Food

Airport Restaurant Week at O’Hare & Midway Airports

Events, Food, Free Stuff, , ,

Airport Restaurant Week is underway again at Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway Airports now through February 8.

The in-airport food fest brings a taste of the citywide Chicago Restaurant Week into the airport for ticketed passengers who will get to enjoy cooking demonstrations in the terminals, in-store-samplings, and a wide variety of giveaways and special offers in shops and restaurants.

Passengers who stick around after the cooking demos will get to taste the freshly-made dishes and take home free souvenirs, including an Airport Restaurant Week chip clip and a recipe book (while supplies last).

At O’Hare, cooking demos will take place each weekday between the hours of 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. The stages are in Terminal 2 near Gate E1, in Terminal 3 near Gate H3 and in Terminal 5 near Gate M7. At Midway, the cooking demos will occur at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. each weekday in the main food court, just past the security checkpoint.

Check the schedule to get more details about the cooking demonstrations, free-sampling events – and recipes –for Airport Restaurant Week events on special webpages set up for Chicago’s O’Hare Airport and Chicago’s Midway Airport.

At O’Hare, check the schedule for Fannie May and Godiva chocolate sampling events taking place at Sarah’s Candies, popcorn sampling at Nuts on Clark, and other sampling events for smoothies, Chicago Hot Dogs, caramel apples and other treats. Many restaurants and shops will also be offering discounts and gift-with-purchase specials.

At Midway Airport, Airport Restaurant Week will not only offer in-store samplings and a full schedule of cooking demos, including beer, pizza, poke tacos, and more, but also a sneak peek at some of the new eateries being unveiled as part of a major concessions upgrade that includes BIG & little’s and the return of Harry Caray’s 7th Inning Stretch.

Free airport meals for military during Thanksgiving

Food, Free Stuff, Holidays, ,

In airports around the country, restaurants and concessionaires will be offering complimentary meals and menu items for traveling military personnel over Thanksgiving.

Here are the offers from Delaware North restaurants:

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport

Free meals for active duty military during Thanksgiving week at participating Delaware North locations: Earl Campbell’s Sports Bar, Schlotzsky’s Deli, Maudie’s TexMex, Salt Lick BBQ and Saxon Pub

Boise Airport

Holiday meal will be provided to airport police and EMTs on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day

Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport

10% discount for uniformed military personnel during Thanksgiving week

Detroit Metropolitan Airport

On Thanksgiving Day, active duty military can receive a free sandwich from Subway in the McNamara Terminal or from Le Petit Bistro in the North Terminal

Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport

10% discount for uniformed military personnel during Thanksgiving week

Los Angeles International

Preparing holiday meal and carving traditional turkey for active military at Bob Hope USO post on Thanksgiving Day (starting at 11am)

Nashville International Airport

Preparing and serving traditional Thanksgiving meal for active duty military at Swett’s (beginning at 10:30am)

Richmond International Airport

Serving traditional Thanksgiving meal (roast turkey with gravy, cornbread stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole and salad) for traveling military at the airport’s USO post

Tampa International Airport 

Free meals (entree and a drink) will be offered to active duty military on Thanksgiving Day at participating locations: RumFish Grill, Four Green Fields, Chick-fil-A, Auntie Anne’s, Plane Box kiosk, Panda Express, New York New York Pizza. Free pizza will also be brought to the airport’s USO post on Thanksgiving Christmas Day

Will Rogers World Airport (OKC)

Holiday meal will be served to active duty military, airport police and USO staff

Ontario International Airport

Holiday meal will be served for active military at airport’s USO post on Thanksgiving Day

In addition: 20 restaurants operated by Paradies Lagardère in 10 North American airports will offer active or retired military to a free meal through its Food and Beverage Division’s Treat Our Troops program during Thanksgiving weekend, Thursday, November 23, through Sunday, November 26.

Show your military identification when ordering or checking out to take advantage of this offer.

Participating airports/restaurants:

Asheville Regional: Blue Ridge Tavern

Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta: Sweet Auburn Market

Long Beach: Long Beach Marche, 4th Street Vine, The Boathouse

Austin–Bergstrom: Second Bar + Kitchen, Ruta Maya Coffee, ThunderCloud Subs

Northwest Arkansas: Smokewood American Grill, Say Si Bon! Gourmet Market, Auntie Anne’s Pretzels, Core Brewing Co.

Denver: Say Si Bon! TravelMart, Auntie Anne’s Pretzels, Big Bowl, The Magic Pan Crepe Stand, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Steve’s Snappin’ Dogs

Pittsburgh: Bar Symon, Bottega dei Sapori

Reagan National: Say Si Bon! Gourmet Market – Center Pier and North Pier, The Magic Pan Crepe Stand, Wow Bao, Washington Pour Bar, U Street Pub

Eagle County: Townie Tavern, Alpenglo Grille

 

And HMSHost offers a 15 percent discount year-round or military with valid identification on food and non-alcoholic beverages at HMSHost airport (and travel plaza locations) throughout the United States.

Find a list of locations here.

 

Thanksgiving dinner at the airport? You can do that.

Food, Holidays, ,

By this day next week many people will be pulling their chairs up to big Thanksgiving dinners.

But some of us may be traveling – or stuck at an airport.

Don’t worry, though. In many airports you’ll still be able to get some turkey. And in many cases, the traditional fixings that go with it.

Here are few ideas from HMSHost outlets:

At Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport the Atlanta Chophouse (in the atrium) will be serving a  Thanksgiving menu with the choice of either deep fried Cajun turkey breast or oven roasted apple glazed pork loin, complete with dinner roll and the choices of two sides.

At Charlotte Douglat International Airport, the 1897 Market (in the atrium will be serving up roast turkey with Macaire potato hash, baby squash, gravy and cranberry and Brookwood Farms BBQ (also in the atrium) smoked turkey with sweet potato casserole, cornbread dressing, braised greens, turkey gravy, cranberry, and pecan pie will be on the menu.

Ikes (Terminal 1, in the airport mall) at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, will be serving up its traditional Thanksgiving dinner, which include their sage roasted turkey with sage stuffing, Yukon gold mash potatoes and – a slice of pumpkin pie.

And, for those stuck at Los Angeles International Airport, consider the “The Pilgrim” sandwich at the larder at tavern (in the Tom Bradley International Terminal) which is made with roasted turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce.

Over Thanksgiving, many airport concessionaires will also be offering free meals or menu items to traveling military personnel. I’m gathering details on those opportunities now.

 

Snack Saturday – grains and gifts

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It’s Snack Saturday – our occasional feature about neat treats you can find at airports around the country.

As we head into the Thanksgiving season, I’m happy to learn that at OTG’s CIBO Gourmet Express Markets in airports you can now purchase single-serving containers of hot cereals from The Soulfull Project, a Campbell’s off-shoot that operates with the buy one-we’ll donate one business model.

In this case, they donate hot cereal to local food banks.

The company’s multi-grain hot cereal cups are easy to carry and come in four varieties – Cinnamon Spice, Blueberry Almond, Brown Sugar Pecan and Tart Cherry (my fave so far)  – are non-GMO, low in sugar and made with natural ingredients such as steel cut oats, rye, quinoa, flax and chia.

To cook: just add hot water and let sit (like those less healthy ramen cups).

Price: just a few dollars to eat well and do good.

 

Snoballs and a 747 at San Francisco Int’l Airport

Food, Souvenir Sunday, Souvenirs,

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By rights, I should save these for Souvenir Sunday, when this blog – StuckatTheAirport – features neat treats you can buy at airports.

But I’m not so sure about where to categorize these

I found them for sale in a shop at San Francisco International Airport on my way to United’s 747 Farewell flight.

The shop I passed lured me in  – and kept me looking – with all manner of true locally-made gourmet treats, including coffee and chocolate.

Then I found these “old fashioned” Hostess Snoballs and Twinkies.

I almost bought them to put on a shelf somewhere and test that “never goes bad” rumour, but passed.

But I didn’t go home souvenir-less.

When I boarded Flight 747 for United Airline’s farewell flight for its final 747 I found this on my seat, filled with some other “old” food (Pop Rocks, for one..) and a few other back-to-the-70s souvenirs.

 

 

Tasty event at Atlanta International Airport

Food,

 

Travelers passing through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Wednesday, November 1 (2017) will be able to join the airport’s 3rd annual Taste of Hartsfield–Jackson event in the domestic terminal atrium from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

$10 buys 10 tickets, each good for one food sample and includes concessionaires such as Atlanta Chophouse & Brewery,Carrabba’s Italian Grill; Piece of Cake; Villa Fresh Italian Kitchen; Phillips Seafood, Sweet Georgia’s Juke Joint; Papi’s Cuban & Caribbean Grill; Atlanta Braves All Star Grill; Shane’s Rib Shack;  Cat Cora’s Kitchen; Jekyll Island Seafood Company and Sweet Auburn Market. Buy tickets here.

The event, which benefits a local charity that fights childhood hunger, will also include a chef’s competition featuring celebrity chef Cat Cora and a timed culinary challenge.

 

 

 

Piles of pancakes at DFW Airport

Food, ,

 

 

Travelers passing through Dallas Fort Worth International Airport can get pancakes 24 hours a day now that an IHOP Express has opened in Terminal E.

The first post-security IHOP in an airport, this branch has sit-down and take-out options, a bar serving everything from mimosas and local craft beer to specialty coffee drinks and a menu with sandwiches, omelettes and, of course, stacks and stacks of pancakes.

(Since December, 2013, there also been a pre-security IHOP Express at Hatsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport)

So, like the traveler in this video, there’s now no longer a need to bring your own pancakes to the airport.

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Philadelphia International Airport celebrates shiny new Terminal B.

Food, Restaurants, , , ,

Philadelphia International Airport held a celebration this week for its shiny new Terminal B.

With American Airlines and the hospitality group OTG, PHL invested $30 million to makeover Terminal B with new restaurants, shops, and more than 2,000 power and USB ports built into redesigned seating.

Much of that seating comes with OTG’s familiar tablets, which not only let passengers order foods and goods from nearby venues to be delivered to them at their seats, but gives them access to Wi-Fi, flight tracking and games.

New to Terminal B are: the French‐inspired bakery Boule Café, Mediterranean mezze concept Baba Bar, Italian eatery CIBO Bistro & Wine Bar, beer & brat restaurant Germantown Biergarten, steak & chop house Independence Prime, fresh sushi at Noobar, Philly comfort food at the LOVE Grille and Neapolitan Pizza at Mezzogiorno.

In addition to the improvements by OTG to the gate areas, the airport did a “Touch Every Surface” program that includes new ceiling tiles, new heating and air conditioning, new ceramic tiles and refinished terrazzo floors.

Nice!

Airport Restaurant Month is back for October

Airports, Food,

Airport Restaurant Month  is back during the month of October at more than 100 HSMHost restaurants in 50 North American airports.

Menus vary by restaurant location (and are not prix fixe) with select restaurants offering special customized menus that spotlight their own flavors and trends.

A sample of Airport Restaurant Month’s October 2017 menu items include:

  • Shrimp & Noodle Broth Bowl that includes tomato, spinach, and cabbage
  • Crispy Half Chicken topped mushroom gravy and served with garlicky mash and brussels sprouts
  • Harvest Flatbread topped with grapes, blue cheese, walnuts, and arugula – paired with a side salad of spinach, apples, carrots, and an herb vinaigrette
  • Croque-Monsieur that includes ham and Swiss cheese draped in cheese batter and grilled to perfection
  • Extra Blue Burger with crumbled blue cheese, smothered in blue cheese dressing and bacon.

For a full list of participating locations and more menu items, see Airport Restaurant Month.

 

 

Where to find great craft beer at airports

Food, ,

Did you know that Orlando International Airport once had an on-site brewery – where you could play darts?

My “At the Airport” column on USA TODAY this month is all about the history of craft beer at airports – and some good choices for where to find it.

In the past, grabbing a beer at the airport meant something generic, sudsy and over-priced. But as the craft beer industry has boomed in towns and cities around the country, it’s now possible to find locally-made brews in just about every airport.

Boston-based Samuel Adams may have started the airport brewpub trend back in 1993, when it opened a branch at Boston Logan International Airport. The company now has 12 airport brewpubs around the country, in Atlanta; Boston, Cincinnati (2); Richmond, VA; Miami, St. Petersburg, and West Palm Beach, FL; Fort Wayne, IN; Charleston, S.C.; Flint, MI; and at New York’s LaGuardia Airport.

“As a brewer, I travel a lot and knowing that I can have a taste of home at most airports across the country is something I’ll never take for granted,” said Jim Koch, Found and Brewer of Samuel Adams, “It makes my travels a lot more fun.”

Today, brew pubs such as Cask & Larder offer  up a wide variety of local and regionally-made beer at Orlando International Airport, but in the late 1990s the airport was the first to have a working brewery.

In April, 1997 the Shipyard Brewing Company of Portland, Maine opened a 20-barrel, 5,000-square-foot microbrewery in the airport’s main terminal. Passengers could look thorough 6-foot glass windows, watch beer being produced, and take a self-guided tour along the perimeter of the facility to learn about the workings of the brewery.

There were also two nautically-themed Shipyard Brew Pubs in the airport, offering pub food and games, such as checkers, backgammon and darts (!), along with a half dozen fresh-brewed beers.

“Back then, finding good beer anywhere was difficult and there no security matters at the airport to worry about, so I had no reservations about making the trip from Tampa to Orlando to experience the coolness of a brewery inside of an airport,” said Gregg Rottler, creator of the Flights from Hell website.

But the brewery didn’t last that long.

“Our 5 year lease ended just after 9/11 and the [airport] administration at the time decided that they would rather move in the direction of a food court instead of a brewery due to the times we were in,” said Fred Forsley, Shipyard Brewing Company owner and CEO, “We were replaced by a Quiznos, and we are still bummed about it.”

Modern day airport brewpubs  

Today, it’s a rare airport that doesn’t have a brewpub on site or a few restaurants and bars with a good selection of local beers on tap – or in cans. And not all beers have to be consumed on site: in Memphis International, Nashville International and a handful of other airports, travelers can get a craft beer (or other adult beverage) in a to-go cup to drink it as they walk through the concourses or hang out at the gate. And at Nashville airport’s Yazoo Beer Cart and some other airport brewpubs, passengers can purchase six-packs and, in some cases, fresh-filled growlers of local craft beer to take home.

While far from complete, here are some airport brewpubs where a delay offers a great excuse to order up a pint.

At Baltimore-Washington International Airport, the Flying Dog Tap House  on Concourse A not only offers a variety of what it calls a “life-changing” selection of beers, but a menu where some of the dishes incorporate signature Flying Dog beers.

At Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, the Goose Island Bar (Terminal 1, Concourse B; there are two others as well) is a horseshoe gathering spot in the middle of the concourse. Beers on tap focus on brews that reflect the local region, such as the Chicago-inspired 312 Urban Wheat Ale and the Green Line Pale Ale.

Year-round, there’s plenty of Colorado craft beer served at the New Belgium Hub (Concourse B), the Boulder Beer Tap House (Jeppesen Terminal) and many other pubs and restaurants in Denver International Airport, but from September 28 to October 9 the airport will be hosting its fourth annual “Beer Flights” beer garden from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily in the outdoor plaza between the Jeppesen Terminal and Westin Denver International Airport.  10 Colorado breweries will be represented with two beers each. A $10 beer garden ticket includes a souvenir glass and ten, 2-ounce samples of beer.

 

In Leinenkugel’s Leinie Lodge on Concourse D at Milwaukee’s General Mitchell International Airport there are self-serve beer taps where travelers can pour their own beer from Wisconsin’s Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company.

There are more on the way, but currently more than a half dozen venues, including the Country Cat and Rouge Ales (which sells bottles and growlers to go) pour local craft beers at Portland International Airport.

Elsewhere, you’ll find Core Brewery represented at Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport, Caps Beer Garden in United’s Terminal C at Newark Liberty International Airport, the just-opened Germantown Biergarten at Philadelphia International Airport and, at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport, plenty of local beers served up at Landry’s, The Local, Ember, the American Craft Tavern and Mockingbird Distillery.

In October, Southbound Brewing Company will open a pre-security taproom at Georgia’s Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport.

And by the end this year, Cigar City Brewing Company will reopen in its new location at Florida’s Tampa International Airport and regain the title of the country’s only in-airport brewery, with several exclusive-to-the-airport beers alongside the Tampa-style Cuban food on the menu.

Have some favorite spots to grab a beer at the airport? Add it in the comments section below.