Acela Dining (was Acela First Class Dining)

[STrRedWolf]

A couple of articles (may be behind paywall), and photos, from a recent trip Acela First Class:

https://1drv.ms/i/s!AoD9oYq15Nob9n98PjW ... U?e=HlnBu8

Washington Post - Menu Items Ranked

WaPo - Amtrak’s first-class Stephen Starr menu upgrades dining on the rails

The one-drive link is passwoord protected. Washington Post is partially paywalled.

[Hamhock]

I travelled PHL - NYP in Acela First Class on 8/6, and selected a non-Starr Restaurants entree: "Baked Salmon Lattice" (salmon en croûte in puff pastry) with spinach and sorrel butter, which was accompanied by a Prosecco béarnaise sauce. Dessert was a jarred Tiramisu made in Italy. All items tasted very good and were appropriately heated/chilled (i.e., no microwaving involved).

[STrRedWolf]

I travelled PHL - NYP in Acela First Class on 8/6, and selected a non-Starr Restaurants entree: "Baked Salmon Lattice" (salmon en croûte in puff pastry) with spinach and sorrel butter, which was accompanied by a Prosecco béarnaise sauce. Dessert was a jarred Tiramisu made in Italy. All items tasted very good and were appropriately heated/chilled (i.e., no microwaving involved).

Ooooo.... I want to try that.

[Railjunkie]

I travelled PHL - NYP in Acela First Class on 8/6, and selected a non-Starr Restaurants entree: "Baked Salmon Lattice" (salmon en croûte in puff pastry) with spinach and sorrel butter, which was accompanied by a Prosecco béarnaise sauce. Dessert was a jarred Tiramisu made in Italy. All items tasted very good and were appropriately heated/chilled (i.e., no microwaving involved).

That actually doesn't look bad. Nice presentation no crumbs on the plates nor on the serving platter. Everything has a symmetry to it. An LSA that cares about their job perhaps.

[Jeff Smith]

[Jeff Smith]

New menu: https://media.amtrak.com/2023/11/amtrak ... r-23-menu/

Amtrak and STARR Restaurant Group Update Acela First Class Menu with Three New Meals

NEW YORK – Amtrak and STARR Restaurant Group, led by James Beard award-winning restaurateur Stephen Starr, today announced the debut of three new dishes for the First Class dining menu on Acela trains traveling on the Northeast Corridor (NEC) between Boston and Washington D.C. The collaboration began in May, with four seasonal menu items in rotation across a six-month spring and summer cycle.

“Expanding our partnership with the STARR Restaurant Group shows our continued commitment to enhancing the Acela First Class onboard experience,” said Amtrak Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer Eliot Hamlisch. “We’re delighted to expand our reach of restaurants along the Northeast Corridor by adding the iconic Le Diplomate in DC, plus new items from The Continental Mid-town and Parc.”

The three new menu items in rotation every three weeks include:

Lobster Mac & Cheese from The Continental Mid-town: A comfort food classic! Orzo pasta and chunks of lobster are tossed in a velvety cheese sauce and topped with panko breadcrumbs, then baked to perfection.

Beef Bourguignon from Parc: This hearty French stew comprises tender braised beef with roasted carrots, pearl onions, Cremini mushrooms, bacon, and red wine jus served over creamy pommes purée.

Tropez Salad from Le Diplomate: Mediterranean flavors and ingredients in this dish include a mélange of four chilled salads: cucumbers and feta, chickpeas and couscous, lentils in a mustard vinaigrette, and shaved carrots drizzled with olive oil and lemon come together for a light and refreshing treat.

Acela First Class customers can also enjoy new fall and winter wine offerings, including prosecco, sauvignon blanc, pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon. For those traveling in the morning, freshly baked pastries are delivered daily from local bakeries for an extra sweetness to start the day.

The STARR Restaurant Group portfolio spans the NEC, serving many of the same travelers who ride in Acela First Class. Customers can expect a similar level of culinary artistry and premium service onboard as they do at STARR’s award-winning restaurants.

For those looking to experience Acela First Class, the Amtrak Bidup program allows already ticketed Acela customers to bid on an upgrade, space and availability permitting.

[jp1822]

Not bad - that looks pretty good - even a step up from the last menu that they had rolled out for the first time with this partnership. I hope it works, as I feel Amtrak Acela First Class meals were on the decline again - compared to where we were in the early 2000’s both with Metroliner First Class meals AND Acela Express First Class meals. Good to see. Even the breakfast options look better, as they were really bare bones for a while.

[anthonygaines]

I love aristocratic Acela First Class food.

[John_Perkowski]

Aristocratic?

Let’s show you what Union Pacific did on their coach/tourist Pullman train, the Challenger, in the 1930s.
Oh. Most everything on this menu, except the pies, was scratch made on board, not heated in a convection oven after pulling the item from a refrigerator.

IMG_4400.jpeg

[ExCon90]

It was also a tradition (I believe widespread) that a passenger could have anything that could be made from ingredients on hand in the kitchen, whether or not it was on the menu. Of course they had larger crews in those days, since the pay was low.

[Jeff Smith]

Business Class Upgraded Dining: Washington Post ($Paywall$)

No more microwave hot dogs? LOL.

Brief, fair-use quote:

Amtrak’s Acela upgrades its menu to match its speed

After enlisting Stephen Starr to revamp the first-class dishes, Acela applies the same spirit to business class.


...
After introducing a menu for first-class Acela travelers that was developed by famed restaurateur Stephen Starr, Amtrak is turning its attention to the rest of us in the cheap(er) seats in business class. On Wednesday, Amtrak plans to introduce a revamped menu for its Cafe Acela that caters to the more refined tastes of its clientele. Now, when riders weave their way into the cafe car for a lunch or snack, they’ll find a selection that’s meant to be a cut above the one offered on the Northeast Regional.
...
And so the ham being served isn’t any old pedestrian pig; it’s “cherrywood smoked.” The titular protein in a turkey and cheese sandwich is peppered. The biggest upgrade might be found in the two snacky, shareable “plates” that are far from the usual cheese-and-crackers formula. The revamped menu also swaps in four sandwiches, two salads, and a serving of overnight oatmeal and berries.
...
The sandwiches, too, are something I would expect from an upscale deli. The breads are all high-quality, seeded varieties, that each add something to the mix. And the handhelds are right-sized, manageable both in terms of not being food-coma-inducing and relatively easy to consume (I could imagine perching one and a drink, along with my ever-present phone, alas, on a fold-down tray). Prices — salads, sandwiches and plates range from $12 to $13.50 — are comparable to those at such an establishment, too, and are higher than those of the items they replaced, which cost $9.50.
...

[NaugyRR]

The chicken pesto baguette looks pretty good

[STrRedWolf]

https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/proj ... u-1023.pdf

The hotdogs still are there, but they added the better items... which look nice. Maybe when I can take the Acela up to Boston and back...

[Jeff Smith]