What was your best meal aboard an Amtrak train?

I remember a northbound trip on the Gulf Breeze/Crescent from Mobile to Birmingham Alabama to NYC once... the Crescent section had a Heritage diner. Food was good as usual. But the cook was something else. The cook liked to SING in the Kitchen as he cooked. I kid you not.. Southern Blues style. Ohh and he was good -really really- good....the patrons in the diner really enjoyed it... he was too shy to come out though.

that would be the crescent , not the cardinal

Your right, I meant the crescent, had a brain fart.

Last Thanksgiving Day aboard the #8 Empire Builder somewhere in North Dakota
Turkey Dinner Special
(Real) Turkey, Mash Potatoes, Gravy, Cranberry Sauce, Veggies, & Pumpkin Pie
Like Grandma used to make.

As an Australian, I have not had many opportunities to sample Amtrak food however I recall a trip from Chicago to Los Angeles back in the '70s where lunch was a "Chef's Salad Bowl."

This was a tossed mix of lettuce, tomatoes and a variety of other things such as shredded meats and possibly tuna, cheese and hard-boiled eggs. Served with Thousand Island dressing it was delicious yet simple and comparatively healthy.

My best meal aboard Amtrak was also my most enjoyed meal aboard Amtrak;

Aboard the Rohr Turboliner in 1976, I had a microwaved cheeseburger. Remember those? They came in a plastic bag, and the cheese would melt, run down the burger, off the bun and leave a RING of cheese around the bottom bun on a small paper plate included in the bag with the burger. It tasted sooooo good, and it was such a novelty, I always went back for another, and it became "Standard Fare" for me and my friends whenever we took the Turboliner in New York State.

I had chips with it, the enjoyment was enhanced with a six pack of Dinkelacker.......

Sometimes, simple is BEST!

D/

You know one thing I miss a lot? You used to be able to request little cups with lettuce and a tomato in them when you ordered a sandwich. They were just the little extra touch to make the sandwiches decent.

If anyone at Amtrak is listening... bring them back!

Dieter wrote:Aboard the Rohr Turboliner in 1976, I had a microwaved cheeseburger. Remember those? They came in a plastic bag, and the cheese would melt, run down the burger, off the bun and leave a RING of cheese around the bottom bun on a small paper plate included in the bag with the burger.

They still serve those

The ones they have in the west are different, and better, than the ones they have in the east, though.

Miocrowaved cheeseburgers with chips?

Is it any wonder that Americans are facing an obesity crisis - even more than we Australians?

When I used to travel on the AM trains from Boston, usually 99 on Sunday to PHL, I used to always look forward to the "egg McAmtrak" as I called it, Ham, egg, and cheese on English Muffin. Of course that was in the days when my cardiovascular system was in better shape and I could eat stuff like that (or thought I could)

Going back further I had a decent breakfast on the old Broadway Limited in 1985 coming back from Chicago to Philly, scrambled eggs, sausages and potatoes with a hint of garlic, not bad. Vegetable lasagna the night before going through Indiana wasn't bad either.

This conversation is making me hungry

Jon

My most memorable meals on Amtrak were all on the Silver Star and Siler Meteror, I rode them several times from 1981-1993. In the early '90s they had the buffet cars. I loved standing next to the buffet while cruising through the woods of North Carolina, great offerings.

i've only rode amtrak once to and from florida. I can't remember what I had for dinner on the way down. But for breakfast they made this egg and cheese thing that I can't remember what it was named. It was served like a slice of pie. It was soooooo good. Also the microwaved cheeseburgers and pizza weren't bad ontop of the 10 or so cans of mt.dew.

Can't argue with meals on Amtrak on your Honeymoon. All bets are off on that one. The company outweighed the quality of the food.

Amtrak has service from LAUS to San Diego. My buddy and I caught that train at the Fullerton station, to spend the day in San Diego. The food on the train was like the Automat, and we decided it wasn't that good. Seems that my buddy knew about that, and opened a large paper sack, and our meals were in there. Still hot and fresh from Burger King. That plus large drinks and we were all set.

PClark wrote:Miocrowaved cheeseburgers with chips?

Is it any wonder that Americans are facing an obesity crisis - even more than we Australians?

Probably not the "chips" you're thinking of, but more like "crisps."

I avoid any microwaved food, personally. Especially aboard the Amtrak.

Otto Vondrak wrote:

PClark wrote:Miocrowaved cheeseburgers with chips?

Is it any wonder that Americans are facing an obesity crisis - even more than we Australians?

Probably not the "chips" you're thinking of, but more like "crisps."

I avoid any microwaved food, personally. Especially aboard the Amtrak.

Bah, the hotdogs actually aren't half bad. The pepperoni pizza wasn't 1/2 bad. (The cheese only sucks).

When they had the large chocolate chip cookies (the ones I called crack cookies they were so addictive), if you could get one heated up, it was awesome.