Amtrak food
Posted: 09 Sep 2007, 02:14I, honey lamb, do solemnly swear that I will never ever, ever give out about the food in Upper Class (well not until the next time it falls below par) after my experience with food in the Acela First Class on Amtrak [:$]
My original plan had been to fly jetBlue from Boston to New York but on the suggestion of several v-flyers I decided to take the Acela express and what is more to upgrade to first class. When I factored in the cost of taxis to and from the airport the upgrade became an attractive proposition and so I took it. My hotel was just around the corner from Back Bay station and I joined the 11:15 train there. For starters, first class was packed. Two of us got on there and nabbed the last two seats, the other person in a table for four and I a single seat right at the back of the carriage, but with the advantage as I realised on leaving the station of being on the left hand side of the train and therefore getting the best views [y] Judging by the mountains of luggage that was in the luggage bay and across the aisle from me together with the assorted lables, it seemed that most people were either going to or coming from a cruise (there was a cruise ship in Boston Harbor) although a couple of bags had Qantas Club tags on them. Anyhow, there was I sequestered away in my little corner at the end of the carriage.
The steward had been kind enough to put my case in the overhead bin and provide me with a drink and some nibbles and also the menu. Apart from soup (corn chowder flavoured with chilli) it was mostly a cold plate menu. The choices were Smaller Bites, a chicken plate which sounded good and a Thai beef salad. I decided on the chicken plate. At 11:50 we left Providence, RI by which time according to the announcements, the train was sold out, and the steward started taking lunch orders. Halfway down the carriage he went back to the lady preparing lunch with the orders and proceeded to the latter half of the carriage - and of course, I was last! However I did hear him say to other tables something about smaller bites and when he got to me and I confidently ordered chicken I was told that only Smaller Bites was available and it was a case of take it or leave it. I don't know whether they had run out of other choices or whether that was the only choice being a Sunday but given that other passengers would be joining the train in New York it seemed that the catering was very frugal even if they re-catered the train at Penn Station.
At 12 noon they started the lunch service and I waited and waited and waited. At one stage looking up the carriage they were clearing away the trays of those at the front. I waited and waited and waited while everyone else around me continued to be served and still I waited - and still tables continued to be cleared and a second drinks round served. Finally while the train was standing in New Haven, CT at 13:15 my tray was placed in front of me. I rather wish it hadn't. The meal consisted of two thick slices of a spicey, fatty salami-like meat of one and a half inches diameter and three thin slices of luncheon meat on a lettuce leaf. Accompanying this were two packets of 3 Carr's water biscuits and butter and a square of Ghirandelli caramel chocolate and a (small) glass of white wine. It was awful. [:$] At 13:20 they came looking for my tray to take it away! [:0] And of course those at the front of the carriage were on their second drinks run [:(]
VS, we railed at some of your meal choices and tried to customise the menu as best we could but I personally would have welcomed the bangers and iridescent mash we complained about vociferously a few years ago. I have no doubt my American friends will tell me I got what I deserved!
My original plan had been to fly jetBlue from Boston to New York but on the suggestion of several v-flyers I decided to take the Acela express and what is more to upgrade to first class. When I factored in the cost of taxis to and from the airport the upgrade became an attractive proposition and so I took it. My hotel was just around the corner from Back Bay station and I joined the 11:15 train there. For starters, first class was packed. Two of us got on there and nabbed the last two seats, the other person in a table for four and I a single seat right at the back of the carriage, but with the advantage as I realised on leaving the station of being on the left hand side of the train and therefore getting the best views [y] Judging by the mountains of luggage that was in the luggage bay and across the aisle from me together with the assorted lables, it seemed that most people were either going to or coming from a cruise (there was a cruise ship in Boston Harbor) although a couple of bags had Qantas Club tags on them. Anyhow, there was I sequestered away in my little corner at the end of the carriage.
The steward had been kind enough to put my case in the overhead bin and provide me with a drink and some nibbles and also the menu. Apart from soup (corn chowder flavoured with chilli) it was mostly a cold plate menu. The choices were Smaller Bites, a chicken plate which sounded good and a Thai beef salad. I decided on the chicken plate. At 11:50 we left Providence, RI by which time according to the announcements, the train was sold out, and the steward started taking lunch orders. Halfway down the carriage he went back to the lady preparing lunch with the orders and proceeded to the latter half of the carriage - and of course, I was last! However I did hear him say to other tables something about smaller bites and when he got to me and I confidently ordered chicken I was told that only Smaller Bites was available and it was a case of take it or leave it. I don't know whether they had run out of other choices or whether that was the only choice being a Sunday but given that other passengers would be joining the train in New York it seemed that the catering was very frugal even if they re-catered the train at Penn Station.
At 12 noon they started the lunch service and I waited and waited and waited. At one stage looking up the carriage they were clearing away the trays of those at the front. I waited and waited and waited while everyone else around me continued to be served and still I waited - and still tables continued to be cleared and a second drinks round served. Finally while the train was standing in New Haven, CT at 13:15 my tray was placed in front of me. I rather wish it hadn't. The meal consisted of two thick slices of a spicey, fatty salami-like meat of one and a half inches diameter and three thin slices of luncheon meat on a lettuce leaf. Accompanying this were two packets of 3 Carr's water biscuits and butter and a square of Ghirandelli caramel chocolate and a (small) glass of white wine. It was awful. [:$] At 13:20 they came looking for my tray to take it away! [:0] And of course those at the front of the carriage were on their second drinks run [:(]
VS, we railed at some of your meal choices and tried to customise the menu as best we could but I personally would have welcomed the bangers and iridescent mash we complained about vociferously a few years ago. I have no doubt my American friends will tell me I got what I deserved!