Breakfast, lunch and dinner now served on trains with sleeper cars.
Unlike rail travel elsewhere, boarding an Amtrak train is an act of faith. The train you are traveling on might arrive at your station on time, or it might not. Even if it arrives when it should, it might depart on time, or it might not. It might depart on time but mysteriously stop somewhere en route, delaying its arrival wherever you are going.
So the announcement that Amtrak is enhancing its on-board food service is good news, because you might be on that train for more mealtimes than you anticipated. A new breakfast, lunch and dinner menu with a greater selection of items and theoretically higher quality is in effect on trains with sleeper car car service, which means 10 or its 14 long-haul routes. Meal service is included in sleeping car fares and is available for purchase by all passengers, so better is, well, better.
According to an Amtrak press release, which is heavy on capital letters, breakfast offerings include "Old Fashioned Railroad French Toast, a variety of freshly prepared Omelets, a Chef's Marketplace Special, such as Blueberry Pancakes or Belgian Waffles, and a Continental option featuring fresh fruit, all of which can be accompanied by a choice of Grits or Breakfast Potatoes, Bacon, Chicken Apple Sausage or Pork Sausage." For lunch, passengers have a choice of "Build Your Own Burger" option, with a choice of Angus beef, Turkey or Gardenburger, specialty salads, freshly prepared sandwiches and a hot rotating Chef's Special."
And it dinner, it's "a selection of appetizers for the first time, including Chips and Salsa, Chicken Wings and Dip, and and Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail. For entrees, passengers can choose from a cooked to order Flat Iron Steak, a Seafood selection, Oven Roasted Half Game Hen, enhanced Vegetarian Selections, and a rotating Chef's Marketplace Special such as Slow Cooked Braised Beef, Italian Meatballs, and Roast Pork Tenderloin. A rotating variety of scrumptious Sweet Street desserts including cakes, pies and tarts will be available. Haagen Dazs ice cream will also be featured."
What of the other four trains with sleeper cars? Amtrak reminds us that "the trains not receiving the new menu are those that already have a specialized food service or have introduced an expanded menu in the past year." Whew! I was worried.
For Amtrak reservations, click on their website or call 800-USA-RAIL.
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[smiling] Do you think train food is any better than airline food?
ReplyDeleteThis is great news for my mom, retired, who actually enjoys making the Amtrak trip across the midwest to Colorado.
ReplyDeleteSurprisingly when she visited December of '06 Amtrak arrived on TIME, just as the Denver airport was closing down due to the blizzard. Returned 10 days later was a different story, with another midwest storm and a 24 delay in Chicago.
I prefer the Europe's ICE :) - but I always like hearing her first hand Amtrak stories...
I am disappointed that Amtrak has revised, yet again, their menus. Each time, they become a little less special, a little more common place, and another step lower in class.
ReplyDeleteI am also disappointed that they added appetizers to their menus, but these items which are not included in Sleeper Class meals. This is the first time, at Sleeper passengers have to be careful of what they select, may or may not be included.
Although I hate traveling on trains...I was suprised when I ordered dessert and it was Sweet Street. Their desserts are amazing! Made the ride a little "sweeter"!
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