Flexible Dining Crescent - Kid Options

[Jag]

Hello, are there really no options for children with flexible dining? My son isn't a fan of pasta so even the pasta and meatballs aren't a great choice.

I hate having to go buy him a hot dog in the cafe car when we're paying for a sleeper.

 

[pennyk]

It may depend on the crew. Some LSAs may allow you to substitute a flex meal for the hot dog for your son and others may not. I would ask politely.

 

[20th Century Rider]

On the other hand, if you're hungry you can eat his and get him the hot dog from the cafe. Those meals are very small. BTW you can always bring along fruit, peanut butter / jam / crackers and enjoy the munchies as you roll along!

 

[PVD]

It's probably easier on one of the routes where they are serving both out of one car, rather than 2 separate cars where it would be harder to communicate.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

There really aren’t any good options for kids or adults unfortunately. The microwaved cafe burgers aren’t particularly tasty but I would prefer them and a bag of chips over any of the flex meals I’ve tried so far. (Shrimp and the beef.)

 

[Jag]

I'm thinking we'll have burgers or a hot dog from the cafe. Not ideal but at least we won't be hungry.

 

[Jag]

On the other hand, if you're hungry you can eat his and get him the hot dog from the cafe. Those meals are very small. BTW you can always bring along fruit, peanut butter / jam / crackers and enjoy the munchies as you roll along!

Thanks I'll probably bring some snacks.

 

[20th Century Rider]

Bottom line... bring your own gourmet niceties along and have a good time. The stuff they serve on the train just isn't worth centering your happiness around. In the end... this experience is for you... so spend a little on bring along... it's worth it. The rocking and rolling on the rails are courtesy of Amtrak.

Wine? Cheese? Grapes? They've been doing it on the continent of Europe for a long time... and just consider it's on our own shores.

The big question is this... is it a crime to order your own gift basket and bring it to your room on the train and celebrate a truly spectacular good time??? Go ahead! Just do it!

'Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is the present."
Eleanor Roosevelt

Awe! C'mon! Smile... enjoy!

 

[Seaboard92]

I was complaining about the Amtrak food to my girlfriend a few weeks ago because I am a very picky eater. She told me "You knew what you were getting into before you got on board. You could have been like me and cooked what you wanted the day before and brought it with you." She wasn't wrong but that isn't something we should be forced to do either.

 

[me_little_me]

Bottom line... bring your own gourmet niceties along and have a good time. The stuff they serve on the train just isn't worth centering your happiness around. In the end... this experience is for you... so spend a little on bring along... it's worth it. The rocking and rolling on the rails are courtesy of Amtrak.

Wine? Cheese? Grapes? They've been doing it on the continent of Europe for a long time... and just consider it's on our own shores.

The big question is this... is it a crime to order your own gift basket and bring it to your room on the train and celebrate a truly spectacular good time??? Go ahead! Just do it!

'Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is the present."
Eleanor Roosevelt

Awe! C'mon! Smile... enjoy!

IT is considered to be an "Attractive Nuisance" so if I steal them from you, it is not a crime. But then again, I do miss those flex meals - and the aftereffects of eating them.

 

[20th Century Rider]

I was complaining about the Amtrak food to my girlfriend a few weeks ago because I am a very picky eater. She told me "You knew what you were getting into before you got on board. You could have been like me and cooked what you wanted the day before and brought it with you." She wasn't wrong but that isn't something we should be forced to do either.

IT is considered to be an "Attractive Nuisance" so if I steal them from you, it is not a crime. But then again, I do miss those flex meals - and the aftereffects of eating them.

The pandemic has curtailed many food services... in restaurants, modes of travel, even the grocery store. Expectations are appropriately a little muted now, but after the pandemic we should righteously expect more for the financial compensation requested for goods and services.

 

[MARC Rider]

I'm certainly glad I wasn't a picky eater, either as a child, or even now. I think going to sleep-away camp as a kid helped with that. You had to eat what they dished out or go hungry. Also, when I did a gap year in Israel after high school, the food was so bad at the center where we stayed that we all actually looked forward to the days when they served liver -- at least we knew what the meat was! (On the other hand, the food at the kibbutzim we stayed on was pretty good.) Maybe that's why I consider the Amtrak flex meals, even if inferior, to be perfectly edible.

 

[Dakota 400]

You had to eat what they dished out or go hungry.

That describes breakfast during my Freshman year of college. Oh, those ghastly powdered eggs!

 

[MARC Rider]

That describes breakfast during my Freshman year of college. Oh, those ghastly powdered eggs!

Funny, the food at my college was pretty good, though after my freshman year, I mostly lived off-campus and cooked my own.

Now, the food where my daughter went to college... that's another matter

 

[Dakota 400]

Funny, the food at my college was pretty good

Lunch and dinner was good. But, the breakfasts: one learned not to order "scrambled eggs". If the eggs being served were fried, then they were good.

At Thanksgiving time, maybe a group of 8-10 of us would sit at a table and a whole turkey would be served for our table. The most senior among us would sit at the head of the table and do the carving (with "advice" from the rest of us ). All of the traditional fixings came with the turkey. Memorably good and enjoyable dinners!

 

[Cal]

The pandemic has curtailed many food services... in restaurants, modes of travel, even the grocery store. Expectations are appropriately a little muted now, but after the pandemic we should righteously expect more for the financial compensation requested for goods and services.

I sure hope traditional dining is restored on all western routes. And, this is unlikely, but I am seriously hoping that the Biden Administration will help traditional dining be restored everywhere.

 

[20th Century Rider]

I sure hope traditional dining is restored on all western routes. And, this is unlikely, but I am seriously hoping that the Biden Administration will help traditional dining be restored everywhere.

Me too! And... I think many others are hoping for the same!

 

[Cal]

Me too! And... I think many others are hoping for the same!

Just hoping Amtrak doesn't cheap out...

Traditional dining is one thing that REALLY changes the experience

 

[20th Century Rider]

Just hoping Amtrak doesn't cheap out...

Traditional dining is one thing that REALLY changes the experience

Passing along my very best post to share with you...

Ahhhhh.... the memories and the lullabies of long ago... so, when on the Amtrak Pioneer so so so many years ago... as it was approaching Chicago on a rainy afternoon, I really didn't want it to get there because that meant a big part of the trip would be over. I lived in St. Louis at the time and was facing going back to the classroom after this lullaby vacation of sorts.

Those were the days when they had music playing in your roomette in the superliners. \\

They were playing a song that made the experience so memorable... tears dripping down my eyes; and I'm thinking ... I don't want this rattling and rolling on the rails to end... this song by James Tayler so forever embedded in my memory... Enjoy it and come along for the ride

 

[Cal]

Ahhhhh.... the memories and the lullabies of long ago... so, when on the Amtrak Pioneer so so so many years ago... as it was approaching Chicago on a rainy afternoon, I really didn't want it to get there because that meant a big part of the trip would be over. I lived in St. Louis at the time and was facing going back to the classroom after this lullaby vacation of sorts.

Those were the days when they had music playing in your roomette in the superliners. \\

They were playing a song that made the experience so memorable... tears dripping down my eyes; and I'm thinking ... I don't want this rattling and rolling on the rails to end... this song by James Tayler so forever embedded in my memory... Enjoy it and come along for the ride

I really wish I could have travelled on the Desert Wind and Pioneer. Sadly, they were over many moons before I was born. And that song is really sweet, and does give you a nostalgia feeling. I'm sure it was greater as you were entering Chicago.

On my second long-distance Amtrak trip when I was about 3-4, I distinctively remember sobbing while getting on the final surfliner to Fullerton in Los Angeles. Had arrived on the Sunset that morning. I was so sad to leave the train.

On a different note, I believe a few of the music players still work in the roomettes. The Youtuber "Simply Railway" showed it in his Auto Train review in early-mid 2020.

 

[Maverickstation]

It may depend on the crew. Some LSAs may allow you to substitute a flex meal for the hot dog for your son and others may not. I would ask politely.

As mentioned above, ask your LSA about an option from the cafe, we have seen reports where the was done, and others where it was not. To date Amtrak has not made any policy on this, so it is up to the LSA.

One further note, I agree with the initial reply, ask politely, but also if the request is made, stay quiet about it. I remember very well an incident on the Silver Meteor where a passenger made a request for eggs over easy (as opposed to scrambled), and the chef honored the request (he does not have to). The passenger then went on to announce to the tables around him "look at what I got", it was made clear to that passenger that the chef would not consider any requests like that, from anyone again.

Ken

 

[crescent-zephyr]

One further note, I agree with the initial reply, ask politely, but also if the request is made, stay quiet about it. I remember very well an incident on the Silver Meteor where a passenger made a request for eggs over easy (as opposed to scrambled), and the chef honored the request (he does not have to). The passenger then went on to announce to the tables around him "look at what I got", it was made clear to that passenger that the chef would not consider any requests like that, from anyone again.

This happened to me once and I didn’t say a word. I asked if I could get French toast and a side of potatoes. (I was in sleeper). The waiter said yes. When our plates came the lady across from me asked where her potatoes were, the waiter said “you didn’t order potatoes” and she said “he got potatoes with his French toast, I want them as well!” - she was a coach passenger and it turned into a total mess.

 

[Cal]

One further note, I agree with the initial reply, ask politely, but also if the request is made, stay quiet about it. I remember very well an incident on the Silver Meteor where a passenger made a request for eggs over easy (as opposed to scrambled), and the chef honored the request (he does not have to). The passenger then went on to announce to the tables around him "look at what I got", it was made clear to that passenger that the chef would not consider any requests like that, from anyone again.

That passenger is such a brat. Why do people do that...

 

[Dakota 400]

The passenger then went on to announce to the tables around him "look at what I got", it was made clear to that passenger that the chef would not consider any requests like that, from anyone again.

It is those types of people that spoil it for the rest of us.

 

[railiner]

Passing along my very best post to share with you...

Ahhhhh.... the memories and the lullabies of long ago... so, when on the Amtrak Pioneer so so so many years ago... as it was approaching Chicago on a rainy afternoon, I really didn't want it to get there because that meant a big part of the trip would be over. I lived in St. Louis at the time and was facing going back to the classroom after this lullaby vacation of sorts.

Those were the days when they had music playing in your roomette in the superliners. \\

They were playing a song that made the experience so memorable... tears dripping down my eyes; and I'm thinking ... I don't want this rattling and rolling on the rails to end... this song by James Tayler so forever embedded in my memory... Enjoy it and come along for the ride

Nice song....but I liked the original rendition better...guess showing my age....