Welcome to your Amtrak meal thread! Derived from the Acela F Food (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amtrak-guest-rewards/1362666-latest-f-food-offerings.html) discussion, this is THE place to post photos of food and menu descriptions from Amtrak trains coast-to-coast. Post anything from Acela First Class to long distance Dining Cars and short haul lounge service. Bonus points to the first poster of a "catered" meal loaded at an intermediate point on a really, really late train. :D
I'll get us started with two excellent meals on my most recent overnight.
Train: 91
Class: Sleepers
Where: Dining Car
When: April 23, 2012
Had a very tasty steak with baked potato and vegetables. Steak was cooked to medium as requested. Veggies were a bit mushy.
Love the name of the thread! Thanks for starting it up, looking forward to seeing all the pics that get posted.
As I mentioned in the 'F Food Offerings' thread, I have an Acela trip coming up next week and will take some photos to add to this....which may or may not include the menu :D
Out of curiosity, are you expected to tip in the dining car, just like you would at a restaurant?
nerd
Jul 7, 12, 11:56 pm
Out of curiosity, are you expected to tip in the dining car, just like you would at a restaurant?I always tip in the dining car, and I'm referring to long-distance trains, sleeper accommodations, where the meals are free, tip based on what the meal would otherwise cost me, and that seems to be the going standard.
trainman74
Jul 8, 12, 2:16 pm
Train: 506 (northbound Cascades)
Class: Business
Where: At seat; purchased from "Bistro" car
When: June 2, 2011
Roast beef and cheddar sandwich, potato chips, beer. Photo is over a year old, but Cascades menu doesn't appear to have changed in that time.
Breakfast of French Toast with Sausage patties and a Pepsi.
#FAIL
Pepsi and French Toast do not belong in the same photo. :eek::D
Train: 506 (northbound Cascades)
Roast beef and cheddar sandwich, potato chips, beer. Photo is over a year old, but Cascades menu doesn't appear to have changed in that time.
Indeed. I almost purchased this sandwich yesterday on the 507 but opted for the Havarti and Turkey instead. (Incidentally, the Cascades has a pretty good Asian Chicken salad right now...it seems like a temporary addition...not sure about that, though.)
ByeByeDelta
Jul 9, 12, 10:06 pm
#FAIL
Pepsi and French Toast do not belong in the same photo. :eek::D
I know, not the greatest of combinations but I needed a caffeine jump start for the day. :D
jackal
Jul 11, 12, 1:36 am
Train: 506 (northbound Cascades)
Class: Business
Where: At seat; purchased from "Bistro" car
When: June 2, 2011
Roast beef and cheddar sandwich, potato chips, beer. Photo is over a year old, but Cascades menu doesn't appear to have changed in that time.
I really like that the Cascades menu features many local PNW products. I had a very good macaroni and cheese dish on-board as well as a very good microbrew on my trip a few years ago.
I have many photos of Amtrak meals over the last few years. I will have to find them (:eek:), collate them, and try to discern the train number I was on based on the time and date of the photo. I think my memory is pretty good, so we'll see how well I do. :D
trainman74
Jul 11, 12, 1:22 pm
I really like that the Cascades menu features many local PNW products. I had a very good macaroni and cheese dish on-board as well as a very good microbrew on my trip a few years ago.
Yes, I definitely can't argue with the Cascades beer selection. Would love to see a better selection on the long-distance trains, but I assume there would be issues with getting the beers in quantity and getting them successfully stocked at all the appropriate commissaries.
CKinMD
Jul 12, 12, 6:13 am
Train: 2164 (Acela)
Class: First
Where: At seat
When: July 11, 2012
Lunch with Rashida Jones and Paul Newman's forehead......
Steak & Vegetable salad: "a romaine and arugula salad with grilled eggplant and
roasted peppers, served with marinated flank steak and
toasted almonds".
This may be one of the better meals i've had on the Acela over the past year. The steak was a little on the tough side, but in terms of portion size and presentation, I think it was very good. The greens were fresh and the eggplant was marinated nicely. It could have used more almond slices, but overall I give the meal high marks.
http://i50.tinypic.com/4iga5w.jpg
CMK10
Jul 12, 12, 5:13 pm
I'm in! What a great idea.
Train: 19 (Crescent)
Class: Sleeper
Where: Dining Car
When: May 19-20, 2012
http://cmk10.smugmug.com/Travel/The-Crescent/i-vCZP7K5/0/L/1009298-L.jpg (http://cmk10.smugmug.com/Travel/The-Crescent/23134018_pXMS2f#!i=1863601580&k=vCZP7K5&lb=1&s=A)
Pre-dinner drinks ;) Oh wait, my Dad and I brought those with us :D
Did you say bonus points for the food loaded onto a really, really late train? I can help you with that!
I was on the 29.5 hour delayed EB #8(16). This is my KFC dinner, which was loaded onto the train in Wisconsin Dells. I believe we had been on the train for over 72 hours by this point.
Also, possibly of some interest is the "chicken fricasse" over rice that we were served for lunch that day. Let's just say it was disgusting. I had a roll with some butter for lunch that day.
You can read all about the whole trip on my blog, trainsacrossamerica.blogspot.com (http://trainsacrossamerica.blogspot.com).
Paddlenpedal
Aug 1, 12, 7:17 am
What about the trains with "enhanced dining service" such as the Capitol Limited? Is it the same food/menu, just on real china?
AlanB
Aug 1, 12, 11:27 am
What about the trains with "enhanced dining service" such as the Capitol Limited? Is it the same food/menu, just on real china?
More or less, although they may have slightly different items to choose from.
ByeByeDelta
Aug 22, 12, 8:29 pm
Train: 91
Class: Coach
Where: Dining Car
When: Lunch, August 11, 2012
The Chef's Marketplace Special was meatloaf with a mushroom gravy and mashed potatoes. It was hands down the least enjoyable meal I've had on Amtrak in almost 20 years. The gravy was way too salty. While there were several meatloaf slices, they were oddly thin. I didn't have a ruler, but the thickness must have been 1/4" or less. Guess I'm used to heartier slices. Finally, the mashed potatoes were the worst I have been served. Ever. Anywhere. Dry, thin (obviously powdered) with a heavy garlic and salt taste.
On the upside, the Chocolate Caramel Peanut Butter Torte was a fantastic dessert and the service was efficient and friendly.
I've been meaning to post these for a while, here are two semi-recent photos of lunch meals in Acela F.....
The first was a small but nice quality steak with carrots and au-gratin potatoes. I forgot to take a photo of the menu so I don't have the actual description.
The second was Beef Eye Round - quoting from the menu, "roasted to perfection, served in a red wine sauce with carrots and pearl cous cous". (Tasted much better than it looked). Dessert was a Triple Chocolate Parfait.
All in all, i've been quite pleased with the quality of the meals in Acela F lately.
http://i47.tinypic.com/juh0t3.jpg
http://i45.tinypic.com/nmlt8n.jpg
fairviewroad
Nov 20, 12, 2:42 pm
Is it just me, or is that a freakishly-large cross-section of a carrot in the first photo? Looks like the same diameter as the bun.
CKinMD
Nov 21, 12, 12:48 pm
Is it just me, or is that a freakishly-large cross-section of a carrot in the first photo? Looks like the same diameter as the bun.
'Freakishly large' was my initial reaction as well. Fortunately, the meal was quite good....despite the steroidal carrots :)
ByeByeDelta
Nov 21, 12, 8:47 pm
Train: 91
Class: Coach
Where: Dining Car
When: Lunch, November 13, 2012
Went with the Marketplace Special again. It was described as deluxe macaroni and cheese with penne pasta and artisanal cheeses. A roll and side salad accompanied the meal. It tasted ok, but was a bit too salty and the sauce was more gloopy and separated than homogeneous. For $12.50, I also felt the portion was a bit small. Cheesecake rounded out the meal and was, as all desserts tend to be, excellent.
The omelet was bad (whatever cheese is in it is really gross), the potatoes tasteless, the bacon barely serviceable but believe it or not, that toast was phenomenal.
CMK10
Dec 18, 12, 11:10 am
Train: 91 (Silver Star)
Class: Sleeper
Where: Dining Car
When: December 15-16, 2012
Sadly, no ice cream today, just raspberry sorbet. This was good though.
trainman74
Dec 18, 12, 1:45 pm
Bacon was better in the burger at lunch than on its own at breakfast?
Since I'm originally from Tampa, I bristle at the idea of a Cuban sandwich being served on a "baguette," but, I know, Amtrak is limited by what they can get via their supplier.
CMK10
Dec 18, 12, 5:43 pm
Bacon was better in the burger at lunch than on its own at breakfast?
Actually way better, nice and crispy just the way it ought to be.
DCTrainEnthusiast
Jan 5, 13, 12:09 pm
Hello All,
I'm a long-time Amtrak rider who ususally posts on Amtrak Unlimited, however for a current project I have, Amamba directed me here as some people who might be able to help. I'm putting together a blog/website where I will be documenting all of the meals for all of Amtrak's LD routes (for starters, and then maybe branching out to Cafe menus and Acela FC meals).
http://amtrakmeals.blogspot.com/
As I am East coast based, there's no way I'll be able to get a picture of every meal on every LD route, so this is where I'd like to crowd-source part of this project. If you have pictures of any meals that I'm missing, or more updated pictures due to menu changes, I'd like to ask if you could share them with me so I can include them on this site, and make it as comprehensive as possible. Feel free to let me know here, on Amtrak Unlimited, or directly on the site.
Thanks!
~ DCTE
ByeByeDelta
Jan 6, 13, 6:48 pm
Welcome to FT, DCTrainEnthusiast!
The blog is a great idea and I look forward to it growing with contributions from AU and FT members.
DCTrainEnthusiast
Jan 6, 13, 7:34 pm
Welcome to FT, DCTrainEnthusiast!
The blog is a great idea and I look forward to it growing with contributions from AU and FT members.
Thanks for the warm welcome! I'm looking forward to getting assistance from all avenues to round my posts out.
~ DCTE
CMK10
May 6, 13, 5:22 pm
Train: 92 (Silver Star)
Class: Coach
Where: Dining Car
When: May 3, 2013, Lunch
Not bad though a little on the small side. I figured it should have a third piece of meat or a second vegetable.
Armani
May 6, 13, 6:19 pm
I recently completed a trip on the CA Zephyr from Omaha to Martinez. The head chef really cared about the quality of the food served on this train. Although the menu was similar to my previous train trips, the preparation and presentation were much better. The corn beef hash at breakfast was outstanding, better than I have had at most premium hotels. It was wonderful to see someone who cared so much about her work.
The dining room manager was only ok and lazy (the head chef went car to car to take meal reservations), but the chef made up for it.
Ray828
May 16, 13, 1:33 pm
Amtrak always seems to do the Angus Burger really well. One of my favorite dining options out of all three menus. The steak looks great in your pictures, I definitely will have to get that next time!