Two years ago, in full pandemic mode, I struck up a conversation with the young Amish couple across the hall on the CZ. We agreed to just go in together as a "party" and that way we got to eat together and carry on a conversation. We were all good about only removing masks when actually eating, and as far as I know, no one got sick (I certainly didn't).
Our local supermarket used to sell something called "St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake" (made by Entenmann's), which sounds similar to Amtrak's Butter Cake. The Gooey Butter Cake was sold alongside the other packaged breakfast pastries, and probably at least some people in my hometown warmed it briefly in the microwave before eating (although it tasted great cold, too).
I very much enjoyed it heated, but I enjoy things warm, vs. things served at room temp or cold.
The Entenmann's version was sold in an 8" square foil pan inside a cardboard box, but I'm sure the taste would have been similar. Walmart around here also sells a "gooey butter cake" in their bakery department, and that comes in smaller portions, so a bit closer to the linked product on Amazon.
Gooey butter cake, Must be something that crossed the Mississippi but not the Rocky Mountains
Mmmm. The prize paragraph: "In total, Amtrak is adding three new menu items that will be part of the rail carrier's seasonal rotation every three weeks. These new dishes include lobster mac and cheese from The Continental Mid-town, a restaurant in Philadelphia; beef bourguignon from Parc, an upscale French restaurant also located in Philadelphia; and Le Diplomate's St. Tropez Salad, which includes cucumber, feta, chickpeas and couscous doused in a mustard vinaigrette and served with shaved carrots seasoned in olive oil lemon." Thanks for remembering the vegetarians. Though I've never shaved a carrot...whaddya use, safety razor or electric?
There seem to be a vegetarian option on each meal. Of course it limited to one selection. Which you may or may not like, but it will meet your dietary requirements.
For as long as I can remember they have had the date (month/year) in the URLs for all of their menus. As to the 3 menus for Acela FC, it makes sense that they go in the order they're shown. (Acela-First-Class-Menus-1123.pdf)
Which station is CVS?
Charlottesville, VA
The flex items have to be heated perfectly. If not , they suffer. Not great to begin with,I ve had dry salmon,pasta that was stuck together and French toast I broke three forks and knives with trying to cut it.
To me, it feels like the eastern leg of the TE is very much the afterthought train. Like we're not good enough for real meals and often not even good enough for properly heated flex meals. I think the northbound time this time was one of the few times the flex meal was actually kinda good, and it was surely a heating-time issue.
