Amtrak Guest Rewards - Empire Builder Dinning

I have read something about "enhanced" dinning on the Empire Builder. Can anyone tell exactly what the enhancement is?

Thanks!

Actually if one wants to get technical, it's not so much more an enhancement as it is that service on this train was never downgraded like it was on most other Amtrak trains. When Congress ordered Amtrak to cut its food service losses about 4 year ago or so, Amtrak set out to accomplish that goal by reducing service and the number of employees on most of its trains. The Empire Builder managed to escape that fate.

So the "enhanced" service means that instead of having only 1 or 2 waiters like most other trains, you'll have 3. Instead of having only 1 cook, you'll have two. Instead of having paper table cloths, you'll have cloth table cloths. Instead of having plastic plates, glasses, and mugs, you'll have glass ones. Instead of having most of the food pre-cooked and reheated in a convection oven, about half of your menu will be cooked fresh on board.

Prior to that Congressional mandate, all Amtrak trains were basically like the Empire Builder is now. So food service on the Empire Builder is an enhancement compared to other trains, but it's really just the same service that has existed for the last ten years or so on the Builder.