As previously noted here, the Budd Company hired an artist named Kathryn Fligg to paint 115 pictures of wildflowers that were hung in the bedrooms and compartments of the Denver Zephyr. A small selection of these paintings were reproduced on the front and back covers of Denver Zephyr menus and one was on the cover of the lounge car’s beverage menu.
Click image to download a 1.7-MB PDF of this menu.
The front-cover painting on this particular menu shows buttercup, anemone, and fringed gentian. The smaller painting on the back cover has wild rose and lupin. The menu notes that, “Upon request, the dining car steward will gladly present you with reproductions” of the painting, “suitable for framing.” I’ve never seen such reproductions; perhaps this merely meant they would give out copies of the menus.
This is quite an extensive menu for 1969. The table d’hôte side offered trout, pork chops, turkey, roast beef, or sirloin steak. The a la carte side included all of these entrées plus ham and eggs. The a la carte prices ranged from $3.85 for the trout to $4.30 for the steak; table d’hôte (including juice or soup, relish tray, choice of two vegetables, salad, beverage, and dessert) added 75 cents to the cost except for the steak, which was 80 cents more. Multiply prices by seven to approximate today’s dollars. The menu also had two plate “suppers”: lamb chops with a baked potato and salad or a chicken sandwich with potato salad.