National Menu Changes?

[Cho Cho Charlie]

Talking about Auto train I just looked up the menu. The coach dinner menu looks better to me then the “first class sleeper menu” (yes it’s still called first class). I’d rather have the coach menu as the nationwide menu we have now. 

Well, "first class" get a small salad, and a butter patty for their roll, which coach doesn't get (if the menus are strictly followed). 

 

[Dakota 400]

Well, "first class" get a small salad, and a butter patty for their roll, which coach doesn't get (if the menus are strictly followed). 

I noticed that as well.  Odd and I'll bet not followed "as printed" on the menu.
 

 

[Tennessee Traveler]

It probably does mean that, however that is definitely not what I was served in January of this year. I know for a fact that they offered Butternut Squash Risotto and Sweet Potato Gnocchi at dinner, and I’m pretty certain the menu was listed as being from September 2017. So it seems like there’s a very high chance that they’ve actuallly gone back to an older version of the menu.  :huh:

There has been no change in the printed menu and it has been in effect at least two years.  The current printed menu has included "Butternut Squash Risotto and Sweet Potato Gnocchi " for all that time. I have ridden long distance trains regularly in all three years 2016, 2017, and 2018. I rode as recently as November 2, 2018, on the California Zephyr and the same ole printed menu still included Butternut Squash Risotto and Sweet Potato Gnocchi but the server annouced that both items had been permanently removed in preparation for a new menu but no one knows when and what items are on it.  Incidentally all four of the east coast to west coast LD trains, the Coast Starlight, plus the Silver Meteor and Crescent have the same menu although the individual train names are on the printed menu on the named trains.  

It's obvious that none of us know what is going on with Amtrak and the dining car service and apparently neither dose Amtrak.

 

[SarahZ]

I realize “whole grain rainbow trout” refers to the breading, but it still made me laugh.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

I believe there is a more common name for the children's meal....Cat food!

 

[pennyk]

No new printed menus on the Silver Meteor.  The menu I received at lunch was dated 0917.

Please note that the marks made on the menu were not made by me.

 

[joelkfla]

Talking about Auto train I just looked up the menu. The coach dinner menu looks better to me then the “first class sleeper menu” (yes it’s still called first class). I’d rather have the coach menu as the nationwide menu we have now. 

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"Amy's Enchilada or Pad Thai" ... so they're admitting that the vegan entree is a standard $4 supermarket frozen entree.  I'm a bit confused, though, on how the lasagna fits in; are the Amy's entree and lasagna served together? And why does one menu say "bolognese", which is certainly not vegan?

Not that I have anything against Amy's frozen entrees; I eat them all the time at home.

 

[cpotisch]

"Amy's Enchilada or Pad Thai" ... so they're admitting that the vegan entree is a standard $4 supermarket frozen entree.  I'm a bit confused, though, on how the lasagna fits in; are the Amy's entree and lasagna served together? And why does one menu say "bolognese", which is certainly not vegan?

Not that I have anything against Amy's frozen entrees; I eat them all the time at home.

Isn’t Amy’s usually like $10 per box? 

 

[joelkfla]

Isn’t Amy’s usually like $10 per box? 

Maybe in NYC; it's a bit over $4 in FL, 3/$11 when on sale.

 

[keelhauled]

 And why does one menu say "bolognese", which is certainly not vegan?

It says "mushroom bolognese." The base is probably mushrooms instead of meat.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

It says "mushroom bolognese." The base is probably mushrooms instead of meat.

That would still translate into something like "mushroom meat sauce," at least in a practical sense, which seems pointless and confusing in this context.  Rather than trying to hide the lack of meat with gimmicky renaming maybe they should get a better cookbook that doesn't rely on obfuscation.

 

[cpotisch]

One would think that you could find this stuff out at Amtrak Food Facts, but in typical Amtrak fashion, none of the links to the different entrees are working. :help:

 

[pennyk]

I am on the Southwest Chief and just finished lunch.  Although the menus are dated September 2017, the menus are in a lot better shape than those used on the Silver Meteor.  Either there was a subsequent printing or SWC passengers take better care of the menus than SM passengers.  On the SWC, the server requested the menus back after we ordered.  On the SM, the menus were stored on the window sills next to the tables.

Speaking of lunch, I had an extremely interesting tablemate today.  She is more or less my age and grew up in Belfast.  (she lives in the US now and is on her way to visit her daughter in San Diego).  When she was 15, she was walking home from school with the school's "pet" hamster in a cage.  An 18 year old soldier saw the shiny cage (and possibly thinking it was a weapon) and shot her in the leg.  He then killed the hamster.  She thinks her story made the news because of the hamster.  She was in the hospital for a few weeks and still walks with a limp.  Also in Belfast she saw other atrocities that I will not share, but she had me in tears in the dining car.

 

[PVD]

There is a reason the phrase 26+6 = 1 resonates with many.