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A Look Inside Amtrak’s New Dining Car Menu
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Amtrak introduced new, expanded national dining car menus on October 1. Click here to see the menu (.pdf) (there’s also a new separate menu for the City of New Orleans Cross-Country Cafe).
The children’s menu is now included on the new three-panel menu, with specials recited verbally. Desserts are downsized, while some entrees are upsized. Some entrees utilize a new deep-dish plate. Several items are in rotations of three across the route system. Many of the items are supplied by new vendors. For example, the veggie burger is now Amy’s Organic and not Gardenburger. The Flat Iron Steak is packaged pre-marinated with garlic butter before it hits the griddle. The Buffalo Wings appetizer is back, and thankfully the menu specifies that it is not included in sleeper fares (which had been a source of conflict). Amtrak will re-evaluate its menus before the Summer 2009 peak season.
Below are notes on only the items that have multiple rotation cycles (one per train), which are not specified on the menu.
Breakfast
Chef’s Good Morning Special:
1) Breakfast burrito (scrambled egg, cheeze and chorizo)
2) Egg, broccoli, and bread Strata
3) Sourdough sandwich (scrambled egg, cheddar, Canadian bacon)
Today’s Omelet Selection:
1) Garden vegetable
2) Primavera
3) Mexicali vegetable
“Extra” Special: Eggs cooked to order, up or over (not printed on menu, available only on select trains with sufficient staffing).
Lunch
Chef’s Luncheon Special:
1) Chicken, leek, and mushroom ragu
2) Thai red curry coconut chicken
3) Pork chile verde with roasted peppers and corn
Today’s Warm Sandwich:
1) Garlic chicken with provolone on wheat berry bread
2) Smoked turkey and muenster on pretzel roll
3) Beef pastrami with swiss on rye
Freshly Made Specialty Salad:
1) Tropical pineapple chicken
2) Albacore white tuna
3) Smoked turkey with walnuts and cranberries
Dinner
Today’s Seafood Selection:
1) Wild Grilled Alaskan Salmon
2) Wild Grilled Mahi-Mahi
3) Whole Baked Idaho Trout
Chef’s Marketplace Dinner Special [route-specific]:
Capitol Limited, Coast Starlight: Phillips Seafood Coastal Crab cakes in Maine lobster sauce
Crescent: Chicken and Andouille Sausage Jambalaya (no side veggies or starch)
Empire Builder (westbound): Roast Chicken Breast in wild Morel mushroom dynamite sauce
Empire Builder (eastbound): Red Rosemary-braised Roasted Lamb shank
California Zephyr: Pan-roasted Pork Tenderloin in roast garlic balsamic fig sauce
Silver Service: Phillips Seafood Coastal Crab cakes in Floridian green chile tomatillo sauce
Southwest Chief: Chicken and Cheese Trio of Enchiladas brushed with Santa Fe adobo sauce in salsa verde
Sunset Limited: Texas BBQ Pit-Smoked Beef Brisket [same as on Texas Eagle Cross-Country Cafe, but with larger portion]
Vegetarian Pasta:
1) Spinach and ricotta rollatini in vodka sauce
2) Jumbo ravioli stuffed with ricotta and baked red peppers in pesto alfredo sauce
3) Three-cheese jumbo ravioli in herb marinara sauce
There are two types of side vegetable medley loaded on each train, with one served each night (3 cycles, for 6 types total).
Dessert
Chocolate Dessert:
1) Raspberry Chocolate Tango drizzled with white and dark chocolate
2) Three-layer Oreo Chocolate Dream Bar
3) Chocolate Caramel Peanut Torte
Nut/Fruit Dessert:
1) Lemon Crumb Cake
2) Lemon and Barry Creme Torte
3) Green Apple and Almond Frangiapan Bar
Cheesecake Dessert:
1) Cheesecake topped with fired brulee on graham cracker crust
2) Classic New York Cheesecake on graham cracker crust
3) Raspberry White Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake
Menu cycles are as follows:
Effective now:
Cycle 1: Trains 1, 4, 19, 91, and 98
Cycle 2: Trains 2, 6, 7, 11, 20, 29, 30, 92, and 97
Cycle 3: Trains 3, 5, 8, and 14
Effective February 1, 2009:
Cycle 1: Trains 3, 5, 8, and 14
Cycle 2: Trains 1, 4, 19, 91, and 98
Cycle 3: Trains 2, 6, 7, 11, 20, 29, 30, 92, and 97
Have you tried the new menu? What are your impressions? Is Amtrak successfully balancing the need to both improve its offerings and keep costs down?
--Matthew Melzer
Posted by NARP | (3) Comments
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