A Glimpse Through the Kitchen Door
For head chef Chris Kafcsak feeding 132 guests on the train is no easy feat, but it’s a fun one.
And what’s even more fun is finding new and unique food pairings to delight guests. We sat down with Chris to find out how the team at Nomad Culinary take on the challenge of making four courses of dinner on the train.
How do you choose what you will serve onboard the train?
“Menu’s change up every two weeks so we really try and keep it exciting and different. For winter and spring, we thought a lot about what types of meals people like eating around this time of year. For example, we have a lot of seafood so our Lenten eaters have options that are uncommon from what they may typically have.”
We heard you’re doing something special for Mardi Gras… (February 21 & 28)
“Yes, we are! I wanted to focus on dishes that are typical for New Orleans. Shrimp and grits are a wild card as it’s more Carolina style, but we’ll tap into a Cajun flavor profile. In true Mardi Gras tradition, we’ll be putting a baby in one of the King Cakes. The guest who finds the baby will win a cheese board from us that they can use at any time for a party or special occasion.”
How much time and effort goes into planning the menus?
“Quite a bit. Every menu is thoughtfully curated. We think about what can be produced in the space provided on the train, as well as how the heat will stay in the dish when traveling between moving cars. There are a lot of logistics involved so I’m grateful to have an amazing team to work with. Combined, our team of chef’s have more than 60 years of experience which lends well when it comes to preparations.”
What are some challenges that you and your team face when preparing and serving on the train?
“Well for starters we’re moving. That takes some getting used too, especially for servers who are juggling multiple plates. We can never predict if the train is going to stop suddenly or lurch forward when we’re delicately placing a sauce. It’s fun and challenging.”
Why should people experience Dinner on the Train?
“You’re not going to get this anywhere else in Cleveland or the region. It’s a moving dinner on three historic pieces of train equipment that have a rich history. It’s dinner and a show, and the show is moving.”