joelkfla
Engineer
Aren't the Eagle meals microwaved rather than convection heated, due to the available equipment?
Amtrak Dining and Cafe service 2023 H2
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No, the CCCs have a full Kitchen Downstairs, so the OBS can heat them properly in the Convection Oven.( if they want too!
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The FSAs tell me that they are not nuked, but heated in the convection ovens. At first, it was catch as catch can how they were "prepared", especially when there was but one FSA for both the Snack Bar and the "Diner".
The FSAs tell me the procedure is to use the convection ovens. It's not the on booard treatment, it's bad from the get go.I wonder if it is something to do with their procedure? When I cook one at home I cook one dinner in the microwave. Does Amtrak try to cook too many at once? Do they wait too long to serve them?
Maybe a splash of Cholula would help that, too.
BTW, they have individual packets of Cholula available on AMazon
In our standard packup for AMTRAK trips, we carry Cholula packets. And I got this great little 1/2 oz. or so bottle which I refill.
Devil's Advocate
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This has not been my experience but maybe you eat at fancier restaurants than I do. Unhealthy food that tastes good is at least providing an enjoyable experience. Food that is unhealthy and tastes bad serves little purpose. It's doubtful traditional dining has significantly more fat, sugar, and salt than flex but perhaps more people struggle to finish a flex meal and reduce their intake that way.
Well, then why don't you say just that and leave out the stuff about the meals allegedly have more salt, fat, and sugar than the alternatives? Personally, though the flex dining is inferior, and I'll be glad to see it go, it's not quite as horrible as some people here make it out to be.
I still maintain that almost all food served at restaurants on or off the train is "unhealthy". The flex entrees may actually be better for you because the portion sizes are smaller.
Somebody does need to update the "Food facts" page on the Amtrak website though. There's no data for traditional dining.
Devil's Advocate
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"Not quite as horrible as it sounds" does not explain the number of posts you've made to correct people's opinions of their own trips.
If this is the best thing you can say about Flex meals then I guess that really says it all.
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west point
Engineer
How many of our food freaks eat an unhealthy meal one or twice a month? So they might be unhealthy but when off a train go healthy.
CHImdw1522
Train Attendant
I was on the Eagle that left Chicago on Sunday 20 Aug 23 with a roomette ticketed to go all the way to Los Angeles. I abandoned the route in San Antonio after a bus bridge from Fort Worth to San Antonio (fires) and with another bus bridge planned over night from Tucson to Los Angeles (storm-related track washout)!
The first night dinner was prepared downstairs, but the breakfast omelet was microwaved by the cafe attendant upstairs.
By the way, most sleeper passengers chose to eat dinner in the cafe car on the first night. The attendant, Chip, served the meals as close to "traditional" dining style as possible with the flex menu. He tried to make the experience as nice as possible. I complimented him and tipped him accordingly.
The first night dinner was prepared downstairs, but the breakfast omelet was microwaved by the cafe attendant upstairs.
By the way, most sleeper passengers chose to eat dinner in the cafe car on the first night. The attendant, Chip, served the meals as close to "traditional" dining style as possible with the flex menu. He tried to make the experience as nice as possible. I complimented him and tipped him accordingly.
Bob, I guess you used to eat in the long gone San Jacinto Cafe for lunch, too! But that was as cheap as a Blue Plate got at a time when Austin was inexpensive. The Santa Fe was competitive with big city lunch prices as late as 1960. Or are we going back to the 40s here?$2.40 per Meal back then was lots of Money! The Typical Blue Plate Special Lunch in Diners was about .35 cents!
The first time I ride on the Santa Fe I ate @ the Counter in the Cafe, had a Ham and Cheese Sandwich and a Glass of Milk for.30 Cents!
When I had my one Meal in the Diner on the Super Chief, it was $1.75Cents plus the Tip!( 25 Cents!
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Most recently, on another topic in this string, we had dinner and breakfast companions dining in both directions on the Sunset/Eagle and for lunch on the Starlight. I think the empty dining car on the western trains may be a thing of the past, unless COVID [or some other respiratory virus] comes back with a vengeance.
NativeSon5859
Conductor
CONO doesn’t even have flex meals anymore. Only options are items from the lounge car, for sleeper passengers.
I’d personally take a flex meal over a microwave burger, but that’s just me.
I’d personally take a flex meal over a microwave burger, but that’s just me.
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I believe CONO is back to flex meals. It got a diner back in the consist earlier this year - the period it didn't have one was the reason for the lounge car meals - flex meals require a convection oven.
NativeSon5859
Conductor
The diner is gone and it’s back to lounge only. A fairly recent change.
Updated (downgraded?) menu is on Amtrak.com
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Wow looks like that must have just happened. Probably car shortage.
trimetbusfan
OBS Chief
The menu is dated 8/2023, so very recent indeed.
manufactured car shortage at this point.
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It’s obviously not good and concerning that they’ve had to do this again. Not being a particularly conspiratorial person not willing to sign my name to manufactured - but lacking any more information about the situation I guess that’s all I can really say at this point.
We can debate the quality of the Flex meals and the high content of sugar and fats compared to that of traditional dining, but the real issue should be the amount of chemicals that are put in those meals. If you read some of the labels on those flex meals chemical additives, like Sodium Nitrite are actually toxic and I have a severe allergy to that.
Mystic River Dragon
Engineer
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I don’t have any food allergies, but I do try to avoid additives/processed food when eating at home.
I can tell the difference when I eat Amtrak flex food or cafe food. I don’t get sick but do feel lethargic.
To be fair, I feel the same after some less healthy hotel breakfasts, so it is a pervasive issue, not just an Amtrak one.
I can tell the difference when I eat Amtrak flex food or cafe food. I don’t get sick but do feel lethargic.
To be fair, I feel the same after some less healthy hotel breakfasts, so it is a pervasive issue, not just an Amtrak one.
crescent-zephyr
Engineer
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I didn't realize the Capitol still had flex dining too.
The current menu on the City of New Orleans would be an improvement to flex in my opinion. The greek salad entree sounds pretty good and healthy and while the Vegan BBQ burger isn't as good as anything in traditional dining, it's as good or better as the flex meals I've had.
The current menu on the City of New Orleans would be an improvement to flex in my opinion. The greek salad entree sounds pretty good and healthy and while the Vegan BBQ burger isn't as good as anything in traditional dining, it's as good or better as the flex meals I've had.
I believe you are correct.
Menu Options on Northeast Regional Amtrak #176 from Roanoke to Boston, what is available?
Does anyone have a menu they care to share as to what is available? If sandwiches are available are they freshly made on the train?
Does anyone have a menu they care to share as to what is available? If sandwiches are available are they freshly made on the train?
JWM
Service Attendant
If the sandwiches are made on the train, I will keel over from shock.
"Freshly made on the train."
Ha Ha!
The only food prepared on site by Amtrak are the steaks and omettes on the western long distance trains.
That said, the Northeast Regional Cafe cars have a decent selection of sandwiches and stuff. Fine dining, it's not, but it will do. I belive that menus can be found somewhere on the Antrak web site.
I found this one menu on amtrak, but this can't be right it is(hot selections), says something about hot hamburgers?
https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/...ts/menus/national/National-Cafe-Menu-0822.pdf
When the train stops in Washington, DC to change engines, we have about 20 to 30 minutes before it takes off again, anything close by in station to grab a fresh sandwich at?
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