Darkness turned to dawn as we rolled through the San Joaquin Valley between farms and small towns. Breakfast seemed like a good idea and I headed to the dining car which provides both snacks and full meal service. I elected the meal service and was handed a menu which had about 5 selections. My pick was a cheese omelet with Italian sausage. The omelet was preceded by melon chunks served in a chilled glass bowl.
Utensils are nice stainless steel and the napkin is a large, extra heavy paper.
The melon was excellent. I would characterize the food as similar to first class airline food except that Amtrak's coffee is fresh, strong and consistently excellent. My waiter was a pleasant gentleman who kept my coffee cup brimming. For those who have driven Highway 99 or I-5 through the San Joaquin Valley, let me assure you that the view from the train is considerably different. I didn't find the view boring at all, although it is flat.