New dining options (flex dining) effective October 1, 2019

[crescent-zephyr]

You do realize that the food, except for the steaks, in the "traditional dining" is also precooked? I guess I'll find out next week whether the actual dishes they selected for this "flex dining" are really as bad as everybody seems to say they are.

Yes and no. I mean technically there were a few items that were also fully cooked on board. Scrambled eggs & Baked Potaoes for sure.

But then it gets tricky... many items like the salmon, crab cakes, and chicken were pre-cooked... but how were they re-heated? It seems to me they were cooked on a grill, not just reheated in a convection oven.

The salads were assembled on board.

And for sure the items were cooked separately. Meaning the mashed potatoes, steamed veggies, and entree were not all pre-cooked, frozen, and then reheated in the same plate.

I’ve mentioned before the chef position should have remained and the LSA position should have been cut, leaving the sleeper attendants responsible for serving the food.

 

[lordsigma]

I’ve mentioned before the chef position should have remained and the LSA position should have been cut, leaving the sleeper attendants responsible for serving the food.

That technically isn’t correct as I said in an earlier post. Officially all the dining car posts were eliminated and a “working alone” LSA position was created on each crew and awarded based on seniority. It is a different position and job from the “Lead Service Attendant - Diner” that existed in traditional dining. There may be some chefs that got the LSA job. I think it’s really a matter of semantics. It would be hard for any single person dining car crew to prepare fresh made ingredients and also have to serve them whether called a chef or LSA. Conceivably if they did a single food service area serving all passengers as they are hinting with both employees working together you could get better food for both coach and sleeper passengers but I guess we’ll have to see on that front.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

That technically isn’t correct as I said in an earlier post. Officially all the dining car posts were eliminated and a “working alone” LSA position was created on each crew and awarded based on seniority. It is a different position and job from the “Lead Service Attendant - Diner” that existed in traditional dining. There may be some chefs that got the LSA job. I think it’s really a matter of semantics. It would be hard for any single person dining car crew to prepare fresh made ingredients and also have to serve them whether called a chef or LSA. Conceivably if they did a single food service area serving all passengers as they are hinting with both employees working together you could get better food for both coach and sleeper passengers but I guess we’ll have to see on that front.

And you are correct in that it is a new position. I don't argue that. My point said more clear is that they should have left the Chef position as it was and cut everyone else. The chef was already preparing and plating all the food for both coach and sleeper passengers eating in the diner.... seems like it would be all the easier to prepare the food for only the sleeping car passengers.

Maybe a few items wouldn't be practical... like the steaks cooked to order for example. I'm not sure. But the basic food quality would have stayed instead of going downhill.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

I guess I'll find out next week whether the actual dishes they selected for this "flex dining" are really as bad as everybody seems to say they are.

I'll be interested to hear your thoughts.

 

[me_little_me]

You do realize that the food, except for the steaks, in the "traditional dining" is also precooked? I guess I'll find out next week whether the actual dishes they selected for this "flex dining" are really as bad as everybody seems to say they are.

Yes I do but somehow serving real food on real plates with real cutlery and real napkins and tablecloths make it seem a lot better. And that includes real service.

I'm amazed at how much people concentrate on the food, though, and ignore the far bigger fall (elbeit less important) service in the "Diner".

 

[pennyk]

You do realize that the food, except for the steaks, in the "traditional dining" is also precooked? I guess I'll find out next week whether the actual dishes they selected for this "flex dining" are really as bad as everybody seems to say they are.

Even if some of the "traditional dining" entrees are precooked, the chef is able to modify them. The chicken, steak or fish can be served with or without sauce. Baked potato can be subbed for rice. Double green beans can be subbed for starch and green beans. There are no modifications available with the current version of the flex dining meals. In my situation (I have an allergy to garlic), I am able to eat a few of the tradtional dining entrees, but none of the flex dining entrees.

 

[TEREB]

Let me preface this by saying we've traveled on the meteor 2-6 times a year for the past 12 years. I have always enjoyed the food, most especially the seafood. Even the dry salmon was always tasty.
We were on the Meteor on Oct 13-14th. I was so looking forward to trying the new dining.
The only meal I enjoyed was breakfast.
For dinner, my husband and I had the shrimp. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't good either. The sausage way way too spicy and dry and the shrimp was also spicy and overcooked. Rice was tasty though. There were 4 shrimp and it was served piping hot. I would order this again, but I wouldn't touch the sausage.
For lunch the next day I had the Asian noodles. I asked for it to be warmed. This was also a spicy dish, but no where near as spicy as the the sausage from the shrimp plate. Problem was the noodles were gummy. All stuck together. Taste did not impress me.
My husband had the chicken alfredo. It was so over cooked that the noodles and the alfredo sauce had the nasty taste of overcooked broccoli. Everything was mushy. There were about 6 small chunks of chicken that tasted of unseasoned boiled chicken.
I am so disappointed. I miss my veggie burger.

 

[tonys96]

Still recall all those who laughed at us who saw the slippery slope a while back when the "amenities" were being cut.
My guess: The bottom of the slope still has yet to be reached. Sadly. Sad that our kids may never get the chance to experience what we did in the past.

But, we only rarely experienced what our elders experienced. Sadly.

I hope everyone who desires it, can book a trip on a LD Western train route soon, to get the full diner experience, with a real SSL, and see America, meet fellow travelers, share time and friendship with them and the train crew, and live a disappearing part of Americana.

Soon being the keyword. Before it does slowly die of a thousand "small and insignificant" cuts.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Still recall all those who laughed at us who saw the slippery slope a while back when the "amenities" were being cut.

I remember seeing concerned customers repeatedly mocked by proudly indifferent members. People who it turns out probably don't ride long distance passenger rail on a regular basis and thus have little reason to notice or care. Which is fair enough, but if you really don't care then why bother shouting down those who do? Never understood that whole dynamic.

 

[daybeers]

Let me preface this by saying we've traveled on the meteor 2-6 times a year for the past 12 years. I have always enjoyed the food, most especially the seafood. Even the dry salmon was always tasty.
We were on the Meteor on Oct 13-14th. I was so looking forward to trying the new dining.
The only meal I enjoyed was breakfast.
For dinner, my husband and I had the shrimp. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't good either. The sausage way way too spicy and dry and the shrimp was also spicy and overcooked. Rice was tasty though. There were 4 shrimp and it was served piping hot. I would order this again, but I wouldn't touch the sausage.
For lunch the next day I had the Asian noodles. I asked for it to be warmed. This was also a spicy dish, but no where near as spicy as the the sausage from the shrimp plate. Problem was the noodles were gummy. All stuck together. Taste did not impress me.
My husband had the chicken alfredo. It was so over cooked that the noodles and the alfredo sauce had the nasty taste of overcooked broccoli. Everything was mushy. There were about 6 small chunks of chicken that tasted of unseasoned boiled chicken.
I am so disappointed. I miss my veggie burger.

Thanks for the review! I hope you've told Amtrak Customer Relations about this, but if not, please do!

 

[lexingtonbud]

We had our first Breakfast on the Lakeshore Limited the other day. There was nothing available without sugar. Nothing. And no oatmeal without sugar. And not a roll. What a shame.

 

[jimmrl]

Breakfast on Acela this morning, I enjoyed it.

 

[lexingtonbud]

Doesn't look like what we offered on the Lakeshore Ltd.

 

[Bob Dylan]

View attachment 15371
Breakfast on Acela this morning, I enjoyed it.

Looks pretty good except for the Pepsi!

 

[Manny T]

Not sure why Amtrak isn't going for Acela type meals for the sleeper PAX now subject to "contemporary" dining.

Couldn't Amtrak just load the Acela type meals in the dining car, have sleeper PAX make their selections (or even pre-order), LSA heats them up and PAX pick them up at the counter (or get served in their room), as we do now with the TV dinners?

 

[Qapla]

Looks pretty good except for the Pepsi!

I'll agree with that ... now, if you removed the word "Diet" from that can you would have a winning breakfast (somehow, a red can just wouldn't look right sitting on that table)

 

[Anderson]

View attachment 15371
Breakfast on Acela this morning, I enjoyed it.

It looks good...

...but what is it?

 

[crescent-zephyr]

It doesn't match anything on the Acela menus... it does look a bit odd and not really any better than the Contemporary dining fare. At least it's presented nicely.

 

[keelhauled]

They appear to be Denver Egg Bites.

Actually, judging by the amtrakfoodfacts.com URL, the Acela got a new first class menu yesterday, while amtrak.com still has one from May.

 

[Dakota 400]

It looks good...

...but what is it?

That is what I am wondering.

 

[Anderson]

Interesting on the Egg Bytes...which I typed and I'm sticking with...

My best guess had been some sort of mashed potatoes.

 

[seat38a]

It looks good...

...but what is it?

Looks like sous vide eggs. Its the current gimmick going around. Starbucks has had it for a while.

 

[SarahZ]

I thought it was a strange, sad form of Eggs Benedict. After reading the description, I'd still try them.

 

[Thirdrail7]

Not sure why Amtrak isn't going for Acela type meals for the sleeper PAX now subject to "contemporary" dining.

Couldn't Amtrak just load the Acela type meals in the dining car, have sleeper PAX make their selections (or even pre-order), LSA heats them up and PAX pick them up at the counter (or get served in their room), as we do now with the TV dinners?

You'd have to find a vendor that had these meals (or something similar) available for stocking at each endpoint or turnaround location. The specific ACALA meals are not readily available outside the NEC. Some of them actually are only loaded at NYP.

At any rate, the salmon looks quite dry...almost as dry as that shrimp dish. I hope it tasted better.

 

[lordsigma]

Hoooold on...they got rid of the SSL on the Auto Train?

My northbound auto train return trip today appears to have a SSL. So much for consistency!