New menu items

I know that the Amtrak's menu items have been out for some time and It has been over a year since my last Amtrak adventure.

I see some new items on the menu for the Capitol Limited and the Southwest Chief that look good, so I was wondering how they taste.

What are your opinions on the crab cake dinner and the chocolate mousse?

Just had them on the Empire Builder last week. Crab Cakes are good. They are shrimp and crab cakes, I preferred the more traditional crab cakes on the Amtrak menu a few years ago. The old crab cakes were a 10. These were more of a 6 or 7 for me.

Chocolate mousse is really good. Way better than the chocolate pudding from the last menu. It's a bit rich, but that didn't stop me from eating the whole thing.

That chocolate mousse is a real winner.

I really enjoyed the crab cakes when I had them on the Coast Starlight in March. They were very good. As was the mousse.

crescent-zephyr said:

Chocolate mousse is really good.

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zephyr17 said:

That chocolate mousse is a real winner.

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JayPea said:

They were very good. As was the mousse.

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Y'all talking about this...?



Amtrak calls it a "Chocolate Cream Tart" and plates it as-is for $6.25.

Devil said:

crescent-zephyr said:

Chocolate mousse is really good.

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zephyr17 said:

That chocolate mousse is a real winner.

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JayPea said:

They were very good. As was the mousse.

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Y'all talking about this...?

Amtrak calls it a "Chocolate Cream Tart" and plates it as-is for $6.25.

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Yup. It's way better Than the previous chocolate tart / mousse / pudding whatever it was called.
Also... That's way fancier than served to me. Just plop the black cup on the table.

LOL.

I enjoyed the chocolate mousse. Preferred it over the yogurt cheesecake I had at an earlier meal. Someone at my table had the shrimp/crab cake and said it was good. I was going to try it but I couldn't resist the steak!

are the steaks still cooked to order, or are they precooked in Guangzhou?

tommylicious said:

are the steaks still cooked to order, or are they precooked in Guangzhou?

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They're as cooked to order as they've ever been, at least insofar as I can tell. However my most recent "Amtrak Signature Steak" was really stringy with lots of gristle and cartilage. The taste was fine but even with a steak knife it was difficult and tedious to cut properly on a cheap plastic plate.

In addition to the poor quality they are also much Smaller. Brings to mind the "Steaks" that were actually Pot Roast (Braised Beef) during the last Moronic Simplified Menu saga meant to "Save Money" in the Diners.

Is the change to the steaks part of the recent menu change, or is it possible that Amtrak just recently got a bad batch or something? I'm just wondering whether these are "officially" bad steaks or accidentally bad steaks. Personally, I've heard a lot of people complain about the steaks over the years, but I normally enjoy them. However, there must obviously be a point of diminishing returns where they're just not good anymore.

I would guess it's an intentional smaller / cheaper cut, along with the chicken breast.

The past couple of years, the steaks have not been as good as I remember from earlier. Once seemed like it might be a fluke, but I tried them about three times and it was the same--smaller and tougher than before. I rarely eat meat at home and used to look forward to this as a treat, but now I consider other items on the menu as well.

D.P. Roberts said:

Is the change to the steaks part of the recent menu change, or is it possible that Amtrak just recently got a bad batch or something? I'm just wondering whether these are "officially" bad steaks or accidentally bad steaks. Personally, I've heard a lot of people complain about the steaks over the years, but I normally enjoy them. However, there must obviously be a point of diminishing returns where they're just not good anymore.

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I remember that not long ago, the steaks were officially mentioned as being from a supplier from Chicago. But the named sourcing seemed to coincide with the end of the ‘chef-inspired’ era, and I’m guessing that the contract with that supplier did, as well.

In reality it could be both a bad batch and declining quality of suppliers. I have no clue as to the intricacies of Amtrak’s foodservice procurement process, but my guess is that if they are not using a single-source supplier for any non-branded items, they are using multiple suppliers with different contracts. It probably is cheaper to do so (surprise, surprise), but once you introduce multiple vendors into the supply chain, it’s harder to maintain consistent quality. About the only consistency will be in size/weight and cut and grade of product.

Personally I’ve noticed the reduction in size (and presumably weight) of the steaks in the last couple of years, but the quality hasn’t suffered appreciably that I can tell (though in a few days I will be able to see if that continues to be the case). I was amused when I first saw them name the supplier, as if that alone assured a good finished product. Even the top of the line filet mignon from Omaha Steaks can be made to taste like shoe leather if prepared improperly.

I think all of the Amtrak food comes from the same supplier. But that supplier can provide "name brand" or lower quality "generic" brand. That's the shame... All it takes to get better quality food is to order higher quality food from the supplier. The Lamb Shank and other quality Entrees were produced from the same Amtrak kitchens with the same staffing as current full service diners.

crescent-zephyr said:

I think all of the Amtrak food comes from the same supplier. But that supplier can provide "name brand" or lower quality "generic" brand. That's the shame... All it takes to get better quality food is to order higher quality food from the supplier. The Lamb Shank and other quality Entrees were produced from the same Amtrak kitchens with the same staffing as current full service diners.

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They might have the same supplier for pre-packaged and prepared goods (such as Sysco or US Foods), but I'm betting their fresh foods (meat, produce, etc) come from several suppliers, though they might contract with a buyer to coordinate that for them. Based on the service network, I would guess that one is in Chicago and one is on the East Coast. They might be able to order from one supplier, but I would imagine that they attempt to source one that is able to provide a consistently higher quality of specific product for the Acela runs, because that's where the money (and expectation) is, of course.

Me, I am a 6 oz Outback Special kind of person. That's about all I want or need. When I rode the EB, CS, and CZ in April, I did not notice that the steaks had been downsized and mine was cooked to order well done and as delicious as ever. I just love the flavor of the souse on the steaks and missed it when they did not include the sauce on the CS.

I get to try the steak again Monday, June 13, on the Lake Shore Limited NYC to Chicago. I'll try to see if it's been downsized or the quality lessened.

Bob Dylan said:

In addition to the poor quality they are also much Smaller.

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crescent-zephyr said:

I would guess it's an intentional smaller / cheaper cut

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Mystic River Dragon said:

I tried them about three times and it was the same--smaller and tougher than before.

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RSG said:

Personally Ive noticed the reduction in size (and presumably weight) of the steaks

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I would have to agree. In addition to the quality the average size of the steaks does appear to have decreased over time. One of the ways Amtrak seems to be disguising this change is by using plastic dishes with a smaller food portion area surrounded by a larger lip.

RSG said:

crescent-zephyr said:

I think all of the Amtrak food comes from the same supplier. But that supplier can provide "name brand" or lower quality "generic" brand. That's the shame... All it takes to get better quality food is to order higher quality food from the supplier. The Lamb Shank and other quality Entrees were produced from the same Amtrak kitchens with the same staffing as current full service diners.

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They might have the same supplier for pre-packaged and prepared goods (such as Sysco or US Foods), but I'm betting their fresh foods (meat, produce, etc) come from several suppliers, though they might contract with a buyer to coordinate that for them. Based on the service network, I would guess that one is in Chicago and one is on the East Coast. They might be able to order from one supplier, but I would imagine that they attempt to source one that is able to provide a consistently higher quality of specific product for the Acela runs, because that's where the money (and expectation) is, of course.

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The point of a having one supplier is to have one supplier. That's why companies like Sysco exist. Sysco (and others) can supply whatever quality the customer asks for.

crescent-zephyr said:

I think all of the Amtrak food comes from the same supplier. But that supplier can provide "name brand" or lower quality "generic" brand. That's the shame... All it takes to get better quality food is to order higher quality food from the supplier. The Lamb Shank and other quality Entrees were produced from the same Amtrak kitchens with the same staffing as current full service diners.

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The supplier, at least for trains stocked in New York, is ARA.

Me and a friend both had the Chicken Breast on Train 97 a couple of weeks ago. I have to say that it was not too bad. Now, if they could just change the vegetables!!!!!!

GaSteve said:

crescent-zephyr said:

I think all of the Amtrak food comes from the same supplier. But that supplier can provide "name brand" or lower quality "generic" brand. That's the shame... All it takes to get better quality food is to order higher quality food from the supplier. The Lamb Shank and other quality Entrees were produced from the same Amtrak kitchens with the same staffing as current full service diners.

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The supplier, at least for trains stocked in New York, is ARA.

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As in ARA Services, the current Aramark? If so, that would make sense, as they are currently the linen supplier for Amtrak and certainly have experience with foodservice.

crescent-zephyr said:

RSG said:

crescent-zephyr said:

I think all of the Amtrak food comes from the same supplier. But that supplier can provide "name brand" or lower quality "generic" brand. That's the shame... All it takes to get better quality food is to order higher quality food from the supplier. The Lamb Shank and other quality Entrees were produced from the same Amtrak kitchens with the same staffing as current full service diners.

Click to expand...

They might have the same supplier for pre-packaged and prepared goods (such as Sysco or US Foods), but I'm betting their fresh foods (meat, produce, etc) come from several suppliers, though they might contract with a buyer to coordinate that for them. Based on the service network, I would guess that one is in Chicago and one is on the East Coast. They might be able to order from one supplier, but I would imagine that they attempt to source one that is able to provide a consistently higher quality of specific product for the Acela runs, because that's where the money (and expectation) is, of course.

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The point of a having one supplier is to have one supplier. That's why companies like Sysco exist. Sysco (and others) can supply whatever quality the customer asks for.

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Except when they can’t, or when they mess up and risk jeopardizing part/s of an entire operation. Which is why having two vendors at the least, is wise from an operational standpoint.

The mere mention of the name “Sysco” still elicits a sneer from a friend of mine who once owned a diner in the Black Hills of South Dakota. One time he placed an order from his sole supplier—Sysco—for enough liquid egg product to get him through the massive breakfasts he did every year during the Sturgis Bike Rally. When the route truck came, he found that they had substituted cases of whole eggs instead. While under normal customer traffic (i.e., the rest of the year) it would have been no big deal, making breakfasts in short order for ten times the customer base with three extra steps creates a huge issue, particularly if there isn’t enough staff to deal with the snafu and when it is unexpected and there isn’t any time to make alternate arrangements. He and his staff made it through, but not without a major inconvenience and a number of complaints about the slow service.

OTOH, having a single supplier could explain why the dining cars are often out of the Marketplace Special and other “seasonal” items—not just for a single run, but semi-permanently; until new menus come out and are replaced with something else.

Reno89502 said:

Me and a friend both had the Chicken Breast on Train 97 a couple of weeks ago. I have to say that it was not too bad. Now, if they could just change the vegetables!!!!!!

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I bring my own bottle of spice blend (mccormick or whatever) to put onto my vegetables. Otherwise they're waaay too bland. Also, the new crab cakes are OK. They have a lot of sodium in them, even though you can't really taste it.