Speaking of trains, Amtrak is kicking it up quite a few notches in terms of its food offerings. It's bringing together well-known chefs to develop new menus:
The chefs’ gathering has spawned dishes as diverse as a spice-rubbed Atlantic salmon fillet and vegetarian shell pasta with corn, leeks and Parmesan cheese. One dish — a [Tom] Douglas creation — prompted a passenger to write to the Los Angeles Times’ Culinary S.O.S. column in search of the recipe for “the most delicious” lamb shanks with mushrooms she and her husband sampled in the regular dining car of the Southwest Chief route that took them from L.A. to Chicago.Last time I rode Amtrak a few months ago, it was definitely an instant coffee/chips/preservative-filled pastries kind of selection. (Although, why does crappy coffee taste so delicious in particular situations? It's the same with airplane food. Everyone complains about it, but how often do you see someone refuse a meal or even just eat half? Never. People scarf it down and don't look the least bit disgusted.) In any case, I'd love to one day take the train between LA and Chicago in first class so I can sample those lamb shanks.
