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One of the nice things about this forum is that members usually don't take the subject or themselves too seriously. Often the thread wanders off topic which usually makes for an interesting discussion. Certainly some topics are only marginally related to Amtrak.
With that in mind, I thought it would be fun to discuss the vital subject of cocktails. Last Saturday's WSJ had a nice article about the cocktail 'Twentieth Century' which honored that great train on the NYC. The drink was the idea of a London bartender about 1937. While it is unclear if it was ever served on the train, a small group of 20th Century devotees called the Baker Street Irregulars have an annual event with this the featured drink.
The article then discusses how popular cocktails were back 'in the day' and quotes Lucius Beebe:"as far as the eye could reach, the Century at seven in the evening was an undulant sea of Martinis, Mahattans, sours and highballs."
It then discusses how precise the Pullman Co. was in instructing its lounge car staff in the proper service of cocktails. For instance, to make a Tom Collins there were 18 specific steps the attendant had to take to serve the drink ie. "waiter should carry a clean towel on his arm with fold pointing toward his hand while rendering service".
The author says the 20th Century is an elegant drink and one should be properly dressed when consuming. He quotes the playwright of the '20th Century' play as saying 'they wouldn't let Jesus Christ in the diner if he wasn't wearing a tie and waistcoat." But then we're already had a thread on appropriate dress on the train.
Wouldn't it be great if Amtrak could at least do the basics well,let alone carrying it the level of fine art as the Pullman Co. did.
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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Here's a link to the subscription site Mr. Palmland notes:
When I read this last Saturday, I wondered could Amtrak consider doing same; after reading the excerpts from The Pullmam Company's Service Manual, I could only conclude that would be "too much" for an Amtrak Service Attendant.
sbalax Member # 2801
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Mr. Norman--
Thanks for the link. It was a good read.
I'm afraid service like that is a not to be found in many places today. I've found it on some cruise ships and in some hotels in Asia and Europe.
I've had the opportunity to read service guidelines for at least one major airline that are almost as detailed as those of the Pullman Company (including color pictures of food presentation) but have seen what employees can do to it. I'm assuming there was a person on board the Pullman cars who would enforce the standards. That, I think, is the missing link today. There has to be a manager present who is empowered to act.
On our last trip on the Coast Starlight (more than a year ago) there was an "Onboard Manager" (the guy in the grey suit) but he hadn't been given any power. The best he could do was to suggest that we "write a letter and mention my name".
Frank in cool and dark SBA
MightyAlweg Member # 5407
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Great topic! I'm also a fan of a well made cocktail, and when I was touring the Parlor Car at Train Day I immediately picked up on the fact they had liquor bottles on display behind the service counter at the end of the car.
I remember my first trip on the Coast Starlight in the 1990's, and I had several decently made cocktails from the Parlor Car. Certainly nothing as fancy as the Pullman Co. would have insisted on, but not bad considering the source.
Something tells me however that the average Amtrak employee today would rebel at the thought of having to perform at a certain level of showmanship and style.
I have found a level of service that is similar to the old Pullman Co. standards, but those have all been found in cocktail lounges at upscale hotels in Tokyo. The Japanese have mastered the art of good service, and even their Starbucks have a level of service Americans could only dream of. A nice lobby lounge in a good Tokyo hotel will have a bartender and cocktail waitresses that put on quite a show, and treat you and your cocktail like royalty.
I'm afraid Amtrak in the 21st century, and most Americans in the service industry today, just aren't up to that challenge. We've all grown too lazy, soft and slobby to expect something like that from a paid employee. Sad, but true.
Henry Kisor Member # 4776
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For the love of Mike, what goes into a Twentieth Century cocktail? What are the ingredients and how are they mixed? The referenced URL seems to be about something else -- natural farming.
RRRICH Member # 1418
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Yeah, about the best AMTRAK can do now is the service they try to impart during the daily wine tastings on the Starlight -- there is a tiny bit of "showmanship" there maybe, but nothing like the old Pullman standards......
Can you even get a "cocktail" other than wine on AMTRAK nowadays, or maybe a very very simple ("pour this bottle into a glass with ice, then maybe add something") bloody mary in the morning?
smitty195 Member # 5102
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Speaking of wine tastings in the Parlour Car.....on my trip the other day on the Coast Starlight, they got about halfway through the wine tasting when someone finally realized that the PA switch was set for the entire train, and not just for the Parlour Car. I was back in the Sightseer Lounge (because I have no interest in wine, but I do enjoy a good mai tai!) and was chit-chatting with a few people. One woman said, "I can't believe they're doing this again". She was riding back home to Vancouver, BC and had taken #11 down to Los Angeles the week prior. She said the same thing happened on that trip....everyone in coach was saying, "What the hell is this crap???". They had to sit there for an hour and listen to all this stuff about the wine, which wine is up next, how much it is if you'd like to purchase a bottle, etc, etc, etc......and these are people in coach who can not participate in the darn thing!
There are so many little things such as this that Amtrak manages to somehow screw up on a daily basis. It's nothing major---it's the matter of flipping the switch from the train's PA to the car's PA---but I suppose it's probably because, "I wasn't trained on how to turn the switch".
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The Pullman Conductor was responsible for the actions of all Pullman men and women on a train... Porters, Attendants, Barbers and Maids.
Amtrak? Mix a drink? I doubt even the crew on Beech Grove can successfully do that...
sbalax Member # 2801
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Boomer--
Thanks for the recipe. I like a good cocktail but this sounds pretty dreadful to me. BevMo carries Lillet, BTW. $15.95 a bottle.
Mr. Kisor--
You have to dig a bit to find the article from that webpage. I think it was under Lifestyle or something like that.
Smitty--
What's the best Mai Tai you've had? For atmosphere and surroundings I'd vote for either the Royal or the Halekulani but for value and view I'd say Chuck's in the Outrigger Waikik'i at Happy Hour!
All--
In their defense, I have had a pretty good Bloody Mary in the Parlour Car.
Frank in Sunny SBA
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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quote:Originally posted by Henry Kisor: For the love of Mike, what goes into a Twentieth Century cocktail? What are the ingredients and how are they mixed? The referenced URL seems to be about something else -- natural farming.
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Before we go on moaning about how yesterday's service on the train was so much better than it is today, let us pause to reflect on the duress under which George M. Pullman put his underpaid, underappreciated and underrespected staffs. They were expected to work their tails off for a pittance and under rugged conditions, and since so few good jobs were available to African-Americans in those days, those who wanted to make a living and raise their families had to go along with Pullman. Today's attendants are not going to make Massa happy and bow and scrape and do Bojangles shuffles. Their memories are long.
Which does not justify lousy service, of course. Good service should be rewarded and bad service reported and complained about.
Now let's all have another Martini and forge onward.
smitty195 Member # 5102
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Frank,
Best Mai Tai was at Longhi's on Front Street in Lahaina (Maui). Believe it or not, a close second was at the Venetian in Las Vegas. Not the freebie that you get when gaming, but at one of the bars on the casino floor. That one cost me $12, but it was worth every penny.
Andy
sbalax Member # 2801
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Andy--
Ah, yes, Longhi's. I've only been there for breakfast, though, and a Mai Tai just doesn't sound right. I'm sure you know there is now a Longhi's at Ala Moana Center in HNL.
I also forgot the very good Mai Tai I had a lunch at the Kona Inn in Kailua-Kona as I officially entered the Medicare years.
Gotta keep this on track, I guess, so I'll mention that on the same trip we rode the "Sugar Cane Train" on Maui. A great way to spend a little time.
Frank in Sunny SBA
smitty195 Member # 5102
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I've never done the Sugar Cane Train. I should try it next time I'm over there.
And no! I didn't know they have a Longhi's on Oahu now! Wow....on my first trip to Maui (in 1986) I went to Longhi's on Front Street. But in recent years, I've been staying in Wailea and I go to the one that opened in The Shops At Wailea. Their opakapaka cooked "Longhi's Style" is to die for.
RR4me Member # 6052
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I find Amtrak service adequate, but then again, I like a bourbon and soda, and it's very hard to mess that up . But when/if I get on a GrandLuxe trip, I'll be watching for the towel.
train lady Member # 3920
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Henry lets remember that all the attendents today are not black nor all males.I have an interesting book by David D. Perata called "Those Pullman Blues" an oral history of the African American railroad attendent. (I really hate all the hyphenated people, To me we are all americans period. but that is the title)
palmland Member # 4344
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Actually, Henry, many of the lounge car attendants were not black, but Filipino. I remember one on the Capitol Ltd. that was especially proficient.
There is no doubt the black employees had a tough time of it and were at a disadvantage in competing for most jobs back in those days. But, the ones I talked with were extremely proud of their job. We had a lengthy conversation with one who happened to be from the Tennessee town where my grandmother lived and he talked at length about the high status this gave them in their community and was very pleased with his job.
Henry Kisor Member # 4776
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That's true about the Filipinos -- but, remember, they were treated shabbily, too. (When I was a kid every Filipino in the U.S. Navy was a mess attendant or officer's servant.)
The African-American Pullman attendant of the old days was proud partly because George M. couldn't break his spirit. He was proud because he held his head up and gave great service even when his charges called him "George" and treated him like an invisible and interchangeable piece of furniture.
Much of the superb service of old came at great cost to the people who gave that service. I think we need to remember that.
palmland Member # 4344
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Well, getting back to cocktails, I'm an easy customer for Amtrak and even mediocre service can handle my drink needs. It's tough for even the most inept to have trouble opening a bottle of wine or mixing bourbon and water.
In today's world I find enjoying a good drink is better in one of the great stations still around rather than on the train.
Two that come to mind are the restaurant in the main hall of the Washington Union Terminal or the concourse area of the former Nashville station which is now a hotel. I suspect the Traxx restaurant in LAUPT might be equally pleasant and have that on our list.
MightyAlweg Member # 5407
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Traxx has served up great cocktails for me in the past.
But if you want a real treat near LA Union Station, head to The Edison! They take their cocktails very seriously, and they have a dress code and ask that you not use a cell phone or digital device inside the establishment to maintain a gracious atmosphere. It's located in one of the first electrical generating plants in LA, it's full of history, and it's a real hoot! http://www.edisondowntown.com
As for Mai Tai's, I had an excellent one last night at the new Roy's Hawaiian restaurant at GardenWalk in Anaheim. GardenWalk is a new mall about a mile west of the Anaheim Amtrak station on Katella, across the street from Disneyland.
royaltrain Member # 622
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In the Mural Lounge on Via's Canadian, the bartender can still do a respectable mixed drink. I'm particularly fond of a cocktail called the Dining Car. It's a deadly combination of champagne and vodka. Highly recommended.
sbalax Member # 2801
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MA--
I was very disappointed by the whole experience at the Traxx Bar the last time I was there but I'm willing to give it another try based on your recommendation.
Great website for The Edison. Thanks for the link.
Frank in Sunny SBA
P.S. I'd forgotten about Roy's. There is finally one in Waikik'i in the new Beachwalk development.
20th Century Member # 2196
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Yes, I enjoy my bourbon Manhattan, or a vodka martini. But on Amtrak I have to settle for JW Red on ice.If not that then it's Dewars. By the way the airlines (most to my knowledge) don't serve such mixed cocktails either. Decades ago they used to have pre-mixed cocktails in those small bottles.
20th Century Member # 2196
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...and oh,good evening, It's passed 5 o'clock here. Time for ????.
palmland Member # 4344
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Mightyalweg- thanks for the tip on the Edison. That sounds like the perfect spot to get in the mood for a good ride on the SWC.
I suspect after a couple hours there, the SDS fare on the SWC might not seem too bad and it would be easier to imagine I was in the Turquoise Room on the Super Chief.
sbalax Member # 2801
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20th Century--
My source at Continental says that the vermouth (white and red) is no longer boarded so no Manhattans or Martinis. He reports that "anything" with vodka seems to be the current drink of choice. I remember being served a "Dirty Motha" from Sydney to HNL years ago. It was vodka, Bailey's, and Kahlua topped with whipped cream made by shaking the container of rich Australian cream boarded for the coffee service. I was in Economy but actually traveling as part of that elite class, "Friends of the Crew".
Smitty--
I remember you mentioning that they used TRAXX as a lounge for the Sleeper pax on the first day. Am I correct in assuming that that was a one time thing? It's really too bad that they haven't figured out a way to have a Lounge at LAUPT.
Frank in Sunny SBA
smitty195 Member # 5102
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I was told that TRAXX would be used daily for Coast Starlight sleeping car passengers for a place to sit and have coffee and juice prior to departure. It wasn't supposed to be a one-time thing.
With that said, I honestly don't know how long that will last. The neat drumhead that was on the rear of the train came back to Los Angeles on the trainset that I was on (on Friday the 13th) and it never went back out. Neither did the Parlour Car. With Amtrak you just never know......
Railroad Bob Member # 3508
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quote:Originally posted by 20th Century: ...and oh,good evening, It's passed 5 o'clock here. Time for ????.
Yes, Mr. 20th Century- but to paraphrase that old country-music song, it's always "5:00 somewhere."
Some Amtrak LSAs (lead service attendants) still take good pride in formulating some pretty special mixed drinks, if they have the time. They might not be able to do the full "18 steps" if it's a Del Mar race train, for example! There used to be a Mr. Jinks in the Western Division who had a drink he called the "thermonuclear bloody mary." Regulars seemed to like it-- quite a bit of Tabasco went into it. He himself was somewhat of a "devotee" of fine mixed drinks, and could recommend many fine establishments he had visited.
As to the legendary Pullman workers- most here probably remember that movie made-for-cable a while back called "10,000 Black Men Named George" which told the story of the Porters. I got a copy for 9 bucks from one of the DVD webstores. The acting was actually pretty good for this low budget effort...
20th Century Member # 2196
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Railroad Bob...LOL! Yes,I've used that reasoning occasionally. And yes those Pullman porters deserve a tribute for their stamina. You can ride a wonderfully equipped train, but without the matching service it could be a most memorable ride for the worst. Also,those guys worked hard and took a lot of nonsense from passengers and their superiors.
RR4me Member # 6052
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As of 6/22, Traxx was still used as a place for sleeping car passengers on the Coast Starlight to sit. However, the bar wasn't "open", although at 9 in the morning, I was quite happy with some OJ and ice water.
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