"Nothing Could be Finer Than Dinner in the Diner" Thread
May 19, 2013, 9:39 pm
#31
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: FLL
Programs: AA Gold 1MM
Posts: 1,212
Here's the Marketplace Special from the Silver Star today.
Train: 91
Class: Coach
Where: Dining Car
When: May 19, 2013
Warm roll and salad
Pasta with Meatballs. Quite good, it did feel a little light on the pasta relative the five ample meatballs.
What is usually one of the better and fairly consistent parts of Amtrak food service has been replaced with dessert in a plastic cup. This is cheese cake with a layer of crust on the bottom. The "cake" tasted OK, though it was very dense, a little dry and IN A CUP - for $6!
Walt Disney World serves little carrot cakes like this at counter service restaurants. The cups are exactly the same or very close which is where the similarities end. Disney's dessert cup is far superior and only costs $3.79 at Disney-inflated prices.
Unless it is included in a sleeper ticket, I'll be passing on dessert until the cups go away or the price comes down to $3.50 or less.
Train: 91
Class: Coach
Where: Dining Car
When: May 19, 2013
Warm roll and salad
Pasta with Meatballs. Quite good, it did feel a little light on the pasta relative the five ample meatballs.
What is usually one of the better and fairly consistent parts of Amtrak food service has been replaced with dessert in a plastic cup. This is cheese cake with a layer of crust on the bottom. The "cake" tasted OK, though it was very dense, a little dry and IN A CUP - for $6!
Walt Disney World serves little carrot cakes like this at counter service restaurants. The cups are exactly the same or very close which is where the similarities end. Disney's dessert cup is far superior and only costs $3.79 at Disney-inflated prices.
Unless it is included in a sleeper ticket, I'll be passing on dessert until the cups go away or the price comes down to $3.50 or less.
May 20, 2013, 8:31 am
#32
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SGF
Programs: AS, AA, UA, AGR S (former 75K, GLD, 1K, and S+, now an elite peon)
Posts: 23,194
The cheesecake has long been an awesome-sauce mainstay in the Amtrak dessert portfolio. If they've messed with my cheesecake, I will be very, very disappointed. 
May 22, 2013, 12:54 pm
#34
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: East Ester, Alaska
Programs: Alaska Million Miler, United Million Miler, Wyndham Rewards Diamond, Choice Hotels Diamond
Posts: 12,148
Here are some pictures of meals I've enjoyed on Amtrak trips over the past nine months:
Dining Car Burger on Amtrak’s Cardinal - October 2012
Lamb Shank Dinner on Amtrak's Silver Star - October 2012
Southwest Quiche breakfast on Amtrak's California Zephyr - January 2013
Cold Chicken Dinner out of Portland on the Empire Builder - January 2013
Cheesecake Dessert for Lunch on the Coast Starlight - April 2013
Flatiron Steak for Dinner on the Coast Starlight - April 2013
It tasted much better than it looked. Excellent mushroom sauce and nicely cooked medium rare steak
I've got a DEN-EMY/LAX-PDX-HAV First Class trip coming up next week but unless I get a better camera I
won't litter this page with more of these low quality prints
Dining Car Burger on Amtrak’s Cardinal - October 2012
Lamb Shank Dinner on Amtrak's Silver Star - October 2012
Southwest Quiche breakfast on Amtrak's California Zephyr - January 2013
Cold Chicken Dinner out of Portland on the Empire Builder - January 2013
Cheesecake Dessert for Lunch on the Coast Starlight - April 2013
Flatiron Steak for Dinner on the Coast Starlight - April 2013
It tasted much better than it looked. Excellent mushroom sauce and nicely cooked medium rare steak
I've got a DEN-EMY/LAX-PDX-HAV First Class trip coming up next week but unless I get a better camera I
won't litter this page with more of these low quality prints
Last edited by Seat 2A; May 23, 2013 at 1:24 pm
May 22, 2013, 1:12 pm
#35
Join Date: May 2012
Location: SF Bay Area, CA
Programs: Amtrak Select Executive, Hertz PC, National EE, IC Diamond Ambassador, ALL Gold, Hyatt Disc
Posts: 531
The Brownie Cake is in a circular plastic cup as well now. Id assume a change in suppliers or what the supplier has available. Was that way both on the Empire Builder and Coast Starlight this week.
May 22, 2013, 2:34 pm
#36
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: United States
Programs: UA, AA, DL, Amtrak
Posts: 4,647
I mean, just scroll up this thread and look at the difference between the April 2013 cheesecake on the Coast Starlight and the May 2013 cheesecake on the Silver Star. Yeesh.
May 24, 2013, 9:29 am
#39
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Washington DC USA
Posts: 429
Jun 5, 2013, 4:57 pm
#40
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Durham, NC (RDU/GSO/CLT)
Programs: AA EXP/MM, DL GM, UA Platinum, HH DIA, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Platinum, Marriott Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 33,857
Train: 6 (California Zephyr)
Class: Sleeper
Where: Dining Car
When: June 1, 2013, Lunch
The usual, just as good as it always is which is why I order it as much as I do.
One of the new desserts. The other options were a orange gelato or the new cheesecake or chocolate parfait. This tasted just like vanilla ice cream.
Class: Sleeper
Where: Dining Car
When: June 1, 2013, Lunch
The usual, just as good as it always is which is why I order it as much as I do.
One of the new desserts. The other options were a orange gelato or the new cheesecake or chocolate parfait. This tasted just like vanilla ice cream.
Jun 5, 2013, 5:01 pm
#41
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Durham, NC (RDU/GSO/CLT)
Programs: AA EXP/MM, DL GM, UA Platinum, HH DIA, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Platinum, Marriott Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 33,857
Train: 6 (California Zephyr)
Class: Sleeper
Where: Dining Car
When: June 1, 2013, Dinner
Standard bowl of lettuce. On this train, the roll and salad were waiting for you at the table instead of being brought later.
Same wine as last year, it's not bad though. I really like the new corn side and I also liked being offered a choice of mashed potatoes, baked potato or rice.
Damn, that's pink! ^
A glorified chocolate pudding
Class: Sleeper
Where: Dining Car
When: June 1, 2013, Dinner
Standard bowl of lettuce. On this train, the roll and salad were waiting for you at the table instead of being brought later.
Same wine as last year, it's not bad though. I really like the new corn side and I also liked being offered a choice of mashed potatoes, baked potato or rice.
Damn, that's pink! ^
A glorified chocolate pudding
Jun 5, 2013, 5:04 pm
#42
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Durham, NC (RDU/GSO/CLT)
Programs: AA EXP/MM, DL GM, UA Platinum, HH DIA, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Platinum, Marriott Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 33,857
Train: 6 (California Zephyr)
Class: Sleeper
Where: Dining Car
When: June 2, 2013, Breakfast
One of the best breakfasts I've had on Amtrak (this is the burrito). It just needed hot sauce to be complete.
Train: 6 (California Zephyr)
Class: Sleeper
Where: Dining Car
When: June 2, 2013, Lunch
Why is the lunch salad better than the dinner salad?
Possibly the worst Amtrak meal I've had. The chicken tasted like a Tyson patty and the sauce was overpoweringly bad. I should have ordered the Brat
Class: Sleeper
Where: Dining Car
When: June 2, 2013, Breakfast
One of the best breakfasts I've had on Amtrak (this is the burrito). It just needed hot sauce to be complete.
Train: 6 (California Zephyr)
Class: Sleeper
Where: Dining Car
When: June 2, 2013, Lunch
Why is the lunch salad better than the dinner salad?
Possibly the worst Amtrak meal I've had. The chicken tasted like a Tyson patty and the sauce was overpoweringly bad. I should have ordered the Brat
Jun 5, 2013, 5:07 pm
#43
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Durham, NC (RDU/GSO/CLT)
Programs: AA EXP/MM, DL GM, UA Platinum, HH DIA, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Platinum, Marriott Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 33,857
Train: 6 (California Zephyr)
Class: Sleeper
Where: Dining Car
When: June 2, 2013, Dinner
I was a bit apprehensive about ordering the turkey shank as it sounded really ambitious for a train but it was amazing ^
The new cheesecake, however, is not
Train: 6 (California Zephyr)
Class: Sleeper
Where: Dining Car
When: June 3, 2013, Breakfast
Good as always, it's the safest choice.
Lunch: By now they had run out of everything but the burger, veggie burger and salad (and they were out of bacon) so I had the burger a second time
Class: Sleeper
Where: Dining Car
When: June 2, 2013, Dinner
I was a bit apprehensive about ordering the turkey shank as it sounded really ambitious for a train but it was amazing ^
The new cheesecake, however, is not
Train: 6 (California Zephyr)
Class: Sleeper
Where: Dining Car
When: June 3, 2013, Breakfast
Good as always, it's the safest choice.
Lunch: By now they had run out of everything but the burger, veggie burger and salad (and they were out of bacon) so I had the burger a second time
Jun 7, 2013, 8:35 am
#44
Join Date: Aug 2009
Programs: AGR Select+, Hilton Gold, Luv SWA, wish their points wud transfer to Amtrak.....
Posts: 89
As a former Amtrak OBS employee, who worked both pre-Superliner LD, Superliners, and Heritage diners, when I look at these photos of tasty, delicious-looking meals, I only see one thing:
PLASTIC !
Plastic drinkware.
Plastic dinner plates.
Plastic salad bowls.
Plastic side plates.
Plastice coffe cups. (the worst!)
Single-serve salad dressing packets.....
Now, having WORKED in the diners and kitchens, I know that the Superliner kitchens were built with state-of-the-art (then) commercial dishwashers, and pre-wash areas. (Flexible hose-faucet, and area to scrape food/waste into).
I "get" that Amtrak has to keep labor costs down, (mandated by the ever-meddling Congress....) hence the drastically reduced staff we are all now "used to" in the diners and galley below.
But, Amtrak also touts how friggin' "Green" they are....
Really? I would be pleasantly SHOCKED if Amtrak was recycling even one plate, bowl, or plastic glass from their full service LD diners.
Take it one step further, "plastic" is made from what? Petroleum! (Usually, there are alternative options, albeit more expensive choices made from plants, that compost rather quickly, but don't lend themselves, yet, to heat, very well)
So this self-described, and awarded "Green" Amtrak buys million$ and million$ of dollar$ of plastic food-ware, let's their dishwashers almost sit idle, (chef uses for their utensils, pots, etc.) and then dumps all this plastic into a landfill? ! ? !
Next time you drop $20-25 for a steak dinner at an Applebees, TGIF, Long Horn, or other comparable land-based restaurant, take notice and observe if you are served your meal on plastic plates, glasses, and bowls? And given your salad dressing in a little plastic bag? I'm betting NOT!
Why? Hmmmm, maybe economics plays a part? (Cheaper to buy china-ware and pay a dishwasher to wash, then use one-time-use plastc???). Maybe they know their patrons would go elsewhere, to eat a meal served on real china?
Either way, Amtrak has it WRONG. They can hide behind the "Congress made us do it this way..." But if you are gonna tout that you are trying to be "green", then take some very simple, EZ steps, and BE more green!
Hire dishwashers, play up the "Amtrak hiring to help make a Greener world, provide better service...." (PR dept. can spin this in a very positive way)
I dunno, maybe I have it all wrong, maybe union rules would require MORE than hiring "just" one dishwasher per LD train. (Takes longer to clear tables, heavier loads, yada, yada, yada...) and the economics of using plastic are less, way less. But if it was only about economics, then, (unfortunately) NO BUSINESS would recycle or re-use.
This poster just thinks it's a WIN-WIN-WIN-WIN situation. (Amtrak-Customers-Labor-Environment)
What say you?
PLASTIC !
Plastic drinkware.
Plastic dinner plates.
Plastic salad bowls.
Plastic side plates.
Plastice coffe cups. (the worst!)
Single-serve salad dressing packets.....
Now, having WORKED in the diners and kitchens, I know that the Superliner kitchens were built with state-of-the-art (then) commercial dishwashers, and pre-wash areas. (Flexible hose-faucet, and area to scrape food/waste into).
I "get" that Amtrak has to keep labor costs down, (mandated by the ever-meddling Congress....) hence the drastically reduced staff we are all now "used to" in the diners and galley below.
But, Amtrak also touts how friggin' "Green" they are....
Really? I would be pleasantly SHOCKED if Amtrak was recycling even one plate, bowl, or plastic glass from their full service LD diners.
Take it one step further, "plastic" is made from what? Petroleum! (Usually, there are alternative options, albeit more expensive choices made from plants, that compost rather quickly, but don't lend themselves, yet, to heat, very well)
So this self-described, and awarded "Green" Amtrak buys million$ and million$ of dollar$ of plastic food-ware, let's their dishwashers almost sit idle, (chef uses for their utensils, pots, etc.) and then dumps all this plastic into a landfill? ! ? !
Next time you drop $20-25 for a steak dinner at an Applebees, TGIF, Long Horn, or other comparable land-based restaurant, take notice and observe if you are served your meal on plastic plates, glasses, and bowls? And given your salad dressing in a little plastic bag? I'm betting NOT!
Why? Hmmmm, maybe economics plays a part? (Cheaper to buy china-ware and pay a dishwasher to wash, then use one-time-use plastc???). Maybe they know their patrons would go elsewhere, to eat a meal served on real china?
Either way, Amtrak has it WRONG. They can hide behind the "Congress made us do it this way..." But if you are gonna tout that you are trying to be "green", then take some very simple, EZ steps, and BE more green!
Hire dishwashers, play up the "Amtrak hiring to help make a Greener world, provide better service...." (PR dept. can spin this in a very positive way)
I dunno, maybe I have it all wrong, maybe union rules would require MORE than hiring "just" one dishwasher per LD train. (Takes longer to clear tables, heavier loads, yada, yada, yada...) and the economics of using plastic are less, way less. But if it was only about economics, then, (unfortunately) NO BUSINESS would recycle or re-use.
This poster just thinks it's a WIN-WIN-WIN-WIN situation. (Amtrak-Customers-Labor-Environment)
What say you?
Last edited by rrdude; Jun 7, 2013 at 8:37 am Reason: Spelling