Steaks cooked to order are back

[wayman]

Right now, the two steaks in rotation are a Top Sirloin or a New York strip. So far both are getting good reviews.

Y'all're making me so hungry for this steak -- now I'm really, really sad that I'm taking the Regional to LYH instead of the Crescent on Tuesday!

 

[RRrich]

I had a steak recently - hated it - it was pre-marinated in butter and garlic and I didn't like it - but wifey thought it was fine. I guess I will not be ordering steak on my KCY-CBS trip.

I checked out the new menu page - anyone have info about the Coast Starlight menus - both dining car and PPC??

 

[railiner]

Speaking of cooking on diner's....anyone remember when Amtrak sent all its chefs to a special program at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y.? It was done for some time back in the early '90's. Whatever became of that program?

 

[EB_OBS]

I had a steak recently - hated it - it was pre-marinated in butter and garlic and I didn't like it - but wifey thought it was fine. I guess I will not be ordering steak on my KCY-CBS trip.
I checked out the new menu page - anyone have info about the Coast Starlight menus - both dining car and PPC??

The marinated Flat Iron steak is still being served on some routes. I can't say whether it will be discontinued completely. I haven't heard that it will be. Amtrak is putting full-time bulletined Food Specialists back on some trains. Hopefully, if those trains aren't grilling much, then with the additional help that'll change.

 

[cpamtfan]

I had a steak recently - hated it - it was pre-marinated in butter and garlic and I didn't like it - but wifey thought it was fine. I guess I will not be ordering steak on my KCY-CBS trip.
I checked out the new menu page - anyone have info about the Coast Starlight menus - both dining car and PPC??

CS uses the National menu, which I think is either the NYS or Sirloin. Not sure what they changed on the PPC.

 

[Shanghai]

I'm happy that the steaks have returned. I liked the Flat Iron "something" too.

 

[jmbgeg]

They served a grilled New York steak yesterday on the eastbound Empire Builder.

 

[The Metropolitan]

Glad to hear of the improvement. Based on what I read here, I think the famous saying needs to rephrased as follows:

HELL HATH NO FURY LIKE A RAILFAN SERVED INFERIOR BEEF!

I should make that my signature.

 

[railiner]

Glad to hear of the improvement. Based on what I read here, I think the famous saying needs to rephrased as follows:
HELL HATH NO FURY LIKE A RAILFAN SERVED INFERIOR BEEF!

I should make that my signature.

Then in that case you should campaign for Amtrak to elevate its "21 day aged...choice" steak to prime graded meat!

 

[zoltan]

Right now, the two steaks in rotation are a Top Sirloin or a New York strip. So far both are getting good reviews.

Y'all're making me so hungry for this steak -- now I'm really, really sad that I'm taking the Regional to LYH instead of the Crescent on Tuesday!

I wouldn't be too put out - I assume you'll be paying half as much as a result!

 

[wayman]

Right now, the two steaks in rotation are a Top Sirloin or a New York strip. So far both are getting good reviews.

Y'all're making me so hungry for this steak -- now I'm really, really sad that I'm taking the Regional to LYH instead of the Crescent on Tuesday!

I wouldn't be too put out - I assume you'll be paying half as much as a result!

I did book early enough to get a fairly low fare on the Regional, so 2/3 as much as the new "only-bucket" (aka "old high-bucket") fare on the Crescent

But I might not arrive much earlier (despite taking "the early train"). The posted 50 minute delay has us out of PHL with exactly an hour headway over the Crescent's schedule, and the Regional's run-time is a little slower, I think. The parking lot in LYH is going to be a real 15-puzzle tonight! Maybe I'll just convince my parents to come late to pick me up rather than deal with that, and then we can watch the Crescent come in (assuming she's on time)...

My estimate is 100 pax detraining the Regional in LYH tonight; I'll let you know the actual count.

 

[zoltan]

I did book early enough to get a fairly low fare on the Regional, so 2/3 as much as the new "only-bucket" (aka "old high-bucket") fare on the Crescent

So that's how they do coach fares on the Crescent now?

My estimate is 100 pax detraining the Regional in LYH tonight; I'll let you know the actual count.

It's encouraging that the old principle still seems to stand - put on a train at a place or time there was no train before, and generally people will start using that train.

 

[haolerider]

I did book early enough to get a fairly low fare on the Regional, so 2/3 as much as the new "only-bucket" (aka "old high-bucket") fare on the Crescent

So that's how they do coach fares on the Crescent now?

My estimate is 100 pax detraining the Regional in LYH tonight; I'll let you know the actual count.

It's encouraging that the old principle still seems to stand - put on a train at a place or time there was no train before, and generally people will start using that train.

"The old principle" better be backed up by studies showing real interest and demand for train service, otherwise we will see another Janesville, WI empty train. The state of VA spent a good deal of time working with Amtrak to determine what was needed, when it was needed and the extent of the demand. "Build it and they will come" does not work for any kind of transportation.

 

[AlanB]

I did book early enough to get a fairly low fare on the Regional, so 2/3 as much as the new "only-bucket" (aka "old high-bucket") fare on the Crescent

So that's how they do coach fares on the Crescent now?

My estimate is 100 pax detraining the Regional in LYH tonight; I'll let you know the actual count.

It's encouraging that the old principle still seems to stand - put on a train at a place or time there was no train before, and generally people will start using that train.

"The old principle" better be backed up by studies showing real interest and demand for train service, otherwise we will see another Janesville, WI empty train. The state of VA spent a good deal of time working with Amtrak to determine what was needed, when it was needed and the extent of the demand. "Build it and they will come" does not work for any kind of transportation.

I agree with you in principle, that real studies need to be done to gauge interest and chances of success.

However, the Lake Counties Limited which served Janesville might not exactly be the best example to use. Yes, ridership was very poor. But it is important to note that part of the problem was that train's awful calling hours. Perhaps arriving at a major city at 6:00 AM in the morning on a long distance train is a difficulty that can be overcome (a la Cleveland), but doing so on a short haul train doesn't always work.

And this train wasn't started so much for the passenger service that it could provide, it was started because of a lucrative Express Trak freight contract that Amtrak wanted. And because of that freight, the schedule was set for the freight and not the passengers. This saw people needing to board in Janesville at 6:35 AM and getting back at 11:00 PM if the train was on time. The lack of food service didn't help either, even though it was only a 2-1/2 hour run.

 

[zoltan]

It's encouraging that the old principle still seems to stand - put on a train at a place or time there was no train before, and generally people will start using that train.

"The old principle" better be backed up by studies showing real interest and demand for train service, otherwise we will see another Janesville, WI empty train. The state of VA spent a good deal of time working with Amtrak to determine what was needed, when it was needed and the extent of the demand. "Build it and they will come" does not work for any kind of transportation.

The implicit assumption in that principle is that you're considering a route on which rail demand already exists, but at a low frequency, or a place where a significant bus and air market already exists, on the basis that you wouldn't even be thinking about putting trains anywhere else.