Kosher meals and contemporary dining

[danib62]

Kosher meals have long been available as an option on LD trains with 72 hours advance notice and 24 hours on Acela First Class. I'm taking a trip on the Capitol Limited next week so I called in today to ensure that it's on my reservation. The agent was unable to add it in and said there's no dining car on the trip so she can't add the request. The issue is both the CL timetable and the press release that discusses the switch to contemporary dining both say that kosher meals are available with advance notice. The agent I spoke with was great and spent 40 mins calling around to different departments to try and get to the bottom of it and in the end took down my info and promised a call back, but still nothing definitive.

I know it's a stretch but anyone here have experience with this? I've never gotten the run around like this before when I've requested one on Acela First Class. The switch to contemporary dining really shouldn't make difference as the kosher meals weren't prepared on board anyways.

[Maverickstation1]

On the Amtrak Food Facts site, the menu for the Lake Shore Limited shows the (2) Kosher Meal Options, one is salmon, and the other chicken.

http://www.amtrakfoodfacts.com/lp.do?sk ... 46215&EV=2

[Greg Moore]

I don't see anything there that lists those as being kosher.

[Maverickstation1]

Not reading that thoroughly...............

On both the Capital Limited and Lake Shore, the Food Facts Menu clearly states the Seared Salmon and Chicken with Herb Orzo, and Kosher, By Advanced Reservation.

http://www.amtrakfoodfacts.com/restimg2 ... 519-09.pdf

[danib62]

Thanks for the help guys! I think the meals definitely exist, the problem is making sure they get loaded as the it seems like the ability to add special meal requests was broken with the switch to contemporary dining. I'll report back next week on my experience, but I'm definitely bringing back up good just in case.

[danib62]

Not reading that thoroughly...............

On both the Capital Limited and Lake Shore, the Food Facts Menu clearly states the Seared Salmon and Chicken with Herb Orzo, and Kosher, By Advanced Reservation.

http://www.amtrakfoodfacts.com/restimg2 ... 519-09.pdf

Also the Beef Provencal with Seasoned Carrots and Basmati Rice

[Maverickstation1]

Thanks for the help guys! I think the meals definitely exist, the problem is making sure they get loaded as the it seems like the ability to add special meal requests was broken with the switch to contemporary dining. I'll report back next week on my experience, but I'm definitely bringing back up good just in case.

Let us know how you do, and if they do provide any of the Kosher Meals what do you think of them.

Ken

[JoeG]

On planes, back when they provided meals, the kosher meals were often the best. So, if you get one, it would be nice if you could post a description.

[danib62]

On planes, back when they provided meals, the kosher meals were often the best. So, if you get one, it would be nice if you could post a description.

Sadly I'd say that's far from the case in 2019, there's really only one caterer in the US who makes them and while they're not terrible they definitely are not great and don't seem nearly as good as most of the offerings that regular passengers get. Some are the international kosher caterers are really atrocious.

I will definitely share my experience next week though should I get my meal without a hitch.

[danib62]

Not to get too off topic but one of my pet peeves with kosher requests and Amtrak is that Amtrak requires 24 hours advance notice to get a kosher meal in Acela First Class but the upgrade coupons I get with my Amtrak credit card are only good for 12 hours before departure making it impossible to get a kosher meal when I use them... thankfully though most beer and hard liquor is kosher so I make it up in other ways

[WhartonAndNorthern]

Not to get too off topic but one of my pet peeves with kosher requests and Amtrak is that Amtrak requires 24 hours advance notice to get a kosher meal in Acela First Class but the upgrade coupons I get with my Amtrak credit card are only good for 12 hours before departure making it impossible to get a kosher meal when I use them... thankfully though most beer and hard liquor is kosher so I make it up in other ways

Have you tried mentioning that to them? I bet two separate departments are involved (one to order the Kosher food and one to coordinate promotions and benefits) and not once did anyone think about this. I'll use a mild form of Hanlon's razor: never attribute to malice what can adequately be explained by unawareness. I thought even ignorance is too harsh a word.

Kol tov,
W&N

[Tadman]

Have you tried mentioning that to them? I bet two separate departments are involved... and not once did anyone think about this. I'll use a mild form of Hanlon's razor: never attribute to malice what can adequately be explained by unawareness.

This is totally their MO. One hand has no freaking clue what the other hand is doing. A few days ago in Albany, one busybody started lining people up on the left side of the pedestrian bridge for my train, the other busybody started lining people up on the right. Neither had any idea the other was doing the same. Don't bother to tell them that nobody lines up the hundreds of thousands of passengers at Grand Central or Secaucus... the horror...

And malice or not, it's crummy service. If you go to a good steakhouse or hotel, you don't see them holding their service up to the malice standard. They actively try hard to make it a good experience.

[danib62]

Oh I totally don't think it's malice at all, just two different policies competing.

[pateljones]

Are Halal meals available?

[mtuandrew]

Are Halal meals available?

Seems like it would make sense to get meals double-certified kosher and halal, wouldn’t it?

Otherwise, Amtrak often has a vegan option in the cafe that would fulfill any religious requirement. Not preferred to hot food, obviously.