To New York City on the Meteor.
NOTE: Don’t click on any words or phrases in blue appearing here or in the text below. That will lead you to ads. It’s an insidious bug that has somehow crept into my laptop and which I will have exorcized at the first opportunity. In the meantime, I have invoked a Hawaiian curse on the son-of-a-bitch who is responsible.
My ride from Miami to West Palm Beach on Brightline was, in a word, impressive.
The equipment is very nice–very comfortable, with large windows; there’s 2-1 seating in first class, 2-2 in their regular class. The first class lounge is very large and features complimentary juices, fresh fruits, pastries and coffee. I left Brightline at its current end-of-the-line, West Palm Beach, where I rented a car and drove to Vero Beach for lunch with an old friend, then on to Mount Dora, Florida, for a visit with my sister and her husband.
On Friday, I caught Amtrak’s Silver Meteor in West Palm Beach for the overnight ride to New York City.
Train 98 had an excellent crew, especially in the dining car. I must say, however, that Amtrak’s dining car food has become mediocre at best. As far as I could tell, it was the same menu we had had on the Sunset Limited. The Meteor’s “signature steak” was OK, but I asked for “medium rare” on the Silver Meteor and it came what I would call “very rare. The Mexican dishes emerging from the dumb waiter on the Sunset Limited were almost inedible.
The pasta dish on both trains was warm, not hot, and had congealed in its cream sauce into one large glop. Almost no matter what your choice is, desserts come in a small plastic cup. I know there are many problems when it comes to serving a variety of dishes on a rolling restaurant. The thing is, we all know it can be done!
Next today: A matinee performance of the hit musical, The Band’s Visit, and tonight my plan is to watch the World Series in a Sports Bar here that caters to Red Sox fans. Tomorrow I’m taking Amtrak’s Maple Leaf to Toronto, from whence cometh my next report.
