Amtrak Dining Car Changes

It is worth noting how the Alaska Railroad handles F & B, since they offer full dining service, and cafe cars.

They have gone to a cashless system, and pre-paid vouchers can be purchased in advance.

http://www.alaskarailroad.com/travel/On ... fault.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Ken

Here is a FOX video of the chefs cooking on the Southwest Chief.

http://fox2now.com/2013/07/11/fox-files ... at-90-mph/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The Southwest Chief is just one of more than a dozen overnight Amtrak trains that serve 2.3 million meals in the dining car a year.. The Texas Eagle which passes through St. Louis does the same. The menu choices are not the basic meat and potatoes.

Amtrak Executive Chef Daniel Malzhan said they serve a variety of food. “Mahi mahi with a poblano sauce verde, Thai coconut curry noodle, a Dog Fish Head Ale braised turkey shank,” he said.

Customers like Traci Karpf love the food. “I think it was excellent it always is,” she said.

Down in the galley just two people prepare all the meals. It`s not an easy task. Chef Malzhan said, “The element that the train is in motion is really significant.”

Customer Julie Nordan said, “Cooking at 90 miles per hour, I couldn`t do it.”

Under various performance initiatives, there was talk of extending the hours in the Diners and Cafes, and having them open at departure times from the initial terminals. Are those ideas being canceled under these new 2013 changes?

ThirdRail7 wrote:Here is a FOX video of the chefs cooking on the Southwest Chief.

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A story that will only lead to more confusion about Amtrak's food service.

Watching this a potential traveler is going to assume that all dinner entrees are prepared on-board.

The irony is that one of the offerings that the chef mentions, the turkey shank, is one of their national menu items that is made off-board.

Ken

peconicstation wrote:It is worth noting how the Alaska Railroad handles F & B, since they offer full dining service, and cafe cars.

They have gone to a cashless system, and pre-paid vouchers can be purchased in advance.

http://www.alaskarailroad.com/travel/On ... fault.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Ken

Good to know, thanks. I would think that Amtrak would do like airlines and now I see the Alaska Railroad does. Airlines now email customers before their trips, marketing pre-paid meal vouchers. Amtrak could probably get some additional revenue by doing that.

SouthernRailway wrote:

peconicstation wrote:It is worth noting how the Alaska Railroad handles F & B, since they offer full dining service, and cafe cars.

They have gone to a cashless system, and pre-paid vouchers can be purchased in advance.

http://www.alaskarailroad.com/travel/On ... fault.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Ken

Good to know, thanks. I would think that Amtrak would do like airlines and now I see the Alaska Railroad does. Airlines now email customers before their trips, marketing pre-paid meal vouchers. Amtrak could probably get some additional revenue by doing that.

I don't remember the thread or the participants, but several of us discussed what it would take to have a cashless dining car. We agreed that station agents and QuikTrak machines would need to sell vouchers, and I and others suggested that dining car vouchers also be sold in the lounge car. I don't remember our suggestions about alcoholic drinks though, since those wouldn't be so easy to sell on vouchers.

Wifi should make it easy to order on the train. Even out of cell range, there is no reason why a intranet system could not work on the train itself.
I think the only problem would be the number of coach passengers who would want meal service, if it was made a lot easier for them to be informed what you actually get, for how much.
My experience was that there was no dining car information in the seat pockets, in any of the 7 or 8 trains I took on my last trip.
Definitely a contrast to the Airlines, and to my memories of Amtrak trips in the 90's.

David Benton wrote:Wifi should make it easy to order on the train. Even out of cell range, there is no reason why a intranet system could not work on the train itself.
I think the only problem would be the number of coach passengers who would want meal service, if it was made a lot easier for them to be informed what you actually get, for how much.
My experience was that there was no dining car information in the seat pockets, in any of the 7 or 8 trains I took on my last trip.
Definitely a contrast to the Airlines, and to my memories of Amtrak trips in the 90's.

Usually when the employee is walking through the train asking for reservations you can ask for a menu. You can also walk up to the dining car and get a menu.

Something I've noticed on the NEC is they are now putting the cafe car menu in the seat back, I think this would be a great idea on the long distance trains (putting in the cafe & dining car menus).

Does anyone remember from perhaps about 8-10 years ago the dessert item of
chocolate or devils food cake that was huge, moist and very tasty?

I'd really like to see Amtrak bring that item back and I've sent them comments
to that effect following my various LD trips.

Charles Frodsham wrote:Does anyone remember from perhaps about 8-10 years ago the dessert item of
chocolate or devils food cake that was huge, moist and very tasty?

I'd really like to see Amtrak bring that item back and I've sent them comments
to that effect following my various LD trips.

I've certainly had it more recently than that. But I know exactly what yo're talking about. Delicious and enough calories to feed the entire train.