New Dining Car Menus Nov. 4

[BCL]

My wife has to be gluten free and the salmon or tilapia were always excellent choices. Crab cakes, while I enjoy them, are not a good option for her, as crab cakes contain breading. Breading means wheat, which is a no go.

Unadulterated fish always made for a great past option and I wish they would bring it back. She already can't eat most things on the menu ...

Just be aware that the majority of tilapia we get in the US is farm raised in China and their primary diet is feces.

Kind of an overstatement. Tilapia is farmed in the US and Canada. In China there have been farms feeding the fish animal waste (they can survive on almost anything) to save money, but it's not always the case.

 

[blondninja]

Yumacool, you know you can call Amtrak after you book with your wife's specific dietary restrictions? Tell them she's gluten free and apparently they'll accommodate her.

 

[Triley]

Yumacool, you know you can call Amtrak after you book with your wife's specific dietary restrictions? Tell them she's gluten free and apparently they'll accommodate her.

Regarding this, here is what is posted on the website about: Low Fat, Low Cholesterol, Low Sodium, Gluten Free, Wheat Free, Peanut Free Meals

"Amtrak does not offer meals specifically designated as low fat, low cholesterol, low sodium, gluten free, wheat free or peanut free. Most dinner entrees are not prepared on the dining car. The fat, cholesterol, sodium, gluten, wheat and peanut content may vary, and cannot be controlled or modified by the chef.

Certain menu items are inherently low in fat, cholesterol and/or sodium and may be ordered from the regular menu. The dining car waiter or lead service attendant can provide guidance."

 

[A Voice]

My wife has to be gluten free and the salmon or tilapia were always excellent choices. Crab cakes, while I enjoy them, are not a good option for her, as crab cakes contain breading. Breading means wheat, which is a no go.

Unadulterated fish always made for a great past option and I wish they would bring it back. She already can't eat most things on the menu ...

Just be aware that the majority of tilapia we get in the US is farm raised in China and their primary diet is feces.

I suspect most of us would find the (animal) diets of our steaks, hamburgers, and bacon also pretty revolting (perhaps not to the same degree), but that doesn't stop us enjoying them, and I have the waistline to prove it.

 

[Eric308]

My wife has to be gluten free and the salmon or tilapia were always excellent choices. Crab cakes, while I enjoy them, are not a good option for her, as crab cakes contain breading. Breading means wheat, which is a no go.

Unadulterated fish always made for a great past option and I wish they would bring it back. She already can't eat most things on the menu ...

Just be aware that the majority of tilapia we get in the US is farm raised in China and their primary diet is feces.

I suspect most of us would find the (animal) diets of our steaks, hamburgers, and bacon also pretty revolting (perhaps not to the same degree), but that doesn't stop us enjoying them, and I have the waistline to prove it.

I just think that there are so many more WILD sourced fish that are better for you. I don't eat any farm raised fish.

http://simpleorganiclife.org/never-eat-tilapia/

 

[tonys96]

• French Toast has been replaced with Buttermilk Pancakes.

Noooo.....what a revolting turn of events.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

I wish they'd bring back Blackened Catfish; I had that on the Sunset many years ago and is was very good!

 

[D.P. Roberts]

Since the menus change every six months, one can only hope that the French Toast will be back in May.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Well Chris, there's always Dennys on East Commerce where all the elite eat!

The last time I tried to order Denny's to go they taped two plastic plates together and pretended it was some sort of new age travel container. No thanks.

Just be aware that the majority of tilapia we get in the US is farm raised in China and their primary diet is feces.

I'm not sure if I'm more disgusted by the feces or being sourced in China. Same difference?

 

[niemi24s]

City slicker food purists never cease to amaze me. This yokel lives on nice clear 100+ acre Northern inland lake and occasionally amuses himself by watching fish follow ducks around for a warm meal.

 

[Sauve850]

I always enjoy breakfast while on the train. French toast will be missed but maybe pancakes will be good. If they are hot and you put enough syrup on them they will be fine!

 

[blondninja]

Triley, I was told of you call it in Advance they will have a special options you can choose and they'll bring it on board and you notify your car attendant when you board.

 

[TinCan782]

I'm glad the tilapia was replaced with the salmon (which was pretty good) but now shrimp-crab cakes?

BTW, last summer, I had the salmon two different ways...same salmon but the presentation and sides were different...both good.

 

[BCL]

Well Chris, there's always Dennys on East Commerce where all the elite eat!

The last time I tried to order Denny's to go they taped two plastic plates together and pretended it was some sort of new age travel container. No thanks.

Just be aware that the majority of tilapia we get in the US is farm raised in China and their primary diet is feces.

I'm not sure if I'm more disgusted by the feces or being sourced in China. Same difference?

I actually got the same from Amtrak. Well - actually foil on top of one of the plastic plates.

As for Tilapia, well yeah it can survive on a wide variety of organic materials. One nickname is "sewer fish". It's not a great idea to feed them manure, but apparently it's just part of the diet at some farms. If a fish eating feces worries you, then avoid catfish. They're bottom feeders, and guess what's at the bottom of the lake? The biggest worry should be about the condition of the farm. The worst ones concentrate way too many fish in small pens.

Heck - I eat oysters, which are filter feeders. The local oyster farms are located in areas with cattle runoff, and it's actually a nutrient. I know it sounds gross, but that's a cultural reaction because we're taught that fecal matter is gross.

 

[acelafan]

Hate to sound cynical, but this sounds like that World Famous Chef John Mica might have had a hand in coming up with the New and Improved Menus.

 

[Thirdrail7]

"Amtrak does not offer meals specifically designated as low fat, low cholesterol, low sodium, gluten free, wheat free or peanut free. Most dinner entrees are not prepared on the dining car.

What a shame. I used to stalk certain trains years ago because I knew the chef created great meals.

 

[JayPea]

i am disappointed to see the salmon go away. I love salmon and have never had a bad salmon dinner on Amtrak. I will now have to choose something else. Drat! I hate having to be flexible!!! :angry:

 

[jnismith]

Out of about 8 meals this year on trains (CZ, Cardinal), the French Toast was the only thing that tasted fresh and that I really enjoyed. I remember (in the UK), a full English breakfast cooked to order - now that is long gone. If the food on the trains becomes total pre-packaged, then I will be long-gone as well.

 

[dlagrua]

The great plan to ficticious dining car profitability continues. Then what happens when it is discovered that dining cars in their entire history were never profitable and can never be made profitable?

 

[Triley]

The great plan to ficticious dining car profitability continues. Then what happens when it is discovered that dining cars in their entire history were never profitable and can never be made profitable?

Is that what you think this menu change is about?

The menu changes across the company, including Acela First Class and Cafe cars frequently to try to bring a little variety in choices to those people who ride more than a handful of times a year. (I'm extra board and work just about everything in or out of Boston, and there are certain trains that I already expect certain passengers to be on, because they're so frequent."")

 

[jis]

i am disappointed to see the salmon go away. I love salmon and have never had a bad salmon dinner on Amtrak. I will now have to choose something else. Drat! I hate having to be flexible!!! :angry:

If they keep going at this rate, soon the Pepperoni pizza from the Cafe will start appearing like the most attractive fare on the train Juuuuust kidding.

Too bad the Salmon is going away. I guess the crab cake it will be. but I have no trips planned until the OTOL Fest next year. So the menu will probably change a few more times by then. The again maybe I will take a trip on the Star to celebrate re-introduction of the Diner to it come February. Nothing will happen before then anyway as far as LD train travel in the US for me goes.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

The great plan to ficticious dining car profitability continues. Then what happens when it is discovered that dining cars in their entire history were never profitable and can never be made profitable?

Is that what you think this menu change is about?

The menu changes across the company, including Acela First Class and Cafe cars frequently to try to bring a little variety in choices to those people who ride more than a handful of times a year. (I'm extra board and work just about everything in or out of Boston, and there are certain trains that I already expect certain passengers to be on, because they're so frequent."")

After watching most long distance trains merged into a single generic nationwide menu, with fewer selections than any one train previously offered, this post sounds laughably naive.

 

[Ryan]

So because Amtrak did one thing that reduced variability (which sucks), they can't to anything to try and maintain the last vestiges of it?

 

[Devil's Advocate]

So because Amtrak did one thing that reduced variability (which sucks), they can't to anything to try and maintain the last vestiges of it?

One thing?

01. Replaced the actual chef inspired meals with commissary chow

02. Substantially reduced the number of menu options

03. Merged all regional menus in a single generic national menu

04. Removed diner from this train, cook from that train, etc.

05. Removed some post-terminal and pre-terminal meal services

06. Introduced even more limited menus for "special circumstances"

07. Removed juice cocktails for mixed drinks and the like

08. Began rationing water, ice, coffee, and lettuce

09. Raised prices on nearly everything that remained

10. Removed the last vestiges of premium service routes

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

I have had the Crab Cakes before, even a couple times when they rotated onto the Breakfast Menu, and they were good.