Lake Shore Limited, New Meal Service Review

[Old MM]

Bit of a head scratcher... seems like a train could just as easily have no hard boiled eggs as no steak and fish?

I know for breakfast I'd rather sit down and wait a few minutes for scrambled eggs and potatoes than have the "flexibility" of picking up a hard boiled egg and a cardboard dish of oatmeal? But maybe that's just me.

Even Amtrak's full service dining cars make things too complicated, just let me order off a menu like anywhere else in the world. Try ordering scrambled eggs, potatoes, and a cup of yogurt. Sounds simple enough, but it's an impossibility at Amtrak.

Yeah. it's a bit of a head scratcher the way I wrote it. Tired.
The cereals, granola bars and oatmeal bowls are the non-perishables that I meant were probably easy to provision. The breakfast sandwiches I'm pretty sure are frozen and microwaved. As for the eggs, I just think there isn't going to be a stampede where all the eggs are gone one hour into the meal service. So if they did run out of the sandwiches, there's a fallback protein option which I need to start the day. "Flexibility" meaning, flexibility to not starve

 

[crescent-zephyr]

Have you seen a stampede to the dining car that resulted in you being denied scrambled eggs or an omelette?

I’ve seen the dining car run out of steak or simply not have items on the menu for various reasons, but all the basics have always been covered.

I’m just trying to figure out how you have less chance of starving with the “contemporary” dining vs. traditional dining car.

 

[Manny T]

We don't see a lot of threads from Acela first class passengers complaining about their meals. Why is that?

To me, given the price points for CL and LSL sleeper tickets, they would seem comparable to first class on Acela in terms of cost to the consumer, whether Amtrak calls sleeper service "first class" or not.

In terms of meal service, what is Acela FC doing that CL and LSL are not doing? Couldn't these trains provide the same type of first class meals, B, L, and D, to sleeper PAX in the dining cars?

 

[Old MM]

Have you seen a stampede to the dining car that resulted in you being denied scrambled eggs or an omelette?

Yes. You can call me on use of the word "stampede", but on the same trip where there were no steaks or seafood for the sleeper car passengers boarding at WAS on the Meteor (after the tour group got through them) there were also almost no hot entrees for breakfast. No omelettes. The LSL food service would have been preferable. Sad statement, I know.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

Ahhh ok now that makes a bit more sense. But if said tour group was on the LSL they would have picked through all the good stuff too I’m guessing? Or was the tour group in coach?

 

[Dakota 400]

And to think there was a time when railroad dining car menus offered a selection that rivaled most larger restaurant menus.

And, there was a time when one could order ala carte items rather than the Table d' Hote Dinner which included a choice of appetizer (soup or juice), your entree with potato and vegetable, salad with a choice of dressings, rolls, a choice of non-alcoholic beverage and a choice of dessert. One menu that I recently viewed (a C&NW 400 dinner menu) allowed children under 12 half portions at half off the price.

 

[Old MM]

Ahhh ok now that makes a bit more sense. But if said tour group was on the LSL they would have picked through all the good stuff too I’m guessing? Or was the tour group in coach?

Yeah, that is a point.

 

[piedpiper]

I was also on the Lake Shore Limited Boston sleeper section two weeks ago. No more pseudo-luxury toiletry collection. I can compare that food experience to my Summer 2018 experience.The first issue is that you don't realize that the same Cafe Car (next to the sleeper), where you get your lunch box for the sleeper, does not provide sleeper meals after the NYC section links up in Albany. The official sleeper diner is indeed 7 cars away by dinner time. I am an active dance student, so I have good balance and stamina. I think an older or disabled person could not make it. It might make sense to think of this when placing the sleeper on the train. Yes then that means a lunch trek! In any case, this is something that a good SCA should tell people. The food itself was better. The breakfast sandwich was on a long roll that was 2x the length of the fried egg and ham slice. I cut off the excess part I tried the beef entree for lunch: it was OK; edible but not special. I loved the chocolate brownie. I had the pasta for dinner. I liked it a lot. I had another brownie for dessert. The point of the sleeper: privacy, predictability of noise level (loud talkers, screaming babies/children, the ability to lie down at night, use of the first class lounge. Free food is nice, but it's last on my list. Given the current inability to maintain actual first class meal service, I would be OK with having a choice of getting the "free meal" or getting (from diner or SCA) a voucher to get something from the cafe car (fixed value--e.g. $20, or a set of check boxes where you choose 4 items;e.g.,--sandwich or pizza; chips; beverage; dessert.

Did you go CHI to BOS or BOS to CHI ?? I was wondering if one gets a lunch box after boarding at Boston.

 

[lordsigma]

I hope part of the new point of sale system is pre-trip selection of main meal entrees. This would pretty much solve the problem of running out of items, both on the LSL model and even on traditional dining cars. It would also reduce costs and spoilage - you
Would basically be carrying exactly what you need to serve.

 

[lordsigma]

I wonder where else this model is destined for? I could see them putting this menu on the Cardinal and City of New Orleans diner lites next to “standardize” things.

 

[JP1822]

The “frequency” of this meal service kinda works - breakfast and lunch/dinner - as long as the westbound Capitol Limited and Lake Shore arrive before 1 pm into Chicago - and for the most part they have been late, but not THAT late where the westbound meal service is majorly affected.

Eastbound, from Chicago (Midwest) to East Coast has always been tricky in the Amtrak era. I think Amtrak should just back the Lake Shore Limited schedule’s departure up so that it departs at 8:30 pm. If it needs to be held, then it gets held. It’s largely only being held for coach passenger misconnects from the Capitol Limited (to Cleveland or possibly “all the way” coach passengers to NYC who needed to access points on the NEC) and those who booked a sleeper car on the Lake Shore directly.

When the Lake Shore Limited “last” served as the cleanup train BRIEFLY in the late 1990s (e.g. before the Three Rivers was launched and after the Broadway Limited was discontinued), it got a departure time out of Chicago of 8:30 pm or even 8 pm! Still no dinner leaving Chicago eastbound for the Lake Shore, but it would at least try to get it to NYC before 5 pm on the printed schedule. Tighten the schedule up a bit east of Toledo too. No need for the longer layovers at various stops since checked baggage is on the decline and its now all condensed in one car. I get that there’s hidden “recovery time” built in.

I’ve seen and been on the Capitol Limited eastbound when breakfast was served at 8 am, wrapped up by 10:30 am, and arrival into Washington DC is closer to 3 pm. You can still try going to the “sold-out” cafe before it closes at Harper’s Ferry, but that’s kinda pointless for reasons mentioned. Most passengers with that kind of arrival time are now scrambling to figure out - are there connections in DC still good or what needs altering. The kids - and even adults are screaming because they are hungry and want lunch. My answer to this has been to pack a sandwich leaving Chicago as a just in case. The Capitol Limited used to serve a “brunch” between Pittsburgh and Harpers Ferry. That seemed to be the best compromise when full dining car service was offered.

Also, the current “box meal” program will only work for sleeping car passengers. Are coach passengers content with the Cafe service.

THe service has its pros and cons as it currently exists. It’s too bad that AMtrak can’t capitalize eastbound with “dinner along the Hudson RIver.” Not all passengers end their trip in NYC or are bound for dinner restaurants in NYC after getting off the LSL. At least Washington Union Station has nice sit down eatery options in the Station. NYP doesn’t really have that luxury at present - it’s coming with Moniyhan Station over at the Post Office Building eventually.

 

[Old MM]

With high prices for our travel dates this summer and with the knowledge that meals aren't necessarily included, increasingly it appears that we will be flying to and from Miami, much as I'd rather take the train.

 

[jloewen]

The “frequency” of this meal service kinda works - breakfast and lunch/dinner - as long as the westbound Capitol Limited and Lake Shore arrive before 1 pm into Chicago - and for the most part they have been late, but not THAT late where the westbound meal service is majorly affected.

Eastbound, from Chicago (Midwest) to East Coast has always been tricky in the Amtrak era. I think Amtrak should just back the Lake Shore Limited schedule’s departure up so that it departs at 8:30 pm. If it needs to be held, then it gets held. It’s largely only being held for coach passenger misconnects from the Capitol Limited (to Cleveland or possibly “all the way” coach passengers to NYC who needed to access points on the NEC) and those who booked a sleeper car on the Lake Shore directly.

When the Lake Shore Limited “last” served as the cleanup train BRIEFLY in the late 1990s (e.g. before the Three Rivers was launched and after the Broadway Limited was discontinued), it got a departure time out of Chicago of 8:30 pm or even 8 pm! Still no dinner leaving Chicago eastbound for the Lake Shore, but it would at least try to get it to NYC before 5 pm on the printed schedule. Tighten the schedule up a bit east of Toledo too. No need for the longer layovers at various stops since checked baggage is on the decline and its now all condensed in one car. I get that there’s hidden “recovery time” built in.

I’ve seen and been on the Capitol Limited eastbound when breakfast was served at 8 am, wrapped up by 10:30 am, and arrival into Washington DC is closer to 3 pm. You can still try going to the “sold-out” cafe before it closes at Harper’s Ferry, but that’s kinda pointless for reasons mentioned. Most passengers with that kind of arrival time are now scrambling to figure out - are there connections in DC still good or what needs altering. The kids - and even adults are screaming because they are hungry and want lunch. My answer to this has been to pack a sandwich leaving Chicago as a just in case. The Capitol Limited used to serve a “brunch” between Pittsburgh and Harpers Ferry. That seemed to be the best compromise when full dining car service was offered.

Also, the current “box meal” program will only work for sleeping car passengers. Are coach passengers content with the Cafe service.

THe service has its pros and cons as it currently exists. It’s too bad that AMtrak can’t capitalize eastbound with “dinner along the Hudson RIver.” Not all passengers end their trip in NYC or are bound for dinner restaurants in NYC after getting off the LSL. At least Washington Union Station has nice sit down eatery options in the Station. NYP doesn’t really have that luxury at present - it’s coming with Moniyhan Station over at the Post Office Building eventually.

[At least Washington Union Station has nice sit down eatery options in the Station. NYP doesn’t really have that luxury at present] Well, NYPenn DID, but it just closed -- the little known but excellent, and chock full of rr memorabilia, "Tracks Raw Bar & Grill" in the LIRR part of Penn Station. Sigh!

 

[PVD]

The food court above the station at 2 Penn Plaza has some prety good options...

 

[IndyLions]

The food court above the station at 2 Penn Plaza has some prety good options...

When I was there a month or two ago I only found Applebee’s for a sit down option. Food was fine but the restaurant wasn’t in the greatest condition, to say the least. That along with the shoddy Acela Lounge were the biggest downers of an otherwise excellent NY experience. I took the NER in from Roanoke on Sunday - & left on Tuesday on my 1st Acela experience (1st Class!) to Boston.

 

[lordsigma]

With high prices for our travel dates this summer and with the knowledge that meals aren't necessarily included, increasingly it appears that we will be flying to and from Miami, much as I'd rather take the train.

While I can’t help with the high prices, meals are included if looking at sleeper if you use the silver meteor. Meals are included in the dining car with a sleeper on the silver meteor to and from Miami and they still have a regular dining car. If connecting to lake shore or capital limited In a sleeper Chicago , meals are also included - the diner on those two trains has the “contemporary” meals. Only train which doesn’t include meals at all is the silver star.

 

[PVD]

The station itself doesn't have great options, but upstairs and in the immediate vicinity are endless options.

 

[JRR]

With high prices for our travel dates this summer and with the knowledge that meals aren't necessarily included, increasingly it appears that we will be flying to and from Miami, much as I'd rather take the train.

Understand the cost, but a shame you will miss the Meteor. Always enjoyed the ride.

 

[Old MM]

Understand the cost, but a shame you will miss the Meteor. Always enjoyed the ride.

I will miss the ride this summer, it has gotten to be something we've looked forward to. With various family scheduling conflicts to navigate, flying means the kids and I will have a few days in Miami. Thinking of setting up a solo trip on the Meteor or the Star as a consolation prize later on.

 

[lordsigma]

I will miss the ride this summer, it has gotten to be something we've looked forward to. With various family scheduling conflicts to navigate, flying means the kids and I will have a few days in Miami. Thinking of setting up a solo trip on the Meteor or the Star as a consolation prize later on.

Have you done auto train? That’s a fun one too.