- Joined
- Jan 17, 2010
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- 4
Has anyone tried the new menus on the Zephyr? I heard they changed them, but is it for the better?
If the Zephyr was using a CCC (like they were on our last trip) instead of a diner, I would expect the food to be a little dryer, as well as the dining car crew being a little cranky. Still, the meals weren't bad at all with the old menu. As has been said, I'd expect the new menu to be quite similar, and quite tasty. I think Amtrak does a pretty good job serving good meals, considering the limited space they have to work in.We were on the California Zephyr in October-hubby had the Mahi Mahi, said it was good but a bit dry.I had Pork Tenderloin which was pretty good too, but also a bit dry.
It was the regular diner.If the Zephyr was using a CCC (like they were on our last trip) instead of a diner, I would expect the food to be a little dryer, as well as the dining car crew being a little cranky. Still, the meals weren't bad at all with the old menu. As has been said, I'd expect the new menu to be quite similar, and quite tasty. I think Amtrak does a pretty good job serving good meals, considering the limited space they have to work in.We were on the California Zephyr in October-hubby had the Mahi Mahi, said it was good but a bit dry.I had Pork Tenderloin which was pretty good too, but also a bit dry.
I'm reminded of one dinner I had on the City of New Orleans. I don't remember the name of the entree, but it was supposed to be a favorite Cajun recipe. I liked the taste of it, but the presentation was awful. It looked to me that it had already been found undigestable to a monkey. :lol: The memory still makes my wife and I break into laughter. The complete dining experience was delightful, but that plate full of an unknown substance was just a hoot.
Cross Country Cafe. Others can detail it for you. Most are not fond of it-I haven't been in one yet.Wow thanks for all the replys, but I don't know what CCC means. We too have had some very strange looking meals, but they usually taste decent.
The CCC (Cross Country Cafe) was a poorly thought out hybrid of a lounge and diner that some incompetent or committee @ Amtrak thought up a few years ago! Far too many of these "Hybrids" were cooked up, then they were assigned to the City of New Orleans which mostly runs without a lounge to replace a real diner and to the Texas Eagles to replace the real diner. In the case of the City they serve an all day menu that is basically the lounge snack menu and in addition the three sit down meals (breakfast/lunch/dinner). It is 1/2 diner with a couple of three seat booths that we call Mafia seats and several regular 4 place tables. No-one really likes them. The other half sells the snack food and has like 4 tables to serve as a "lounge". The Eagles have a real Sight Seer Lounge that has the snack car downstairs so the CCC serves as just the diner with the three meals, same set up. Occasionally you see them on other trains when a diner or lounge is bad ordered, once in a while even two of these crappy cars which is not good! :angry:Wow thanks for all the replys, but I don't know what CCC means. We too have had some very strange looking meals, but they usually taste decent.
Hmm... well here is a less judgemental view...The CCC (Cross Country Cafe) was a poorly thought out hybrid of a lounge and diner that some incompetent or committee @ Amtrak thought up a few years ago! Far too many of these "Hybrids" were cooked up, then they were assigned to the City of New Orleans which mostly runs without a lounge to replace a real diner and to the Texas Eagles to replace the real diner. In the case of the City they serve an all day menu that is basically the lounge snack menu and in addition the three sit down meals (breakfast/lunch/dinner). It is 1/2 diner with a couple of three seat booths that we call Mafia seats and several regular 4 place tables. No-one really likes them. The other half sells the snack food and has like 4 tables to serve as a "lounge". The Eagles have a real Sight Seer Lounge that has the snack car downstairs so the CCC serves as just the diner with the three meals, same set up. Occasionally you see them on other trains when a diner or lounge is bad ordered, once in a while even two of these crappy cars which is not good! :angry:Wow thanks for all the replys, but I don't know what CCC means. We too have had some very strange looking meals, but they usually taste decent.
Also I'll admit the prototype pics look much better than the actual execution, the seats look lots more comfortable and the lighting is MUCH better!
We didn't sit down and cry, but we certainly were stunned. Granted --- it was because of an "equiment failure" of the regular diner, and the CCC was all Amtrak had to fill in as a substitute. The sightseer lounge was still there, and the CCC was only being used as the "diner." It was not being used as a lounge or cafe. Still, having been on the EB a few days earlier we could see the contrast quickly, as the EB had a full diner.I'd just sit down and cry if there were a CCC on the CZ if I were riding it! If there's a train on the system that needs a full diner and sightseer lounge, this is it with both the Sierra's and Rocky Mountains on the route for daytime viewing.
As a former Amtrak OBS staffer, but more importantly now, as a paying passenger, having just "experienced" the CCC twice in the last two days, I can YELL this: While the layout is not bad for a modified lounge, it SUCKS as a diner. They lost HOW MANY seats when they installed those dorky 3-tops, that almost force you to stare at the table X the aisle.. YUCK< YUCK< YUCK!We didn't sit down and cry, but we certainly were stunned. Granted --- it was because of an "equiment failure" of the regular diner, and the CCC was all Amtrak had to fill in as a substitute. The sightseer lounge was still there, and the CCC was only being used as the "diner." It was not being used as a lounge or cafe. Still, having been on the EB a few days earlier we could see the contrast quickly, as the EB had a full diner.I'd just sit down and cry if there were a CCC on the CZ if I were riding it! If there's a train on the system that needs a full diner and sightseer lounge, this is it with both the Sierra's and Rocky Mountains on the route for daytime viewing.
I want everyone to understand that I'm not complaining about the CCC itself. While the CCC is a poor passenger seating substitute for a full diner, it's much better than NO diner. And truthfully, the food wasn't all that different on the EB using a full diner, and the Zephyr using the CCC. We didn't go hungry at all, and we were still on a train. The reservations for the meals were "scattered" on the Zephyr due to seating capacity, but I think that the OBS crew may have been taken by surprise.
We'll take Trains 5 & 6 agin, with no hesitation. We're sure the food will be similar with the new menu, if not almost identical.
To be fair... the CZ never has a "full service" diner like the EB has. The EB runs with extra staff that permits fuller seatings, quicker service, and extras like linen tablecloths, real china, and glassware. The EB also has a few more "cooked on-board" items than other trains. While the CZ's normal diner is a bit more classy than the CCC, some of the differences you mention would have been there anyways. Most notably the "scattered" reservations should have had nothing to do with the seating capacity, but rather this is necessary on most LD trains due to limited staff, again the EB has extra staff, permitting fuller seatings, and faster serving times.We didn't sit down and cry, but we certainly were stunned. Granted --- it was because of an "equiment failure" of the regular diner, and the CCC was all Amtrak had to fill in as a substitute. The sightseer lounge was still there, and the CCC was only being used as the "diner." It was not being used as a lounge or cafe. Still, having been on the EB a few days earlier we could see the contrast quickly, as the EB had a full diner.I'd just sit down and cry if there were a CCC on the CZ if I were riding it! If there's a train on the system that needs a full diner and sightseer lounge, this is it with both the Sierra's and Rocky Mountains on the route for daytime viewing.
I want everyone to understand that I'm not complaining about the CCC itself. While the CCC is a poor passenger seating substitute for a full diner, it's much better than NO diner. And truthfully, the food wasn't all that different on the EB using a full diner, and the Zephyr using the CCC. We didn't go hungry at all, and we were still on a train. The reservations for the meals were "scattered" on the Zephyr due to seating capacity, but I think that the OBS crew may have been taken by surprise.
We'll take Trains 5 & 6 agin, with no hesitation. We're sure the food will be similar with the new menu, if not almost identical.
"One thing I've learned from Americans is this word 'Compromise,' when there is an argument you compromise and then no one is happy" - Italian Film Director Alberto Dante'Perhaps I was too harsh on my Washington brothers and sisters, it was an attempt to compromise and as the old saying goes: "neither fish nor foul" was the result. You are the first person Ive run into that likes them and even you admit the food is not up to snuff compared to a real diner. As a regular rider of the CONO I have to say that as a lounge they are unsatifactory too small/inadequate windows, the snack bar side is too crowded when the train is full ( believe it or not this train can get very crowded), the OBS are really happy the Sightseer Lounge is back. On the Eagle the CCC as a diner is not adequate in place of a real diner. When the daily train starts, whenever that may be (hope it's soon), a real diner from CHI-LAX will really be great, I think anyone that rides these trains will agree even if they dont like the resulting compromise on the route and train that is the result! As Bob Dylan said: "to each his own", mine is a real diner and sight seer lounge. (I dont like the cafe/lounge cars on the single level LD trains either, same reasons! <_<
Also I'll admit the prototype pics look much better than the actual execution, the seats look lots more comfortable and the lighting is MUCH better!
I'll NEVER debate with a former OBS staffer about what "is" or what "could be" on an Amtrak train. :lol: You guys paid your dues, and you know what's going on better that my wife and I will ever know. I'm just approaching this through the eyes of a person who really likes train travel, and has never been severely disappointed yet.As a former Amtrak OBS staffer, but more importantly now, as a paying passenger, having just "experienced" the CCC twice in the last two days, I can YELL this: While the layout is not bad for a modified lounge, it SUCKS as a diner. They lost HOW MANY seats when they installed those dorky 3-tops, that almost force you to stare at the table X the aisle.. YUCK< YUCK< YUCK!We didn't sit down and cry, but we certainly were stunned. Granted --- it was because of an "equiment failure" of the regular diner, and the CCC was all Amtrak had to fill in as a substitute. The sightseer lounge was still there, and the CCC was only being used as the "diner." It was not being used as a lounge or cafe. Still, having been on the EB a few days earlier we could see the contrast quickly, as the EB had a full diner.I'd just sit down and cry if there were a CCC on the CZ if I were riding it! If there's a train on the system that needs a full diner and sightseer lounge, this is it with both the Sierra's and Rocky Mountains on the route for daytime viewing.
I want everyone to understand that I'm not complaining about the CCC itself. While the CCC is a poor passenger seating substitute for a full diner, it's much better than NO diner. And truthfully, the food wasn't all that different on the EB using a full diner, and the Zephyr using the CCC. We didn't go hungry at all, and we were still on a train. The reservations for the meals were "scattered" on the Zephyr due to seating capacity, but I think that the OBS crew may have been taken by surprise.
We'll take Trains 5 & 6 agin, with no hesitation. We're sure the food will be similar with the new menu, if not almost identical.
If I NEVER get on a CCC again (working as a diner) It will NOT be too soon for me.
The food COULD BE great in either a CCC or traditional Superliner diner. ALL the equipment is there......... btw, we all know it's usually a matter of the staff, and the "chef" on the CONO (this sound sooooooo petty) KNEW how to cook grits, while the "chef" on the CL, well, "Hello Mr. Yucky Warm Cereal.........."
No, that's not true. Prior to that Congressional mandate a few years ago and the resulting Simplified Dining Service (SDS) and the CCC's, every long distance train in the system had dining car service like the EB still has. The EB and the Auto Train were the only two trains that were never down-graded. Most trains have been slowing having their dining car service improved heading back towards what is still being offered on the EB and the AT.To be fair... the CZ never has a "full service" diner like the EB has. The EB runs with extra staff that permits fuller seatings, quicker service, and extras like linen tablecloths, real china, and glassware. The EB also has a few more "cooked on-board" items than other trains. While the CZ's normal diner is a bit more classy than the CCC, some of the differences you mention would have been there anyways. Most notably the "scattered" reservations should have had nothing to do with the seating capacity, but rather this is necessary on most LD trains due to limited staff, again the EB has extra staff, permitting fuller seatings, and faster serving times.We didn't sit down and cry, but we certainly were stunned. Granted --- it was because of an "equiment failure" of the regular diner, and the CCC was all Amtrak had to fill in as a substitute. The sightseer lounge was still there, and the CCC was only being used as the "diner." It was not being used as a lounge or cafe. Still, having been on the EB a few days earlier we could see the contrast quickly, as the EB had a full diner.I'd just sit down and cry if there were a CCC on the CZ if I were riding it! If there's a train on the system that needs a full diner and sightseer lounge, this is it with both the Sierra's and Rocky Mountains on the route for daytime viewing.
I want everyone to understand that I'm not complaining about the CCC itself. While the CCC is a poor passenger seating substitute for a full diner, it's much better than NO diner. And truthfully, the food wasn't all that different on the EB using a full diner, and the Zephyr using the CCC. We didn't go hungry at all, and we were still on a train. The reservations for the meals were "scattered" on the Zephyr due to seating capacity, but I think that the OBS crew may have been taken by surprise.
We'll take Trains 5 & 6 agin, with no hesitation. We're sure the food will be similar with the new menu, if not almost identical.
Actually I think that overall the CCC did exactly as advertised on the City of NOL, a train that has for years always seen far less use of the dining car by comparison to other routes. The CCC is weak on the cafe side, both in terms of places for people to sit and in terms of viewing the scenery as compared to a Sightseer Lounge. But the car overall did serve well at its primary purpose, which was to still provide both cafe and diner service, while cutting costs.I think ultimately the cars could be great for certain situations... and I think it was clever to think up a car that can sub as both a lounge or diner if needed. Again, if the car was used properly, on certain routes, I think it could be a winner. Since that hasn't happened.. its kind of so-so.
Alan... please tell me what part of my post is not true. Notice I said the CZ never has (as in currently has), not never had. I re-read my post twice and found nothing inaccurate about it.No, that's not true. Prior to that Congressional mandate a few years ago and the resulting Simplified Dining Service (SDS) and the CCC's, every long distance train in the system had dining car service like the EB still has. The EB and the Auto Train were the only two trains that were never down-graded. Most trains have been slowing having their dining car service improved heading back towards what is still being offered on the EB and the AT.To be fair... the CZ never has a "full service" diner like the EB has. The EB runs with extra staff that permits fuller seatings, quicker service, and extras like linen tablecloths, real china, and glassware. The EB also has a few more "cooked on-board" items than other trains. While the CZ's normal diner is a bit more classy than the CCC, some of the differences you mention would have been there anyways. Most notably the "scattered" reservations should have had nothing to do with the seating capacity, but rather this is necessary on most LD trains due to limited staff, again the EB has extra staff, permitting fuller seatings, and faster serving times.We didn't sit down and cry, but we certainly were stunned. Granted --- it was because of an "equiment failure" of the regular diner, and the CCC was all Amtrak had to fill in as a substitute. The sightseer lounge was still there, and the CCC was only being used as the "diner." It was not being used as a lounge or cafe. Still, having been on the EB a few days earlier we could see the contrast quickly, as the EB had a full diner.I'd just sit down and cry if there were a CCC on the CZ if I were riding it! If there's a train on the system that needs a full diner and sightseer lounge, this is it with both the Sierra's and Rocky Mountains on the route for daytime viewing.
I want everyone to understand that I'm not complaining about the CCC itself. While the CCC is a poor passenger seating substitute for a full diner, it's much better than NO diner. And truthfully, the food wasn't all that different on the EB using a full diner, and the Zephyr using the CCC. We didn't go hungry at all, and we were still on a train. The reservations for the meals were "scattered" on the Zephyr due to seating capacity, but I think that the OBS crew may have been taken by surprise.
We'll take Trains 5 & 6 agin, with no hesitation. We're sure the food will be similar with the new menu, if not almost identical.
Sorry, my bad. I saw has as had, hence my response.Alan... please tell me what part of my post is not true. Notice I said the CZ never has (as in currently has), not never had. I re-read my post twice and found nothing inaccurate about it.
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