In case you’re planning to journey within the Amtrak first class cabin this summer, you may need to board your prepare hungry. The corporate simply debuted an elevated eating expertise in its top notch automobiles that may compete with top-notch eating places in some main foodie cities. 

As a part of a collaboration with well-known restaurateur Stephen Starr, Amtrak rolled out a brand new eating menu in mid-Could that encompasses a rotating choice of dishes pulled from Starr’s eating places in New York and Philadelphia. Among the many new choices are beloved dishes from a few of Starr’s most acclaimed spots, just like the black pepper beef from Buddakan, an Asian fusion idea based mostly in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood, and chilled sesame noodles from The Continental Mid-Town, a cool venue for bites and cocktails in Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Square. Different dishes embrace Italian-themed plates from Philadelphia-based Pizzeria Stella and Adrian, like vegetarian lasagna and baked manicotti. The dishes are set to rotate roughly each three weeks, so frequent vacationers ought to regularly have recent choices to select from.

Top quality seats can be found on Amtrak’s Acela high-speed prepare, which runs on the Northeast Hall between Boston and Washington, DC. The meals and beverage service within the automobiles is complimentary (together with alcoholic drinks), with passengers served at their seats by an Amtrak attendant. Along with seated eating service, the premium automobiles additionally include perks like assigned seats, precedence boarding, and bigger seats with footrests. Passengers on Acela routes can ebook instantly into top notch or bid for a cheaper upgrade from the prepare’s enterprise class automobile.

Creating the prepare menu was a particular alternative for Starr, who’s an avid Amtrak passenger. “I’ve labored on some actually cool initiatives outdoors the partitions of our eating places, however the alternative to collaborate on a premium eating menu for Amtrak’s Acela First Class is perhaps my favourite challenge up to now,” Starr, who’s a James Beard Award winner, stated in a statement. “I’ve all the time liked prepare journey, and I’m a frequent Acela First Class buyer on the Philly to NYC section, as are a lot of our visitors. I’m excited to supply my fellow vacationers restaurant-quality meals impressed by our in style eating places in Philly and New York.”

Amtrak says the menus had been modified based mostly on buyer suggestions. As a part of the upgraded eating expertise, top notch additionally received a refreshed wine record, that includes new tipples like Pommery Champagne, Justin sauvignon blanc, Landmark pinot noir, and Daou rosé.

Starr’s new menu will not be the final revamp that the Acela traces see this 12 months: This fall, Amtrak will begin introducing a model new fleet of trains on the route. The brand new fleet of 28 trains will probably be able to reaching speeds of 160 mph (versus the present 150 mph) and can have sleeker interiors that provide extra spacious seats and a single-seater possibility in top notch.