Are Inspired Meals Improving Amtrak Cuisine?

[Swadian Hardcore]

Here is an idea to save money. Keep Amtrak dining car personal onboard only until meals are served. Then the crew gets off the train at a designated station and they catch the train back home in the other direction. A new crew gets on before breakfast the next day, stays until lunch and then gets off heads back on the train and a new crew comes on for dinner. This way all of the sleepers could be sold generating more revenue for Amtrak and meal quality would not further decline. Why is this a good or bad idea?

Sounds fine in theory, but implementation could be difficult. Pick any LD train and show us from the schedule how this would work when the train is (a) on time, and (b) late.

Yeah, I know. If you're gonna do that plan, might as well make Hervey Houses and take rest stops.

 

[Blackwolf]

Here is an idea to save money. Keep Amtrak dining car personal onboard only until meals are served. Then the crew gets off the train at a designated station and they catch the train back home in the other direction. A new crew gets on before breakfast the next day, stays until lunch and then gets off heads back on the train and a new crew comes on for dinner. This way all of the sleepers could be sold generating more revenue for Amtrak and meal quality would not further decline. Why is this a good or bad idea?

Sounds fine in theory, but implementation could be difficult. Pick any LD train and show us from the schedule how this would work when the train is (a) on time, and (b) late.

I see a recipe for disaster. In theory it sounds decent as a suggestion. But what if, say, a train is held up at 3:00 AM due to a derailed freight in front of it, 90 miles from the nearest station which was also the designated "hop-on" point for the dining car staff at it's 4:30 AM calling. Nothing moves either forward or backward for the following 6 hours. When the delayed train finally makes that scheduled 4:30 calling at 10:30 AM instead, now you have a case of hungry passengers wanting to beat down the doors to the diner, a kitchen that is completely cold and needs to be set up before serving (a process taking at least 30 minutes alone,) and a staff who will be cranky in their own right already due to kicking rocks at the station waiting for a late train just like all the passengers with them.

Logistically, it is best to keep the staff on the train for diner operations. KISS principle in play.

 

[Ted C]

Considering I pay $600 for a roomette, I'd say the cost of the plastic china is covered.

Many here consider Amtrak's sleeper service as "premium" travel, comparable to what airlines offer in their accomodations for business and first class fares. A typical, refundable business class air fare from Chicago to the west coast, the CZ route, is ~ $1800. That's 3X the cost you cited -- sounds to me like Amtrak is leaving $1200 on the table. ;-)

 

[SarahZ]

Considering I pay $600 for a roomette, I'd say the cost of the plastic china is covered.

Many here consider Amtrak's sleeper service as "premium" travel, comparable to what airlines offer in their accomodations for business and first class fares. A typical, refundable business class air fare from Chicago to the west coast, the CZ route, is ~ $1800. That's 3X the cost you cited -- sounds to me like Amtrak is leaving $1200 on the table. ;-)

Yeah, I was being sarcastic. Someone said that the items I want/like (such as the plastic china and fake flowers) come at a cost, and I was being snarky by stating my $600 (or more, as you said) more than covers the amount of a plastic dish, so I wasn't asking for too much. That's the point I was making.

I really don't mind that we don't have fine china, real flowers, and waiters in tuxes because I know Amtrak doesn't have a huge surplus, even with the "high" cost of sleepers. I love my experience on the train and think it's worth every penny.

 

[The Davy Crockett]

Just back from a x-country trip that left me with the impression that overall, food and service are improving.

The turkey shank on the SWC was so good the first night out of LAX that I had it again the second night. The turkey was tender and flavorful - and the Dogfish Ale based sauce was so excellent that I made a stew with my baked potato and vegies that even made the vegies taste good. The salmon entree on #30 was great too. Almost made me wonder if I was on Amtrak!

As for service, I only had one server for part of one meal who had a less than a stellar attitude, but even that was not awful, and the rest of the team she worked with was great. I was left with the overall impression that things are heading in the RIGHT direction.

 

[SarahZ]

The turkey shank on the SWC was so good the first night out of LAX that I had it again the second night. The turkey was tender and flavorful - and the Dogfish Ale based sauce was so excellent that I made a stew with my baked potato and vegies that even made the vegies taste good.

That sounds delicious. I'll have to try that when we take the SWC in December.

 

[Big Iron]

Just back from a x-country trip that left me with the impression that overall, food and service are improving.

The turkey shank on the SWC was so good the first night out of LAX that I had it again the second night. The turkey was tender and flavorful - and the Dogfish Ale based sauce was so excellent that I made a stew with my baked potato and vegies that even made the vegies taste good. The salmon entree on #30 was great too. Almost made me wonder if I was on Amtrak!

As for service, I only had one server for part of one meal who had a less than a stellar attitude, but even that was not awful, and the rest of the team she worked with was great. I was left with the overall impression that things are heading in the RIGHT direction.

You left out the beer selections :giggle:

 

[rickycourtney]

I really don't mind that we don't have fine china, real flowers, and waiters in tuxes because I know Amtrak doesn't have a huge surplus, even with the "high" cost of sleepers. I love my experience on the train and think it's worth every penny.

Ironically... Using plastic dishware actually costs Amtrak MORE than the Corelle "china" (it's actually glass) that's used on the "enhanced routes" like the CS and EB. Most of that is in the higher cost of buying so many plastic plates and hauling away the extra trash generated. But if I understand it correctly... those costs can be charged against another account (operations?) instead of adding the cost of another employee helping in the kitchen to the dining car losses.

 

[SarahZ]

I really don't mind that we don't have fine china, real flowers, and waiters in tuxes because I know Amtrak doesn't have a huge surplus, even with the "high" cost of sleepers. I love my experience on the train and think it's worth every penny.

Ironically... Using plastic dishware actually costs Amtrak MORE than the Corelle "china" (it's actually glass) that's used on the "enhanced routes" like the CS and EB. Most of that is in the higher cost of buying so many plastic plates and hauling away the extra trash generated. But if I understand it correctly... those costs can be charged against another account (operations?) instead of adding the cost of another employee helping in the kitchen to the dining car losses.

Interesting. I figured it would cost less to pay a dishwasher.

Of course, I'm the idiot who thought they washed all the plastic stuff and re-used it. I thought it was plastic for safety reasons (china + moving train = disaster).

I was not aware the CS and EB had fancy-pants dinnerware.

 

[Ryan]

I really don't mind that we don't have fine china, real flowers, and waiters in tuxes because I know Amtrak doesn't have a huge surplus, even with the "high" cost of sleepers. I love my experience on the train and think it's worth every penny.

Ironically... Using plastic dishware actually costs Amtrak MORE than the Corelle "china" (it's actually glass) that's used on the "enhanced routes" like the CS and EB. Most of that is in the higher cost of buying so many plastic plates and hauling away the extra trash generated. But if I understand it correctly... those costs can be charged against another account (operations?) instead of adding the cost of another employee helping in the kitchen to the dining car losses.

Do you have a source for that?

 

[buddy559]

I am amazed to hear that they wash the dishes onboard at all. I would think they would just have clean stock loaded and send it all back dirty.

 

[Ispolkom]

Two-day old dirty dishes in a commercial dining establishment would probably be considered a health hazard.

 

[SarahZ]

Oh lordy, yes. Yuck.

I'd like the trichinosis platter with a side of salmonella, please.

 

[AlanB]

I really don't mind that we don't have fine china, real flowers, and waiters in tuxes because I know Amtrak doesn't have a huge surplus, even with the "high" cost of sleepers. I love my experience on the train and think it's worth every penny.

Ironically... Using plastic dishware actually costs Amtrak MORE than the Corelle "china" (it's actually glass) that's used on the "enhanced routes" like the CS and EB. Most of that is in the higher cost of buying so many plastic plates and hauling away the extra trash generated. But if I understand it correctly... those costs can be charged against another account (operations?) instead of adding the cost of another employee helping in the kitchen to the dining car losses.

Yes, the costs of hauling off the extra garbage are charged to a different budget; not the food service budget.

While not entirely relevant, here is an analysis that I did many years ago when SDS was first implemented. It talks about some of the extra costs as well as the loss of revenue caused by SDS.

 

[rickycourtney]

Yes, the costs of hauling off the extra garbage are charged to a different budget; not the food service budget.
While not entirely relevant, here is an analysis that I did many years ago when SDS was first implemented. It talks about some of the extra costs as well as the loss of revenue caused by SDS.

Thanks Alan. I knew somebody did a great job breaking down on the costs of using SDS and plastic plates.

 

[buddy559]

I figured they would off load them at a commissary station, like Denver on the CZ for example. I am prior airline and we would load up in the morning, fly a 4 hour flight to an out station. Then the dirty carts would travel back to the service station. They could be loaded in New York at 4:30 in the morning, and travel to Phoenix and back and not get off loaded until 6 at night. (Or much much longer during delayed operations)

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

I really don't mind that we don't have fine china, real flowers, and waiters in tuxes because I know Amtrak doesn't have a huge surplus, even with the "high" cost of sleepers. I love my experience on the train and think it's worth every penny.

Ironically... Using plastic dishware actually costs Amtrak MORE than the Corelle "china" (it's actually glass) that's used on the "enhanced routes" like the CS and EB. Most of that is in the higher cost of buying so many plastic plates and hauling away the extra trash generated. But if I understand it correctly... those costs can be charged against another account (operations?) instead of adding the cost of another employee helping in the kitchen to the dining car losses.

Time to put up Enhanced Diners on all the trains! That might chip away at the diner losses. Look like Simplified Dining turned into a lose-lose for Amtrak.

 

[TVRM610]

Coast Starlight, Empire Builder, Capitol, and Auto Train use the "china" plates, glassware, and most importantly to me.... Real coffee mugs!

 

[jis]

Capitol Ltd does not use China plates or real coffee mugs. Or at least it did not on the run we were on coming back from AU.

 

[The Davy Crockett]

Capitol Ltd does not use China plates or real coffee mugs. Or at least it did not on the run we were on coming back from AU.

From the Cap's Timetable:

Dining: Enhanced Dining Car service; complete meals served on china.

Maybe its a typo and they meant Chinette? :giggle:

 

[jis]

That must be it, or perhaps just another one of those timetable glitches that people have been moaning about on another thread

It occurs to me that if they did use real China, then Penny wouldn't have had to wear the gravy from the Salmon that she was going to eat for dinner before she actually got to eat it. As I recall a cracked Chinette plate was the root cause of that minor fiasco.

 

[OBS]

I figured they would off load them at a commissary station, like Denver on the CZ for example. I am prior airline and we would load up in the morning, fly a 4 hour flight to an out station. Then the dirty carts would travel back to the service station. They could be loaded in New York at 4:30 in the morning, and travel to Phoenix and back and not get off loaded until 6 at night. (Or much much longer during delayed operations)

There are no enroute commissaries.

 

[The Davy Crockett]

It occurs to me that if they did use real China, then Penny wouldn't have had to wear the gravy from the Salmon that she was going to eat for dinner before she actually got to eat it. As I recall a cracked Chinette plate was the root cause of that minor fiasco.

Being at a later seating I missed that fiasco... And here I thought they were being so accomodating and nice to her because of her ability to deal with people!

:lol:

 

[pennyk]

It occurs to me that if they did use real China, then Penny wouldn't have had to wear the gravy from the Salmon that she was going to eat for dinner before she actually got to eat it. As I recall a cracked Chinette plate was the root cause of that minor fiasco.

Being at a later seating I missed that fiasco... And here I thought they were being so accomodating and nice to her because of her ability to deal with people!
:lol:

The plate was cracked and the salmon without gravy landed on my lap (as the salmon was being served the plate cracked and it slid off) - really my purse. It was not a big deal. The server got me a new plate with the same salmon which was fine since it was a special order without the rub. I rubbed the salmon residue off my purse with a damp napkin. All was well, especially after I ate my brownie.

 

[Ryan]

A deliciously warmed brownie!

Perhaps the fine china got left behind along with our server's people skills. Or maybe she was in such a foul mood because they didn't have china?

Overall, I was very impressed with the meals that I had. The steak was a winner, I had a perfectly cooked cheese omelette, then the salmon, breakfast quiche and an Amburger were all fantastic. All of them were quite good, and even the vegetables with the two dinners were properly cooked and had a good flavoring to them.