Food

Free airport meals for military personnel

Airports, Food, Free Stuff, Military, ,

Here’s a nice airport perk:

Paradies Lagardère, which operates restaurants in many North American airports, is once again offering free meals to U.S. military personnel through its Treat Our Troops program.

Between Memorial Day and July 4th, active or retired U.S. military may receive a free menu item and a non-alcoholic beverage in these participating airport restaurant and shops.

Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) – Blue Ridge Tavern Long Beach Airport (LGB) – The Boathouse, Long Beach Marche, 4th Street Vine
Austin–Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) – Ruta Maya Coffee, ThunderCloud Subs Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport (XNA) – Auntie Anne’s Pretzels, Core Brewing Co., CNBC Arkansas Traveler, Jammin’ Java, Say Si Bon! Gourmet Market, Smokewood American Grill
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) – Abacus, Hickory, Whitetail Bistro Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) – Bar Symon, Bottega dei Sapori
Denver International Airport (DEN) – Auntie Anne’s Pretzels, Big Bowl, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, The Magic Pan, Say Si Bon! TravelMart, Steve’s Snappin’ Dogs Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) – Big Bowl, The Magic Pan, Say Si Bon! Gourmet Market, Washington Pour Bar, Wow Bao, U Street Pub
Eagle County Regional Airport (EGE Eagle, Colo.) – Alpenglo Grille, Alpenglo Express Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) – Pei Wei Asian Diner
Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) – Sweet Auburn Market  

 Active and retired U.S. military service personnel  just need to show their military identification when ordering or checking out and receive one menu item such as an entrée, sandwich, appetizer or salad, and a non-alcoholic beverage.

2017 Airport Restaurant Month underway

Food

It’s back!

Airport Restaurant Month.

During May, close to 100 HMSHost restaurants in more than 50 airports across North America are offering their version of the restaurant week concept diners are familiar with in many cities.

Restaurants on this list are offering their version of set tasting menus:

  • Flatbreads such as the Heirloom Tomato or the Crispy Eggplant version with creamy brie, caramelized onions, baby spinach, and a honey mustard vinaigrette.
  • Sandwiches such as the Grilled Chicken Gyro or the Cilantro Lime Shrimp Wrap in a flour tortilla with jalapeño crema, roasted corn, and black bean slaw.
  • Premium beef burgers such as the Asian Burger with hoisin ketchup, ginger sesame cabbage slaw, chili garlic mayonnaise or the Caprese Burger with vine ripe tomato, mozzarella, balsamic onions, and a basil pesto aioli.
  • Entrées such as the Pan Roasted Salmon or the Grilled Shrimp Skewers with pineapple, scallions, toasted sesame, and a hoisin glaze.

 

The dishes come with a variety of accompaniments, including a Peach Arugula Salad with roasted red peppers, toasted walnut, and strawberry balsamic vinaigrette or pickled vegetables, seasoned fries, grilled asparagus and a daily creation of a chef’s potato.

 

Greek diner opens at Pittsburgh Int’l Airport

Art, Food, , ,

 

 

I’m a big fan of diners – real diners. And from the looks of it, the Marathon Diner that just opened in the AirMall’s Center Core food court at Pittsburgh International Airport is pretty close to the real thing,

Promising “diner food with a Greek flair,” the new eatery  pays homage to the owner’s grandfather, who operated the Marathon Restaurant in downtown Pittsburgh during the 1930s.

On the menu: the Marathon Gyro, Greek Burger, Greek Lemon Chicken Soup made in-house from a traditional family recipe, rice pudding and “My Big Fat Greek Omelet.”

 

While you’re at Pittsburgh International Airport, check out their art collection , which includes Robert Fraley’s Robot Repair, a mobile by Alexander Calder, exhibits about Andy Warhol and Mister Rogers and other fun stuff.

And take a moment to appreciate terrazzo floor.

 

Andy Warhol Wallpaper at PIT

Northwest menu debuts at Delta’s Sky Club at Sea-Tac Airport

Food, Lounges, ,

 

 

It’s been six months since Delta Air Lines opened a new Sky Club on Concourse A at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. And, from the views of Mt. Rainier to the in-house spa, the artwork, the soaring ceilings, the bar and the food offerings, it’s still quite a thrilling and surprising space to visit.

 

A few weeks ago Delta upped the Sea-Tac Sky Club offerings quite a bit with the formal roll-out of a seasonal and locally-inspired menu created by highly regarded Seattle chef and restaurateur Ethan Stowell, who has about a dozen eateries in the city, including four in my neighborhood alone.

The snacks I nibbled on when Delta’s new Sky Club at Sea-Tac opened were fine, but now club visitors will find a variety of salads, including a house-roasted chicken salad with Washington-grown jazz apples, cranberries, dill and mint; a weekly rotation of crudité and dips, including mixed Mediterranean olives with orange zest and fresh herbs; a tasty pasta dish, as well as fresh popcorn with a hard-to-resist fennel pollen topping.

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In a phone chat, Stowell told me his goal was to create a menu that leans towards “lighter, fresher, brighter foods” that are vegetable and protein-focused, rather than “rib-sticking heavy foods,” and to offer “a taste of the bounty we have here” in the Northwest, such as asparagus and peas, which are definitely fresh right now.

As you might imagine, Stowell is a busy guy. So he said when Delta asked him to get involved with the club menu he was only interested if he was going to be allowed to put his own spin on it.

“They’re definitely let me put my take on it,” said Stowell. “I’m not saying it’s an Ethan Stowell restaurant in the club, but it’s as close to having a branded restaurant in a club as you possibly can.”

If the airport club partnership works out well, the next logical step might be for Stowell to create menus for Delta passengers to dine on in the sky.

“We’ll probably get there,” said Stowell, “We’re in that getting to know each other phase.  We both want this first project to be successful, but that will be the logical next step.”

 

Spotted at United’s Terminal C at Newark Liberty Airport

Food, Shopping, Souvenirs, , , ,

This week I had the pleasure of touring the restaurants and shops at United’s Terminal C at Newark Liberty International Airport with Eric Brinker from OTG, the company that has been transforming traditional airport concourses into snazzy iPad-adorned destinations.

Stay tuned for a more detailed report on what’s there- and especially what’s about to be there – but as it’s Friday I wanted to share these two pictures of items I spotted on my tour.

Above are some fun candies sold alongside vinyl records and turntables at the gift shop next to the CBGB L.A.B.

Below, LEGO airplanes you can buy with cash – or United airlines miles – at the Miles Shop inside the terminal. You can also use your miles to pay for food and drinks purchased in the terminal.

 

Green(er) dining at Portland Int’l Airport

Food,

Oregon’s amenity-rich Portland International Airport, which last month opened a ‘micro-cinema’ showing short films made by Portland and Oregon-based filmmakers, has a new, green amenity: real dishes and silverware for diners at the food carts (another cool amenity) in the pre-security area of the Oregon Market shopping and dining area.

The switch from disposable dishes is already underway.

My tasty PDX food cart meal last month was on a ‘real’ plate with silverware and getting a to-go container for leftovers was not a problem.

The pilot project is scheduled to run through June and has among its goal reducing airport waste from single-use containers.

After June, the airport will evaluate results of the test and perhaps make real dishware permanent.

A good idea I’m going to start looking for at other airports too.

 

 

Eat in a gondola at Munich Airport

Food, Fun Stuff,

Munich Airport has a lot going for it, amenities-wise.

There’s the brewery/beer garden, the play areas for kids, the sleeping cabins, the observation deck, and the MAC Forum that’s used to host everything from summer surfing to a full=blown Christmas Market.

Now there’s one more fun way to spend time at Munich Airport: eating in a gondola taken from a real ski lift.

The airport has a new restaurant – Sportalm – in Terminal 2, that serves Alpine specialties in a mountain-decor, a gondola, a sports bar and, opening next month, an upper level sun terrace with love seats and lounge chairs.

To set the scene of a traditional Upper Bavarian farmhouse, the decor includes tree trunks, knickknacks, an old barn door and a stone trough – all things that give the restaurant “authentic snugness and originality,” according to the airport.

 

Delta brings back main cabin meals

Flights, Food,

 

Here’s something we hope other airlines rush to follow.

Delta Air Lines is bringing back complimentary meals in the main cabin on some of its longest domestic flights, including transcontinental routes between New York’s JFK and Los Angeles/San Francisco.

Starting March 1, Delta will offer complimentary meals in the Main Cabin on flights between JFK and LAX/SFO.

The following month – starting April  24   –  the airline will expand complimentary meals to 10 other major domestic markets from Seattle, New York, Boston and Washington, D.C. including between BOS/SFO, BOS/LAX, BOS/SEA, DCA/LAX, JFK/PDX, JFK/SAN, JFK/SEA, SEA/FLL, SEA/MCO and SEA/RDU.

Delta has strong competition on many of these routes, so competitors may be be moved to match meal service.

Delta’s  meal options will vary by time of day.

In the morning, Delta says it will offer customers the choice between a Honey Maple Breakfast Sandwich, a Luvo Breakfast Medley or a fruit and cheese plate.

During the day, the choices will be a Mesquite-Smoked Turkey Combo, Luvo Mediterranean Whole Grain Veggie Wrap, or a fruit and cheese plate.

And on overnight flights, passenger will be offered a breakfast bar during the pre-arrival beverage service.

In addition to the Main Cabin meal service, customers seated in Delta Comfort+ will now get a pre-arrival snack basket on all 12 routes, along with complimentary beer, wine and spirits for customers 21+ and a mid-service Greek frozen yogurt bar on flights from JFK to/from LAX and SFO.

The airline says the meal service is part of its ongoing multi-million dollar investment in the on-board customer experience that includes upgraded main cabin snacks, better blankets, refreshed food-for-purchase options, free in-flight entertainment and – for customers on long-haul international flights –  complimentary beer, wine and spirits and sleep kits.

 

 

 

Food fest at Chicago’s airports

Food, , , ,

O’Hare International Airport’s second-annual Ticket to Taste takes place next week – on January 24, 2017 – and free tickets are available now.

The event takes place post-security in Terminal 5, but is open to anyone who nabs one of the tickets and show up between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m for entertainment, cooking demonstrations and discounted meals.

There’s even free parking

Participating restaurants include Hub 51, R.J. Grunts Burgers & Fries and The Goddess and Grocer along with Tortas Frontera by Rick Bayless and Tocco.

Details on getting tickets O’Hare’s Ticket to Taste are available here.

Can’t make it on the 24th? Don’t worry.

Ticket to Taste is the kick-off event for the Chicago Department of Aviation’s Airport Restaurant Week, which runs from January 27 through February 9 at both O’Hare and Midway airports and coincides with Chicago Restaurant Week.

Airport Restaurant Week includes live cooking demonstrations from airport chefs, celebrity guest chefs, and college student chefs as well as free samplings and discounts on special selections at 150 airport food establishments.

For schedules and more details about sampling schedules and specially-discounted meals during Restaurant Week at O’Hare and Midway click here.

Yum!