Crescent dining

[Palmetto]

I'll be in a sleeper on this train in July, Since the train arrives in New Orleans at around 7:30 PM, do they serve dinner prior to arrival?

 

[OBS]

Yes. May be slightly earlier than normal...

 

[Bob Dylan]

I'll be in a sleeper on this train in July, Since the train arrives in New Orleans at around 7:30 PM, do they serve dinner prior to arrival?

Yep, you'll have a shortened time frame for an early Dinner in Mississippi with a Limited Menu, but why not wait until you get to New Orleans to have a real Dinner?

They do have some Really good joints there!

 

[Palmland]

I'll be in a sleeper on this train in July, Since the train arrives in New Orleans at around 7:30 PM, do they serve dinner prior to arrival?

Yep, you'll have a shortened time frame for an early Dinner in Mississippi with a Limited Menu, but why not wait until you get to New Orleans to have a real Dinner?

They do have some Really good joints there!

Agreed! No contest - AmFood vs. some of the best food and restaurants in the country.

 

[Lonestar648]

Unless arriving really late, I would enjoy some of the super dinner opportunities in NOL

 

[west point]

If you eat on the southbound be sure to get an early seating. Often there are groups in coach which will cause shortages of some entrees.

 

[ABQFloridian]

I'll be in a sleeper on this train in July, Since the train arrives in New Orleans at around 7:30 PM, do they serve dinner prior to arrival?

Yep, you'll have a shortened time frame for an early Dinner in Mississippi with a Limited Menu, but why not wait until you get to New Orleans to have a real Dinner?
They do have some Really good joints there!

But what are the odds that they will actually get there on time?

 

[offroad437]

Lately they have been up to 45 min early.

 

[Palmetto]

I'll be in a sleeper on this train in July, Since the train arrives in New Orleans at around 7:30 PM, do they serve dinner prior to arrival?

Yep, you'll have a shortened time frame for an early Dinner in Mississippi with a Limited Menu, but why not wait until you get to New Orleans to have a real Dinner?
They do have some Really good joints there!

But what are the odds that they will actually get there on time?

Thanks for the answers, and the comments. Court of the Two Sisters, anyone?!

 

[crescent-zephyr]

When I have ridden the Crescent they always serve the "Express Menu" for Dinner into New Orleans. If the train is on time, they will only have 1 call for dinner.

If you are in a sleeper, you might as well have dinner. By the time the train arrives and you get settled in to your hotel, you may be quite hungry. You can always go out for dessert in the city (Cafe du Mode' is open 24 hours in the French Quarter).

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I'll be in a sleeper on this train in July, Since the train arrives in New Orleans at around 7:30 PM, do they serve dinner prior to arrival?

Yep, you'll have a shortened time frame for an early Dinner in Mississippi with a Limited Menu, but why not wait until you get to New Orleans to have a real Dinner?

They do have some Really good joints there!

Agreed! No contest - AmFood vs. some of the best food and restaurants in the country.

New Orleans is awesome.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whwFvaHvyVI

When I have ridden the Crescent they always serve the "Express Menu" for Dinner into New Orleans. If the train is on time, they will only have 1 call for dinner.

If you are in a sleeper, you might as well have dinner. By the time the train arrives and you get settled in to your hotel, you may be quite hungry. You can always go out for dessert in the city (Cafe du Mode' is open 24 hours in the French Quarter).

*Café Du Monde.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

When I have ridden the Crescent they always serve the "Express Menu" for Dinner into New Orleans. If the train is on time, they will only have 1 call for dinner.

If you are in a sleeper, you might as well have dinner. By the time the train arrives and you get settled in to your hotel, you may be quite hungry. You can always go out for dessert in the city (Cafe du Mode' is open 24 hours in the French Quarter).

*Café Du Monde.

I was born in Louisiana, should I be embarrassed? Or proud that I lived up to the states stereotype?

The accent mark I'll take credit for... But "mode" I blame on spell check!

 

[James S. Fritz]

I'll be in a sleeping room on the Crescent May 29 from BAL to TCL. I've heard of the new so-called "flexible dining options" on this and other East Coast trains. What can I expect to be different from last May on this train? And what is your opinion of the change?

 

[crescent-zephyr]

I'll be in a sleeping room on the Crescent May 29 from BAL to TCL. I've heard of the new so-called "flexible dining options" on this and other East Coast trains. What can I expect to be different from last May on this train? And what is your opinion of the change?

Sadly it will be very different. You'll get to choose between a few different microwave tv dinner style meals. You'll get a brownie for dessert. You'll get a small cup of iceberg lettuce with a single cherry tomato and a small packet of ranch dressing. That's it. (that was my experience at least... I've heard rumors or a second salad dressing on some trains, either way they are little ketchup packets of dressings, not the quality newman's dressings of the past).

The one positive is you should be able to ride in the Viewliner Diner as you cross the Lake.. that would be a nice view.

 

[PRR 60]

I'll be in a sleeping room on the Crescent May 29 from BAL to TCL. I've heard of the new so-called "flexible dining options" on this and other East Coast trains. What can I expect to be different from last May on this train? And what is your opinion of the change?

Flexible dining menu

 

[tricia]

Sadly it will be very different. You'll get to choose between a few different microwave tv dinner style meals. You'll get a brownie for dessert. You'll get a small cup of iceberg lettuce with a single cherry tomato and a small packet of ranch dressing. That's it. (that was my experience at least... I've heard rumors or a second salad dressing on some trains, either way they are little ketchup packets of dressings, not the quality newman's dressings of the past).

The one positive is you should be able to ride in the Viewliner Diner as you cross the Lake.. that would be a nice view.

On the Cardinal, today at least, there are little packets of Italian dressing as well as Ranch.

 

[me_little_me]

On the Cardinal, today at least, there are little packets of Italian dressing as well as Ranch.

Found those on the Crescent also.

 

[me_little_me]

"Dining" on eastern trains has become a one-word oxymoron if that is possible.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

Found those on the Crescent also.

it was on the silver meteor that I only had the option of ranch. It was right when the new service began so they may not have been fully stocked yet

 

[fdaley]

I'll be in a sleeping room on the Crescent May 29 from BAL to TCL. I've heard of the new so-called "flexible dining options" on this and other East Coast trains. What can I expect to be different from last May on this train? And what is your opinion of the change?

It will have all the charm of a school cafeteria meal. No tablecloth or place settings; pick up your own plasticware. For lunch/dinner, there is a choice of four entrees, each served in its plastic microwave dish, plus a tiny salad (the container is only slightly larger than the salad dressing container at most restaurants), and a brownie/blondie for dessert. So, compared with last year, a huge downgrade in service with no reduction at all in room prices. Plus the social experience of meeting other travelers is pretty much gone, as people seat themselves and tend to sit only with members of their own parties. To me, it's a totally depressing scene, so I now avoid the eastern long-distance trains as much as possible.

 

[Rasputin]

It will have all the charm of a school cafeteria meal.

It may have the charm of a school cafeteria but as for the food itself, my school cafeteria meals were better (and the cafeteria ladies were on the whole more pleasant and provided better service.)

 

[crescent-zephyr]

It may have the charm of a school cafeteria but as for the food itself, my school cafeteria meals were better (and the cafeteria ladies were on the whole more pleasant and provided better service.)

. I never thought about this but it’s so true!!!

 

[fdaley]

It may have the charm of a school cafeteria but as for the food itself, my school cafeteria meals were better (and the cafeteria ladies were on the whole more pleasant and provided better service.)

Well, on my only trip on the Crescent since the change (southbound from New York on Dec. 30), the lone "first-class lounge car" attendant actually was quite pleasant and delivered our drinks and meals efficiently. As for the food, it was better than edible if not exactly delicious, but in fairness, there were some dining car entrees before the change that fell into the same range. But overall, the "flexible dining" program is just a complete insult considering the price paid for a sleeper room. To call it first-class service is a joke. Plus the "flexible" name is completely misleading. It's not as though you can order a meal at any hour of the night; you choose from the times offered by the crew, the same as before, and sometimes you're only offered one choice.

 

[Chatter163]

I'll be in a sleeping room on the Crescent May 29 from BAL to TCL. I've heard of the new so-called "flexible dining options" on this and other East Coast trains. What can I expect to be different from last May on this train? And what is your opinion of the change?

Read the many, many threads on this subject.

 

[tuxedo2549]

I'll be in a sleeper on this train in July, Since the train arrives in New Orleans at around 7:30 PM, do they serve dinner prior to arrival?

I will be traveling from Philadelphia to New Orleans in a sleeper this March 2020. I made this same trip last year and decided to repeat because of the dining car service and menus. For my wife and I one of the highlights of the trip was being able to dine with strangers exchange ideas and converse. I am disappointed to learn that the menu has been converted to frozen dinners. Very Disappointed. Should we expect peanuts next. The steak and salmon were favorites for many.. You have made first class travel into something ordinary.