Looking for the hottest table reservation of the summer? Then you better book a ticket on Amtrak.
Over the last few weeks, the transportation company has been busy unveiling new food offerings for both its trains and its busiest station, Moynihan Train Hall.
“May was a big month for food and beverage for Amtrak,” Patricia Orfini, the director of product development and customer experience at Amtrak, shared with Food & Wine.
As she explained via Zoom, three key things happened, starting with service changes at the Moynihan Metropolitan Lounge, its flagship lounge, in early May. “Those service offerings include a more personalized approach to how customers get their food and make their food.”
As an example, Orfini shared that instead of having prepackaged food like yogurt, “we give people the option to build a yogurt parfait,” Orfini said. “By doing that, we were able to reduce our environmental impact because we’ve eliminated the packaging.”
In fact, in an additional press release, Amtrak noted that the new dishes at the lounge, which will roll out in a month cycle, eliminate “95% of plastic packaging and individually packaged products, preparing more items in the Lounge’s kitchen to reduce waste, and replacing disposable service ware with elegant china, glassware, and cutlery.”
Beyond yogurts, travelers can also expect dishes like its pepper jack cheese muffin, avocado toast, and overnight oats for breakfast, along with Amy’s Bread pastries and street corn hummus and a grilled chicken ciabatta baguette, Santa Fe chicken flatbread, and salads on the lunch and dinner menus.
Next on Amtrak’s list is its improvements to the Cafe Acela Menu, which now features “sustainably sourced, health-conscious, and local brands” brought on throughout various stops along its route.
“Leading up to the change, we did a significant amount of research and solicited customer feedback to understand what makes a great menu and what do people want to see,” Orfini said. “And 61% came back and said, ‘we want fresh quality ingredients.'” And now, they can get exactly that as The cafe’s menu upgrades include overnight oats, egg frittata, and pastries from local bakeries in Boston, New York City, and Washington, D.C. for breakfast service; a Mediterranean salad, peppered turkey sandwich, and a chicken and mozzarella pesto sandwich for lunch; and artisan cheeses and fruits for snacks. But, perhaps best of all, the packaging for all these products is made of compostable materials and recycled plastic now too.
Finally, Amtrak also announced the continuation of its partnership with restaurateur Stephen Starr, who is bringing bespoke dishes to Acela First Class. That menu includes the wok cashew chicken from Buddakan, black bean enchiladas from El Vez, coq au vin from Parc, and the return of what Amtrak calls a “customer-favorite dish,” the black pepper beef from Buddakan.
“He’s a visionary restaurateur on the East Coast, and his customers are our customers,” Orfini shared about Starr. So, when you’re feeling a little hungry — and feeling like you want to see the sights — check out Starr’s updated Amtrak menu, then get to the station before they call all aboard.
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