Dining the way I’ve always dreamed of!

When someone mentions traveling by rail my mind immediately takes me to Europe and I picture myself rolling toward exotic places on the Orient Express. My thoughts never delve into the mystery and intrigue of Agatha Christie’s well-written novels. Instead, my Technicolor, hi-fi stereo, hi-def imagination always places me in the dining car, seated at a candle lit table accessorized with freshly cut flowers. I would be seated with a beautiful woman (my wife Sue) served a five-course gourmet meal by tuxedoed waiters, as we taste a fine bottle of vintage wine and view the ever-changing countryside. If you’re going to dream why not go First Class! That is exactly what we did. GrandLuxe Rail Journeys

We recently had the opportunity to travel on Grand Luxe Rail Journey’s (formerly known as the American Orient Express) National Parks of the West rail tour. The Grand Luxe Rail Journey’s train is made up of seventeen fully restored rail cars from the Golden Age of rail travel. Many of the cars, including our cabin car, were made by St. Louis Rail Car Company. There was even a domed observation car where the view was exquisite! You could arrange to eat an evening meal in this car as well. The two dining cars not only served up a great deal of nostalgia, but an unbelievable dining experience as well.

Breakfast was usually served from 6:00 – 9:00am, and included the GLR special of potatoes, eggs, bacon, sausage and ham as well as daily specials such as lobster and roasted red pepper frittatas, blue cornmeal pancakes and more. You could order hot oatmeal with brown sugar and golden raisins. Sue also enjoyed Southern style creamy grits as well. If you prefer a lighter morning meal, a Continental Breakfast is served in the Observation car, and the Club car. Pastries, Bagels and Lox, Fruit cups and yogurt, along with steaming hot coffee and juices should fill the bill. What a way to start the day!

Now comes the stuff dreams are made of; the evening food service begins around 5:30pm with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres in the Club cars. Food items include fresh boiled shrimp, quiche, brochette sandwiches and various cheeses. A chanteuse playing the baby grand piano and singing requests from fellow travelers accompanies this relaxing finish to a day of site seeing. This is the way it was meant to be!

After sharing stories of the day’s adventures and enjoying great conversation with our fellow travelers, it’s a short walk to one of two dining cars for the daily gourmet feast. Each car features open seating and service from 6 –9pm. Tables are set for two or four persons so many of those previous conversations continued well into the evening as we made new friends over dinner.

Dinner on the Grand Luxe Rail Journey train is simply perfection. Each five-course meal features an appetizer, soup, salad, entree and dessert. You will have your choice of three different entrees, and three desserts as well. There is a red and white wine included with your meal, and all meals are included in the price of your trip. You may choose from suggested wine pairings at an additional cost, for example, we had a Paso Robles Old Vines Zinfandel with one meal at a cost of $32.00. I felt this was a reasonable price for this wine and I am sure it would have been more expensive in almost any regular restaurant. I felt it was a bargain with this type of service.

So now lets get to a typical menu, and by the way, they change daily. The appetizer was almond crusted goat cheese drizzled with a raspberry infused honey. The soup for the day was a citrus carrot soup garnished with citrus white wine reduction. The salad was baby spinach completed, with shaved red onions, toasted pecans, Cambozola cheese and a balsamic vinaigrette  

Your sweet tooth will be in Heaven when it comes to desserts. On this evening we had a choice of a lace cookie bowl filled with Mascarpone cream, topped with candied zests and accompanied with Cointreau drenched Mandarin slices, OR, an Opera cake consisting of thin layers of white cake soaked in coffee syrup with coffee butter cream and dark chocolate ganache. For the less adventurous, or calorie conscious, there is also a seasonal fresh fruit cup.

Executive Chef Jeffrey Martin and Pastry Chef Hana Wollman do a fantastic job of transforming totally fresh ingredients (some acquired in local markets along the way) into culinary forms of art. All items are prepared on board and as a would-be Chef. I don’t see how they do it in the small confines of a dining car kitchen. Kudos to the team!

The food on the Grand Luxe Rail Journey train is exquisite, the service is impeccable and the ambience is between where your imagination leaves off and your dreams take over.

It is now time to go to dinner. I can’t wait to see what tonight’s menu brings, and we have four more days to go. I’m in Heaven! Bon appetite!

Contact information; Grand Luxe rail Journeys, Customer Service, 35715 US Highway 40 Suite D302, Evergreen, CO 80439 or phone1-800-320-4206. Click here to visit the http://www.grandluxerail.com/

This article was written by Kevin McCarthy. Kevin and Sue McCarty are known as the Travel Planners. They host a National Radio Show by the same name originating from St. Louis each week and are featured hosts on the World Travel and Dining Channel. Click here to listen to the World Travel and Dining Channel http://www.wtdradio.com/ You may learn more about the Travel Planners by clicking here to get to their web site http://www.kevinandsuetravel.com/kevinandsuetravel.htm