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Although I have never had a meal in a dineing (spelling) car on a long distance train before, I would like to know if Amtrak has recorded dinner music for atmosphere in the dinning car during the Evening meal for the enjoyment of the dinning passengers?
KA6BGJ Member # 662
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Say folks, I just realized that I just asked a question that EDDIE HASKELL would tend to ask.
Geoff Mayo Member # 153
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Try it with two Ns and no Es! ;-) The dining car has no music, piped or otherwise. I personally prefer it that way - nobody can complain about the choice of music that way.
Geoff M.
CK Member # 589
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No music but plenty of conversation. IMHO the atmosphere in the dining car is like dining in a "Denny's" except you get a chance to meet different people and enjoy the view out the windows.
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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That is too harsh Mr CK--
Alrighty, dining aboard Amtrak is neither Ambria or Le Titi de Paris (go giggle if you want to know more about either), but it is hardly the "lower market full service" restaurant chain mentioned.
I have had one of the most excelently prepared Pork Chops aboard Amtrak that i have ever enjoyed. Also, aboard #59 City of New Orleans this past August, a steak sauce served over the Delmonico that was truly unique.
The next morning at Memphis I met the Chef (the gentleman truly deserves that title)who could have been a dead ringer for Paul Prodhomme. He apologized for being out of stock of my first choice, the Veal Chop. However, he was quick to "admonish"; "now you come on back; If you liked what I did with the steak, you will love what I do with the Veal Chop".
Hope i can "take him up" on that one.
As for "piped in music" who needs it!!!!
CK Member # 589
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Gilbert, we may agree to disagree. IMHO dining car atmosphere is much more than how well the selection was prepared. I will agree that most dinner selections that I have ordered have been well prepared and I have left the table well satisfied. However, breakfast and lunch is the standard fare and certainly nothing to write home about. As far as the atmosphere and the service in the dining car I have often found it to be best described as chaos. I could not begin to tell you how many times I have seen passengers being served incorrect orders by surly wait staff. That being said, I will agree with you that sometimes the service and the food is excellent. It just has been my experience that "it's a roll of the dice" everytime I step in the dining car.....you never know what your going to get.
Mr. Toy Member # 311
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To answer the first question first, I don't think background music would work well with the train sounds. I think it would either be drowned out by the ambient noise, or people would just talk louder to overcome the music.
And IMHO, Glibert and CK are both right to a degree. The atmosphere is more like a small town cafe than anything. In my experience the servers tend to be more folksy than formal. Their personalities give each dining car its own character.
I had one dining car steward who had such a quick wit that he had the entire car laughing happily even though the rest of the train was grumbling because we were six hours late. One diner had a very attractive blonde steward, who added a touch of class to the operation.
CK is right that breakfast and lunch tends to be a mixed bag. Some are excellent, others merely adequate.
But I agree with Gilbert about the dinners. I once had a salmon in dill sauce that tasted as good as any served in the Monterey Peninsula's finest restaurants. The presentation wasn't Pebble Beach quality, but the cooking definitely was.
And I've always had great chicken on a train. When in doubt, order the chicken. (New slogan: "Amtrak: we do chicken right.")
------------------ Trust God, love your neighbor, and never mistake opinion for truth. -Mr. Toy
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The entertainment comes from watching the skilled waiters and waitresses steady the food while the train is rocking back and forth. If I were a waiter on a train I would let about 5 plates of food, a meal, fall on someone.
kjkober Member # 1423
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or just sing at the top of your voice to the rhythm of the wheels on the rails. You might just get your own table!
Mike Smith Member # 447
posted On my Y2K trip through the Rockies, the Chief of Onboard Services was playing some type of progressive jazz in the lounge. Around Moffit tunnel, I wanted to kill someone or physically tear that CD into a million pieces......
No music in the Diner!
Geoff Mayo Member # 153
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City of New Orleans certainly had the best food I've ever tasted. This was before the standardised menus though. Definitely very good chicken! Oh, and the mash potato - I know some people hate it but the added ingredients do wonders for it. I'm hungry now!
CK is right about the varying service. I've had everything from "can't wait to get out of here" to "wonderful". One server on the LSL was particularly good. When the train went from one main track to the other, two people got their dinners and their drinks in their laps. What could have turned nasty was made into a moment of hilarity by the server with his quick wit (they, of course, got new dinners).
Geoff M.
dilly Member # 1427
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As far as "dinner music" concerned. . .
During several of my trips on the Lake Shore Limited, the dining car staff turned on a boom box as dinner was winding down.
I don't know if it was the volume (medium) or the choice of music (rap), but it seemed to clear the remaining passengers out the car pretty quickly.
Which was probably the whole idea.
espeefoamer Member # 2815
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My best meal on Amtrak was a sole on the Broadway in 1978.Also,Ihave had excellent pork chops on the Sunset.
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