Anti that the truth Jonny, at I thstvthe truth
Railvt The new CITY OF NEW ORLEANS menu varies by the direction of travel. No hot items are offered southbound for dinner out of Chicago--just large salads and sandwiches, while no eggs are offered northbound for breakfast (!) Details are at https://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/538/691/City-of-New-Orleans-Southbound-Train-59-Dining-Car-Menu-0416.pdf and https://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/386/868/City-of-New-Orleans-Northbound-Train-58-Dining-Car-Menu-0316.pdf . No less than four hot entrees grace the northbound CITY OF NEW ORLEANS dinner menu in weird contrast.
The new CITY OF NEW ORLEANS menu varies by the direction of travel. No hot items are offered southbound for dinner out of Chicago--just large salads and sandwiches, while no eggs are offered northbound for breakfast (!) Details are at https://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/538/691/City-of-New-Orleans-Southbound-Train-59-Dining-Car-Menu-0416.pdf and https://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/386/868/City-of-New-Orleans-Northbound-Train-58-Dining-Car-Menu-0316.pdf . No less than four hot entrees grace the northbound CITY OF NEW ORLEANS dinner menu in weird contrast.
The southbound CONO leaves Chicago at 8:05pm, chances are most passengers will have already eaten. Northbound it arrives at 9:00am. Maybe you can justify hot service there but it's still a gray area. I don't think the lack of hot meal service here is that big a deal.
Looking at what is offered on the CNO, all I can say is that it is a far cry from the King's Dinner that was offered on the Panama.
Seeing the new menu for the Cardinal, I have no desire to ride this train again, despite the excellent scenery. The national menu is bad enough, especially when one is on a lenghthy trip but....
Johnny
The SILVER STAR has finally regained a selection of proper hot entrees--although not a proper diner. A similar menu has also just been installed on the CITY OF NEW ORLEANS and the CARDINAL. Details for the SILVER STAR offerings are at https://cmsstage.amtrak.com/ccurl/295/142/Silver-Star-Cafe-Menu-0406.pdf .
The new CITY OF NEW ORLEANS menu varies by the direction of travel. No hot items are offered southbound for dinner out of Chicago--just large salads and sandwiches, while no eggs are offered northbound for breakfast (!) Details are at https://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/538/691/City-of-New-Orleans-Southbound-Train-59-Dining-Car-Menu-0416.pdf and https://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/386/868/City-of-New-Orleans-Northbound-Train-58-Dining-Car-Menu-0316.pdf . No less than four hot entrees grace the northbound CITY OF NEW ORLEANS dinner menu in weird contrast. The CARDINAL choices are the same in both directions and can be found at https://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/572/135/Cardinal-Dining-Car-Menu-0406.pdf .
For the other two trains meals are still "free" (built into the fare) in sleepers, while on the SILVER STAR all passengers will pay. The real question on the SILVER STAR is how the one person cafe car staff will cope with the added responsibilty to heat and serve hot meals. Already hour long-multi car lines are the norm at meal times on this train. Typically of the Boardman Amtrak, no staff is to be added. If the sleeper attendants help by preparing the meals for their passengers and bringing them back to the rooms, pressure may be eased.
This is a new style of micro-wave entree. The hot items are packed in a vacuum, which allows them to be heated/served without loss of moisture. The 12 members of the senior NARP Board got to taste these new choices in mid-April and found them surprisingly good. On the "full diners" on the CITY OF NEW ORLEANS and the CARDINAL they will be served in a plate inside an outer servery plate, while on the SILVER STAR things may be confined to a single plate. Unclear is whether plastic cutlery will be used and who will remove the plastic over-wrap. Sounds trivial--but not only is this an aesthetic matter, but very hot steam will be released.
Even on the CITY OF NEW ORLEANS Amtrak plans to try to staff the diner with no cook--only a single food server. The CARDINAL will have one server for the sleepers and of course no chef. At present on the CARDINAL a second person serves the coach/snack/drink menu, but it is unclear if this will still be true. On both the CITY OF NEW ORLEANS and the CARDINAL the sleeper attendants are expected to help at least with any requested room service.
All other long-haul trains retain fully staffed diners with a chef--at least for now, although a single menu applies nationwide, with the possibility of route-specific "Daily Specials". The national menu is branded for each train, but a look at the CZ will give the three meal cycle. Go to https://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/458/690/California-Zephyr-Dining-Car-Menu-0416.pdf .
I suppose we should be grateful Boardman didn't do a full SILVER STAR style downgrade system-wide, but it's hard for me to celebrate a return tro upscale tv dinners as fit for a legendary train like the CITY OF NEW ORLEANS. Alas.
Carl Fowler
Prsident (Retired)
Rail Travel Center/Rail Travel Adventures
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