On the Southwest Chief there's a very abbreviated breakfast very early (5:30 a.m., I think). They don't fire up the grill, so you're limited to cold cereal. I preferred to wait for a French dip sandwich at Philippe's.
I sure hope you make it Becky. I take Amtrak just to partake of the wonderful meals, succulent steaks, luscious desserts and meticulous white gloved service. No trip is too far, no price is too much, no grade is too steep! "Nothin could be finer than to dine inside the diner in the morrrrrrnin!"
Well, the last time I was on the SWC westbound in May I ate french toast the last morning, very early. But it was good and it was french toast. So if the grill was not fired up, I'm not sure where else it might have come from??
They served breakfast near Kingsman, AZ, about 6 hours or so from LA, and it was about 8 or 9 in the morning. Maybe thats because the train was massively delayed...
The French Toast comes out of the freezer and goes into the convection oven. The better chefs start it in the convection oven and then throw it onto the grill, at least when it is fired up.
I did SJC to TAC in a roomette back in September and was told to head to the dining car as soon as I boarded. However, not wanting to risk possibly missing dinner, I had already eaten at the Chipotle just down the street. This particular train was about 10 min early into SJC so I don't know what the cut-off time is for allowing pax boarding at SJC dinner. I settled for a nice scotch in a nearly empty PPC instead.
