City of New Orleans Dining

[iPat09]

Hey guys, just a quick question. On the last leg of our upcoming trip, we will be taking CoNO from Chicago down to Jackson, departing at 8 PM and arriving at 11:20 AM. Before departing, we will have roughly 4 hours to kill in Chicago after arriving on EB. Will we need to grab dinner in Chicago or will there be a late meal when CoNO departs? I only ask because since we do have a roomette reserved, our meal is included and I would rather save the money. Also, with the arrival time into Jackson, would we be able to eat on the train? Or is the arrival time just too early. Thanks!

 

[Henry Kisor]

Indeed there will be a late meal. Sometimes they'll seat you in the diner even before the train departs, sometimes a few minutes after.

 

[Amtrak Cajun]

iPat, welcome to AU. I hope you are enjoying it here so far.

As per your question,

When I rode from CHI to NOL back in September, they called for dinner about 20 minutes after pulling out of CHI.

A word of caution, they run with the limited menu for the dinner selection. You get a choice of the burger, chicken, and something else that I cant remember at the moment.

 

[iPat09]

Thanks for the quick responses and the welcome! It upsets me that I am this late discovering AU.

Not really bothered by the limited menu. Being a college student, a free meal is a free meal. Sure beats the heck out of ramen.

 

[AlanB]

Make sure that your'e in the Metropolitan Lounge in Chicago, they usually want you to be there by 7 PM as they can board you at any point after that time. And if the crew is ready, as noted dinner could start before the train turns a wheel.

Besides, the lounge is just a nicer place to wait than the general waiting room with its long line. Might as well enjoy the perk of nicer seats, free soda, etc.

 

[Mackensen]

Hey guys, just a quick question. On the last leg of our upcoming trip, we will be taking CoNO from Chicago down to Jackson, departing at 8 PM and arriving at 11:20 AM. Before departing, we will have roughly 4 hours to kill in Chicago after arriving on EB. Will we need to grab dinner in Chicago or will there be a late meal when CoNO departs? I only ask because since we do have a roomette reserved, our meal is included and I would rather save the money. Also, with the arrival time into Jackson, would we be able to eat on the train? Or is the arrival time just too early. Thanks!

I wouldn't plan on lunch into Jackson. My memory is that lunch service starts at 11 or 11:30 AM. There's quite a bit of slack in the schedule at Jackson going south; when I took the train in January 2012 we hit Jackson a good 30 minutes early and wandered around near the station.

 

[Ashland Train Enthusiast]

As others have said, Southbound you do get dinner, but it's the express dinner. I don't have a copy yet of the menu to scan and share, but the menu always contains the Herb Roasted Half Chicken, the Angus Burger, and whatever the vegetarian pasta entree is. For the CONO southbound, it's the Vegetarian Rigatoni Pasta. I'll be traveling on the CONO shortly (NB), so will get some meal pictures uploaded to my collection here for reference, and there are also menu links for your perusal.

While you'll get Breakfast the next morning, I wouldn't plan on getting lunch on board, as depending on the staff, the earliest they will start seating is 11:30.

 

[MiRider]

I just took a sleeper roundtrip to NOL on the CONO 2 weeks ago.

You'll definitely get dinner southbound, as others have said it will be the express menu - chicken, veg. past, burger.

You'll also get breakfast and lunch but lunch starts soon after breakfast ends because the train is usually early in NOL.

Not sure that you'll have lunch before Jackson though.

When I went in May in Coach, we also had lunch onboard.

We had Manny as our SCA southbound and he was fabulous, made our first trip in a bedroom very special.

The Metropolitan Lounge in Chicago is very nice, quiet, and comfortable with nice amenities including restrooms - take advantage of it.

I realize that you're going to Jackson but I just have to say this.....

On the other hand, I found the Magnolia Room in NOL to be hideous.

Better than the general waiting area but almost as uncomfortable.

Straight back chairs not counting the 2 overstuffed faux leather ones.

Coffee and water, bright lights, general ugliness and it got pretty full in there too - some people went to the general area.

They can't even clean the old tape off the doors from the 'closed for remodeling' signs that had been on there.

It's like the common area in a third rate nursing home - JMO

Enjoy your trip - I love the CONO.

 

[Ashland Train Enthusiast]

On the other hand, I found the Magnolia Room in NOL to be hideous.Better than the general waiting area but almost as uncomfortable.

Straight back chairs not counting the 2 overstuffed faux leather ones.

Coffee and water, bright lights, general ugliness and it got pretty full in there too - some people went to the general area.

They can't even clean the old tape off the doors from the 'closed for remodeling' signs that had been on there.

It's like the common area in a third rate nursing home - JMO

Just got off the City today from a trip from Chicago, and I'd like to offer an update based on my observations. I found the Magnolia Room in the UPT to be a significant improvement from the general waiting area, and both the chairs at the tables as well as the stand-alone seating to be comfortable. It was tidy and clean, and it looks like the station staff had spruced it up a bit, as it had some seasonal decorations and potted plants around. I also didn't see any tape or tape residue from the doors, just their two-way mirror surfaces. No, it's not a CA or the Metropolitan lounge, but it is a nice respite for sleeper pax.

~ DCTE

 

[MiRider]

On the other hand, I found the Magnolia Room in NOL to be hideous.Better than the general waiting area but almost as uncomfortable.

Straight back chairs not counting the 2 overstuffed faux leather ones.

Coffee and water, bright lights, general ugliness and it got pretty full in there too - some people went to the general area.

They can't even clean the old tape off the doors from the 'closed for remodeling' signs that had been on there.

It's like the common area in a third rate nursing home - JMO

Just got off the City today from a trip from Chicago, and I'd like to offer an update based on my observations. I found the Magnolia Room in the UPT to be a significant improvement from the general waiting area, and both the chairs at the tables as well as the stand-alone seating to be comfortable. It was tidy and clean, and it looks like the station staff had spruced it up a bit, as it had some seasonal decorations and potted plants around. I also didn't see any tape or tape residue from the doors, just their two-way mirror surfaces. No, it's not a CA or the Metropolitan lounge, but it is a nice respite for sleeper pax.

~ DCTE

Maybe they cleaned the doors for Super Bowl but I was just there on Jan. 26 and there was definitely dirty tape residue on the mirrored surface on the outside of both doors.

It may be clean and tidy, have a couple of Poinsettias (? magnolia room) and an ugly faux ficus with christmas lights, but it's still hideous and far from comfortable, imo

I don't know what it looked like before but it looks like a *before* to me in its current iteration. YMMV.

So far I've only been in the CA at NYP and the Metropolitan in CHI so I expected something a helluva lot nicer than that ugly hole.

Consistency is important and some low level lighting, nicer seating, and commercial grade carpeting would go a long way in that little space. imo.

 

[tomfuller]

If you are really hungry before 7PM, try a slice of Chicago deep dish pizza and maybe a beer.

There are many great foo choices inside CUS.

When my wife and I got off the EB we headed for Pierogi Heaven on North Wells (under the EL).

We had not had a good pierogi in years.

 

[Amtrak Cajun]

When I was in the Magnolia Room in September, it looked fine, Was it the Met Lounge in CHI? no, but for all of the 15 minutes I was in it before boarding the Crescent, I found it ok. It was clean and comfortable enough.

 

[iPat09]

If you are really hungry before 7PM, try a slice of Chicago deep dish pizza and maybe a beer.There are many great foo choices inside CUS.

When my wife and I got off the EB we headed for Pierogi Heaven on North Wells (under the EL).

We had not had a good pierogi in years.

I have been to Chicago many times and I ALWAYS get Chicago deep dish. This year, my brother will be having it for the first time. I plan on taking him to Pizzeria Uno during our layover between CoNO and SWC, since that one is longer than the one during the return trip.

 

[AlanB]

So far I've only been in the CA at NYP and the Metropolitan in CHI so I expected something a helluva lot nicer than that ugly hole.Consistency is important and some low level lighting, nicer seating, and commercial grade carpeting would go a long way in that little space. imo.

Which is why the Magnolia room is not classed as a "Metropolitan Lounge" or a "Club Acela"; it's classified as a "First Class Lounge". Those 3 classes are intended to help distinguish that there are differences between what one should expect to find inside. The First Class Lounge is basically a special waiting room and little more than that.

The Metro Lounges provide far more amenities, and the CA's even more including the special conference rooms that can be rented out.

 

[MiRider]

So far I've only been in the CA at NYP and the Metropolitan in CHI so I expected something a helluva lot nicer than that ugly hole.Consistency is important and some low level lighting, nicer seating, and commercial grade carpeting would go a long way in that little space. imo.

Which is why the Magnolia room is not classed as a "Metropolitan Lounge" or a "Club Acela"; it's classified as a "First Class Lounge". Those 3 classes are intended to help distinguish that there are differences between what one should expect to find inside. The First Class Lounge is basically a special waiting room and little more than that.

The Metro Lounges provide far more amenities, and the CA's even more including the special conference rooms that can be rented out.

Thanks Alan, I've read that on Amtrak.com but it's still utiliitarian and really not *first class*, (jmo), just separate, away from all of the scary people which, in our case, was a Boy Scout troop.

One silly woman didn't want to use the restroom because that entailed leaving the lounge and going 'out there'. :blink:

Honestly, now that I know what it's like, I'll leave my bag at the hotel and take a taxi or the streetcar and get there in time to board.

I hope to try out all of the lounges in the next year.