Green Maned Lion
Engineer
Hey, the Flat Iron on Amtrak might not be up to Morton's standards, but the worst flat iron I had on Amtrak blew the best flat iron I had at Charlie Brown's outta the water and on its way to Cuba.
Steak Lovers Beware!
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OlympianHiawatha
Engineer
I always look at it this way-if you enjoy Denny's or IHOP, then you should have no problems with Amtrak chow.
Green Maned Lion
Engineer
If I was an Amtrak chef, I'd be rather insulted. I know the food isn't as good as it used to be, but please!
Ryan
Court Jester
I concur - every meal I've had aboard surpasses the quality level of Denny's/IHOP.
sunchaser
Conductor
I certainly hope it's better than Denny's or IHOP. IHOP was where I got that 'bbq chicken'. It was a return trip to the restaurant because hubby wanted to give them a second chance. He wasn't impressed the second time, either. He's not real hard to please, neither am I. It seemed the cooks weren't very experienced.
the Other Mike
Lead Service Attendant
Green Maned Lion
Engineer
Chain's generally suck. Always go local for the win.
cpamtfan
OBS Chief
If anyone has gotten the July issue of Trains Magazine, it has a article about how Amtrak has renound chefs testing out new food for the new diner menus (due to come out tommorow 
). One of new items (due to come out on the Acela FC and EB) is bison meatloaf. Its an interesting article.
cpamtfan-Peter
). One of new items (due to come out on the Acela FC and EB) is bison meatloaf. Its an interesting article.cpamtfan-Peter
D T Nelson
Lead Service Attendant
Here is that article: http://www.trains.com/trn/default.aspx?c=a&id=5061If anyone has gotten the July issue of Trains Magazine, it has a article about how Amtrak has renound chefs testing out new food for the new diner menus (due to come out tommorow
No grilled flat iron steak this summer, June through October; braised flat iron steak in a bordelaise sauce instead. Egad.
ruudkeulers
Service Attendant
I get a bit confused over the terminology in that article: If entree stands for main course, how does Amtrak call the first course? Dessert?
You have to go easy on them, they are American after all.......
In America the main course is sometimes called the 'entree', strange but true!
It always sounds better in French anyway, even if you pick the wrong word to use.......
ruudkeulers
Service Attendant
Wonder what the waiter will come up with when I ask for a hors d'oeuvre or an amuseYou have to go easy on them, they are American after all.......
In America the main course is sometimes called the 'entree', strange but true!
It always sounds better in French anyway, even if you pick the wrong word to use.......
But seriously, as I don't want to run into too many culinary surprises: any idea when an entree is a first course and when a main course? I mean, if I order an entree from the menu what am I ordering?
Generally it's appetizer/entree/dessert in the US. Sometimes 'mains' is used instead of entree.Wonder what the waiter will come up with when I ask for a hors d'oeuvre or an amuse
Usually the menus are laid out in the usual format, so its easy to work out!
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RTOlson
Lead Service Attendant
In most U.S. dining situations, there are only a limited number of courses. Here's how I remember suppers on Amtrak trains:
- Appetizer. (It's extra and it has additional cost. The only item is the buffalo wings, if I remember correctly.)
- Salad and bread. (This typically doesn't have a unique name in most dining situations.)
- Main course. With entree and sides.
- Dessert (cheesecake, ice cream, etc.).
It appears that the Trains article looked primarily at the entrees, but I would assume the other aspects of the meal would remain largely the same.
EDIT: I can see that others have answered the question as well (I didn't see that the thread had jumped to a new page). I think the information is still relevant.
- Appetizer. (It's extra and it has additional cost. The only item is the buffalo wings, if I remember correctly.)
- Salad and bread. (This typically doesn't have a unique name in most dining situations.)
- Main course. With entree and sides.
- Dessert (cheesecake, ice cream, etc.).
It appears that the Trains article looked primarily at the entrees, but I would assume the other aspects of the meal would remain largely the same.
EDIT: I can see that others have answered the question as well (I didn't see that the thread had jumped to a new page). I think the information is still relevant.
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Putting the jokes aside for a moment, while not bad I wouldn't describe the food I had on my recent Empire Builder trip as better than what a Denny's (or similar restaurant) serves - nor the prices reflective of much quality. I suspect Amtrak struggles to meet chain restaurant food quality/preparation standards. My meals were okay to good food and considering the environment it was a reasonably good value (captive clientel). I suspect the service in the Dining Car could be improved - the level of professionalism - without much effort - given the determination to do so.
Rail fans probably too easily accept lesser standards than they should (or would off the trains) because they're thrilled just to have the continuing opportunity to travel this way (on the long-distance trains).
The Empire Builder Dining Car Menu will change mid-Summere 2009, but until then if you click on the link which follows you'll see a reproduction of what appeared in the Empire Builder Magazine on my train (the same as the Dining Car Menu you're handed when you sit down).
Empire Builder Dining Car Menu
Rail fans probably too easily accept lesser standards than they should (or would off the trains) because they're thrilled just to have the continuing opportunity to travel this way (on the long-distance trains).
The Empire Builder Dining Car Menu will change mid-Summere 2009, but until then if you click on the link which follows you'll see a reproduction of what appeared in the Empire Builder Magazine on my train (the same as the Dining Car Menu you're handed when you sit down).
Empire Builder Dining Car Menu
Bierboy
OBS Chief
Wow, you can say that again!! We had breakfast this past Sunday on the EB on the way to Chicago, and, by lunchtime we were far from hungry. We had a 90-minute layover in Chicago before we boarded the Illinois Zephyr to Galesburg, so we had our SCA get us lunches "to go". She even put them into a shopping-type bag with handles so we could carry them with us into the Metropolitan Lounge. There we sat, eating our "lunch" around 5 p.m. prior to boarding the 383 to Galesburg. It was great!
EB_OBS
Conductor
The dining car menu officially changes for the summer peak season tomorrow, June 2nd in Seattle and on Saturday, June 6th leaving Chicago. There will still be a little bit of product from the previous menu to be run out. These products being items that were deleted from the menu entirely. For example most all the desserts were changed out. The old product will still need to be used up to the extent possible.
Off the menu specials????
EB_OBS
Conductor
The Chef's Marketplace specials are;
Breakfast, turkey sausage patties with biscuits and cream gravy OR knife & fork breakfast sourdough sandwich with scrambled egg, cheddar and Canadian bacon
Lunch, train #7, Pike Place Market, Beechers Macaroni & Cheese OR roast turkey with mushroom cream sauce & garlic mashed potatoes on train #8
Dinner, American bison meatloaf with mushroom cream sauce OR braised lamb shank returns from a previous menu
The seafood for dinner wil be Atlantic salmon with asparagus sauce OR catfish filet with roast red pepper sauce
Actually, in my experience, Ruth's Chris is extremely good, and it hardly feels like a chain but rather an upscale fine restaurant. The service was impeccable and the food was excellent. I've only had one or two steaks in my life that I thought met or surpassed (barely) my steak at Ruth's Chris.
They use USDA Prime steaks, which accounts for some of that, but I'm sure they use real (and perhaps classically trained) chefs and not line cooks (no idea about this, though). I do especially like the way they serve it sizzling on a 500-degree plate.
I think you mentioned Morton's as being good, earlier, too, which is another chain, so not all chains are bad things--just those who cater to the lowest common denominator of food quality and customer demand.
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Green Maned Lion
Engineer
Chain's GENERALLY suck. I don't care much for Ruth's Chris, but I do like Mortons. You should still always go local (if there is an independant high class steakhouse, its the better choice) to get the best possible food and local flavour.
Joel N. Weber II
Engineer
I think we'd call it the ``main course''. ``mains'' reminds me of how the British refer to their 50 hz, 230 V AC.
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PetalumaLoco
Conductor
Ok, I get to resurrect this thread because I ate multiple red wine braised Flat Iron beef dinners on my just completed CZ, LSL, SWC and CS trip.
It's pot roast.
It was good pot roast, and great pot roast on the CS. But pot roast just the same. As others have said, it was good for what it was, but shame on Amtrak for dressing it up on the menu to be something different.
Bring back the Flat Iron Steak, or change the menu please.
It's pot roast.
It was good pot roast, and great pot roast on the CS. But pot roast just the same. As others have said, it was good for what it was, but shame on Amtrak for dressing it up on the menu to be something different.
Bring back the Flat Iron Steak, or change the menu please.
cpamtfan
OBS Chief
Blame the supplier. They supplier supplied the "pot roast". They do plan on brining it back for the winter season, when travel is down.
I just have one thought :huh: . Has anyone tried to find flat iron steak, then braise it? I mean this could be steak, but just tasting like pot roast
h34r: ? I haven't been on a train with a dining car this year, but how can you just pass it immediately as pot roast?
Upstate
Lead Service Attendant
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No, I will blame Amtrak. They are the ones that I buy tickets from. They are the ones that leave it written on their menu as a steak. If the supplier can't supply what Amtrak needs then Amtrak needs to find another supplier. This isn't a one time thing where for example they accidentally received a case of pot roasts instead of steaks, this is an ongoing problem.
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