Sitting in the diner feeling bleu

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diesteldorf

Lead Service Attendant
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Mar 27, 2006
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As I travel back to La Crosse on #8, I have to say that I've been very impressed by the food on the Empire Builder. The steak has been real steak and has been very tasty And I've really enjoyed the bread pudding alamode. However I think everyone would agree that amtrak salads are nothing spectacular, but I love an excuse to put bleu cheese on anything, including salads, burgers, and chicken wings, during the brief time Amtrak had them, so I was quite dismayed to discover that Amtrak no longer carries it. Rather than fly into a rage, I was curious as to the reason for the rash decision. Of course I understand refrigeration space is limited, and I guess if it got displaced to carry extra ice cream, beer, or wine, I can be somewhat sympathetic, but I will still grumble and complain for now. I wish they would Still keep a small supply in the back available on request Rather than eliminate it entirely, but I'll have to make due with ranch for now.
 
Just leave me some sugar or honey! I need all the sweetness I can get!
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(Otherwise, you wouldn't want to meet me!
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)
 
Even when you are blue, you are a peach to eat with. :)
 
diesteldorf said:
As I travel back to La Crosse on #8, I have to say that I've been very impressed by the food on the Empire Builder. The steak has been real steak and has been very tasty And I've really enjoyed the bread pudding alamode. However I think everyone would agree that amtrak salads are nothing spectacular, but I love an excuse to put bleu cheese on anything, including salads, burgers, and chicken wings, during the brief time Amtrak had them, so I was quite dismayed to discover that Amtrak no longer carries it. Rather than fly into a rage, I was curious as to the reason for the rash decision. Of course I understand refrigeration space is limited, and I guess if it got displaced to carry extra ice cream, beer, or wine, I can be somewhat sympathetic, but I will still grumble and complain for now. I wish they would Still keep a small supply in the back available on request Rather than eliminate it entirely, but I'll have to make due with ranch for now.
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Is it official there is no more bleu? On my last several trips I've searched basket after basket... table after table... dining car after dining car... all in vain - for a packet full of vein. :wacko:
 
DISAPPEARING RAILROAD SALAD DRESSING BLUES: this sounds like deja vu all over again for me. I can be a picky eater, and many years ago thousand island dressing was all I would use on my salads. Then once upon an Amtrak diner, lo and behold there was none. With my hopes dashed, but still wanting to enjoy my diner experience, I bravely tried some Ranch dressing, and PRESTO! that has been my dressing of choice ever since. Amtrak changed my life! (LOL)
 
The problem I have with Amtrak salad dressings and condiments is that they're all in those packets that must be torn open precisely. If you don't, you risk splattering others at the table with mayonnaise, mustard, thousand island or ketchup. In the case of ketchup, nobody ever uses just one of those condom-size packets, so there's double the chance of disaster,
 
I find the Parmesean and Roasted Garlic to be absolutely amazing!
 
JayPea said:
I normally like bleu cheese dressing but have never been wild about the bleu cheese that used to be served on Amtrak. The thousand island I had tonight on the EB was great.
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I prefer Caesar dressing. Have always found it on the CS, and from time to time on the EB.
 
They used to have a 5.00 garden salad on the Cascades and I made a habit of getting one every time I rode. It came with a vinaigrette and I would augment that with the horseradish sauce that they have in packets to liven it up.

I was very disappointed when they dropped that good fresh salad off the menu. They have one now that costs 2.00 more and has dried fruit on it or something. I suppose it has a longer shelf life, I don't know.

On the route guide on the Amtrak site you can access a PDF version of the menu and it still lists that salad and a fruit and cheese plate that they dropped too. It hasn't been updated and it's been almost a year I think since they changed the menu.

I have stupid dietary restrictions being a long time vegetarian and then going gluten free several years ago. There is pretty much nothing I can eat on the Cascades menu. I asked for some yogurt when we were on our way to Portland the other morning but they were out.

It is not too hard to bring a lot of snacks with me when I travel, that works. I miss that salad though, it was a good deal.
 
No more Blue Cheese! Thats terrible. How can we live without it? I'll have to pack some in my cooler for the next trip in case withdrawal symptoms hit, but I can understand the cuts. This is all part of federal deficit cutting measures. Phase one was to eliminate that expensive Blue Cheese. I heard that butter was next on the list. This way they can save .00000001 cents per passenger. You can't disagree with that smart move.
 
Tumbleweed said:
Throw a few of these in your bag.... http://www.minimus.b...00915-1300.aspx
smile.gif


Note... you may hav e to right click onn the link and click "open link in a new tab"
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Yeah, and throw in a plliow, 'cause Amtrak's "suck". Bring your own hot water heater, duct tape, binder clips for curtains, scanner, power strip, frui, tea, t...........WAIT! It sounds like I'm going camping! (well, "car-camping" at least)

The question needs to be "WHY". Why does Amtrak make it so hard to provide the small necessities?. Don't bother replying, it's truly a rhetorical question, but sometimes I just need to RANT and VENT.

They have such potential to provide an excellent quality product,(LD Travel) and yet trip over their #%@% at almost every turn. Not ALWAYS their fault, I know (budget, budget, budget) but it still stings.
 
AlanB said:
Yup, my mom got told on the CZ that they don't have Blue Cheese any more in the diner.
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This is curious...
When I did a cross-country r/t back in May there was no Blue Cheese dressing on the CS from SJC to PDX, on the EB from PDX to CHI, or on the SWC from CHI to LAX. However, sitting in the PPC for lunch on the CS from LAX to SJC I heard the PPC attendant Debbie (the bestest!) offer Blue Cheese dressing to a couple at another table. It wasn't in the basket but instead kept in her refrigerator. When I asked her about it and told her what I had experienced to that point she said "yeah, the Blue Cheese has been pulled from the standard issue of dressings that are loaded onboard but it can still be special ordered by the LSAs if they want to offer it". I guess that most don't bother... :(
 
Cristobal said:
AlanB said:
Yup, my mom got told on the CZ that they don't have Blue Cheese any more in the diner.
Click to expand...
This is curious...
When I did a cross-country r/t back in May there was no Blue Cheese dressing on the CS from SJC to PDX, on the EB from PDX to CHI, or on the SWC from CHI to LAX. However, sitting in the PPC for lunch on the CS from LAX to SJC I heard the PPC attendant Debbie (the bestest!) offer Blue Cheese dressing to a couple at another table. It wasn't in the basket but instead kept in her refrigerator. When I asked her about it and told her what I had experienced to that point she said "yeah, the Blue Cheese has been pulled from the standard issue of dressings that are loaded onboard but it can still be special ordered by the LSAs if they want to offer it". I guess that most don't bother... :(
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Debbie was our PPC attendant and I heard her tell Grace (aka mom) that Amtrak is not carrying blue cheese dressing any more and that now they are offering parmesian garlic dressing :( instead. I bring my own dressing, but I eat funny. :lol:
 
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Cristobal said:
AlanB said:
Yup, my mom got told on the CZ that they don't have Blue Cheese any more in the diner.
Click to expand...
This is curious...
When I did a cross-country r/t back in May there was no Blue Cheese dressing on the CS from SJC to PDX, on the EB from PDX to CHI, or on the SWC from CHI to LAX. However, sitting in the PPC for lunch on the CS from LAX to SJC I heard the PPC attendant Debbie (the bestest!) offer Blue Cheese dressing to a couple at another table. It wasn't in the basket but instead kept in her refrigerator. When I asked her about it and told her what I had experienced to that point she said "yeah, the Blue Cheese has been pulled from the standard issue of dressings that are loaded onboard but it can still be special ordered by the LSAs if they want to offer it". I guess that most don't bother... :(
Click to expand...
In April when we were circling the west on the CZ, EB, CS, and then CZ, I noticed they didn't have my favorite--blue. Thought it was just a fluke. Now I know in the future that I will be deprived, and perhaps become depraved. Not sure what I swapped out, but I'm sure it had salt and cholesterol.
 
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