Capitol Limited (30) Dinner

[John Bobinyec]

There are several threads on this, but it's hard to tell what's current (May 2019).

Leaving Chicago at 6.40 p.m. in first class, should I expect an evening meal?

Thanks,
jb

 

[pennyk]

Below is a quote from the LSL food review thread. The lunch and dinner entrees on the LSL are the same as the dinner entrees on the Capitol Limited. The dining car is now a sleeper lounge. Passengers have their choice whether to eat in the sleeper lounge or their room.

The last time I rode the Capitol Limited eastbound, we left Chicago late and dinner was delayed.

I rode the LSL eastbound last week and had breakfast and lunch. Here are my reviews, starting with lunch.

As we are entitled to one drink on the house, I opted for the red wine. They are no longer serving the Hahn half-bottles but instead little Woodbridge supermarket 4-pack bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon. OK for free (for the Amtrak price of $8.50, not so much).

The lunch offerings (same as dinner) were chicken alfredo, braised beef, antipasto plate and the sesame noodle bowl. We could go to the DC pretty much any time after 11:30 and request our meal. The attendant would add your meal to a box that already contained a small salad, dressing, a dinner role, spread, and a dessert bar. In addition, she added a choice of a brownie or a blondie. In my case, as I ordered the sesame noodle bowl, she asked if I wanted it hot or cold. I opted to take it cold. I also took the blondie.

The meal was quite ok in my opinion. Especially for someone wishing to eat something healthy and/or nutritious (with one modification). The small side salad was fresh mixed greens and two cherry tomatoes. There was a packet of Newman's Own balsalmic dressing. The roll was a traditional soft pre-packaged Amtrak dinner roll. The spread was fake and tasted like butter or maybe margarine.

The entree was composed of a mound of lightly salted spaghetti-type pasta and some sesame seeds. The rest of the bowl was filled with a good selection of broccoli crowns, red peppers, scallions, red cabbage slices and edamame. I discarded the scallions and ate the rest, which tasted fine at room temperature. The veggies were very fresh looking and fresh tasting and went well with the sesame noodles. The dish was filling and there were still two desserts to come--one in the box, a vegan "brownie" that tasted exactly like compressed dates and nuts with no chocolate flavor, and the add-on blondie that was fine (and I am sure not vegan).

I tasted but -- like pennyk above -- did not use the sesame dressing on the noodle bowl. Presumably you are supposed to pour this glop on top. It was cloyingly sweet and would ruin the meal. Also, checking the ingredients, it contains sugar, soy, brown sugar, corn starch and the following chemicals: xantham gum, phosphoric acid, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, citric acid, disodium inosinate, and guanylate. Why would anyone eating a vegan meal want this? The box should contain a packet of soy or tamari sauce and leave it at that.

With my one quibble, I found this meal to be an acceptable lunch. I will review the "breakfast" in a later post.

 

[John Bobinyec]

So if the train leaves on time, what's the earliest the evening meal is served?

jb

 

[RPC]

When I rode the eastbound CL back when it had a full diner, the first seating was actually before the train departed CUS. Last summer they didn't start slinging "fresh & contemporary" until we were somewhere past Gary. I have no idea what's going on with the "new & improved fresh & contemporary."

 

[g28646]

When I was on 30 six weeks ago the first seating was around 7:30 CT.

 

[JP1822]

Was on Capitol Limited a couple of weeks ago and in April eastbound out of Chicago and the SCA came by and took times/reservations for passengers to go to the diner to get and partake in the box dinners. Couple of weeks ago, unlike April trip eastbound, the Capitol Limited left Chicago with nearly every roomette and bedroom full, including half of the Superliner Trans Dorm/Sleeper. Times for dinner were offered at 7:30, 8:00, 8:30, 9:00 and 9:30 pm. Some were NOT happy with the 9:30 pm dinner slot! When a full diner was operated (e.g. no box meal service), everyone was typically fed by 9 pm the latest even when full out of Chicago.

It went so late because the sleepers were full leaving Chicago, unlike Washington DC per say. Only four rooms in the Superliner Trans Dorm/Sleeper were reserved for crew, all other rooms were open to be sold to revenue passengers. First time I’ve been onboard to see the lower room numbers being sold (#1 through #4, which are on the “other side”).

Passengers booked in sleepers (on both RT I took) - 95% boarded in Chicago and if all were not going to DC, they were transferring at Pittsburgh. The manifest that I saw westbound nearly, mirrored that, meaning whatever sleeping car passengers hadn’t boarded in Washington DC, they were boarding in Pittsburgh. There was hardly any intermediate boarding or de-boarding on both round trips I took........ We also arrived into DC heading eastbound at 2:30 pm. Normally with the full diner, a brunch had been offered till about 12 noon (or till Marinsburg). But with the box meal service, you got breakfast only, and if you wanted anything after that - one had to go to the cafe, which was largely sold out by 12 noon. Not that anyone starved, but more accommodating when the Capitol Limited offered a brunch eastbound.