8400 Viewliner report and pics

Just finished dinner in the 8400 on 49....Pretty nice, the decor and kinda indirect lighting was pleasing....tissue paper for tablecloths and no flowers on the tables, so could use some improvement there..I didn't get a real good look at the kitchen, but it looked a litte crowded....I had the crabcakes with mango-pineapple salsa, whole grain rice and vegetable medley.....and a lemon-berry torte for dessert....Mmmmm!

Here's some pics.....taken at the Albany-Rensselaer stop...

Your food looks appetizing and the new car is an added attraction to the Lake Shore Limited.

Thanks for the photos.

Great pictures. Thanks for posting. Do you think they will run it on the Crescent?

I dunno.....I talked to the SCA a little about it, but he didn't know much other than it was on his train...

mediaman said:

Great pictures. Thanks for posting. Do you think they will run it on the Crescent?

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8400 will only run on the LSL. The first new diners will run on the LSL as well from what Joe Boardman has said.

I heard for somebody that the seafood on Amtrak is horrible. Now this OP comes and says quote "mmm". Are the crab cakes totally unpredictable, or what?

Swadian Hardcore said:

I heard for somebody that the seafood on Amtrak is horrible. Now this OP comes and says quote "mmm". Are the crab cakes totally unpredictable, or what?

Click to expand...

The crab cakes I had on the Auto Train last year were a delight--lots of real crab meat. The crab cakes I had on the LSL this month looked just like the photo above, and they were lousy. Lots of filler and bits that looked like imitation crab.

gatelouse said:

1334466149[/url]' post='360985']

Swadian Hardcore said:

1334465612[/url]' post='360980']I heard for somebody that the seafood on Amtrak is horrible. Now this OP comes and says quote "mmm". Are the crab cakes totally unpredictable, or what?

Click to expand...

The crab cakes I had on the Auto Train last year were a delight--lots of real crab meat. The crab cakes I had on the LSL this month looked just like the photo above, and they were lousy. Lots of filler and bits that looked like imitation crab.

Click to expand...

Those "crab cakes" in the picture above do not look like crab cakes at all.

ParrotRob said:

gatelouse said:

1334466149[/url]' post='360985']

Swadian Hardcore said:

1334465612[/url]' post='360980']I heard for somebody that the seafood on Amtrak is horrible. Now this OP comes and says quote "mmm". Are the crab cakes totally unpredictable, or what?

Click to expand...

The crab cakes I had on the Auto Train last year were a delight--lots of real crab meat. The crab cakes I had on the LSL this month looked just like the photo above, and they were lousy. Lots of filler and bits that looked like imitation crab.

Click to expand...

Those "crab cakes" in the picture above do not look like crab cakes at all.

Click to expand...

What are they supposed to look like? Post a picture of what you think they should be. They look fine to me and most reviews of them have been positive.

haolerider said:

ParrotRob said:

gatelouse said:

1334466149[/url]' post='360985']

Swadian Hardcore said:

1334465612[/url]' post='360980']I heard for somebody that the seafood on Amtrak is horrible. Now this OP comes and says quote "mmm". Are the crab cakes totally unpredictable, or what?

Click to expand...

The crab cakes I had on the Auto Train last year were a delight--lots of real crab meat. The crab cakes I had on the LSL this month looked just like the photo above, and they were lousy. Lots of filler and bits that looked like imitation crab.

Click to expand...

Those "crab cakes" in the picture above do not look like crab cakes at all.

Click to expand...

What are they supposed to look like? Post a picture of what you think they should be. They look fine to me and most reviews of them have been positive.

Click to expand...

You have to remember that ParrotRob resides from Maryland (well at least part of the time). Maryland is home of the crab cake and the picture of the Amtrak crab cake fails in comparison to a Maryland "crab house" crab cake.

All kidding aside, the Amtrak crab cake is tasty enough and I order it often on my train rides. However, I sure miss a Maryland crab cake and I get my fix of them on my trips back to Harpers Ferry particularly May's Restaurant in Frederick, MD.

haolerider said:

ParrotRob said:

Those "crab cakes" in the picture above do not look like crab cakes at all.

Click to expand...

What are they supposed to look like? Post a picture of what you think they should be. They look fine to me and most reviews of them have been positive.

Click to expand...

Since you asked for it, here is your crab cake lesson. Don't get me wrong, lots of things out there that call themselves crab cakes are good eatin', so I'm not saying the thing on the plate up there isn't tasty, it's just not what I'd call a crab cake.

Below is a bad crabcake. First of all it's obviously fried way too long, and where is the crab meat anyway? Shredded into tiny bits? LOL, and don't even get me started on that sauce that's under it. A good crab cake stands on it's own and doesn't need any "remoulade" or "chutney" or anything else!



Next up is a pretty good looking crab cake. Notice you can actually see the crab meat, there's no sauce, and there's no dark brown marks from frying it to death:



Finally, this next one is what it SHOULD look like. Not only do we have visible meat, but it's jumbo lump (big pieces) and the cake is mostly meat with just enough "stuff" to hold it together. The tips of the meat show that it was broiled, not fried. Not only is there no sauce, there's no need for anything else at all

My next trip to "crab cake" country is at the end of April. After seeing your pictures #2 & 3 I do not know if I can wait that long!

Dovecote said:

My next trip to "crab cake" country is at the end of April. After seeing your pictures #2 & 3 I do not know if I can wait that long!

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May's is good. I like May's steamed crabs, too. Love to sit out back on the patio.

If you ever plan to head into Baltimore, let me know, and I'll tell you where to get the real deal.

ParrotRob said:

Dovecote said:

My next trip to "crab cake" country is at the end of April. After seeing your pictures #2 & 3 I do not know if I can wait that long!

Click to expand...

May's is good. I like May's steamed crabs, too. Love to sit out back on the patio.

If you ever plan to head into Baltimore, let me know, and I'll tell you where to get the real deal.

Click to expand...

Phillipe's on the Harbor? It's been a long time since I've been down to the harbor.

Maybe we should move the gathering to Baltimore.

I would say the best I've had was in Crisfield, MD, birthplace of my dad. The are some places in northern DE that do a decent crab cake. I'll be going to one later this week.

I agree that the best one's don't need flavoring.

Now, boiled is better than fried? I can never remember as my late husband used to order it for me.

Just returned from New Orleans - and on our way down we had grilled Salmon on the Crescent, and it was amazing. I had it the first night - and surprisingly they still had some on the 2nd night (arriving in NOL), so I had it both nights. It was perfect...

So yes - Amtrak can do seafood.

Love these photos - the spacious diner looks more like a nice urban cafe with skylights.

Wow those crabcakes look awesome. Philips is not the place to get great crabs in Baltimore. We went to a place across the Harbor, had to take the water taxi to get to, but I can't remember the name. I want to say a "Captain Somebody".

Whoa. Candidate for thread-drift-of-the-year right there :lol:

jb64 said:

Wow those crabcakes look awesome. Philips is not the place to get great crabs in Baltimore. We went to a place across the Harbor, had to take the water taxi to get to, but I can't remember the name. I want to say a "Captain Somebody".

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Could it be "Captain James Landing"? Never been there but heard it is in the top ten of best Baltimore crab houses. It is between Canton and Fells Point.

AmtrakBlue said:

ParrotRob said:

Dovecote said:

My next trip to "crab cake" country is at the end of April. After seeing your pictures #2 & 3 I do not know if I can wait that long!

Click to expand...

May's is good. I like May's steamed crabs, too. Love to sit out back on the patio.

If you ever plan to head into Baltimore, let me know, and I'll tell you where to get the real deal.

Click to expand...

Phillipe's on the Harbor? It's been a long time since I've been down to the harbor.

Maybe we should move the gathering to Baltimore.

I would say the best I've had was in Crisfield, MD, birthplace of my dad. The are some places in northern DE that do a decent crab cake. I'll be going to one later this week.

I agree that the best one's don't need flavoring.

Now, boiled is better than fried? I can never remember as my late husband used to order it for me.

Click to expand...

bRoiled, not boiled :giggle:

Phillips are ok, but the best places are relatively obscure and off the beaten path.

ParrotRob said:

AmtrakBlue said:

ParrotRob said:

Dovecote said:

My next trip to "crab cake" country is at the end of April. After seeing your pictures #2 & 3 I do not know if I can wait that long!

Click to expand...

May's is good. I like May's steamed crabs, too. Love to sit out back on the patio.

If you ever plan to head into Baltimore, let me know, and I'll tell you where to get the real deal.

Click to expand...

Phillipe's on the Harbor? It's been a long time since I've been down to the harbor.

Maybe we should move the gathering to Baltimore.

I would say the best I've had was in Crisfield, MD, birthplace of my dad. The are some places in northern DE that do a decent crab cake. I'll be going to one later this week.

I agree that the best one's don't need flavoring.

Now, boiled is better than fried? I can never remember as my late husband used to order it for me.

Click to expand...

bRoiled, not boiled :giggle:

Phillips are ok, but the best places are relatively obscure and off the beaten path.

Click to expand...

Broiled. See, I told you I could never remember.

It's been so long since I'd been down there I didn't even know if Philips still existed.

Well, Crisfield would certainly qualify as off the beaten path.

Dovecote said:

jb64 said:

Wow those crabcakes look awesome. Philips is not the place to get great crabs in Baltimore. We went to a place across the Harbor, had to take the water taxi to get to, but I can't remember the name. I want to say a "Captain Somebody".

Click to expand...

Could it be "Captain James Landing"? Never been there but heard it is in the top ten of best Baltimore crab houses. It is between Canton and Fells Point.

Click to expand...

Yes, I think it was. Actually got crabs instead of crabcakes there. Sorry for a little more drift.

I'm glad there'll never be a diner on the Downeaster. Couldn't stand to see dozens of comparative pictures of what a lobster roll should look like!

jb64 said:

Click to expand...

NOW you're talking.

ParrotRob said:

May's is good. I like May's steamed crabs, too. Love to sit out back on the patio.

If you ever plan to head into Baltimore, let me know, and I'll tell you where to get the real deal.

Click to expand...

We only ever pick up ay May's, but the crabs are usually pretty decent. I just noticed that you were a local, I grew up over that way. Middle school in New Market, but then Mom and Dad sent me to St. John's in Frederick instead of Linganore.

AmtrakBlue said:

Phillipe's on the Harbor? It's been a long time since I've been down to the harbor.

Click to expand...

Not a fan.

My personal favorite (outside of making my own) is G&M.

Ryan said:

1334541703[/url]' post='361201']

ParrotRob said:

1334507661[/url]' post='361043']May's is good. I like May's steamed crabs, too. Love to sit out back on the patio.

If you ever plan to head into Baltimore, let me know, and I'll tell you where to get the real deal.

Click to expand...

We only ever pick up ay May's, but the crabs are usually pretty decent. I just noticed that you were a local, I grew up over that way. Middle school in New Market, but then Mom and Dad sent me to St. John's in Frederick instead of Linganore.

AmtrakBlue said:

1334508810[/url]' post='361047']Phillipe's on the Harbor? It's been a long time since I've been down to the harbor.

Click to expand...

Not a fan.

My personal favorite (outside of making my own) is G&M.

Click to expand...

Oh my god, G&M is exactly what I had in mind when I said off the beaten path.By the way, did you know Phillips sold out and imports a lot of its "Maryland" crab meat from Southeast Asia now?