Unfortunately, the dining service was only available to those with reservations in the sleeping car. Next time I ride the Coast Starlight, I'll stay in the sleeping car and take a longer journey.

and I think Amtrak's California Zephyr and Coast Starlight have superior menus. The menus are so good that, if you're on a multi-day trip, I think it's worth it to pay extra for a sleeper car to ...