Amtrak dining and cafe service

[joelkfla]

Good to see flowers on the tables again, but, the one shown in your photo is really a bit too large and bushy to be really appropriate, in my opinion.

There have been a lot of photos like that. But at least there's a bloom in the center. I've seen some seem to have been nothing but leaves and some tiny flowers.

 

[IndyLions]

…though it seems like the diner attendant on the lake shore was taking the time to ensure the flex meals were heated properly and not overdone or underdone.

Additionally the Lake shore has been running with an extra LSA at times who helps out in the diner - so it gives the diner LSA more time to properly heat the flex meals.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the flex meals are significantly worse on routes with the split am cafe as the sole attendant probably doesn’t have time to do anything other than nuke the meals…

You made several points here which (based on my own experiences) are right on the money.

1. The trains with the new VL2 diner cars have facilities which allow for a much better preparation of the Flex Meals then do the split café cars (warming drawers, more refrigeration, etc).
2. Having an appropriate amount of staffing in the diner car also makes a huge difference.
3. The attitude, willingness, and work ethic of the crews also comes into play for sure.

We’re getting ready to hop on the Cardinal and the Silver Star again this weekend, and I’ll be curious if anything has changed in 12 months.

Last year around this time the difference in Flex Meal preparation was night and day between the Cardinal and the Silvers. The Silvers had better crews, better equipment, and apparently better staffing levels than the Cardinal.

That being said, Traditional Dining can’t come soon enough on the East Coast. You can only put so much lipstick on a pig.

 

[cassie225]

I ain’t getting on the Crescent until they put back traditional dining.

 

[TheVig]

I ain’t getting on the Crescent until they put back traditional dining.

I’ll be on the Crescent again at the end of April. Roomette. I’ll bring some high quality snacks with me. Back in October I brought a small cooler with me. I shared my stash of caviar and champagne with my fellow sleeper passengers.

Gotta do what ya gotta do to make the whole experience palatable.

 

[Joe from PA]

Will be on the Star next Saturday. Will go to the dining car to eat. Maybe they should change the name to "Eating Car".

 

[fillyjonk]

Will be on the Star next Saturday. Will go to the dining car to eat. Maybe they should change the name to "Eating Car".

"Feeding car." in the sense that "eating" is what humans do, "feeding" is what livestock are made to do. (A German relative of mine used to say "Essen, essen, nicht fressen" to children, meanng "eat like a person" (essen) "and not like an animal" (fressen))

that said, I don't find the flex meals SO terrible, if only they didn't microwave them too long or let them stand too long. But I would really welcome "real" dining back. If it's ever pandemic-safe to do that

 

[fdaley]

I ain’t getting on the Crescent until they put back traditional dining.

This is just how I feel about the Crescent and Lake Shore, which were the two LD trains in the east that I've really used a lot over the past 30-40 years. I just have no desire to be aboard either one with the current food situation, certainly not for an overnight trip. The pandemic and various family health issues have kept me close to home for the past two years anyway, and it's a safe bet that I'll be staying north of Roanoke and east of Buffalo at least for this year.

 

[den4192]

My sister and myself will be taking the zephyr in early june. I know with us both having our own roommete that meals come with our trip. I have heard that the traditional menu has returned with some very good options. My questions are.

1. Is there somewhere on the amtrak site that has a copy of the menu so I could see what the offerings presently are
2. If I wanted to dine in my room is that possible and how does that work. Is it the same for all meals or only certain ones?

 

[cocojacoby]

Yes there is:

https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/...routes/Long-Distance-Dining-Car-Menu-0621.pdf
And you should be able to dine in your room.

 

[Big Green Chauvanist]

Looking at the "traditional" dining menu, breakfast and dinner look great. But to my mind, lunch is pretty bad. Question: two items on the so-called children's menu look better to me. Although I ..ahem.. no longer fit in the children's age range--for many a decade now--can anyone order from the "children's menu"?

 

[IndyLions]

My wife and I were on the Cardinal and Silver Meteor about a year ago exactly. Not much has changed on our current trip. The Cardinal crew was better than last year. But the Cardinal Cafe/Lounge is still mainly a private crew domicile - no customers allowed in half of the car. But my SCA was a young guy - very solid.

The VLII Sleeper and Diner on the combined Silver Star/Meteor are still beautiful, and the Diner is still mostly wasted. But it’s nice to have a place to eat outside of the room - even if it is self serve. But no one wipes off the tables between seatings - which is highly disappointing. Seems like a good crew otherwise - does no one train them?

Meanwhile - to close on a good note - we got our first non-Brownie/Blondie dessert in about a dozen Flex Meals. It was a step up in my opinion.



So my current conclusion with limited evidence is that there are some good young people working - they just need supervision and better training. The promise is there.

 

[chrsjrcj]

Amtrak is advertising a job opening in Miami for a Lead Service Attendant and…Chef. Maybe there’s hope on the horizon?

 

[jpakala]

My favorite lunch on the Sunset Limited last week was the Savory Chili in a baked potato with the 4 toppings (the sour cream is in a separate envelope and actually I skipped the bacon, but the cheddar cheese and scallions were on top of the entree).

 

[Dakota 400]

-can anyone order from the "children's menu"?

Yes. I have done so. The Mac n' Cheese was a good lunch option for me during one multi-day trip on the Sunset Limited followed by the Southwest Chief.

 

[fdaley]

Yes. I have done so. The Mac n' Cheese was a good lunch option for me during one multi-day trip on the Sunset Limited followed by the Southwest Chief.

I think this may depend on the inclination of the crew, unless things have changed since the reinstatement of dining service in the West. I can recall several pre-Covid trips on the Chief over the past decade in which we were told -- or heard other diners being told -- that grown-ups could not order pizza from the children's menu for lunch because the crew had to preserve the inventory of pizzas for customers under 12.

 

[Dakota 400]

I think this may depend on the inclination of the crew, unless things have changed since the reinstatement of dining service in the West. I can recall several pre-Covid trips on the Chief over the past decade in which we were told -- or heard other diners being told -- that grown-ups could not order pizza from the children's menu for lunch because the crew had to preserve the inventory of pizzas for customers under 12.

The trip I cited was pre-Covid and there was no issue when I asked if I could order from the Children's Menu. I agree, the inclination of a crew may be a factor as to whether this is allowed. Maybe the amount of certain foods loaded might also be a factor.

 

[fdaley]

Looking at the "traditional" dining menu, breakfast and dinner look great. But to my mind, lunch is pretty bad. Question: two items on the so-called children's menu look better to me. Although I ..ahem.. no longer fit in the children's age range--for many a decade now--can anyone order from the "children's menu"?

So I think the best advice is that if you see something on the children's menu that you'd really prefer, by all means ask for it, but maybe have a Plan B from the main menu in case the crew can't/won't allow orders from the children's menu.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

So I think the best advice is that if you see something on the children's menu that you'd really prefer, by all means ask for it, but maybe have a Plan B from the main menu in case the crew can't/won't allow orders from the children's menu.

This is the answer that fits what I've seen on my trips. Some LSA's see no problem while others refuse to allow it. Just depends on the crew's prerogative.

 

[danasgoodstuff]

Could also depend on how many kids are in sleepers that run relative to how many kids meals loaded and whether you're eating lunch before or after them.

 

[IndyLions]

Travel Dining in 2022 is not at the height of deliciousness- to be sure.
Here’s a post from travel blogger Paul Lucas - an opinion I trust - with a report on a current meal on an up front international ride SFO to Frankfurt.

Frankly - other than a little bit nicer salad - the meal looks less appealing than your typical Amtrak flex meal…

 

[crescent-zephyr]

Frankly - other than a little bit nicer salad - the meal looks less appealing than your typical Amtrak flex meal…

It looks more appealing than the flex meals I’ve had. It’s also plated and presented nicer.

I do agree with him that International 1st should be better, that’s for sure. This is what I would expect on a regional 1st.

 

[jis]

It looks more appealing than the flex meals I’ve had. It’s also plated and presented nicer.

I do agree with him that International 1st should be better, that’s for sure. This is what I would expect on a regional 1st.

Just a detail... United does not have International First Class anymore. They have what they call Polaris which is a little polished up version of what Continental used to call Business-First, which never was anything like real international first class, even United's own international first class back then, with Champaign and Caviar and all.

 

[user 14106]

Travel Dining in 2022 is not at the height of deliciousness- to be sure.
Here’s a post from travel blogger Paul Lucas - an opinion I trust - with a report on a current meal on an up front international ride SFO to Frankfurt.

Frankly - other than a little bit nicer salad - the meal looks less appealing than your typical Amtrak flex meal…



View attachment 28001

I suspect the two recent flex meals I had which were the short ribs and the chicken ala rosa were better than how this looks (though the salad here looks better). The United presentation is undoubtedly better but I suspect at the end of the day the Amtrak ones win on taste. One inconsistency with the flex is that when served in a viewliner 2 diner the flex meals are heated in the diner's ovens though reportedly are still microwaved when served on the trains where only one attendant is handling both cafe and sleeper meal service. These meals are meant to be heated in a turbo chef not a microwave and this probably makes a huge difference for the finished product.

 

[tim49424]

I suspect the two recent flex meals I had which were the short ribs

I had them on the Texas Eagle 21 today for lunch and they were better than I expected. I was tempted to get the meatballs for dinner but stuck with the ribs. When I make my return trip north tomorrow on 22, I might try the meatballs at least once. Nothing on flex compares to traditional to me, however.

 

[Joe from PA]

On the Silver Star on 3/19-20, our meals were served in a cardboard box, both in-room and IN THE DINING CAR.