Amtrak Dining and Cafe Service discussion 2024 H1

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PVD said:
The huge problem with ingredient labeling (especially with prepared foods) on non statutory items is that common items are often components pf other ingredients, or may be present in a prep facility. Oat has to be really tough for you, it's everywhere...
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It is. Thankfully it's easily dealt with in small amounts so traces are okay. Just trying to not have it be a main ingredient.

It didn't used to be horrible for oats, but now between the "healthier" options that now use oat and the companies cutting costs for wheat, it's gotten a lot harder in the last year or so.
 
sporksradiant said:
It is. Thankfully it's easily dealt with in small amounts so traces are okay. Just trying to not have it be a main ingredient.

It didn't used to be horrible for oats, but now between the "healthier" options that now use oat and the companies cutting costs for wheat, it's gotten a lot harder in the last year or so.
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It's also the gluten thing, since gluten is only in a few varieties of oat, often where other grain products used to be used, oat is subbed. But in terms of Amtrak, and anyone else buying pre made food, composite ingredients, and common items will always be a real issue, since other than prohibitions, there are few ways to control or track other things. (nutrition labeling is whole different ballgame)
 
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Seaboarder3023 said:
According to this article, coach passengers finally got dining car access on the Silver Services.
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Any news on when the remaining trains still stuck with flex return to traditional dining? If logic prevails(and I’m sure it won’t) the first two trains should be The Texas Eagle and The Crescent, because of their long running time.
 
Any news on when the remaining trains still stuck with flex return to traditional dining? If logic prevails(and I’m sure it won’t) the first two trains should be The Texas Eagle and The Crescent, because of their long running time.


I see traditional dining returning this year perhaps on the Lake Shore and Capitol Ltd but not on the Cardinal. Even back in the good ole days the Cardinal offered convection oven dining but it was the same menu as on the Western routes less the steak. I wish that we could just get that back. Those meals was certainly better than the Flex meals now served, that are full of chemicals, fat, corn syrup, and sugar. Thank goodness for the extended stop at DC where we can pick up better food but that stop is in the morning so it may be hard to order something better than fast food.
 
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The only thing that’s known is that the Crescent will get its physical diner back in the consist later this year (confirmed by Roger Harris at the annual public board meeting) - but no word on a change to the food service format. Other than that we know nothing. RPA’s RailNation DC is in a couple weeks so maybe something will be announced then. The way Harris spoke at the board meeting I’m not sure they totally have a full plan as to what they’re going to do. Reading between the lines it sounds like they’re trying to come up with a way to lessen the huge differences between having trains with flexible dining and traditional dining and instead have the manner in which meals are provided differ somewhat based on what’s appropriate but to have something that’s a bit more comparable presentation and quality wise. Amtrak did send a response to congress as required by the legislation for Amtrak’s food and beverage working group - but that response has not been made public.
 
I think it's time for a Menu refresh, the current menu for Western Trains has been around since full service started back up after Covid
 
kangforpres said:
I think it's time for a Menu refresh, the current menu for Western Trains has been around since full service started back up after Covid
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Not completely correct. They have done a couple refreshes. The appetizers were changed a couple times and they had moved to a different chicken entree. Additionally the pasta was originally a tortellini type thing with white sauce and they went to the current penne entree. The Panko crusted chicken did not get good reviews and, to their credit, they reverted back to the previous roasted chicken entree which is better quality and more popular. The steak entree originally had a polenta or baked potato option which is now mashed potatoes and they might have shifted the sauce a bit. I think occasionally a baked potato is offered as an alternative particularly on auto train. The signature steak is quite solid right now so I don’t see that one changing radically other than maybe shifting the side or sauce. The salmon entree also seems to get good reviews.
 
Can see where menu refreshing is important for those who may stop riding only to do their laundry, but for others like myself it's of no concern whatsoever.
 
niemi24s said:
Can see where menu refreshing is important for those who may stop riding only to do their laundry, but for others like myself it's of no concern whatsoever.
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For me - menu refreshing and variety is important. Not as important as bringing traditional dining to all LD routes - but important.

Refresh is important so if you travel twice on the same train 6-9 months apart - you don't have the same food.

Variety is important so if you travel on two different trains in a relatively short time frame - you don't have the same food.
 
Traditional dining on the Texas Eagle San Antonio-Chicago seems like it'll be the bottommost priority on the "traditional dining on all Western LD trains" list. The hubby and I hope to ride the Eaglette from our local county seat to San Antonio in October, and assume we'll still be served "flex dining" at that point.
 
joelkfla said:
Talk of TD expansion in general seems to have quieted lately. I wonder whether we'll see any expansion this year.
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We might learn something definitive this way or that at the RPA Council Meeting in Alexandria week of 18th. (3/18/24) Amtrak has a couple of significant presentations.
 
IndyLions said:
For me - menu refreshing and variety is important. Not as important as bringing traditional dining to all LD routes - but important.

Refresh is important so if you travel twice on the same train 6-9 months apart - you don't have the same food.

Variety is important so if you travel on two different trains in a relatively short time frame - you don't have the same food.
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This is one of those areas where I expect the riders are close to evenly divided.

I, personally, place much more value on consistency. If I walk into a Denny's or Applebee's today, there's a 90% chance I will order one of the same three or so things that I would have ordered in 1990. I want and expect to have (mostly) the same food if I ride the same train a year later.

If I were running the diners I would gravitate to finding a smallish set of well-liked dishes to keep the same "forever", and then stack on top of that one or two regional- or route-specific dishes, and a weekly roster of specials, one or two per night. When I refreshed it would usually be changing the weekly special roster. I'd keep notes of whether some of the specials were so popular they needed to be kept regularly.

They figured out to bring back the steak and the French toast after enough people told them they needed to.
I have fond childhood memories of listening to the Chief on Onboard Services stumble over his announcement--- "that's half of a baked chicken, folks, not a half-baked chicken!" --- and still wonder where that roast chicken is on the dining car menu.
 
I am far from foodie and have a fairly limited palette of foods I prefer. I occasionally will take the CZ from FMG to EMY or SAC spend the night and return the next day in a roomette. Mainly just for the ride. One reason is for the steak which I will do both ways. And I also like having the same OBS on both legs as you get to know them and they get to know you.

One trip FMG-GBB-LAX-EMY-FMG #6 was a bit late arriving FMG and after the normal dinner service time. I was the only sleeper pax boarding there but they were very nice and held the diner open for me. I didn't want to hold them any later than needed so I just ordered a salad and a cup of coffee not the steak. The LSA was very appreciative. It was also a bit memorable as I was walking back (sleepers were at the rear) to my sleeper we hit a deer near Brush, CO and it knocked an air line off and threw us into emergency braking. It was fun juggling my coffee and not going on my butt backwards.
 
If they get rid of flex dining on all trains that would be a vast improvement. I always have the steak, and I always have the french toast for breakfast. For lunch, I either have the Angus Burger with cheese or the Monte Cristo sandwich.

I generally eat the same things at the same restaurants when not traveling by train.
 
The Commissioner said:
So hard to believe that's a meal served to a passenger paying a First Class fare. Wow.
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"First class" means something VERY different from what it once did.. I take the eastbound leg of the TE and I'm not sure how many more flex meals I can choke down. (Next travel is in May).

The meatballs and pasta in the earlier days of Flex weren't so bad, and I had fried cod once that was pretty good, but since then.......ugh.
 

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