Amtrak's New "Fresh Choices" Dining on CL & LSL

[railiner]

Hey UA is not the best we know that [emoji57] It is just that I have not noticed any change as recently as yesterday on the flights I take in F. Does not mean that that the entire world elsewhere has not changed completely. Perhaps I should not have mentioned September and I apologize. That is when I last recall noticing a change. I really don’t spend too much time seriously keeping track of overall food service on United or on Amtrak for that matter. Occasionally I ask the crew about some oddity if it catches my fancy. That is how I learned about the 2:20 oddity. I just occasionally share info on what I happened to be served. [emoji851]

That arbitrary 2:19 to 2:20 divide in service, has the skeptic side of me wondering if that has any influence on the published flight time, if it is 'close'.....

Probably not...but still, I could see the bean counter's looking to shave some costs that way...

 

[dlagrua]

Who's gonna be the first victim of this sad change? Anyone planning on riding either LSL or CL after the switch?

No. its a deal breaker for us. Maybe they don't need our business, or maybe other passengers will feel the same way. Time will tell.

 

[Philly Amtrak Fan]

Who's gonna be the first victim of this sad change? Anyone planning on riding either LSL or CL after the switch?

No. its a deal breaker for us. Maybe they don't need our business, or maybe other passengers will feel the same way. Time will tell.

Good luck getting between the East Coast and Chicago then. It's not like there are a lot of other options.

Amtrak's counting on you still taking these trains or they wouldn't make this change.

 

[greatcats]

I will be taking the Cardinal and Southwest Chief back to Flagstaff next week. Expect a trip report. I am disgusted as most of us are with this ***** dining car decision. What a waste of New equipment. If I should travel to the east coast again from Arizona, it is questionable if I will use the train from Chicago. Frankly, I like to drive, and have just purchased a Toyota SUV. Time wise, that is not always a practical idea. Greyhound for that long a trip is undesirable, so the most logical idea is to fly. I will say United yesterday from Paris to Newark was satisfactory, but I do not give them five stars.

 

[jis]

I will be taking the Cap in July in connection with the OTOL Rail Fest.

 

[calwatch]

Although the press release clearly states that sleeper car passengers will have their food comped, it seems some in Amtrak didn't get the memo, or this may be telegraphing future changes.

[SIZE=11pt]https://www.politico.com/newsletters/morning-transportation/2018/05/07/chaos-asian-media-blitz-205562[/SIZE]

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE: While we're talking Amtrak, some readers may remember seeing an announcement a few weeks back about Amtrak's plan to start offering "contemporary and fresh dining options" to sleeping car passengers on lines from Washington to Chicago and Chicago to New York beginning in June. Vegan wraps and Greek yogurt will be among the new offerings. MT reached out to Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari for more details and he explained that hot food will no longer be included in ticket prices for sleeper car customers on those two lines. It will be cold food only, though some hot foods will be available for purchase in the cafe, he said. Cafe options include hamburgers, pizza and hot dogs. "We sell a lot of hot dogs despite any effort to convince people to eat more healthy," Magliari quipped.

Also happening: Magliari said that additional service updates will include closing ticket windows at 15 stations. That is being done in response to the rise in customers purchasing tickets online and either printing them or downloading them onto their phones instead of going through station agents, he said. Here is a list of the 15 stations: Texarkana, Ark; Fort Madison, Iowa; Ottumwa, Iowa; Garden City, Kan., Topeka, Kan.: La Junta, Colo.; Marshall, Texas; Meridian, Miss.; Charleston, W. Va; Tuscaloosa, Ala.; Lamy, N.M.; Hammond, La.; Shelby, Mont.; Havre, Mont.; Cincinnati, Ohio.

 

[cpotisch]

I do find it a bit surprising that the Cardinal wasn't the first train to get this. It had far and away the worst meal offerings of the three Chicago-East trains and poor ridership, so I don't feel like it would take much of a hit. Is it just that because it's thrice weekly and already offers crap food, that they wouldn't save much money by switching to "Fresh Choices"? Whatever be the case, I doubt the Card's hot meals are going to last very long, anyway.

I will be taking the Cap in July in connection with the OTOL Rail Fest.

I eagerly await your report.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

How many sleeprs and food service crew does the cardinal currently use?

 

[Lonestar648]

Just the Cafe since there is no Dining Car, so not a candidate since no labor costs can be saved.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

When I last rode the Cardinal they had at least 2 food service in the cafe car and only 1 dleeper. Wasn't sure if that had changed.

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

It was last fall when I rode it--two sleepers each way, but just one person doing everything in the café car/dining tables westbound, but several eastbound.

I actually liked the Cardinal food (but this is coming from someone who only knows how to cook in a microwave, so maybe it just felt like home!

)

The Cardinal seems to have a different personality--it's sort of like camping on rails--people wander around and talk with each other, and it's very informal. So if the change is made to just have sandwiches, it might actually work better there--people would tend to congregate anyway and eat together. If they keep the business class, that would provide another area for people to congregate and eat and chat, which was always the charm of the dining cars, in my opinion.

 

[GBNorman]

It appears that there is a new outside contractor with the Austrian Railways (OBB) for their On-Board Food & Beverage:

https://diepresse.com/home/wirtschaft/unternehmen/5328357/don-travel-loest-Henry-als-Caterer-in-den-OeBBZuegen-ab?from=suche.intern.portal

(give it a moment or two and it will show an English translation)

I found their previous operator provided "darned good" F&B; plenty of (chilled) Grape Juice of the Gruner Veltliner varietal and they offered a (hot) Veal Medallion that was exceptional. If they treated their employees as slaves, as reported within, it was never evident to me on my OBB journeys over the past four years. As I recall I learned the former caterer prepared meals "off site", refrigerated but not frozen, then "miked" on board. I have no idea what must be condemned, and when, nor have I regarding what kind of "shrinkage" occurs.

So who knows, is the OBB now on the "fresh and contemporary" route or will the previous standards be maintained? Previously, menus were posted at the OBB site; don't seem to be at present:

http://www.oebb.at/en/leistungen-und-services/im-zug/bordrestaurant

 

[cpotisch]

If memory serves the Card is operated by one LSA, and the SCAs are the waiters.

 

[tommylicious]

I rode OBB last year and the service was outstanding, as was the food and beverage. Mind you, OBB trips are generally rather short because Europe has a functional passenger rail system (like the rest of the developed world) unlike the US.

It appears that there is a new outside conttactor with the Austrian Railways (OBB) for their On-Board Food & Beverage:

https://diepresse.com/home/wirtschaft/unternehmen/5328357/don-travel-loest-Henry-als-Caterer-in-den-OeBBZuegen-ab?from=suche.intern.portal

(give it a moment or two and it will show an English translation)

I found their previous operator provided "darned good" F&B; plenty of (chilled) Grape Juice of the Gruner Veltliner varietal and they offered a (hot) Veal Medallion that was exceptional. If they treated their employees as slaves, as reported within, it was never evident to me on my OBB journeys over the past four years. As I recall I learned the former caterer prepared meals "off site", refrigerated but not frozen, then "miked" on board. I have no idea what must be condemned, and when, nor have I regarding what kind of "shrinkage" occurs.

So who knows, is the OBB now on the "fresh and contemporary" route or will the previous standards be maintained? Previously, menus were posted at the OBB site; don't seem to be at present:

http://www.oebb.at/en/leistungen-und-services/im-zug/bordrestaurant

 

[jis]

If memory serves the Card is operated by one LSA, and the SCAs are the waiters.

That is my recollection too.

Seems like it is already somewhat like what is being proposed for the LSL and CL, except that those two will have the current Dining Car as the Sleeper lounge, separate from the general Lounge for the train.

There is absolutely nothing in the calwatch post that we did not already know BTW. Except for the occasional good grace of an SCA or SLA, Sleeper passengers get to buy Cafe fare if they so choose even today. AFAIK, that food is not supposed to be part of the Sleeper comp. Only Diner food is. (But hey, I could be wrong and am happy to be corrected as always)

 

[OBS]

If memory serves the Card is operated by one LSA, and the SCAs are the waiters.

Not quite correct. The Amdinette is staffed with an LSA and an SA (Waiter). Any assistance provided by SCA is purely voluntary on their part....

 

[jis]

So I guess the theory is, if you serve hot food you need an SA, but if you serve cold food you don't?

 

[cpotisch]

If memory serves the Card is operated by one LSA, and the SCAs are the waiters.

That is my recollection too.

Seems like it is already somewhat like what is being proposed for the LSL and CL, except that those two will have the current Dining Car as the Sleeper lounge, separate from the general Lounge for the train.

That and that the Card's food is hot.

 

[Lonestar648]

The SCA brings the plastic containers to your room, so the SA isn't needed. LSA handles the cafe. On the CL and LSL with two separate cars, there will need to be two LSA or whatever.

 

[cpotisch]

Good luck getting between the East Coast and Chicago then. It's not like there are a lot of other options.

We'll either fly or take the Crescent to the Sunset Limited to the Southwest Chief.

 

[Tarm]

Who's gonna be the first victim of this sad change? Anyone planning on riding either LSL or CL after the switch?

I'll be on the CL June 2nd. That will give them one day to fine tune things.

 

[Rail Freak]

Oh, you're sittin Pertty then (sarcasm intended)!!!

 

[fixj]

Who's gonna be the first victim of this sad change? Anyone planning on riding either LSL or CL after the switch?

I'll be on the CL June 2nd. That will give them one day to fine tune things.

East bound or West bound? I might be on the East bound.

 

[CAMISSY55]

I will be taking the Cardinal and Southwest Chief back to Flagstaff next week. Expect a trip report. I am disgusted as most of us are with this ***** dining car decision. What a waste of New equipment....

Great Cats, if you don't mind me asking, what day/date will you be departing CHI on the SWC? I will be traveling to SoCal on the SWC next week. I have, thus far, not been lucky enough to meet any fellow AU'ers in my travels. The dates of the annual Gatherings haven't yet jived with my schedule

 

[greatcats]

CAMISSY55- I will be on 3 on Friday, May 18, going home to Flagstaff. Would be pleased to meet you.