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  • Acela First Class Meal Reviews

  • Discussion related to Amtrak also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corp.
Discussion related to Amtrak also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corp.

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 #837648  by Greg Moore
 
Well after a little snafu with Amtrak failing to send me 5 more One Class Upgrade coupons when expected and having very little excuse to ride the Acela over the Regional I'm back on the Acela tonight (7:15 out of NYP en route to BWI).

I should in the future start these reviews while I still have the menu in my hand.

I just realized, that while I was offered (and received) a bottle of water (since when did water in a plastic bottle, most likely from a municipal tap become a sign of 1st class?) I was never offered the dry mix that is the usual fare. I've never been a fan of the nut and cracker mix, but it is unusual to not receive it (and it's on the menu).

There were 4 entrees offered, two stood out. A crab cake over salad entree and a Thai chicken breast. Both looked very tempting, but I decided to go with the crab cake entree.

Again, like most Acela First Class meals it is not perfect, but it's far better fare than in much of the Amtrak system.

The first thing I noticed was that the crab cakes (there were 2) were smaller than expected and the "greens" was basically a bowl full of salad with Fat Free Italian dressing in a plastic pouch on the side. So to say visually it was not what I expected would be accurate. (I expected less greens and more crab cake).

The crab cakes were tasty with a nice kick to them, but a bit heavier on the breading than I'd have preferred.

Overall though, the salad portion was fresh and the crab cakes had a good decent flavor with, what was in my mind, the right amount of kick to them.

I would definitely consider ordering again, though given the same menu, I think I'd be tempted to try the Thai Chicken since it was my 2nd choice this time around.

The meal with paired with a red wine, which worked well with the spiciness and the heaviness of the crab cake.

Overall, an enjoyable meal and I'd recommend it with just the caution on the portion sizes.

(Next installment should be on Friday as my current plans have me taking the Acela NB back to NYC to conduct interviews. And on an aside, anyone who is looking for sysadmin work in NYC, please PM me . :-)
 #837657  by Gilbert B Norman
 
Greg Moore wrote:I'm waiting for my next batch of class upgrade coupons, so until they come in (and my schedule works out) no more 1st class for me.

I often find it easier (cost/time wise) to take it NB in the morning, so I suspect my next review will be a breakfast one.
I would have thought, Mr. Moore, that absent being its CEO, you work for the most generous outfit out there.

Some employers nowadays expect that their same gender employees WILL shack up with one another on business trips.....uh, get off it.

The travel manuals of either The Milwaukee Road or Gilbert B Norman; CPA: Chartered never called for that kind of tripe; a neighbor who, during the '90's, was with the apparel retailer The Limited, remarked to me at our block party last Saturday that she had to do just that. Oh well, I guess her "two teens and a tween" job nowadays does not require such.
 #837669  by Greg Moore
 
Gilbert B Norman wrote:
Greg Moore wrote:I'm waiting for my next batch of class upgrade coupons, so until they come in (and my schedule works out) no more 1st class for me.

I often find it easier (cost/time wise) to take it NB in the morning, so I suspect my next review will be a breakfast one.
I would have thought, Mr. Moore, that absent being its CEO, you work for the most generous outfit out there.

Some employers nowadays expect that their same gender employees WILL shack up with one another on business trips.....uh, get off it.

The travel manuals of either The Milwaukee Road or Gilbert B Norman; CPA: Chartered never called for that kind of tripe; a neighbor who, during the '90's, was with the apparel retailer The Limited, remarked to me at our block party last Saturday that she had to do just that. Oh well, I guess her "two teens and a tween" job nowadays does not require such.
Actually in most cases my employer will only pay for the Regional, so I pay the difference between that and the Acela business class. (So typically if it's less than $30 I'll go for it.) Once in awhile if they require me in the NYP office extra early or extra late I'll push for them to cover the cost themselves. Tonight's trip we'll see (since I had to stay 2 hours later to conduct a job interview.)

As for the First class, that's all my coupons. Being Select Plus I receive 5 coupons a year (last year though in a fluke I received 10). This year I've used all 5 free ones so cashed in enough points to obtain 5 more (and looks like I'll do it again by the end of the year).

Often a single $130 (previous fare, not future fare) can net me 1,250, or more points (I think with current promotions it's netting me close to 1,575 points (not including the points for using my credit card). So 5 trips nets me 7875 points right now and the original cost to me is 10,000 points. Not a bad deal.
 #838402  by StevieC48
 
I dont have the money to travel on Acela but do travel the the regionals and the Lobsta (Downeaster) and will say the cheese burgers, even though forzen are verry tasty, suprisingly they havent changes in years. I usualy get 2 and that is all.
 #839519  by FFolz
 
Vincent wrote:Northern Pacific was famous for their gigantic, 2 pound baked potatoes. They were grown in the Yakima Valley and baked on board for 90+ minutes in a presto log fired oven. No microwaves or Acelas back in those days.
Oh, just kill me now! *slobber*
 #839524  by FFolz
 
I liked the food on the Cascades last year.

I used to buy food on NE Regionals but it always struck me as not-very-tasty rotgut. Washed it all down with cranberry juice. I did like the journey to the cafe car because it was something to do but seriously, it's about as appetizing as ballpark food.

Now, Acela has beer on tap . . . :-D
 #839786  by FFolz
 
Check out Union Station. It's cute and there are some displays about Florida's RRing past inside. It's not a terribly far walk from the downtown business district (a few blocks past the federal courthouse, IIRC).

Oh, and don't miss Ybor City. You can take this rattletrop "TECO Trolley" (operated by HART) to get there. I would recommend it since it runs frequently between the south end of the business district and the heart of Ybor City's revitalized zone, but be warned: it is a bone shaker. There was a REASON everyone went for PCCs!
 #839797  by jamesinclair
 
CNJ wrote:I have to go to Tampa on business in 2 weeks...by air. Sigh!

Southwest going....Continental returning.
Is continental still offering free meals in coach? They were last year.

I ask because it is important for amtrak to consider what the competition is doing.
 #839862  by Greg Moore
 
BTW, I should note, due to a change in my travel schedule, I did NOT travel on Friday, so no breakfast review. Sorry folks. Not sure when I'll next be riding the Acela.
 #839983  by CNJ
 
jamesinclair wrote:
CNJ wrote:I have to go to Tampa on business in 2 weeks...by air. Sigh!

Southwest going....Continental returning.
Is continental still offering free meals in coach? They were last year.

I ask because it is important for amtrak to consider what the competition is doing.
Unfortunately, Continental recently announced that they were discontinuing meals in coach. They were the last of the "legacy carriers" to still offer food service.
Last edited by CNJ on Mon Aug 16, 2010 3:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
 #840024  by jamesinclair
 
Such a shame for the traveler.

The good news for amtrak is by now coach travelers expect to pay for food. I think most airlines, like amtrak, continue to offer free food for first class tickets.
 #840214  by GeorgeF
 
jamesinclair wrote:Such a shame for the traveler.

The good news for amtrak is by now coach travelers expect to pay for food. I think most airlines, like amtrak, continue to offer free food for first class tickets.
Yep. For example, see http://www.continental.com/web/en-US/co ... fault.aspx.

It's too bad Amtrak doesn't at least mention First Class service in most ads, especially those TV ads for the Acela Express. It's a nice selling point.
 #879639  by Greg Moore
 
Hm, I guess it's been awhile since I've traveled via Acela. But a rare combination of taking the day off (my birthday, and while I won't state my age, I will point out that I moved into a former Penn Central owned station sold in bankruptcy when I was still a young child) and it actually being cheaper to take Acela Business Class plus Empire Service to get home than flying, I decided to relax and take the train. Combine that with one of my remaining upgrade coupons and here I am.

So today's breakfast was a fruit cup (in this case cantaloupe ) and I followed that by the cheese omelet with ham on top and sausage on the side.

TO start, I must say while the waiter was very attentive and has been very helpful, I think it took longer this morning than ever to actually receive my breakfast (I was listening for the sound of clucking hens to see if he was collecting fresh eggs :-)

Once arrived though I started with the fruit cup. Generally I'd recommend a fruit cup to be served before the hot meal, but in this case they arrived together. Now, I'm not a real fruit fan, but cantaloupe is one I sometimes eat. Most of the pieces were firm and had a good flavor. One was a bit soft, but not overly so. Overall if you like fruit, not a bad choice.

The omelet was once again an example of "close but not quite" when it comes to Acela food. The Swiss cheese had a good strong flavor, but was simply melted on top. This mean that it would separate sometimes and you'd have just a piece of cheese or just a piece of egg. Had it been folded in before cooking I think it would have been MUCH better. Otherwise it was a decent omelet.

The sausage was a pleasant surprise, firm, plump and just a enough flavor as to not overwhelm the rest of the meal. I definitely could have gone for more sausage (even if my waistline couldn't have.)

Overall, pleasing and recommend.