Steak Lovers Beware!

[printman2000]

OK - I'm a bit of a doubting Thomas, and I suppose I'll just have to see a menu with the asterisk to be sure.

I was on the Eagle in March, and I snagged a menu. I just looked at it now, and here is what it says on the bottom on the entree page; not with an '*', but actually with a '+' mark next to it:

'In peak travel season, a braised beef entree may be substituted for flat iron steak'

There is NO mention anywhere of it being beef shanks, but, it doesn't specifically mention WHAT braised beef entree it is.....

If I did it right, here is a picture of the menu; sorry, you'll have to blow it up about 1000%; it is in the lower right hand corner.

If the picture doesn't work right, here's the link: Texas Eagle Menu. I have the other side of the menu posted there also, if anyone wants to see the entire thing.

Thanks for that info.

If they were going to do this substitution, I cannot image them just doing it and not telling you.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

... They'll still be Flatiron, same caterer, but Amtrak has requested that the caterer do some pre-cooking to the steaks. This is temporary, just for the summer. The reason is that most people order steaks medium to well, and cooking them all that way takes a lot of time; they don't feel like they can handle that amount of cooking time per steak with only one chef during peak season. Steaks will still be "cooked to order" on board; but unfortunately, for lovers of rare steak, this means we may be out of luck for a few months.

Really? Most of the people I hang with go from rare to medium rare. A well-doner is rare in my circles.

Doesn't sound "cooked to order" if they're medium to well done.

It wouldn't be... they should consider taking on board raw steaks to make rare and medium-rare as well.

 

[PetalumaLoco]

... They'll still be Flatiron, same caterer, but Amtrak has requested that the caterer do some pre-cooking to the steaks. This is temporary, just for the summer. The reason is that most people order steaks medium to well, and cooking them all that way takes a lot of time; they don't feel like they can handle that amount of cooking time per steak with only one chef during peak season. Steaks will still be "cooked to order" on board; but unfortunately, for lovers of rare steak, this means we may be out of luck for a few months.

Really? Most of the people I hang with go from rare to medium rare. A well-doner is rare in my circles.

Doesn't sound "cooked to order" if they're medium to well done.

It wouldn't be... they should consider taking on board raw steaks to make rare and medium-rare as well.

Agreed.

 

[amtrakwolverine]

they don't feel like they can handle that amount of cooking time per steak with only one chef during peak season.

So why not create another job?

Or should we say, "re-create" it... Damn SDS, we're supposed to be creating jobs this would be a nice way to get a hundred more people employed.

the problem is congress cut food costs so that meant 1 extra chief had to go. why can't the caterer supply there own chiefs for Amtrak that way Amtrak doesn't have to pay the chiefs the caterer does. money saved right there means better food.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

the problem is congress cut food costs so that meant 1 extra chief had to go. why can't the caterer supply there own chiefs for Amtrak that way Amtrak doesn't have to pay the chiefs the caterer does. money saved right there means better food.

If you're talking about SDS then then you must also realize that the current Congress has a position towards job creation that opposes SDS-- that being, "we're giving money to people to create jobs."

 

[RTOlson]

I know many die-hard steak eaters would like at least a little pink to red in their meat, but the next time I order a flat-iron steak, I'm going to order it medium.

I had the steak on Zephyr last summer. I ordered medium rare, but what I got was more rare and very juicy. I think I would like my steak to be a little more done than that.

 

[amtrakwolverine]

the problem is congress cut food costs so that meant 1 extra chief had to go. why can't the caterer supply there own chiefs for Amtrak that way Amtrak doesn't have to pay the chiefs the caterer does. money saved right there means better food.

If you're talking about SDS then then you must also realize that the current Congress has a position towards job creation that opposes SDS-- that being, "we're giving money to people to create jobs."

but i don't see full dining service returning to amtrak so what jobs are they making uh none. i don't hear of amtrak hiring extra cooks for all long distance trains etc.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

the problem is congress cut food costs so that meant 1 extra chief had to go. why can't the caterer supply there own chiefs for Amtrak that way Amtrak doesn't have to pay the chiefs the caterer does. money saved right there means better food.

If you're talking about SDS then then you must also realize that the current Congress has a position towards job creation that opposes SDS-- that being, "we're giving money to people to create jobs."

but i don't see full dining service returning to amtrak so what jobs are they making uh none. i don't hear of amtrak hiring extra cooks for all long distance trains etc.

I talked to Lou yesterday about his impression of Boardman. FYI: Lou was on Beech Grove all these last few weeks while Boardman was abroad and he told me "Boardman is a good man, he's going to bring back everything that they've been taking away from us. He said 'When I was in charge of the FRA I just made the rules, my opinion didn't matter... now I am in a place where my opinion matters,' he's a very good guy."

I trust Lou.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

the problem is congress cut food costs so that meant 1 extra chief had to go. why can't the caterer supply there own chiefs for Amtrak that way Amtrak doesn't have to pay the chiefs the caterer does. money saved right there means better food.

If you're talking about SDS then then you must also realize that the current Congress has a position towards job creation that opposes SDS-- that being, "we're giving money to people to create jobs."

but i don't see full dining service returning to amtrak so what jobs are they making uh none. i don't hear of amtrak hiring extra cooks for all long distance trains etc.

These things take time, KissAlive. Stop being so... American. Rome wasn't built in a day. It took the Clinton and Bush administration and a crooked politician named Warrington 8 years to bring Amtrak to this level of disgrace. Its going to take more than a wave of Joe Boardman's wand to bring it all back. I believe Joe wants to and will do his damnedest to do this.

You can't expect General Motors to suddenly start churning out the products everyone wants and instantly convince people they build them right. You can't expect Amtrak to remedy 38 years of chronic underfunding and downright abuse in the 4 months Boardman and Obama/Biden have been running the place.

Give it time, KA. We've been seeing incredible leaps and bounds in the past 4 months. But what's more, we have hope that Amtrak is going to be around in 10 years. Last year at this time, none of us were sure. We believe Sightseers will exist on every overnight Superliner train save the City of New Orleans. We didn't believe that a year ago. We were afraid they were going to be converted into coaches and "Lounge-Diners".

We thought SDS, in all of its no-fresh-cooking glory was here to stay, and the Diner-Lite/CCC implantation was practically a done deal. The CCC program is SCRAPPED, the lounge-diner prototype is cancelled, and we are, for the first time, preparing to order single level diners.

We were worried McCain would get in- he's a damned good American and it took a man as good as Obama to beat him, I don't think Clinton could have- and that Amtrak's death would be a certainty. Another 8 years of this underfunding and it would be gone. But he wasn't- instead we got the relatively pro-rail Obama in office, underpinned by Amtrak's greatest congressional supporter- Joe Biden.

Now, I'm a born cynic. I don't deny it. But hell guys, listen up! Boardman tells his employees that they need to stop thinking on a survival mentality. Well, I'm telling you we need to stop feeling like we're defending Amtrak and the hoards are at the door!

THE NEW AMTRAK REAUTHORIZATION NO LONGER REQUIRES THEM TO MAKE A PROFIT!

For as long as the current administration is respected, Amtrak has a good future. Lets top secretly suspecting that everyone and their brother, including Amtrak management, is out to kill the company!

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

Agreed GML. This won't come overnight but it may come in a few years. In the words of Lou:

"I hope he [boardman] sticks around for awhile."

 

[AlanB]

the problem is congress cut food costs so that meant 1 extra chief had to go. why can't the caterer supply there own chiefs for Amtrak that way Amtrak doesn't have to pay the chiefs the caterer does. money saved right there means better food.

If you're talking about SDS then then you must also realize that the current Congress has a position towards job creation that opposes SDS-- that being, "we're giving money to people to create jobs."

but i don't see full dining service returning to amtrak so what jobs are they making uh none. i don't hear of amtrak hiring extra cooks for all long distance trains etc.

Only Stimulus money is supposed to be used to create new jobs and Amtrak wasn't given any stimulus money to improve food service. They were given stimulus money to fix cars and stations.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

Only Stimulus money is supposed to be used to create new jobs and Amtrak wasn't given any stimulus money to improve food service. They were given stimulus money to fix cars and stations.

Agreed, however, it would seem that SDS has created a situation where jobs are eliminated and the current Congress is all about creating new jobs. And with Boardman, I think Congress will win something over. As GML said, it wasn't built in a day-- but I see hope for the future, at least the near future. We'll have some great years, then some where they wain, and some where they wax... we're in a waxing period and I am satisfied.

 

[AlanB]

we're in a waxing period and I am satisfied.

I don't think that I've ever seen an Amtrak employee waxing a train. :lol:

And I certainly wouldn't want them waxing my steak.

On the other hand, it's ok with wax beans. :lol:

But seriously, Amtrak has already been rolling back to some extent the original SDS cuts. The food itself has taken a major step forward and to my knowledge the load factor formulas that determine when extra employees are added to the dining cars are added have been improved for the better. And of course we've already heard that Mr. Boardman wants the CCC gone from the Capitol and the Diner-Lite car downgraded to cafe car status for the ALB-CHI section of the LSL and promoted to it's dual role of cafe/dinner for the BOS-ALB section, which of course means the return of a dining car to the NY section and for the rest of the run to Chicago. And there are rumors that some of the other cuts to dining cars may also be gradually undone.

So hopefully things will indeed continue to improve and get better.

 

[volkris]

Agreed, however, it would seem that SDS has created a situation where jobs are eliminated and the current Congress is all about creating new jobs.

However, things are starting to change again. The powers in DC are beginning to realize that they can only spend so much money they don't have before even supporters of that policy begin to flinch.

Plus, it's not like you can just "build" a job and walk away. What happens when the stimulus bucks are used up? The employee's still looking to be paid.

 

[Longford]

Flat Iron Steak on the Empire Builder, Saturday, May 23rd. There was no mention on the Menu of the posibility of a change in the cut of meat.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Agreed, however, it would seem that SDS has created a situation where jobs are eliminated and the current Congress is all about creating new jobs.

However, things are starting to change again. The powers in DC are beginning to realize that they can only spend so much money they don't have before even supporters of that policy begin to flinch.

Plus, it's not like you can just "build" a job and walk away. What happens when the stimulus bucks are used up? The employee's still looking to be paid.

Unfortunately, spending money they don't have is the only choice they do have. I am watching with horrified fascination the slow motion train wreck that is their handling of Detroit. Watch this. GM is going to be forced into bankruptcy. Within days, the lack of orders from GM from parts suppliers is going to force THEM into bankruptcy. When they stop operating, Ford's supply chain will be disrupted and Ford will have to give up their brave stance. And over the course of the next month, the million or so jobs directly dependent on the big three, as well as another million or so in surrounding towns will close their doors as factories close.

The bankruptcy of Chrysler, the weaker and more pathetic company will end with FIAT. GM and Ford will go into liquidation. You think the October crash was bad? Boy, you ain't seen nothin' yet.

This isn't ideology speaking. I'm no lover of car companies or cars. This is economic sense. Even the morons running Britain weren't stupid enough to let the entire British car industry go bankrupt and shut down overnight. Yes, it cost a fortune, and yes it took 30 years before the last vestige of British Leyland, MG Rover, closed its doors. But atleast Britain didn't face the kind of economic meltdown this is going to cause us. Mark my words, Volkris, the worst is yet to come.

 

[Tony]

Forget about the steak, is that a real china plate I see?

 

[yarrow]

Forget about the steak, is that a real china plate I see?

the eb has never gone away from real plates and silverware.

 

[Longford]

Forget about the steak, is that a real china plate I see?

the eb has never gone away from real plates and silverware.

I don't think that plate was "China," but, rather, a look-like made of a plastic product. It wasn't disposable, or paper, but not China to the best of my knowledge.

 

[sky12065]

Forget about the steak, is that a real china plate I see?

the eb has never gone away from real plates and silverware.

I don't think that plate was "China," but, rather, a look-like made of a plastic product. It wasn't disposable, or paper, but not China to the best of my knowledge.

Maybe it was Ammac! That would be Melmac specfically made for Amtrak and given the moniker Ammac. Anyway, who cares so long as the Amgrub is Amgoooood!

 

[jim55]

Flat Iron Steak on the Empire Builder, Saturday, May 23rd. There was no mention on the Menu of the posibility of a change in the cut of meat.

The FI steak I had the first night was about half that size but it was the real thing. That plate looks like the disposable Plastic plate but with real silverware wraped in a blue cloth napkin that was there when seated. The Fla post pretty much proves that all menus are not the same. The TE had a "Cross Country Cafe" with the three panel menu that had Breakfast on the left panel , diner on the right panel and "All Day Long" in the middle. I don't understand the "all day thing" as they ran specific dinning hours. They seated at both ends of the CCC and seemed to have an ample staff. For the most part, food was good and service very good. The Substitute "whatever" looked like yours but with more rounded edges, not as square as yours. Like I said, it was a very good trip less that substitute. Maybe we are beating a "dead horse" here...Wait a minute.. that taste is familiar! Jim

 

[AlanB]

Yarrow is correct, both the EB and the Auto Train never gave up real glassware. So all plates, glasses, and mugs are still glass on those two trains.

 

[wayman]

Yarrow is correct, both the EB and the Auto Train never gave up real glassware. So all plates, glasses, and mugs are still glass on those two trains.

I think you mean that the EB and AT plates and mugs are ceramic (not glass), but yes (The wine stemware and regular juice/soda/water glasses are glass, of course.) As for people looking at the above photo and saying "that looks just like my plastic plate" (on another train like the Capitol or Silvers, etc), yes, the pattern is exactly the same, the white plate with blue ring and Amtrak logo. So it's hard to tell in that photo that the plate is actually ceramic, but in this case it is.

I was surprised this week on the Silver Star to have real glass stemware for the wine. Maybe those have always been there and I just don't always order the wine or pay attention? But I thought for a while there was "plastic stemware" for wine. There are still plastic glasses for juice and water and plastic coffee cups, of course.

So, on LD trains that are not the EB or AT, do they carry enough silverware and wine glasses that they don't need to run the dishwasher, or do they do one overnight load of just those items?

 

[catblue]

What ever the steak in the picture is it looks good. I don't even see any blood running out on the plate. Which probably means it is not rare. Which is a "good thing" as far as I am concerned.

 

[Neil_M]

What ever the steak in the picture is it looks good. I don't even see any blood running out on the plate. Which probably means it is not rare. Which is a "good thing" as far as I am concerned.

Might look good, but I bet it don't taste of anything apart from overcooked!