Choo, choo.
Chew, chew.
Champagne, white linens, carved canyon, whitewater. Deep, low echoes from a horn reverberate from cool granite, the pinks and oranges of sunset meet mauve-colored rock.
Not since Cary Grant offered Eva Marie Saint a light has the allure of dining on a train been so tempting.
The temptation comes courtesy of the Royal Gorge Route Railroad, which recently renovated one of its passenger coaches into the Theodore Roosevelt Parlor Car, complete with carved oak trim and a tin ceiling. It was designed by Caon City’s Ron Fourtner, who imbued the inside with gentle radiance through soft lighting, warm woods and burgundy accents that underscore an elegant dining experience without detracting from the stunning view of the gorge outside.
And what a view it is. Powered by classic F7 locomotives in a paint scheme that evokes the livery of its predecessor, the round-trip Royal Gorge Route covers 24 miles of the old Denver & Rio Grande passenger route that began in 1880 and ended in 1967, along what was referred to as the “Grand Canyon of the Arkansas River.” The scenery includes dramatic canyon walls that rise more than 1,000 feet above the tracks, narrow points where there is nothing but the train, the river and the granite, and flowering cholla and bighorn sheep scrambling to find life among the harsh rocks.
It’s the best of the West and a blast from the past all rolled into one.
The Royal Gorge Route Railroad has been offering that view since 1999, but what’s even more special about doing it now is the opportunity to dine like travelers did during the heyday of the dining car in the ’30s and ’40s.
Things are little less formal these days on the Royal Gorge, though, partly because the start-up railroad has had to add on slowly. There is one 48-seat dining car, partitioned to offer room for a small prep area, dishwasher and storage space.
Executive chef Donovan McDonald and his three-member staff prepare everything in the Santa Fe Depot kitchen, and then the real culinary trick is in keeping the food warm and composed in heated drawers and chafing dishes for up to an hour and a half until it’s served.
It’s a feat that McDonald and company pull off deftly.
While passengers board, the dining car is set and ready to go. Champagne and sparkling cider sparkle in glasses, while appetizers of pickled vegetables, smoked trout and focaccia topped with pimiento cheese are already set at each place, last names printed on place cards at pre-determined seats.
The set menu includes the choice of hollandaise-slathered salmon or juicy prime rib, a decision that has to be made when you make reservations. All of the tables seat four, so solo diners and couples should be prepared to make conversation, and there’s no way of knowing ahead of time if you’ll be on the river or the rock side. The good news, though, is that the setup affords a decent view of the river from either side.
McDonald says that the initial intent was for diners to drink their complimentary beverage (after the first glass of champagne, it’s strictly cash bar), eat the appetizer and then walk to the roofless observation deck to take in the views while it still is light out. Then they would return and have dinner.
“The thing that’s really surprised us is that everybody wants to just sit there and eat straight through,” McDonald says. “We can’t figure out how to get them up and moving.”
Maybe the problem is that the food is too good. After the starter comes a crispy salad topped with blue cheese and house-baked rolls, and then the entres. And to say that the entres are generously portioned is like saying the famous hanging bridge the train passes beneath is interesting. With the giant fish fillet comes chewy, nutty wild rice, while the prime rib gets a baked potato and a ramekin of creamy horseradish, and both come with asparagus. The finale is the choice between a rich cheesecake and a dense chocolate cake.
While folks are eating, a tour guide offers a running monologue of information about the route – with mixed success, since there’s more bustle and noise in the dining car than in regular coach class.
Dining on the Royal Gorge Route costs $69.95 per person, and the dinner trains run only on Saturdays and Thursdays. The initial six Saturdays sold out so fast that the train has added more dates, and Thursdays were also added to keep up with the demand.
The Thursday night dinner train will run through at least Aug. 21 and the Saturday night trains will run through at least Oct. 4.
By mid-fall, the little railroad that could expects to put in a full-service kitchen car, along with another dining car seating 58.
Cary and Eva Marie would approve.
Kyle Wagner is the Post’s restaurant reviewer.
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If you go
The Royal Gorge Route Railroad offers private dinner trains at 7 p.m. Thursdays (through Aug. 21) and Saturdays (through Oct. 4), although dates may be extended. Board at the Santa Fe Depot, 401 Water St., Caon City. Return at 9:30 p.m.
Tickets: $69.95 for dinner, includes one glass champagne or sparkling cider, plus four-course dinner. Cash bar available.
Twilight trains: Thursdays and Saturdays, 7 to 9:30 p.m., coach class. Tickets: $26.95 for adults, $16.50 for children 3-12.
Day trains: 9:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., two-hour round trip, coach class. Tickets: $26.95 for adults, $16.50 for children 3-12.
First class, $20 extra, includes private car, Champagne or sparkling cider and hors d’oeuvres.
The train also is taking bookings for Christmas parties from mid-November through December.
Information and reservations: 888-724-5748 or www.royalgorgeroute.com.
