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Dining with Amtrak’s Diner-Lounge (Cross-Country Café)
Friday, January 18, 2008
Yesterday we showed you an objective downgrade in food service on the Lake Shore Limited. Today I arrived into New Orleans on City of New Orleans train 59, featuring the new Cross-Country Café (CCC), which Amtrak is touting as a model improvement in long-distance food service. Amtrak has converted eight Superliner dining cars into Diner-Lounges, the latter seven representing an improvement over the original prototype. These cars are now being evaluated as the sole food service car on the City, which used to have both full diner and sightseer lounge cars.
Amtrak claims that one car is sufficient for lower-volume trains; the City now has a consist of just two coaches and one sleeper, plus additional rooms sold in the crew dormitory car. I found that the load on my train probably represents the upper limit that the CCC can comfortably service, especially with only three employees in the entire car: The Lead Service Attendant (at the service counter), the Dining Room Attendant, and the Chef downstairs (who is empowered with an improved kitchen that far exceeds the pitiful facilities of the Amfleet II Diner-Lite).
Amtrak advertises early boarding in Chicago for dinner service before departure. However, boarding last night did not start until 7:30 PM (30 minutes ahead of departure), and the Diner-Lounge was not open for dinner service until ten minutes after departure.
When I finally did get to eat dinner in the CCC, it exceeded my expectations. While the Attendant had sole responsibility for the entire “dining room” half of the car, she was friendly and attentive. The Vegetable Lasagna was by far the best pasta dish I ever had on Amtrak. The large portion was clearly was prepared in a proper manner, with just the right amount of time in the oven, a generous topping of parmesan cheese and cilantro, and a bountiful bed of fresh mixed greens underneath. The latter aspect nearly made up for the fact that there were no complimentary salads or rolls included with dinner. The Riesling by the glass was a welcome feature, and the Red Velvet Cake was a wonderful dessert.
Breakfast was also excellent. The Scrambled Eggs were fluffy, the potatoes were richly seasoned, and the croissant was warm but not gummy. The casing of the chicken apple sausage was a bit hard, but the inside was still juicy.
Lunch was a major disappointment. I had the Memphis BBQ Pizza, which looked good at another table. But mine came out with the outer crust as hard as a rock, literally inedible (I felt like I was going to injure my teeth as I tried to bite into it). Yet, despite the apparent overzealous preparation, the pizza was not even hot. With a butter knife, I worked hard to cut around the crust to eat the rest. The ingredients were tasty, but the preparation was lousy.
I did greatly enjoy the Bread Pudding, which was served at a warmer temperature than the pizza and had a soft filling of spiced apple, bread, and raisins, and a brandy sauce topping.
Also, the Attendant is to be lauded for serving me Canada Dry club soda when virtually no Amtrak LSAs or attendants have been willing to serve me my favorite beverage without requiring me to purchase liquor as well.
Despite my relative approval of the food served in the CCC, it is clear that the Superliner Diner-Lounge does not provide sufficient capacity during peak meal periods, in that the dining room section consumes far more than half of the seating capacity. This leaves just four few booths near the service counter for coach and non-meal passengers to mingle and enjoy lounge facilities (see above photo). I observed such a “crunch” even on this off-peak, midweek train, it seems clear that a second lounge car is needed during heavy travel days. For lunch I was seated with two brothers who were traveling for one of their birthdays and were disappointed that the Sightseer Lounge experience is no more.
There also remain design flaws in both types of seating in the Diner-Lounges; the more traditional booths seem to have too much room between the seats and the tables. While this solves the problem for customers of size who don’t enjoy the tight squeeze in regular dining cars, I think that this design represents overcompensation. I literally had to strain my back or be rude and put my elbows on the table in order to reach my food. The half-moon tables can also be awkward for parties of more than two and detract from sightseeing. Indeed, I observed pax in those seats turning sideways to look out the windows.
Display case in front of the café counter.
I noticed other bugs that need to be corrected. While traveling at track speed north of Hazelhurst, MS, the train hit a rough spot that caused several beverages and at least one plate to fly off the tables in the Diner-Lounge and onto the floor, with many more saved by pax with quick reflexes. I noted that the table surfaces have no traction and that tablecloths are not used in the Diner-Lounges. Tablecloths might very well have prevented this incident.
I also observed a crew member knock over the vase of fake flowers in the middle centerpiece of the half-moon tables; the “flowers” protrude into the aisle from most of these tables. The employee said, “This happens all the time. They should remove these!”
Amtrak is probably making a good-faith effort to improve service along this route without harming the short-term bottom line, but there are major glitches that must be addressed before the concept of a combined food service car can be expanded to other routes. Click here for more photos of the interior of a Diner-Lounge.
—Matthew Melzer
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Amtrak, Unions Come to tentative agreement, No Strike Jan. 30
Amtrak and nine unions have come to a tentative agreement on a new contract that averts a threatened January 30 nationwide strike. You can read Amtrak’s news release on the agreement (click on the link at the top center of the page). We’ll have more details on today’s NARP hotline, which will be posted by 6:00pm (Eastern) today.
—David Johnson
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Dining with Amtrak’s Diner Lite
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Last month, I highlighted offerings from Amtrak’s improved Simplified Dining Service menu, which applies to most long-distance routes. The Lake Shore Limited is not one of them. In September, facing a crunch in Heritage Dining Car availability, Amtrak pressed into service the first of its converted former Amfleet II Lounge cars, now Diner Lite cars. The serving counter area is now flanked by steam tables and a large reefer; the disused smoking lounge was removed in favor of more seating, and a Steward’s office was installed.
I just arrived into Chicago on train 49 from New York, and had the opportunity to sample the Diner Lite offerings for the first time.
As you can see, half of the tables in this car have the view impeded due to misalignment with the windows, while half are properly aligned. The misaligned side is the one with the Steward’s office. As well, the table numbers were hand-written above each table, a very tacky touch.
This is the “good” side; note the far table being used for storage.
Modified serving counter, now diner galley.
Beverages Menu
All-Day Menu
Appetizers Menu
Dinner Entrees Menu, with slightly lower prices and less selection than in regular dining cars.
Dinner service was passable given the limitations of the setup. The spring rolls were prepared surprisingly crunchy, and the Salmon Filet with rice, corn, and beans was served piping hot. However, the salmon was somewhat rubbery and very salty, and could’ve used more diverse seasoning. It was served on a cheaper-looking plastic plate than usual that did not have the Amtrak logo.
Breakfast Menu
Breakfast was of sub-par quality: The Southwestern Omelet was not an omelet at all, but a spongy crescent of egg with a hard layer of cheese congealed on top, with “Southwestern” toppings served on the side in a cup. Everything, from the eggs, to the bland potatoes, to the turkey sausage and even the croissant, were all rubbery and tasted microwaved. If this meal was supposed to be prepared in a convection oven, it certainly was not done properly. I also noted that beverages do not appear on the menu to be included with breakfast as they customarily are (though I was not charged for my coffee and juice).
Amtrak claims that the Diner Lite setup on the Lake Shore is temporary and that Heritage diners will return once the maintenance situation has stabilized. I certainly hope that’s the case. As the only daily train between New York and Chicago, this is supposed to be one of Amtrak’s key routes, but the current level of service does not live up to that expectation. I give Diner Lite service a D for ambiance and a C for food quality.
—Matthew Melzer
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Presidential Emergency Board Recommendations
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Presidential Emergency Board 242, appointed by President Bush, seems at first blush to have delivered almost everything the unions wanted. This is not something that everyone would have predicted that a group of Bush appointees would do. The recommendations may reduce the likelihood of a strike at the end of January, since the unions—having the PEB recommendations on their side—are likely to be focused on getting them implemented, and thus on avoiding actions—like a strike—that would antagonize the nation in general and the lawmakers on whom the unions would be counting to fund these recommendations. But don’t take that prediction to the bank! Stay tuned for further developments, and see also the report at the bottom of our January 4 Hotline.
—Ross B. Capon
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NARP’s Ross Capon on the Radio with Arthur Frommer
Friday, January 04, 2008
NARP Executive Director Ross Capon is taping an interview with Arthur Frommer which will be broadcast at the start of “The Travel Show with Arthur Frommer” this Sunday (January 6), Noon Eastern Time, on WOR radio in New York City (710 AM). The show is carried on the air in some other major cities (including Los Angeles and Chicago). It can also be heard live—and will be archived for later listening—at WOR’s web site.
Frommer, one of the nation’s most accomplished travel guide publishers and advocates for travelers on a budget, is also a vocal proponent for expanded passenger rail, as evidenced by recent blog posts, and a November, 2007 column that appeared in the Houston Chronicle and other newspapers.
—Matthew Melzer
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Talking to the Presidential (and other) Candidates
The Iowa Caucus results confirm what some pundits had already been saying—the “real” primary contests will last longer than predicted earlier. And, of course, the longer they last, the more interest candidates will have in your ideas.
The ideal way to get an issue like passenger trains onto a candidate’s agenda is for the candidate to hear the concern expressed by different people in different places. If you have the opportunity to attend any event where any Presidential candidate is present, consider getting across some of these ideas:
“We need more passenger trains. If we are really serious about being independent from foreign oil, and want fewer carbon emissions in our atmosphere, and less congestion on roads and at airports then we need to invest in more passenger trains. Will you help us?” [or “What will you do about that?”]
The message can be as short as you like—you could, for example, pick just your favorite one or two reasons for needing passenger trains.
Remember, this can be useful even with a candidate who eventually drops out, because that candidate may throw his support to another, and might eventually have an influence on how a winning candidate views the issues. The same tactic, called “bird-dogging” by some, is of course useful in campaigns for federal and state legislators and governors and any other elected public office that presents the opportunity to influence transportation policy.
Be sure to read NARP President George Chilson’s letter to the presidential candidates.
Also see the New York Times’ listings of when each state has its primary or caucus, listed by the Democratic and Republican parties’ calenders. We have asked the NYT to double-check this info; when we last checked, the Democratic table failed to show the DC primary on February 12.
—Ross B. Capon
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New Hampshire Advocates Urged to Question Presidental Candidates
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Yesterday, NARP sent the following message to its members in New Hampshire (by snail mail letter and e-mail):
To NARP Members in New Hampshire—
With the New Hampshire primary coming on Tuesday, January 8, you still have time to ask a presidential candidate (or candidates) about passenger trains. Your message could go something like this, substituting your own words where you can.
“The highly successful Downeaster train linking Boston, New Hampshire and Maine is expected to lose its federal funding next year, even though ridership is growing and the nation is increasingly concerned about climate change, a problem that passenger trains help address. As president, what would you do about passenger trains in general and the Downeaster in particular?”
Remember, it is good for ANY of the candidates to hear such a question. If that candidate drops out of the race, he or she nonetheless is likely to remain active, to support one of the surviving candidates, and possibly to help influence the eventual party nominee’s views of the issues.
The specific problem with the Downeaster involves expiration on September 30, 2009, of federal “CMAQ” funding which has been supporting the route. (CMAQ stands for Congestion Mitigation Air Quality Improvement Program.) The Downeaster is enjoying record ridership and revenue, and has stimulated increased station-area real estate values and development. Passenger rail advocates in Maine are working hard to save the service, but the fact that only one of three states served provides operating funds does present a challenge.
Thank you for your efforts to preserve and expand passenger rail service!
—Ross B. Capon
NARP Executive Director