Amtrak Menus at OTOL Updated

[Amfleet]

I reformated the latest Amtrak Lounge and Dining Car menus from Rail Travel News and sent them over to HaRRy Sutton. They are now posted here.

 

[Viewliner]

I reformated the latest Amtrak Lounge and Dining Car menus from Rail Travel News and sent them over to HaRRy Sutton. They are now posted here.

I don't think I've seen a Lounge Car with those post cards in years, every time the attendants say they've been discontinued. Thanks for the link.

Has anyone had better luck recently?

 

[Amfleet]

I didn't see them over the summer, but that was before this menu was in effect. I also tried to get a blanket, but they were gone within two hours after departure! They must only keep a few doxen on hand.

 

[Viewliner]

I don't know how the blankets look anymore, originally they had the Amtrak Pointless Arrow Logo, then just the word Amtrak and I don't know if they've changed since. Does anyone know?

 

[Amfleet]

All I know is there white. They may just have the "Three Tracks Mergeing" logo at the bottom with the name Amtrak.

 

[spot1181]

On The Cardinal last fall they had a choice of either of the two.

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

Thanks for the post Amfleet, I am going up to DC in a few weeks and am getting anxious to get on board, go to the diner, etc....will probably try that steak in one direction and seafood in the other.

 

[battalion51]

I have seen the new blankets on 97 a few weeks ago. The LSA showed me one, it had the three waves logo and the word Amtrak on it. He said they stock 8 per train out of NYP, assuming they are in stock. As for the post cards I have yet to see them either, I plan on buying a set as soon as I find them though.

One thing I did note though on OTOL is the lounge car hours. The hours you have posted are not necessarily true nationwide. I know that on Silver Service we close at 10:30, an hour and half earlier than the time you have posted. I will try to confirm this on Saturday. I will also try to get a copy of the smoking hours for unrefurbished lounges. One thing to note though is that starting sometime this summer you might see smoking go away on Silver Service in unrefurbished lounges. The no smoking law in Florida will go in effect sometime this summer. The law, which has yet to be written, should prohibit smoking in resturant type atmospheres. I think the law would allow smoking in the enclosed room, but would prohibit it when it is not featured. So, they would most likely go to the system of designated stops where people can smoke, likely canidates would probably be Orlando, Jacksonville, Florence, Southern Pines, Raleigh, and Washington. In my opinon it will be long overdue, and welcomed by many.

 

[Amtrak Watcher]

Bill Haithcoat:

Tell us what the seafood selection is on your trip to DC; it always seems to be catfish on the long distance trains out here in the west. Good, but getting old for those of us who spend one week a month in an Amtrak dinner.

Frequent travelers would like a monthly menu change, which is the custom on European trains.

 

[Amfleet]

On the Silver Meteor last April she closed the Lounge at 12 and opened at 6:30 as the times noted. If they are closing at 10:30 then that is against the rules. Amtrak sets on-board service guidelines for each train like the follwoing I have from an Amtrak source (Gene Poon/Rail Travel News), but it does not say lounges can close at 10:30 on any train.

1/2 Sunset Limited

1- Dining Car and Lounge close 30 minutes before arriving in New Orleans and are closed during layover. Lounge opens upon departure; Dining Car opens for Dinner seating. No breakfast upon arrival into Los Angeles.

2- Dinner is not served departing Los Angeles. Dining Car and Lounge close 30 minutes before arriving in New Orleans (early Dinner seating only) and are closed during layover. Lounge reopens upon departure.

3/4 Southwest Chief

3- Breakfast served until arrival into Fullerton.

4- Dinner is served out of Los Angeles and Fullerton only. Not all menu items available in Lounge; Lounge closes at 11:00pm. On second day en-route Breakfast is served from 6:00am-10:00am and Lounge opens at 6:15am.

5/6 California Zephyr

5- No Dinner is served between Sacramento and Emeryville.

6- No breakfast is available upon departure from Emeryville. Dinner is served to passengers boarding in Denver unless train is delayed

7/8 Empire Builder (combines/splits with train 27/28 in Spokane)

7- No Lunch departing Chicago. No Lounge between Spokane and Seattle. When train separates in Spokane the Dining Car will serve meals and act as a Lounge

8- No Lounge between Spokane and Seattle. From Seattle to Spokane the Dining Car will serve meals and act as a Lounge

11/14 Coast Starlight

11- No Breakfast is served departing Seattle. Dinner is served the second day en-route approaching Los Angeles

14- No Breakfast is served departing Los Angeles. Dinner is available to passengers boarding at Oakland and points south only. Limited Dinner selections upon arrival into Seattle

19/20 Crescent

19- No lunch departing New York

20- No exceptions

21/22 Texas Eagle

21- No exceptions

22- No exceptions

27/28 Empire Builder (combines/splits with train 7/8 in Spokane)

27- No Lunch departing Chicago. No Dining Car between Spokane and Portland. Sleeping Car passengers receive a cold-boxed Breakfast between Spokane and Portland

28- No Dining Car between Portland and Spokane. Sleeping Car passengers receive a cold-boxed Dinner between Portland and Spokane.

29/30 Capitol Limited

29- Breakfast served until 1 hour upon arrival into Chicago

30- Dinner is served departing Chicago

40/41 Three Rivers

40- No Dining Car service on this train

41- No Dining Car service on this train

43/44 Pennsylvanian

42- No Dining Car service on this train

43- No Dining Car service on this train

48/49 Lake Shore Limited (combines/splits with train 448/449 in Albany)

48- Dinner is served departing Chicago. No Lounge between Albany and New York City.

49- No Lounge between New York City and Albany

50/51 Cardinal

50- No exceptions

51- No exceptions

58/59 City of New Orleans

58- No exceptions

59- No exceptions

89/90 Palmetto

89- No Dining Car service on this train

90- No Dining Car service on this train

91/92 Silver Star

91- No Dinner served

92- No exceptions

97/98 Silver Meteor

97- Serves Dinner until 1 hour before arrival into Miami

98- No exceptions

421/422 Texas Eagle (combines/splits from Sunset Limited in San Antonio to/from Los Angeles)

421- Service provided by train 21 Chicago-San Antonio and by train 1 San Antonio-Los Angeles

422- Service provided by train 2 Los Angeles-San Antonio and by train 22 San Antonio-Chicago

448/449 Lake Shore Limited (combines/splits with train 48/49 in Albany)

448- No Dining Car service between Albany and Boston

449- No Dining Car service between Boston and Albany

As for the menu. Instead of monthly changes I would rather see 3 or 4 menus distributed throghout the system rotating on each train.

 

[Amtrak Watcher]

Rotating Menus: good idea.

Look here for the January menu on the German trains. The pictures should be a good substitute for the lack of English.

 

[AlanB]

One thing to note though is that starting sometime this summer you might see smoking go away on Silver Service in unrefurbished lounges. The no smoking law in Florida will go in effect sometime this summer. The law, which has yet to be written, should prohibit smoking in resturant type atmospheres. I think the law would allow smoking in the enclosed room, but would prohibit it when it is not featured. So, they would most likely go to the system of designated stops where people can smoke, likely canidates would probably be Orlando, Jacksonville, Florence, Southern Pines, Raleigh, and Washington. In my opinon it will be long overdue, and welcomed by many.

Any law that Florida passes, would have no effect on Amtrak. Under normal circumstance State laws have no bearing on trains passing through the state. Trains are covered by Federal law only, not State laws.

The one exception to that, is alcohol. The reason behind this would be that liquor is the only thing that has two ammendments to the Constitution. Since that's Federal law interacting with State law, Amtrak seems to follow both sets of laws.

 

[tubaallen]

Bill Haithcoat:
Tell us what the seafood selection is on your trip to DC; it always seems to be catfish on the long distance trains out here in the west. Good, but getting old for those of us who spend one week a month in an Amtrak dinner.

Frequent travelers would like a monthly menu change, which is the custom on European trains.

I saw Salmon, and Seafood Alfredo multiple times over the summer! In fact, I don't know if I ever saw catfish! You better check it out a bit more!

 

[AlanB]

I saw Salmon, and Seafood Alfredo multiple times over the summer! In fact, I don't know if I ever saw catfish! You better check it out a bit more!

I just saw Catfish during my recent trip in December, in fact I had it twice and it was quite good. Once on the Sunset and once on the City of NOL. The Meteor I believe had sole and I don't recall what the Capitol was carrying.

 

[Amfleet]

Well at least one of the items varies. Does anyone know if this seafood is freshly caught (dare I ask). Being from Cape Cod I refuse to eat frozen/not fresh seafood that's why I've always avoided it on Amtrak. :unsure:

 

[AlanB]

Well at least one of the items varies. Does anyone know if this seafood is freshly caught (dare I ask). Being from Cape Cod I refuse to eat frozen/not fresh seafood that's why I've always avoided it on Amtrak. :unsure:

Well I don't know about freshly caught, however I don't think that it's frozen. I believe that it's just kept on ice, or in the fridge. I don't particularly like frozen fish either, and generally Amtrak does a pretty good job with the fish.

It's not as fresh as the sushi I get from my local Japanese restaurant, but it's not bad.

 

[tubaallen]

I have to admit that even though it may not be "fresh", I cetainly enjoyed the seafood dish quite a bit.