New Amtrak Ink employee newsletter

[frj1983]

I believe hash browns are pre made, then grilled. The grits are instant.

I must have really been in a fog bank when I ordered "oatmeal" on the Crescent recently. The Southern Railway used to hand make pots at a time and it was some kind of good. On Amtrak, I was handed an empty bowl, a coffee cup of hot water and a package of "instant oatmeal." That ain't dinosaur food in my book.

Thats strange,

On a recent trip on the LSL, my Wife ordered oatmeal for breakfast and it came ready to eat in the bowl...granted maybe they added the water and stirred but all she had to do was add milk and eat! :huh:

 

[the_traveler]

I got my hands on a new timetable today.

The new TT may be available at the stations!

Yesterday, I went for a point run! When I left KIN at 10:00 AM, there were 3 on the TT rack. When I returned to KIN @ 6:37 PM, they were 7 out!

 

[sunchaser]

...The answer to most questions, especially if you aren't looking for it in great detail, can be found at Wikipedia. As long as you take things with a grain of salt, its fairly safe.

The same goes for grits... take them with salt.

 

Butter, pepper, etc.. are all good options, but if you add nothing else, add salt.

 

Grits are pretty much a breakfast staple for the rest of my family, but I never really cared for them except on the odd occasion where my mom included them as part of dinner.

 

Then again, I am the token Yankee on both sides of my family (only one born outside the South since colonial times), so maybe that's why I don't really "get" grits.

I never had grits growing up but once I made them for my brother's friend who was from a southern state.

Hubby & both grew up in Southern Ca., but his dad was from Georgia, so he grew up with southern cooking, including grits. So I have learned how to prepare some southern dishes too.

My mom would serve canned hominy, heated up with butter. Yum! Grits are just ground up dried hominy cooked in cereal form.

 

[Tony]

I believe hash browns are pre made, then grilled. The grits are instant.

Instant grits? I will have to ask my cousin Vinny if that's legal. :lol:

 

[Shanghai]

I like bacon and cheese mixed in grits. There is a restaurant in NYC that serves the most delicious grits I have ever eaten.

Nearly everyone who eats breakfast there orders the cheezy grits.

 

[Reid]

I had the turkey sausage for breakfast both times on The Crescent in August. It was great.

 

[Amtrak OBS Gone Freight]

I believe hash browns are pre made, then grilled. The grits are instant.

I was handed an empty bowl, a coffee cup of hot water and a package of "instant oatmeal." That ain't dinosaur food in my book.

It sure would be nice if you were kidding about this, but for some reason this doesn't surprise me regarding the reputation of several NYC based OBS dining car crews on that particular train....

I sure hope you withheld your gratuity for that one.....

OBS gone freight...

 

[Amtrak OBS Gone Freight]

I like bacon and cheese mixed in grits. There is a restaurant in NYC that serves the most delicious grits I have ever eaten.Nearly everyone who eats breakfast there orders the cheezy grits.

In NYC?

Please elaborate..... I have yet to find grits being served in any restaurant in NYC during my travels. I have seen them in a grocery store, but not at a restaurant. I would like to pay this establishment a visit the next time I am up that way.

Back in 2002 after arriving in from a trip, I went into a McDonalds near NYP, proceeded to order my food. When asked what I wanted to drink, I replied "sweet tea." The guy placed a cup of hot water, two tea bags, sugar packets, and a full cup of ice on my tray. Indeed, I was too far North out of my element!!!

OBS gone freight...

 

[Amtrak OBS Gone Freight]

Lots of interesting stuff in the October issue of Amtrak Ink just posted on the Amtrak website:
It includes details of the fall menu updates, effective November 11. Among the highlights: Breakfast - Roasted Yukon gold and red-skinned potatoes replace hash browns, and turkey sausage patties are added as a meat option. Lunch - new chipotle black bean veggie burger and new entree salads. Dinner - two new steak cuts and new vegetarian pasta offerings.

I'm excited about the menu changes except for the hash browns being replaced. I'm not a fan of little potatoes that have been cut into eights and seasoned... Give me hash browns cooked on a griddle.

I was never a fan of the hash browns on the train except with certain crews (chefs). During my tenure at Amtrak, I found that most of the chefs would precook the hash browns for the entire meal period and store them in the steam table. That made them get soggy or at least lose their "crispyness." There were only three chefs on the Silver trains during my time there who actually prepared them the "right way" even though that was a bit more time consuming due to the space issues on the grill.

A lot has changed at Amtrak since my time.... I remember when "Amtrak Ink" arrived via U.S. mail each month, and was truly an employee newsletter. Though it is nice that it is publicly accessible now being I work freight these days.

OBS gone freight....

 

[jmbgeg]

I will be anxious to try the new breakfast potatoes. I've almost always found Amtrak hash browns to be a bit greasy and bland and needing a splash of ketchup to kick some life into them.

Just the opposite. I like the Amtrak hash browns and am disappointed in the change.

 

[jmbgeg]

Lots of interesting stuff in the October issue of Amtrak Ink just posted on the Amtrak website:
It includes details of the fall menu updates, effective November 11. Among the highlights: Breakfast - Roasted Yukon gold and red-skinned potatoes replace hash browns, and turkey sausage patties are added as a meat option. Lunch - new chipotle black bean veggie burger and new entree salads. Dinner - two new steak cuts and new vegetarian pasta offerings.

The new fall timetable becomes effective Oct. 26. The new timetable will include the second Vancouver Cascades train, the new NE Regional service to Lynchburg, and the new Empire Builder stop at Leavenworth. However, the NE Corridor timetables will still not be included. Also, the timetable has been redesigned as a result of focus group testing.

There are also more details about the new Amtrak.com website, including a screen shot of the front page.

I am most excited about the pending changes to the website. They could be very helpful.

 

[Shanghai]

I like bacon and cheese mixed in grits. There is a restaurant in NYC that serves the most delicious grits I have ever eaten.Nearly everyone who eats breakfast there orders the cheezy grits.

In NYC?

Please elaborate..... I have yet to find grits being served in any restaurant in NYC during my travels. I have seen them in a grocery store, but not at a restaurant. I would like to pay this establishment a visit the next time I am up that way.

Back in 2002 after arriving in from a trip, I went into a McDonalds near NYP, proceeded to order my food. When asked what I wanted to drink, I replied "sweet tea." The guy placed a cup of hot water, two tea bags, sugar packets, and a full cup of ice on my tray. Indeed, I was too far North out of my element!!!

OBS gone freight...

I don't recall the name of the restaurant, but it is located on Ninth Ave & 44th St. It is about the second establishment on the east side of the street.

Hope that helps.

 

[Neil_M]

I am most excited about the pending changes to the website. They could be very helpful.

Can't be any worse than the steam powered nonsense they have now....!

 

[leemell]

I got my hands on a new timetable today.

The new TT may be available at the stations!

Yesterday, I went for a point run! When I left KIN at 10:00 AM, there were 3 on the TT rack. When I returned to KIN @ 6:37 PM, they were 7 out!

I was at the Van Nuys Station yesterday, they don't have the TT yet and said that LA Union Station doesn't either and had no ETA on them.

 

[Guest]

Do you think the online request has it?

 

[cpamtfan]

Do you think the online request has it?

Probably. Its within a week of it coming out. Unfortunitly, I ordered mine too early and got yet another old one :lol: .

 

[had8ley]

I believe hash browns are pre made, then grilled. The grits are instant.

I was handed an empty bowl, a coffee cup of hot water and a package of "instant oatmeal." That ain't dinosaur food in my book.

It sure would be nice if you were kidding about this, but for some reason this doesn't surprise me regarding the reputation of several NYC based OBS dining car crews on that particular train....

I sure hope you withheld your gratuity for that one.....

OBS gone freight...

OBS~

You would appreciate this one. I went on #20 and ordered scrambled eggs made out of beaters. I was told that the union contract dictated that the only thing the chefs "had" to prepare with egg beaters was the omelete after the prep cook left. Well, the egg beaters come in two egg cartons. So...how can you make a legitimate three egg omelete with a two egg carton? And besides, the scrambled eggs take some work to scramble but only a carton to open for egg beaters. I call this the "Sunnyside Shuffle" and it happens all too often. My pleas of an all NOL base Crescent have fallen on deaf ears for years :angry: BTW, I shoot straight as an arrow... that might be why my picture is posted on every floor at 60 Massachusetts Avenue

 

[acelafan]

Do you think the online request has it?

Probably. Its within a week of it coming out. Unfortunitly, I ordered mine too early and got yet another old one :lol: .

Early this week I ordered a timetable online and the new fall/winter one arrived today. Amtrak has a copy of their Fall 08/Winter 09 timetable at http://www.amtrak.com/timetable/oct08/Amtr...l08Winter09.pdf. It'd be nice if they put the latest one online, too.

 

[cpamtfan]

Do you think the online request has it?

Probably. Its within a week of it coming out. Unfortunitly, I ordered mine too early and got yet another old one :lol: .

Early this week I ordered a timetable online and the new fall/winter one arrived today. Amtrak has a copy of their Fall 08/Winter 09 timetable at http://www.amtrak.com/timetable/oct08/Amtr...l08Winter09.pdf. It'd be nice if they put the latest one online, too.

Yeah. I think most people didn't use because:

Big file, takes a few minutes or so to download

They are only traveling on certain routes so it would just be wasted paper and ink

It also cannot really be printed out, unless you have unlimited paper and ink

It was nice for some, but just did not get the attention of many people.

 

[Guest]

Could the new site be launching tommorow? From the top of this page:

https://www.amtrakguestrewards.com/index.cf...oc=listing.html

On Sunday morning, October 25th, Amtrak will make significant enhancements to the Amtrak.com website. During this time, Amtrak Guest Rewards members may experience intermittent delays or outages when redeeming points for Amtrak travel. If you encounter these issues please try again later in the day. Please note: these enhancements will not affect the Amtrak Guest Rewards website.

 

[acelafan]

Could the new site be launching tommorow? From the top of this page:
https://www.amtrakguestrewards.com/index.cf...oc=listing.html

On Sunday morning, October 25th, Amtrak will make significant enhancements to the Amtrak.com website. During this time, Amtrak Guest Rewards members may experience intermittent delays or outages when redeeming points for Amtrak travel. If you encounter these issues please try again later in the day. Please note: these enhancements will not affect the Amtrak Guest Rewards website.

Wow, I hope so! Can't wait to see the updated site. Will definitely check it.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Ready for the new Amtrak.com tomorrow, picked up the new schedule in Rochester of all places (still not in NOL,CHI,STL or AUS when I was there the past week!),as to the menu, I tried the new potatoes, the hashbrowns were better IMHO but the grits are still better (with butter and pepper, they are instant!) The real Flat Iron steak is back,

the fried chicken isnt bad, but the turkey sausage sucks and the best dessert ever, the bourbon pecan pie is gone till next year!!

 

[Upstate]

Amtrak.com is acting goofy in the wee hours of this morning and Julie is not working either. The phone agents can't do anything except look up train status which is all I need at 4AM anyway. Don't know if this is how regular maintenance works or if it is signs of things to come.

 

[stntylr]

Amtrak.com always does site maintance in the early hours of Sunday morning. They can't book any reservations during this time.