Are Inspired Meals Improving Amtrak Cuisine?

[Devil's Advocate]

I was on a rather late SL last night and decided to try one of those celebrity chef options.

More specifically, this one...

Chefs Evening Marketplace Special ................. $19.75Amtrak Culinary Advisory Team chef, restaurateur

and author Roberto Santibanez inspired this recipe

for a red chile braised beef short-rib. The short-rib is

slow cooked in a pasilla-chipotle sauce then garnished

with lime marinated red onions, served with garlic

mashed potatoes and a vegetable medley.(585 cal.)

It was actually pretty darn good. Tender, tasty, and full of flavor.

My fellow diners recommended the new cheesecake with blueberry topping.

I've found the previous cake to be on par with fast food offerings and the toppings were almost universally gross.

This time the new round cheesecake was actually pretty good and the blueberry topping was much better than the old orange goop.

All-in-all it was much better than anything I've had on Amtrak previously.

I know we've been hearing about celebrity chefs supposedly working with Amtrak behind the scenes for years, but I've never seen anything that backed that up out here on the long distance network. When the new "inspired" selections started showing up I was curious but skeptical. Turns out it we may be seeing a major improvement, at least in this specific case. Hopefully this and other inspired selections will become the new standard over time.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Thanks for the Update Chris, hopefully the Texas Eagle will have the same Quality and it will spread to All of the LD Routes! I Love Good Cheesecake and I didnt care for the Glow in the Dark Orange Stuff either, that Blueberry sounds Great!

 

[JayPea]

That settles it! If Devil's Advocate thinks the food was good, then major improvements HAVE been made!

 

[pennyk]

That settles it! If Devil's Advocate thinks the food was good, then major improvements HAVE been made!

:giggle:

 

[MrEd]

article in washington post today

Wilmington, Del. — Here in a small test kitchen on a dead-end street downtown, some of the food world’s greatest minds are at work. Their task might seem impossible, but they believe they can make a difference for millions of Amtrak riders, one roasted chicken at a time.

Amtrak has gone gourmet — or at least it’s trying to. In exchange for frequent traveler miles, the rail agency has hired some of the most accomplished chefs in the country, who come together each spring to brainstorm new dishes for Amtrak’s menus.

 

[D.P. Roberts]

That dish does sound really good, and I've been looking forward to trying it. I'm glad to hear that it lived up to expectations!

I've also been following the thread over on FlyerTalk, and the meals over the past few weeks have looked tasty (with the exception of the new cheesecake-in-a-cup).

 

[MiRider]

DA, I think so!

I had the braised short ribs and the spice rubbed atlantic salmon - inspired by another Seattle chef - on the EB in April and they were both delicious.

I noticed that there are a couple of other, new, chef inspired selections on some of the LD menus.

One is a turkey shank - is that a fancy pants name for a stinking turkey leg or what? lol

The other is Mahi-Mahi and they both sound pretty good too.

 

[crescent2]

Our Crescent cheesecake never had orange goop. I think I got strawberries the time I asked for a topping on my slice.

 

[rickycourtney]

I think the food is definitely improving and I think these meals developed by the celebrity chef's are some of the best on Amtrak.

When I rode on the Coast Starlight I had two meals aboard the Coast Starlight made with Tom Douglas's recipes. The Salmon is seasoned using with his brand of rub-with-love spices (which you can buy online) was quite good. But the Braised Beef Short-rib with Ancho Molasses BBQ Sauce was hands down the best food I've ever had on Amtrak.

Because of the pressure on Amtrak to not lose money on food service and challenge of cooking in a dining car... these meals will never be as good as what these chef's are able to prepare in their restaurants. But I think it says a lot that they are willing to put their names on the menu.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Thanks for the Update Chris, hopefully the Texas Eagle will have the same Quality and it will spread to All of the LD Routes!

I have no idea how the rest of the inspired meals are holding up, but I'm inclined to choose more of them in the future.

That settles it! If Devil's Advocate thinks the food was good, then major improvements HAVE been made!

Ha! I've only tried one of the new inspiried selections so far but the results were indeed good, even the veggies were improved.

article in washington post today

Thanks for the heads up Ed.

That dish does sound really good, and I've been looking forward to trying it. I'm glad to hear that it lived up to expectations!

Oh, I'd say the short ribs and cheesecake absolutely blew away (my) expectations.

I had the braised short ribs and the spice rubbed atlantic salmon - inspired by another Seattle chef - on the EB in April and they were both delicious.

I'm still iffy on eating fish while aboard. Maybe someday.

Our Crescent cheesecake never had orange goop. I think I got strawberries the time I asked for a topping on my slice.

Keep in mind that most of my travels have occurred on the Sunset Limited and Texas Eagle.

I think it says a lot that they are willing to put their names on the menu.

I didn't know what to think at first, but having finally tried one of them I'm inclined to agree.

 

[JayPea]

Even the veggies? That would be a major improvement! I generally like Amtrak food but even I think the veggies leave a lot to be desired.

 

[The Davy Crockett]

Even the veggies? That would be a major improvement! I generally like Amtrak food but even I think the veggies leave a lot to be desired.

Agreed.

That is the plate 'covering' needing the most improvement, IMHO .

In a follow up article to the article in the Washington Post linked by MrEd, the same author says that

In fiscal year 2012, Amtrak sold 25,040,706 individual items, an average of 68,604 per day, on trains.

according to this article. She goes on to break it down by some of the most popular items:

Bottled water: 1,509,672DiGiorno pizza: 394,587

Chicken Caésar salad: 57,239

Hot dogs: 551,237

It would be interesting to see the methodology used to come up with these numbers.

 

[amamba]

I am sure those numbers are across the entire amtrak system, so it probably involves items sold on regionals, acelas, and other shorter haul trains that do not have a dining car. Thus it makes sense that bottled water, pizza & hot dogs top the list.

 

[FriskyFL]

The new salmon is by far the best meal we've ever enjoyed on Amtrak. The cheesecake is also quite good, IMHO, but the presentation could be better - couldn't they remove it from the plastic cup prior to service?

 

[dart330]

On my trips on the LSL and TE in May, they did remove the desserts from the cups and served them on plates. The chocolate cake type dish (I forget what they called it), they even heated it up on a plate when I asked for it a la mode.

I will say the new rib dinner on the TE was probably the most impressive meal I have had yet. Everyone at the table wished they had ordered it once they saw mine. I ended up sharing a few ribs...

 

[Shortline]

I prefer the new cheesecake too. Had it twice, both on the TE, and both times was removed from the cup and served on a plate. I usually get it to go, and have it later in the room.

 

[FriskyFL]

Guess our particular crew on the SS didn't get the memo about the cheesecake. Same with the brownie. Both were quite good. The "blood orange sorbet" was also quite tasty. No complaints with deserts.

 

[Alexandria Nick]

I just wish I could get a club sandwich on the train.

I have simple demands.

 

[greatcats]

The mahi mahi fish on the SWC last month was quite good. On #3 now, contemplating dinner in a few hours.

 

[The Davy Crockett]

The mahi mahi fish on the SWC last month was quite good. On #3 now, contemplating dinner in a few hours.

Now that you've gotten most who read this envious :angry2: , do let us know what you decided on and what you thought.

 

[June the Coach Rider]

On my trips on the LSL and TE in May, they did remove the desserts from the cups and served them on plates. The chocolate cake type dish (I forget what they called it), they even heated it up on a plate when I asked for it a la mode.
I will say the new rib dinner on the TE was probably the most impressive meal I have had yet. Everyone at the table wished they had ordered it once they saw mine. I ended up sharing a few ribs...

I had the rib dinner on the TE in May also, it was very good and the BBQ sauce was good. Will definitely have to try it again.

 

[The Davy Crockett]

According to this article in The Washington Post here is what Amtrak's 'old friend' Congressman John Mica thinks of the new meals:

In exchange for frequent traveler miles, the rail agency has hired some of the most accomplished chefs in the country, who come together each spring to brainstorm new dishes for Amtrak’s menus.The annual chefs’ gathering is part of an effort to change the way riders think about train cuisine. The goal is hipper, more healthful food to tempt the palates of the millions of annual passengers. After all, in a world that embraces designer doughnuts and upscale ramen noodles, why not gourmet train food?

This week, Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.) offered an answer to that question. In a news release issued Tuesday, Mica derided the program as being wasteful at a time when Amtrak posts losses on its food services.

“Taxpayers would choke if they knew the costs of these gourmet meals,” Mica said in the release.

He also said he hopes to have congressional subcommittees investigate this program. Mica, speaking with Politico this week, said he wanted to find out the cost of what he called “gourmet chef conclaves.”

With such a sour and bitter taste in his mouth, no wonder he doesn't like the food.

If that wasn't enough, and you really want to feel nauseated, here is a link to Mica's red herring news release.,

EDIT: The links in the quotation do work, so my last link in redundant.

 

[TVRM610]

The current dining car model will always lose money, it has nothing to do with what they serve.

 

[Bob Dylan]

"Gourmet Menus and Gourmet Chef Conclaves???" Sounds like what Congress Critters have Every Day on Us!!! <_<

 

[Ryan]

"Gourmet Menus and Gourmet Chef Conclaves???" Sounds like what Congress Critters have Every Day on Us!!! <_<

But that's different!
Some pigs are more equal than others.