Along with great scenery out the windows, the Rocky Mountaineer train trip also provides a great culinary scene. Writer Claudia Carbone tells us what we can expect from the food side of the journey.

Save this article about the Rocky Mountaineer train’s culinary scene to Pinterest to help you plan your trip. Photos by Claudia Carbone. Graphic by RealFoodTraveler.com.

My eyes were still blurry from our early morning wake-up at Hotel Indigo in downtown Denver. With coffee in hand, we boarded Canada’s Rocky Mountaineer train for our Rockies to the Red Rocks two-day trip to Moab, Utah.

Day 1 on the Rocky Mountaineer

No sooner had we settled into our assigned seats did a crew member come by with individual trays of a large Butter Croissant snuggled up to an assortment of bite-size melons. With ceramic cups of coffee on our pull-down trays, we sat back and watched the train pull away from Union Station as we munched on the flaky pastry and fruit.

Breakfast
That was, as the French say, avant le petit dejeuner. By the time the train got really rolling above the town of Golden, a lovely hostess came by to take our breakfast order from a menu that included a frittata, a waffle, and a berry parfait.

I ordered the Wild Mountain Berry Parfait, a luscious bowl of creamy vanilla bean yogurt scooped onto a bed of berry compote and topped with house-made almond granola flavored with cinnamon.

The Wild Mountain Berry Parfait for breakfast.

My partner, Larry, ordered the Colorado Pepper, Onion and Cheese Frittata. The dish was loaded with flavors with its companion Cumin-scented Sweet Potato Hash, Sage Turkey Sausage and Roasted Tomatoes. A lot of food!

Any time I’ve been a captive audience in places like a dude ranch or a cruise ship where meals are an integral part of the stay and something to anticipate, the food had better be good. After this introduction, I knew the rest of our meals were going to be something to write about.

Snacks
Not long after breakfast, the hosts put out a snack platter of Roasted Garlic and Artichoke Hearts topped with chopped roasted red peppers cradled in a one-bite puff pastry. Another snack prepared in the small galley car was a Southwest Chipotle Salmon Crostini. These were available in the lounge car next to the bar.

Roasted garlic and artichoke heart snacks.

 Cheers!

Ah, the bar! Here we found a nice assortment of wine, beer, spirits and liqueurs included in our Silverleaf Plus level of service. Larry liked that they offered beer from the Colorado breweries that he loves, such as Fat Tire, Coors, and Denver Beer Co. I liked the Prosecco Doc Treviso and the Hook & Ladder Chardonnay from Napa that paired beautifully with my lunch.

Hungry for more? Learn more about the Rocky Mountaineer ride and journey.

Lunch Bunch

It’s a good thing they started lunch service with this salad, because soon thereafter we entered Gore Canyon where its towering 1,000-foot cliffs begged us to keep our eyes glued to the scenery. The lounge car was a good place to do that.

The salad consisted of fresh Arugula sprinkled with Cranberries, Toasted Walnuts and shaves of Manchego Cheese. The dressing was a yummy Champagne Vinaigrette; a dinner roll rested on the side.

Lunch choices were salmon and pork meals. I chose the Coriander-Crusted Coho Salmon served with a fat dollop of Citrus Chili Butter on top and resting on a bed of Herbed Brown Rice and Red Quinoa. A generous side of Green and Yellow String Beans took up the rest of the plate. It was simply delicious! The same sides adorned the Rosemary & Durango Honey Roasted Pork Loin that Larry enjoyed. Dessert was a dreamy Lemon Tart creation from the Aspen Baking Company.

Coriander-crusted Soho Salmon and vegetables for lunch.

After riding through rugged Glenwood Canyon along the Colorado River, we arrived in Glenwood Springs around dusk. Here we took a long soak in the world-famous Glenwood Hot Springs Pool, had a delicious bowl of soup at The Pullman (we were not terribly hungry after our filling train meals!), and spent the night at the historic Hotel Denver. The Rocky Mountaineer is a day-only train—nights are spent in various locations along the way.

Day 2 

We arose at dawn with generous cups of coffee provided by our hosts at the station next to the hotel and boarded the train again. This time our “pre” breakfast treat was a Blueberry Muffin alongside fresh Pineapple and plump Red Grapes. Breakfast choices were the Berry Parfait, Buttermilk Pancakes and Scrambled Eggs. Pancakes sounded good to me, and they didn’t disappoint, especially with the Prickly Pear Butter slowly melting over the top. Extra Crispy Bacon and Maple Syrup rounded up the dish.

Pancakes and bacon for breakfast served with prickly pear butter.

Larry, now hungry after our light dinner, devoured a Scrambled Egg Cazuela—Cotija Cheese crumbles blended with fresh eggs and topped with corn tortilla strips. Roasted Hatch Chilis came in a separate bowl alongside two large turkey link sausages.

The rest of the morning brought us through Colorado’s Wine Country in the Grand Valley and then through the red sandstone cliffs of Ruby Canyon where we crossed the Colorado/Utah border.

A lovely Charcuterie Plate bid us farewell as we approached Moab and the view of the 12,726-foot LaSal Mountains, the second highest mountain range in Utah.

We were now in Red Rock Country. It was a bittersweet ending to a truly luxury train ride like none other. After a few wonderful days exploring Moab, our flight back to Denver was a complete bore!

This inaugural run of Rockies to the Red Rocks was the last one in 2021; it will resume again in mid-April, 2022. Visit the Rocky Mountaineer website for dates, locations and to book a trip.

-Story and photos by Claudia Carbone