National Dining Car Specials/New Menus (April '17)

[crescent-zephyr]

Oh... on a closer look I do see that the Asian Stir Fry is possibly a good Vegetarian option... I assumed it was the same Amy's microwave dinner that Amtrak serves as "Healthy Choice." So while I still think they should have a non-shellfish fish entree', if the Stir Fry takes the place of the Vegetarian Pasta my previous comments are not quite as harsh.

 

[Chessie]

So ice is not always obtainable?

Self service ice used to be available around the clock on most of my trips. Then some rule or regulation or enforcement changed and now it's not nearly as simple. Sometimes the SCA will get ice for you. Some SCA's are quick and other SCA's will get to it if and when they feel like it. Some SCA's will simply tell you to go get it yourself. Depending on the staff for that particular train this could potentially mean having to buy something from the snack car or having the dining car tell you that the SCA is supposed to handle it.

That is indeed unfortunate.

Granted I am far from a foodie but the menu looks more than adequate to me.

So am I right to assume the items are the same on all LD trains and if I book a sleeper they are all included?

The notable exceptions being The Cardinal, The City of New Orleans, and the Lake Shore Limited.

The Lake Shore continues to run without a full diner, but has a more complete menu than The Cardinal, or City, which continue with their limited offerings.

https://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/767/590/Lake-Shore-Limited-Dining-Car-Menu-111516.pdf

Thanks! How about the Silver Star? Did it regain the full diner now?

 

[PVD]

Regulations being enforced is not a problem, but non responsive staff is. As long as they aren't doing anything else, or on a break, they should be attending to passengers needs. If they are on a break, they should let people know politely. Overnight hours I have mixed feelings about, 10PM is a little early for a cutoff, but at a certain point, staff is entitled to sleep.

 

[WoodyinNYC]

... BTW, anyone know when those long delayed dining cars will be delivered?

Are we there yet?

LOL.

When we get solid reports of the next batch of Viewliners, we'll be awakened by sirens and clanging church bells all over this site.

 

[ehbowen]

... BTW, anyone know when those long delayed dining cars will be delivered?

Are we there yet?
LOL.

When we get solid reports of the next batch of Viewliners, we'll be awakened by sirens and clanging church bells all over this site.

Sometimes I think that we are more likely to hear Gabriel's horn than see a dozen completed Viewliner II sleepers from CAF....

 

[Tennessee Traveler]

Just got off the CZ yesterday and we had the new menu I had the seared shrimp and the pork slider's. I really liked both. Disappointed still no ice cream.

 

[Train2104]

Just saw this thread...interesting. Comparing the menu with my Zephyr ride a year ago:

Breakfast looks like the same thing just with puffed up phrasing and the added egg bowl.

Lunch - I liked the original chicken salad, it was great since you were sitting on the train all day. I'm not sure I'd go for this "Southwestern" version with guacamole though. And it's probably preprepared so you can't ask for it without it.

Dinner - Better the ACAT chef stuff than the supermarket TV dinners, although that still seems to be on the menu. The shrimp looks like an interesting choice, and the $36 combo looks like it costs Amtrak nothing in terms of space since it's the same ingredients as the steak and the shrimp entrees separately. Accounting gimmick it is.

I notice the note about lunch items being available for dinner is no more.

No more ice cream?

 

[seat38a]

Oh... on a closer look I do see that the Asian Stir Fry is possibly a good Vegetarian option... I assumed it was the same Amy's microwave dinner that Amtrak serves as "Healthy Choice." So while I still think they should have a non-shellfish fish entree', if the Stir Fry takes the place of the Vegetarian Pasta my previous comments are not quite as harsh.

We get it, your upset about the fish. Can you let it go already or are you going to point out the lack of fish every time you respond?

 

[crescent-zephyr]

Oh... on a closer look I do see that the Asian Stir Fry is possibly a good Vegetarian option... I assumed it was the same Amy's microwave dinner that Amtrak serves as "Healthy Choice." So while I still think they should have a non-shellfish fish entree', if the Stir Fry takes the place of the Vegetarian Pasta my previous comments are not quite as harsh.

We get it, your upset about the fish. Can you let it go already or are you going to point out the lack of fish every time you respond?

Umm... It would appear that you are more bothered by me mentioning fish than I am about the fish missing from the menu. Oops... I mentioned it again.
Perhaps Amtrak could serve salmon ice cream and satisfy both me and all of those who miss the ice cream!

 

[OBS]

Just saw this thread...interesting. Comparing the menu with my Zephyr ride a year ago:

Breakfast looks like the same thing just with puffed up phrasing and the added egg bowl.

Lunch - I liked the original chicken salad, it was great since you were sitting on the train all day. I'm not sure I'd go for this "Southwestern" version with guacamole though. And it's probably preprepared so you can't ask for it without it.

Dinner - Better the ACAT chef stuff than the supermarket TV dinners, although that still seems to be on the menu. The shrimp looks like an interesting choice, and the $36 combo looks like it costs Amtrak nothing in terms of space since it's the same ingredients as the steak and the shrimp entrees separately. Accounting gimmick it is.

I notice the note about lunch items being available for dinner is no more.

No more ice cream?

The guacamole is provisioned separately, so presumably could be served without and/or on the side.

 

[RSG]

Breakfast looks like the same thing just with puffed up phrasing and the added egg bowl.

Not quite. You'll notice that the vegetable medley is gone from the omelet, replaced by salsa and/or guacamole. The cheese selection has changed slightly from Swiss to Monterey Jack, presumably in keeping with the southwest/Tex-Mex theme. There has also been for the past two years, a choice of a whole wheat biscuit or a croissant; now it's just a croissant. As someone who aims for better nutritional choices in dining, this is a downgrade of sorts for breakfast.

 

[RSG]

I would hesitate to call something offered by Golden Corral and Denny's as a "Higher End Option."

I wouldn't hesitate at all. Never had anything I'd even call mediocre at either place. But then, I'm not a food snoot.

At the risk of going further afield and off-topic, a brand-new Denny’s opened up last year near me after a 15-year absence from the area. There are plenty of interesting dishes for lunch and dinner and while few things are prepared from scratch on site, they are still tasty and there are now more options for sides than five different ways to destroy a potato.

 

[Bob Dylan]

So whats wrong with Guacamole, a real delicacy?

 

[crescent-zephyr]

I would hesitate to call something offered by Golden Corral and Denny's as a "Higher End Option."

I wouldn't hesitate at all. Never had anything I'd even call mediocre at either place. But then, I'm not a food snoot.

At the risk of going further afield and off-topic, a brand-new Dennys opened up last year near me after a 15-year absence from the area. There are plenty of interesting dishes for lunch and dinner and while few things are prepared from scratch on site, they are still tasty and there are now more options for sides than five different ways to destroy a potato.

Oh you can for sure get good food at Denny's... I just don't think they have any higher end menu items.
But that varies I suppose. It's a very clever money idea for Amtrak to add the surf snd turf.

 

[RSG]

So whats wrong with Guacamole, a real delicacy?

Not a dang thing...I just happen to like mine with a side of tortilla chips (made on-site please, if possible). I enjoy Southwest/Tex-Mex cuisine as much as anyone else who partakes; I just don’t want to eat it three times a day. As such, I prefer to have my eggs without salsa, guac, or Tabasco.

Also, I love avocados, but the Avocado Board (and the Mexican growers association) have gone a bit overboard on the marketing in the past couple of years. It’s almost as bad as “Angus beef”---after the hide is removed from the carcass, few can tell what breed the steak or burger came from without a DNA test. Yet thanks to great marketing by the Angus producers associations, most consumers automatically assume it is high quality and the only type of beef they should expect to have served. Sometimes I long for the days when produce items were truly seasonal and therefore awaited with great anticipation instead of forced upon us thirteen months a year.

 

[Chessie]

I have to agree fish would have been a smarter idea than shrimps.

 

[PVD]

I'm a "neutral" since I don't eat regular fish or shellfish. But a legit downside of shellfish choices, is that more people are allergic to them, thereby limiting choices for a real reason, not just a preference.

 

[Bob Dylan]

I have to agree fish would have been a smarter idea than shrimps.

Ditto!
Not being a fan of Shrimp, I miss the Salmon,Trout and the Catfish, but not the Tilapia!

 

[crescent-zephyr]

I have to agree fish would have been a smarter idea than shrimps.

Ditto!
Not being a fan of Shrimp, I miss the Salmon,Trout and the Catfish, but not the Tilapia!

Agreed. Did you ever have the mahi mahi from the summer menu about 4 years ago? It was right up there with the Lamb Shank as one of the best Amtrak Dinner entrees on my personal favorites list.

 

[dlagrua]

Amtrak could never please everybody but the dinner menu has been greatly expanded and there are more choices. Focusing on the positive it is an overall improvement, probably Wicks idea, to keep the kitchen advisory staff working. He also did remark that the dining car was part of the service. We didn't hear anything like that for a while.

 

[JayPea]

When I think of Amtrak food, I recall an article from the student newspaper about our campus dining hall at the university I was attending. All I remember was the last (and bottom) line. The gist of it was "It (the food) may not be like mom makes at home, but mom didn't have to cook for 5,000 people." And that's how I feel about Amtrak food too.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

So whats wrong with Guacamole, a real delicacy?

Throw a little QUALITY hot sauce in with it and I'll kill a tub of it and a whole bag of chips before I even get started! And yet I absolutely HATE avocados when they are served alone!

 

[gatelouse]

Had the new menus on a recent trip on 30.

The Shrimp entree nets you about 10-12 cocktail sized (or a tad smaller) peeled shrimp in a generic seafood spice that's similar to what was on the cod loin. Not bad at all.

You can tell that the enchiladas were prepared off the train. Lots of beans and a bit of minced chicken. Order something else.

French toast was...unavailable on my trip. At least the omelette is still grilled in the kitchen.

 

[jebr]

A couple posts have been hidden due to personal attacks.

A reminder that personal attacks are not allowed on the site. We also encourage responses to have some semblance of relation to the topic at hand.

 

[neroden]

Still no ingredients list. Still violating ADA as a result.