Amtrak's New "Fresh Choices" Dining on CL & LSL

[niemi24s]

Kindly allow this additional tiny bit of personal opinion:

Can someone please explain to me where the idea that the cafe car is getting changed or eliminated came from?

Nowhere. That's my point.

It came from nowhere because of a lack of good reading comprehension. By either failing to grasp the full meaning of what was written or, conversely, by reading too much into what was written. All the café car stuff began about 30 posts and 24 hours ago when I simply asked if passengers would have access to warm options for breakfast and dinner on the CL after 1 June 2018 at the SSL snack bar from the Amtrak National Café Menu.

I asked this simply because I didn't know. Also asked out of idle curiosity as so many seemed to be getting their panties all in a wad over the elimination of the included hot meals for sleeper pax.

Sorry for asking.

 

[Lonestar648]

Since there is no labor savings in removing the hot meals from the Cafe, like there is in the Dining Car, I see no reason to eliminate anything in the Cafe. Now changes, hopefully the quality of selections is improved in the Cafe.

 

[cpotisch]

Kindly allow this additional tiny bit of personal opinion:

Can someone please explain to me where the idea that the cafe car is getting changed or eliminated came from?

Nowhere. That's my point.

It came from nowhere because of a lack of good reading comprehension. By either failing to grasp the full meaning of what was written or, conversely, by reading too much into what was written. All the café car stuff began about 30 posts and 24 hours ago when I simply asked if passengers would have access to warm options for breakfast and dinner on the CL after 1 June 2018 at the SSL snack bar from the Amtrak National Café Menu.
I asked this simply because I didn't know. Also asked out of idle curiosity as so many seemed to be getting their panties all in a wad over the elimination of the included hot meals for sleeper pax.

Sorry for asking.

I have no objection to you asking that question your post was not what I was referring to. I was just saying that the speculation in some of the other posts had no real basis in reality.

 

[zepherdude]

This was copied from Amtrak Media Center

https://media.amtrak.com/2018/04/new-contemporary-dining-soon-two-amtrak-routes/

Amtrak Media RelationsAmtrak Contact

202 906.3860
[email protected]

Capitol Limited and Lake Shore Limited sleeping car customers to be offered fresh choices for meals this summer

WASHINGTON – Amtrak will offer contemporary and fresh dining choices for sleeping car customers, instead of traditional dining car service, embarking aboard its Capitol Limited and Lake Shore Limited trains starting June 1.

Sleeping car customers will choose meals delivered to their Bedrooms or Roomettes – or eaten in a private café or lounge car – and entrees such as:

• Lunch & Dinner: Chilled beef tenderloin, Vegan wrap, Chicken Caesar salad, or Turkey club sandwich.
• Breakfast: Assorted breakfast breads with butter, cream cheese and strawberry jam; Greek yogurt and sliced seasonal fresh fruit plate.

These meals will continue to be included in the sleeping car fare and are delivered to the trains just prior to origination, eliminating on-board preparation. Customers will also be offered unlimited soft beverages, a complimentary serving of beer, wine or a mixed-drink and an amenity kit. A Kosher meal continues to be available with advance notice.

Nothing about coach service

Personally I think this is an enhancement. It got so terrible with everyone bashing Amtrak over bad meals, bad service and even stealing, so here we are again, bashing a new concept before anyone knows about it and I have no intention of signing the foolish petition. Too many people want to go back to how it used to be. Well, its not going to happen. Those days and RRs have gone broke. China is in the hands of collectors. This train got the disappearing railroad blues

 

[Chey]

June 1st is less than a month away. Let's see what happens.

 

[me_little_me]

Turkey Club Wrap beats a steak dinner every time! Much better choices! As to breakfast, I never did like fresh cooked eggs.

 

[keelhauled]

June 1st is less than a month away. Let's see what happens.

Why would we do that when we can OVERREACT and leap WILDLY to conclusions? It's the railfan way!

 

[Chey]

Why would we do that when we can OVERREACT and leap WILDLY to conclusions? It's the railfan way!

Yeah, my bad

 

[crescent-zephyr]

"China is in the hands of collectors"

As recent as 5 years ago we had China (technically ceramic plates and coffee mugs) and glassware on the empire builder, coast starlight, and Capitol. also... Isn't there still Branded China on the Acela?

Im not against trying something new... The CCC cars lasted a month or 2 but the current downgrade on the City has lasted over a year now so who's to say what will happen.

If we keep the LD trains in tact but lose full service dining, that's a fair trade. After all, some marketing genius will get paid big bucks for the brilliant idea of bringing back "legacy dining cars" in a few years. The carousel will continue to spin.

 

[zepherdude]

Turkey Club Wrap beats a steak dinner every time! Much better choices! As to breakfast, I never did like fresh cooked eggs.

I agree, but I will admit to missing pancakes on the train. But, it is such a small issue. I do not really care if I buy a sleeper. It is so much money. Like 300 bucks a night. I can really dress up and live high on the hog for 300 bucks.

 

[Lonestar648]

I will miss the meal time opportunity to meet new people from all over the US and the world, some traveling in the sleeper others in coach. I will miss a hot breakfast, hot coffee, and the sun rising which you can view much better in the the Dining Car instead of your room.

I must remind myself that the only constant in life we can truly depend upon is CHANGE.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

Well... The only thing you are actually missing is the hot breakfast. All the other things you listed are still available in some form.

 

[StanJazz]

My uncle was a chef on the Santa Fe Super Chief and later he was a dining car steward on Amtrak. He had some old china that I did not know where it came from. After I went to the railroad museum in Sacramento I knew it was Santa Fe china. But not the china from The Super Chief. When the house was being sold I asked for some of it and I received some plates. Not any full servings. Here are 2 of my plates and the Amtrak on 1 side and Santa Fe on the other display in Sacramento. It is the china on the far side of the display. I wish I has a full set. So I guess I am a collector of old railroad china.

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

Lovely--thanks for sharing this, StanJazz. I saw that display in the rail museum in Sacramento, too, and it was one of my favorite things in the museum.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Being one of the lucky ones that got to ride the Classic Trains back in the day,including the Super Chief, when every line had their own distinctive China pattern, I too enjoy seeing these in Rail Museums and in people's collections..

And I'm reminded every time I eat in an Amtrak Diner, just how far we've regressed with today's disposable trash!

 

[tommylicious]

Who's gonna be the first victim of this sad change? Anyone planning on riding either LSL or CL after the switch?

 

[Palmetto]

Amtrak's not the only one downgrading. United Airlines announced they're downgrading food in front of the curtain. I saw some photos of breakfast and lunch, and it was downright awful.

 

[greatcats]

I am in Economy Plus on United at this moment from Paris to Newark. I will say lunch today, a Thai curry dish, was better than dinner going east, which was an Indian style chicken. ( I thought the flight attendant called it Idiot Chicken, which she thought was funny ). That meal was pretty mediocre. The ice cream today was good, too. Not sure what the fare is in front of the blue curtain. Hated Paris Airport.

 

[railiner]

My uncle was a chef on the Santa Fe Super Chief and later he was a dining car steward on Amtrak. He had some old china that I did not know where it came from. After I went to the railroad museum in Sacramento I knew it was Santa Fe china. But not the china from The Super Chief. When the house was being sold I asked for some of it and I received some plates. Not any full servings. Here are 2 of my plates and the Amtrak on 1 side and Santa Fe on the other display in Sacramento. It is the china on the far side of the display. I wish I has a full set. So I guess I am a collector of old railroad china.

Thanks for posting!

According to my copy of Richard Luckin's "Dining On Rails", RK Publishing, 1983, the Santa Fe pattern on that china was called "California Poppy", first produced in 1910.

The earlier Amtrak china to the left was called "National", and the latter on the right was called "Superliner"....

The other photo of only Santa Fe china is called "Mimbreno", designed from native American designs, by famous architect and designer, Elizabeth Coulter, of Harvey House fame...

I have an Amtrak blue "National" type water pitcher in my collection...

 

[jis]

Amtrak's not the only one downgrading. United Airlines announced they're downgrading food in front of the curtain. I saw some photos of breakfast and lunch, and it was downright awful.

Effective when?

 

[Palmetto]

Amtrak's not the only one downgrading. United Airlines announced they're downgrading food in front of the curtain. I saw some photos of breakfast and lunch, and it was downright awful.

Effective when?

I should have been more specific. It's flights under 4 hours, Jis. No need to worry when you're in Polaris on the way to Mumbai!

It has already started apparently. The photos I saw were posted by a person on a EWR-JAX itinerary.

 

[jis]

The last food change on United was last Sept. I am not aware of any more recent change. I just flew on an under four hour flight yesterday in F and there was no difference. Got my usual egg white Panini with fruit bowl and yogurt.

I fly in F on United at least once every month. That is why I was curious. My flights are usually between two and for hours on main line. I have no idea what if anything is served in F on United Express.

Oddly enough the Refreshments to real food breakpoint is 2:19-2:20. I.e you get real food on a flight scheduled for more than 2 hours and 19 mins!

 

[coolcreek]

The last food change on United was last Sept. I am not aware of any more recent change. I just flew on an under four hour flight yesterday in F and there was no difference. Got my usual egg white Panini with fruit bowl and yogurt.

I fly in F on United at least once every month. That is why I was curious. My flights are usually between two and for hours on main line. I have no idea what if anything is served in F on United Express.

Oddly enough the Refreshments to real food breakpoint is 2:19-2:20. I.e you get real food on a flight scheduled for more than 2 hours and 19 mins!

Not the derail the thread, but in reply to JLS above...this post from a points blogger explains the new cuts. BTW, I'm a UA MillionMiler and recently flew AA for the first time in years. I was stunned by the choice of pre-order meal options in F. A FA friend suggested trying the AVML (asian vegetarian) - ended up with a somewhat spicy chickpea curry, served with rice, salad, vegetables, dessert. The FA that said it was the best smelling meal he'd ever cooked up front - tasted good enough that I ordered it again on the trip home.

On topic: I've written everyone I can think of to complain about the impending Amtrak meal cuts - House, Senate, Amtrak...

 

[jis]

Hey UA is not the best we know that [emoji57] It is just that I have not noticed any change as recently as yesterday on the flights I take in F. Does not mean that that the entire world elsewhere has not changed completely. Perhaps I should not have mentioned September and I apologize. That is when I last recall noticing a change. I really don’t spend too much time seriously keeping track of overall food service on United or on Amtrak for that matter. Occasionally I ask the crew about some oddity if it catches my fancy. That is how I learned about the 2:20 oddity. I just occasionally share info on what I happened to be served. [emoji851]

 

[seat38a]

Hey UA is not the best we know that [emoji57] It is just that I have not noticed any change as recently as yesterday on the flights I take in F. Does not mean that that the entire world elsewhere has not changed completely. Perhaps I should not have mentioned September and I apologize. That is when I last recall noticing a change. I really don’t spend too much time seriously keeping track of overall food service on United or on Amtrak for that matter. Occasionally I ask the crew about some oddity if it catches my fancy. That is how I learned about the 2:20 oddity. I just occasionally share info on what I happened to be served. [emoji851]

Nothing has really changed. United just changed what was labeled as "snack" to a "meal." Essentially they made the meal description vague to get away with whatever they plop in front of you.