA and other countries while having a meal is one of the best things of traveling by train. I want to take time enjoying the meal, the passing scenery, and the people sitting at the table.


I have to second that. I, too, enjoy meeting new people, and the resulting dinner conversations.


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## jebr (May 7, 2016)

The chicken and jalapeño biscuits and gravy actually was fairly tasty. For $8 I'd get it again.


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## printman2000 (May 7, 2016)

jebr said:


> The chicken and jalapeño biscuits and gravy actually was fairly tasty. For $8 I'd get it again.


What train did you have that on? Is it a menu item or a special?


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## jebr (May 7, 2016)

Special on the Empire Builder today.


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## blondninja (May 15, 2016)

Meats are included free if you're in a sleeper.


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## Chey (May 15, 2016)

Tennessee Traveler said:


> Not sure when you guys are talking about but I rode Empire Builder, Coast Starlight, and California Zephyr in April and all featured and served Haagan Daz vanilla ice cream. I got it at every lunch and dinner while on this trains.
> 
> As for Blue Bunny Ice Cream, I have bought and enjoyed Blue Bunny no sugar added vanilla ice cream at Walmart. Maybe I'm just weird, I like Denny's too.


It's been quite a few years since I bought ice cream; diabetes changes things! But I used to like and buy Blue Bunny ice cream also. Not so crazy about Denny's though.


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## peconicstation (May 15, 2016)

The Cardinal's menus have been updated on both the main Amtrak site, and the Food Facts site, and not for the better.

The breakfast offerings are down to 3 choices, and dinner is at 4, this is one train where lunch looks like the best option.

https://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/572/135/Cardinal-Dining-Car-Menu-0406.pdf

Ken


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## DryCreek (May 15, 2016)

Devil's Advocate said:


> seat38a said:
> 
> 
> > PPC items have FINALLY changed as well.
> ...


So, I take it the chips were OK?


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## Devil's Advocate (May 16, 2016)

DryCreek said:


> Devil's Advocate said:
> 
> 
> > seat38a said:
> ...


They tasted no different than any other bag of kettle chips. I just failed to see how they were expected to reflect the supposedly premium experience of the "Parlor Car" when they'd be equally at home in any random vending machine.


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## tommylicious (May 16, 2016)

I will never take the Cardinal based on that menu. Overnight trains should have proper diners. Period.


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## oregon pioneer (May 16, 2016)

tommylicious said:


> I will never take the Cardinal based on that menu. Overnight trains should have proper diners. Period.


You and my husband! I had to be on a trip alone, to take the Card. I loved it for the scenery. And the company was pretty good, too. The food, incidentally, was quite acceptable for one night.


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## crescent-zephyr (May 16, 2016)

tommylicious said:


> I will never take the Cardinal based on that menu. Overnight trains should have proper diners. Period.


Perhaps in your opinion. In reality there is no reason this has to be the case. Trains operating over meal periods should have basic food options available. Cafe car provides that.

When a diner is available, I will use it. But it is not mandatory


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## Paul Dow (May 16, 2016)

peconicstation said:


> The Cardinal's menus have been updated on both the main Amtrak site, and the Food Facts site, and not for the better.


Wow. $22 for pulled pork and mac & cheese. That's one of the cheaper cuts of meat on the pig. Also $22 for tilapia, which is pretty low cost farmed imported fish. There's a good BBQ place near me that has pulled pork with 2 sides for $13. Even Red Lobster has tilapia for $16, and they prepare it better than just steamed..

I know there's the expenses of a rolling dining room, and union labor, but this is looking like major league stadium price gauging.

Here's some competition for the sleeper service. Hopefully it will drive Amtrak prices down if it spreads to more markets.


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## City of Miami (May 16, 2016)

D.P. Roberts said:


> I find it frustrating because two of the "special" items on the new menu - the chicken sliders and the salisbury steak - are things I'd like to try. I strongly suspect that they won't be available, but I'm curious to know whether anyone has seen either of them yet.


On my recent trip both the chicken sliders and the salisbury steak were available. They also had a breakfast special with both scrambled eggs and french toast. The lamb shanks were tasty. The chocolate mousse thingy was outstanding. The cheesecake in a cup was good. I had the pre-scooped ice cream ball of whatever brand once. It was OK....not Blue Bell or Hagen Daaz that's for sure. I had the steak a couple of times - they seemed considerably smaller than prior experience, and tougher. They called them flank steaks, perhaps that is the reason. I enjoyed all my meals and company in the diner.

This trip included the Coast Starlight 14 and Empire Builder 28 [oh, the cold dinner [which was Asian themed] served on 28 tasted OK but was not enough to stave off hunger til breakfast for me. Fortunately I had other options. I ate in the parlor car once and I can't remember what I had. She, Lisa, did not have much business. It was a SSL, after all, not a legit PPC (/snark). The wine tasting was a rip off: $7.50 for about 3 tablespoons each of 3 wines. No cheese -actually there was cheese but you had to buy packets from her where she was selling stuff downstairs. Count me very disappointed. About a dozen people participated and it was not social at all.


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## IndyRacingNut (May 16, 2016)

Personally, I always enjoyed getting the half chicken. I'm not a big guy. (Pretty skinny actually) I appreciated and needed the extra calories that dish provided. Now they chopped 500 calories off the dish. Was this the reason for them getting rid of it? To bring the calorie count down?


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## NorthShore (May 17, 2016)

No one has mentioned the price of the chicken breast. The half roasted chicken was considered generally.good value in cost for portion. So, is the.breast a smaller portion at the same cost for the diner?


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## IndyRacingNut (May 17, 2016)

As far as I've seen on the new menus, yes, they are charging roughly the same amount for the new dish with less chicken.


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## PVD (May 17, 2016)

trimmed chicken breasts cost quite a bit more than whole or half chickens. Even composite breasts having some rib meat are more. less chicken yes, but the processing labor for breasts is much greater, and they are considered more desirable (in the food business) a commodity and are priced accordingly. If cars were priced by adding up what the parts sell for, very few people could afford them.


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## D.P. Roberts (May 17, 2016)

City of Miami said:


> This trip included the Coast Starlight 14 and Empire Builder 28 [oh, the cold dinner [which was Asian themed] served on 28 tasted OK but was not enough to stave off hunger til breakfast for me.


Do you know if all the cold dinners on your trip were Asian themed? I'm curious because sometimes it appears that each dish has a different theme to it - the beef dish is Asian themed, the Chicken is Mexican, etc.

I always assumed that passengers ate these cold meals in their rooms. However, on another thread here I just read that sometimes a section of the best seats in the SSL are blocked off so sleeper passengers can eat their meals while going through the Columbia River Gorge - but also that might be for breakfast only, & many reports indicate that they tried to eat in the lounge and it was full. Has anyone else experienced this?


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## City of Miami (May 17, 2016)

I don't know, DP. My SCA came by with a big bag like Santa Claus and simply said 'beef, chicken, fish?', I said 'fish' expecting salmon for some reason, and he handed me shrimp. I sat there and ate it in my roomette and I don't know about the SSL. The attendant, Jesse, was pretty non-communicative - he was present and did his job...he just wasn't very personable - quite stand-offish. The Gorge was magnificent though - my first time!

I found the SSL quite unpleasant because of the diesel fumes from the engine immediately forward.


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## crescent-zephyr (May 17, 2016)

D.P. Roberts said:


> I always assumed that passengers ate these cold meals in their rooms. However, on another thread here I just read that sometimes a section of the best seats in the SSL are blocked off so sleeper passengers can eat their meals while going through the Columbia River Gorge. Is that true? Has anyone else experienced this?


When I rode the Builder eastbound about 3 years ago, the attendant served the meals in the room. He did a nice job of making it as classy as he could. Back then the Empire Builder still served champagne or the sparkling cider as a "Welcome Aboard" gift. He made that apart of the dinner to class it up. I must admit... it worked! I had the shrimp entree' that the above poster mentioned, and I thought it was very good. I enjoyed eating dinner in my roomette and watching the gorge.

Last fall I rode the Builder west bound and had a pretty average attendant. He didn't do anything wrong, just didn't go out of his way to be friendly. He told everyone to go the cafe car when they woke up to get their breakfast. The cafe car attendant offered to heat up my croisaint sandwich which was nice. Since I was already in the car, I sat in the SSL for breakfast.

Something to remember... the Empire Builder is a very short train at this point. Couple coaches and 1 sleeper. There would be no reason to block off seats in the SSL... should be plenty of room.


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## Palmetto (May 17, 2016)

crescent-zephyr said:


> D.P. Roberts said:
> 
> 
> > I always assumed that passengers ate these cold meals in their rooms. However, on another thread here I just read that sometimes a section of the best seats in the SSL are blocked off so sleeper passengers can eat their meals while going through the Columbia River Gorge. Is that true? Has anyone else experienced this?
> ...


That's exactly what they did for us in the Portland sleeper, and that was back around 1990.


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## JayPea (May 17, 2016)

D.P. Roberts said:


> City of Miami said:
> 
> 
> > This trip included the Coast Starlight 14 and Empire Builder 28 [oh, the cold dinner [which was Asian themed] served on 28 tasted OK but was not enough to stave off hunger til breakfast for me.
> ...


There was one occasion in which I was a sleeper passenger on the Portland section and the choice seats in the SSL were reserved for sleeper passengers and their meals at breakfast. There weren't a whole lot of seats blocked off.....just enough to irritate the coach passengers who were treated to a spectacular view of rocks and dirt while the sleeper passengers got the view of the Gorge. :lol:


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## D.P. Roberts (May 18, 2016)

City of Miami said:


> I found the SSL quite unpleasant because of the diesel fumes from the engine immediately forward.





crescent-zephyr said:


> Something to remember... the Empire Builder is a very short train at this point. Couple coaches and 1 sleeper. There would be no reason to block off seats in the SSL... should be plenty of room.


I forgot about those two points - we've ridden the EB west into PDX, but never east. Since we travel during the busy summer months the LSL is usually packed full, but the one time there was plenty of room was westbound from SPK. There were a lot of diesel fumes, though. I guess we'll see how it goes.


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## NW cannonball (May 18, 2016)

Me, I like the "half-chicken with the bones in" roasted, grilled, however. Even if not "perfectly cooked" which it won't be on the train or elsewhere.

Small slab of "boneless breast meat" isn't only Amtrak -- it's everywhere. GGrrgh.

Why pay more for less nutrition? Who knows.

So - save the bones for Henry Jones (Cause Henry don't eat no meat)


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## wowixor (Jun 5, 2016)

I really miss the half-chicken! I'm not really a fan of white meat, and I would eat that mostly at ever dinner. Me and my coworkers always bring hot sauce just for that reason. I tried the new breast and it was OK I guess.


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## Bob Dylan (Jun 5, 2016)

I know there are a million rules that pertain to food and beverage service on Amtrak Trains, but in the old days the Chefs used to cook up " Special" meals for the Crew.

Do y'all still bring your own food aboard during your trips and have the chef prepare it for you?

When the Diner Crews on the Texas Eagle used to layover in Austin, they would shop @ HEB, Whole Foods etc and the chef would whip up great meals for them on the way back to Chicago!

They still order Bar-B-Q and have it delivered to the train during the Station stop in Taylor!

I never cared for the half chicken myself, I thought it was too much food but since it was the cheapest Dinner on the Menu was a big Seller to Coach Passengers.


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## wowixor (Jun 5, 2016)

Bob Dylan said:


> I know there are a million rules that pertain to food and beverage service on Amtrak Trains, but in the old days the Chefs used to cook up " Special" meals for the Crew.
> 
> Do y'all still bring your own food aboard during your trips and have the chef prepare it for you?
> 
> ...


Yes, we have an awesome Chef on our crew ^_^ . And we do indeed order food from Taylor and also at Pontiac, IL. The place we get food from at Pontiac has the best Parmesan garlic chicken wings!


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## GaSteve (Jun 5, 2016)

The half roasted chicken was being served on Crescent 19/20 this week. I think it's usually pretty good, but a lot of trouble to eat and a lot of food when you finally get it dismantles, so I only rarely have it. 0

Now, if they could come up with an alternative to the microwaved mixed veggies.

BTW, the chocolate mousse dessert is pretty good for those who are really into chocolate.


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## wowixor (Jun 5, 2016)

seat38a said:


> Bob Dylan said:
> 
> 
> > Thanks for the "boots on the train" reports on the New menu items!
> ...


I miss having the whipped cream. I'm ask the diner for one to use for hot chocolate in the cafe.


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## BoulderCO (Jun 5, 2016)

I, for one, will miss the chicken. Yes, it is a big meal. But when on the train I have breakfast and dinner and skip lunch. I always looked forward to the chicken as a dependable and tasty meal.


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## TylerP42 (Jun 5, 2016)

I love the half roasted chicken considering I'm allergic to wheat and hate steak. Well, this sucks.


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## Train2104 (Jun 5, 2016)

I had the "new" chicken entree (chicken breast) on the Zephyr 2 weeks ago; no complaints here...though I don't have the half chicken to compare it to.


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## OlympianHiawatha (Jun 5, 2016)

BoulderCO said:


> I, for one, will miss the chicken. Yes, it is a big meal. But when on the train I have breakfast and dinner and skip lunch. I always looked forward to the chicken as a dependable and tasty meal.


It definitely was not a "dainty" meal! To get the maximum amount of meat, you had to tear that bad boy apart and go after it like a scavenging bird.

Get those fingers greasy. Growl a bit. Lick those bones clean. The heck with formal table manners.

When I was done with the Half Roasted Chicken, there was usually nothing left for the kitchen cat!


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## Trainmans daughter (Jun 6, 2016)

OlympianHiawatha said:


> BoulderCO said:
> 
> 
> > I, for one, will miss the chicken. Yes, it is a big meal. But when on the train I have breakfast and dinner and skip lunch. I always looked forward to the chicken as a dependable and tasty meal.
> ...


This is when a "like"button is needed.


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## Devil's Advocate (Jun 6, 2016)

Trainmans daughter said:


> OlympianHiawatha said:
> 
> 
> > BoulderCO said:
> ...


He certainly has a way with words. Are _any_ of Amtrak's meals considered "dainty?" Perhaps the growling was a side effect of developing late stage diabetes. I'm pretty sure Amtrak's half roasted chicken had more than enough sodium to kill a cat.


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## wowixor (Jun 6, 2016)

Devil's Advocate said:


> He certainly has a way with words. Are _any_ of Amtrak's meals considered "dainty?" Perhaps the growling was a side effect of developing late stage diabetes. I'm pretty sure Amtrak's half roasted chicken had more than enough sodium to kill a cat.


That hanger steak (or whatever it is called now) is pretty small :\ I miss when we used to get different cuts - New York, T-Bone, etc.


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## crescent-zephyr (Jun 6, 2016)

I thought the new crab cakes were good. Not as good as the Amtrak Crab Cakes from a few years ago (I thought they were excellent!) but still good.

The cheesecake and the chocolate tart are huge improvements from the previous desserts (the strawberry cheesecake and chocolate pudding). in my opinion.


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