440130 Tue Sep 11 07:07:55 -0700 2007 92 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 2929923 Do you have a favourite foodie airport anywhere in the world? If so, please share. I was surprised at the options in Dusseldorf Airport. I had a six hour lay-over in Dusseldorf last week and enjoyed the selection of good foods available at the airport. I printed off all the options from the airport website and used the time well, in true Chowhound form! lol! For breakfast I went with Kamps, fresh baked goods, great sandwiches and excellent coffees. Such a selection it was tough to decide. For a great spot to people watch and enjoy fabulous tea and coffee, try Red Baron for it's comfort, service, style and fab menu, pricey but worth it. It made that long wait a lot more comfortable to hang at Red Baron. For a healthy preboarding boost, I had a great big salad at Leonardo for E6.50, fresh selections from seafood to pasta and very well priced. We walked by all the food establishments and felt that we had made the best choices for quality and price. I'll be going through Schiphol airport soon, so any recs would be appreciated. Tue Sep 11 07:07:55 -0700 2007 101631 capetowngirlie 1 2931900 The airport in Copenhagen, Denmark has some of the best pastries (cheese and fruit danish, of course) and chocolate frosted donuts (think Entenmanns in heaven) in the world. I haven't been there in years, but passed through several times per year during the '80s. Tue Sep 11 14:37:40 -0700 2007 2929923 102095 vvvindaloo 1 2937081 my best ever airport meal memory is chicago; there used to be a mexican place under one of the 5 star hotels (hilton?) and my dad took us there once when we had a few hours to wait for a connecting flight. it stands out in my memory to this day - not so much the food, but the whole experience of going underground to a place for a proper meal and still being inside an airport. era 1989... Thu Sep 13 05:31:40 -0700 2007 2929923 104230 kmh 2 2954382 O'Hare's food, while not head and shoulders above anywhere else's, wins big for being reasonably priced. I remember Midway being pretty decent, and there's a fantastic barbecue place in the Austin airport. MSP also has a number of good places, and if chains are OK with you (or you're travelling with people who need the security of a chain place) then Sacramento is a good place. Hong Kong's new airport also has a number of good selections, and they guarantee that prices in the airport will not be higher than they are in Central, so there's no fear of a ripoff, despite the fact that the airport is in the butt end of Lantau Island which contains a fishing village, a large multinational theme park, and the airport -- and that's it. Zurich was OK but it seemed cavernous -- and, thanks to our wonderful US government, you have to make sure to eat, buy your souvenirs, etc., BEFORE you go through the additional security for US flights, and you can't buy liquid in the airport and bring it through the US-owned security (which really sucks in Hong Kong, where there are several excellent tea shops that are happy to brew you a pot to go right in the terminal). Worst airport for eating -- bar none -- has to be Moscow Sheremetyevo (and SVO-1 is worse than SVO-2), closely followed by Newark. I was charged $1 for tea and $1 for a biscuit at SVO-1 in an era where a cup of tea at any kiosk in the city was the equivalent of two tenths of a US cent. A friend recently went through there and said it's not $1 anymore, it's $5, and it's not any different than it was in 1992. Tue Sep 18 20:12:44 -0700 2007 2937081 10811 Das Ubergeek 3 2954569 I have a special (terrifying) corner of my mind reserved for the Moscow airport... I was there at the tail end of the soviet era, and it looked just like the worst scenario one could imagine- and it was sooo dark, you could barely tell what you were eating, anyway. Then again, Laguardia terminals can be pretty terrifying for a hungry person, too. Tue Sep 18 21:34:52 -0700 2007 2954382 102095 vvvindaloo 3 2985548 Barbecue at Austin was a welcome surprise. I live in Sacramento and I agree with you there too. It's reliable in a security blanket kind of way. Fri Sep 28 09:37:25 -0700 2007 2954382 64093 Muncheroo 4 4036987 Ha! Who knew? I go through Sacramento about 5 times a year. Have never eaten there. I'll check it out next time. (I'm usually in the Brighton shop across from the food court) Mon Sep 15 13:50:32 -0700 2008 2985548 109905 laliz 1 2937155 Brasserie Flo at CDG, a little coffee shop in the old Don Muang Airport that had the best garlic soup, Legal Seafood at Logan. Thu Sep 13 06:09:20 -0700 2007 2929923 13003 whs 1 2937508 I had the Amsterdam speciality - bitterballen - at Schiphol last time I went through. It was clearly not the best bitterballen I've ever had, in fact it was kinda nasty. The best bet was the adorable 'small bier' at the bar. The whole meal was just a 'damn I hate to leave so I'm going to eat this one last time' experience. If you do find tasty food at Schipol, please do report back! I have family there and fly in and out of Schipol quite often. Thu Sep 13 08:08:14 -0700 2007 2929923 126847 Feastradio 2 2954456 when your at Schiphol, don't forget to stop at the cheesestand! for all the lovely cheeses! there's also upstairs sort of a foodcourt. they have all different kind of foods there if I remember correctly... from stirfry to pizza to a bakery. I always fly to early from amsterdam to eat anything besides a chocolate croissant at that time,haha Tue Sep 18 20:45:34 -0700 2007 2937508 107509 mariekeac 3 4032349 I always get like 4 Kilos of Organic Gouda by concourse E in their cheese stand, and I got some cute blue cow salt and pepper shakers for my mom, and ceramic Klompens I love Schipol, It only lacks a stripper club with buffallo wings (wasn't so keen on their sushi bar Sat Sep 13 12:52:27 -0700 2008 2954456 225932 therubicon 1 2939040 The hotdog carts at ORD are the only thing that stand out as being the equal of what you can get off airport anywhere I've ever been. Then again that's not too difficult to do. Given that most airports have sold their culinary soul to Host/Marriott or whatever the current incarnation is I've stopped looking for decent food. I once had an interesting conversation with a Noah's regional manager about how difficult it was to keep up the quality and kosher standards at SFO due to the contract and work rules imposed by Host. The employees didn't like working there because of the kosher rules and would leave as soon as they were trained. Noah's had no control over the workforce. Thu Sep 13 14:11:59 -0700 2007 2929923 10784 Scrapironchef 2 2995609 Two points: 1) The food at Chicago-Midway blows away anything that is available at O'Hare. When they redid the airport in 2002, they brought in a lot of local restaurants - Manny's, Harry Carey's, Pegasus, Lalos, Millers Pub, etc., and avoided a lot of the usual chains in the restaurant. What I like particularly, is the availability of a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables and other healthy options at the various restaurants. Do realize that much of the food in MOST restaurants has to be produced off-site at a commissary due to security concerns. (Ever run a kitchen with NO knives?) 2) Host/Marriott signs the union contracts, don't they? They agree to the rules. It is very difficult to find employees who know, understand, and will follow all the kosher rules in a union environment as most work rules allow bumping between positions based on seniority, rather than skill or knowledge. A vendor running a kosher operation is probably better to produce all of the food off-site where they have better control over the labor. Tue Oct 02 07:13:31 -0700 2007 2939040 12471 jlawrence01 1 2939050 My day job entails writing about airports. I'm happy to report that the new BA terminal at Heathrow will have some interesting food choices. I guess they have to do something in order to make up for their awful records this year at that airport. I've been impressed with the food at Minneapolis/St. Paul and also Seattle. LaGuardia always seemed the worst. Thu Sep 13 14:15:56 -0700 2007 2929923 11939 zuriga1 2 2939107 lax has an el cholo. Thu Sep 13 14:28:27 -0700 2007 2939050 122578 TBird 3 2939157 el cholo is the best! Thu Sep 13 14:40:49 -0700 2007 2939107 124908 jeanmarieok 4 2954448 hard to beat! Tue Sep 18 20:39:19 -0700 2007 2939157 122578 TBird 3 4036995 Last year I had the BEST split pea soup at the Southwest terminal at LAX. DD bought it, but it was outstanding. Mon Sep 15 13:52:38 -0700 2008 2939107 109905 laliz 2 2939485 I loved the choices when I was at Minn/St. Paul...took forever to choose. Chose a place that was known for their bread but I can remember the name...amazing wine list, so many beers, the bar tender made a bloody mary but the person realized they were running late so the bar tender split it up between 3 of us. I had an amazingly fresh salad. Can't wait to visit my brother's new family again. Thu Sep 13 16:28:23 -0700 2007 2939050 93485 tatertotsrock 3 2939592 I'm impressed by all the raves about MSP - we go through every year - but because we're with our dog, I've had blinders on as to the food! Will have to check it out next year, time and dog behaviour permitting. Thu Sep 13 17:10:03 -0700 2007 2939485 10985 MMRuth 3 2956786 French Meadow Bakery - homemade organic breads, organic sandwichs, custom omelets. It's a local bakery and resto chain. There's one on F and on E. Other good local eateries that have outposts at MSP: Ike's in the Northstar Crossings of the Lindberg Terminal - fabulous 50s style steak/chop house with excellent fish tacos (!?!) Axel's Bonfire in the same area - steak, pizza etc. Locanda D'Amico Italian restaurant on the F concourse. Note that there is no food in the Humphrey Terminal. Yet. www.frenchmeadow.com www.axelsbonfire.com www.ilikeikes.com (dead link - try www.tcoriginals.com) www.damicoandsons.com Wed Sep 19 13:50:11 -0700 2007 2939485 13136 Loren3 4 2958937 Thnaks Loren3, That was the name of the place...it was wonderful. The salad was so fresh....with shredded fresh carrots and shredded raw beets (my favorite salad treat) and sunflower seeds and dried cranberries or cherries..the dressing was great the bartender was a "real" bartender...not the usual bitter airport drink-pourer....really enjoyed talking to all that were sitting at the bar. I'm totaly a wine drinker but the beer selection was great and the prices were too and the care the bartender to to pour each beer inspired me to drink a beer that day. OK, I'm freaking myself out talking about an airport food/drink experience. Thu Sep 20 07:58:25 -0700 2007 2956786 93485 tatertotsrock 4 3519615 Love the French Meadow when you only have 30 minutes to spare and want a high qualify meal. Stay away from Zyng's Noodles -- in fact, run away. Sun Mar 23 10:49:32 -0700 2008 2956786 176814 discus 3 3738601 Was it French Meadow? Sat May 31 23:42:57 -0700 2008 2939485 171426 jenniegirl 2 2941221 I love Vino Volo at SEA. You can almost forget you are at the airport while having a good glass of wine and a light meal or snack there. Fri Sep 14 09:01:46 -0700 2007 2939050 104121 hollyeve 2 3519671 That's a good thing. I haven't travelled much abroad, but still vividly recall a horrid "meal" at Heathrow in 1976! Sun Mar 23 11:16:54 -0700 2008 2939050 143696 Catskillgirl 3 3521932 That was probably just regular British food.... Mon Mar 24 09:10:37 -0700 2008 3519671 10784 Scrapironchef 4 3527914 Mah, it's the taste of despair that accompanies many an experience at Heathrow, Go BAA, Tue Mar 25 19:30:15 -0700 2008 3521932 16734 Lizard 1 2939125 the airport in singapore is dazzling. here's a link: http://www.changiairport.com/changi/en/about_us/?__locale=en Thu Sep 13 14:32:43 -0700 2007 2929923 10627 steve h. 2 2940459 Ditto that! SGP is one airport where a stopover never seems long enough. There's never enough time to eat at Crystal Jade, Soup, and Bengawan Solo, to name a few, Fri Sep 14 01:31:54 -0700 2007 2939125 14663 pilinut 3 2957134 Plus there are 2 hawker centres at the the Changi Airport, one at each terminal. Wed Sep 19 15:14:30 -0700 2007 2940459 10076 limster 4 2957217 truly its own destination. Wed Sep 19 15:40:29 -0700 2007 2957134 10627 steve h. 5 2994114 4th this, plus there's the cocktail bar by the swimming pool on the roof. Best airport food I've ever had. Mon Oct 01 15:53:05 -0700 2007 2957217 19949 bad nono 6 2994795 try & get into the NWA lounge if you ever get the chance. when i'm there for work i always leave way early so i can hang out there. everything from fairly decent pizza to dim sum constantly being replenished, haagen dazs ice cream, massage-y chairs, a sleeping room.. endless fun. Mon Oct 01 19:55:53 -0700 2007 2994114 120962 reannd 1 2939140 My husband loves having lunch at the Caviar House at Heathrow on his way back to New York - lovely smoked salmon - pricey though. And he absolutely raves about the tea sandwiches at the American Airlines First Class lounge there - from his description, I seriously think that he scarfs up, in a not too sureptious fashion, all available sandwiches, and then scurries off elsewhere. I've asked him to take photos of them for me on his next trip. Thu Sep 13 14:36:04 -0700 2007 2929923 10985 MMRuth 1 2939537 I second the choices at the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport. Flew threw there recently and was shocked at the quality of places. I was in the mood for down and dirty comfort food and a large adult beverage - i was about to get on a puddlejumper to North Dakota from there - so I hunkered down and had the best quesadilla *ever* at the Chili's bar. Shameful I know...but it was darned yummy. They also have a tequila bar and several more "upscale" choices there... Thu Sep 13 16:48:23 -0700 2007 2929923 127151 runningwithtweezers 2 2974470 I "third" the Minn/St. Pail airport. All in all, not a bad place to have a layover. I also like the Devner Co. airport a lot. No matter what terminal you are in.. it is easy to take the little train over to the next one. Denver's Picture Show Popcorn - I love the hot Caramel Popcorn Chef Jimmy's Bistro & Spirits - I have enjoyed the pizza and pasta here Pour La France Café & Bar - great breakfast, loved the cornbeef hash and eggs Would I go to these places if they were not at an airport... maybe. But all in all .. good stuff. Now, I dont remember what airport it is, but I had Famiglia pizza.. and I was dissapointed, not even close to the NYC locations. coconutgoddess http://www.coconutgoddess.typepad.com/foiedevie/ Tue Sep 25 10:48:22 -0700 2007 2939537 129108 coconutgoddess 1 2939638 We just had a surprisingly good meal at the Legal Test Kitchen at Boston Logan (Terminal A). You never quite forget you're in an airport, but they pour a great cocktail, have some interesting liquor offerings, and an offer a varied and well-executed menu (while still retaining some "New England-ish" touches). Mr. Rabbit's gumbo was pretty great, and my nicoise was quite good (save the missing anchovies). Moreover, our service was great - Rocco was flipping bottles, and charmed the pants off a diverse range of clientele. We would have stayed for another round... oh, but we had a plane to catch! My full review - http://www.rabbitreporting.com/restaurants/09/09/dining-at-logan-airport-boston-testing-legal-test-kitchen/ Thu Sep 13 17:26:25 -0700 2007 2929923 60563 Rabbit 2 2939662 Tops IMHO are Zurich and arguably Frankfurt. Fresh baked goods. Good meats and cheeses. Fine beer, wine, coffee. Even appealing prepared sandwiches. In the US, there is some decent food in the intl terminals at Los Angeles and San Francisco airports, but it too seems to have "unimproved" in the last few years. I had high hopes but ultimately was disappointed recently during a 4-hour (!!!) layover in Montreal. North American airports are so appallingly chainified that the food is not only predictable in its mediocrity but is expensive as well. Thu Sep 13 17:37:25 -0700 2007 2939638 54833 ClaireWalter 3 3729505 I was really impressed with the Zurich airport when we were there last summer -- in addition to all the chocolate and other specialty stuff, they have an actual real grocery store, which is extremely useful when you're trying to buy food to sustain you through a long flight. Wed May 28 20:58:42 -0700 2008 2939662 138816 jlafler 4 3730669 Agree on the Zurich airport -- a real lifesaver. The problem is that you can't bring much of it with you because there's additional security (in that lost wing way, way, way, way, WAY on the other side of the airport, practically in LIECHTENSTEIN) for US-bound flights, with the usual nonsense about liquids (though one could argue that Swiss tea is a terrorist act in and of itself). It's a real saver on the way out, though, because stores in Barcelona follow their own little schedule and never mind anyone that comes outside of that schedule. Thu May 29 08:34:13 -0700 2008 3729505 10811 Das Ubergeek 1 2942007 The white tablecloth restaurant at Nice Aeroport is very good--we had an excellent risotto there. Fri Sep 14 12:03:46 -0700 2007 2929923 13003 whs 2 2954365 Buffalo, New York is hardly anyone's idea of a great food town (unless you are crazy about chicken wings, or roast beef on a "weck" - a kind of roll). But I recall the gazpacho at the airport there as being one of the best I have ever had. Tue Sep 18 20:05:28 -0700 2007 2942007 54222 ekammin 1 2955380 Sky Bistro in the Philadelphia terminal is a decent choice for Sashimi/Sushi. Its good and reasonably priced although it doesnt have as many choices as atop ranked sushi joint would have. But it is better than the other normal chain offerings. There is a Wine restaurant in Phillie which is also prety good. Wed Sep 19 08:28:02 -0700 2007 2929923 115131 krandy21784 1 2955445 Jfood has to admit that he uses the airport as his fast-food fulfillment zone. He knows to some it's sacriledge but what the heck, he used to eat airplane food 3x per week for dinner so this is upside. First he looks for a cheesesteak, then BK or Wendy's. Sometimes he'll have a bowl of chowder at Legal Seafood (the one in DCA is better than near Copley in Boston). Then for dessert its TCBY, a cup with some toppings. ORD has a Puck resto that the chicken is pretty good. Years ago there used to be a wonderful asian woman in the AA wings that had a great chicago dog. she disappeared a while ago and the dogs there are not as good. Likewise the old cleveland airport made a mean dog, many a time jfood was diverted there when weather closed EWR. PHX used to have a great Mexican (top of the big escaator) a while ago and have no idea if it is still around. Since jfood tries not to have much time (unless delayed) or between long connections he is normally doing a grab and take on board. Usually by the time jfood gets a cheesesteak, gets settled on board, the flight attendent brings his juice, the temperature of the cheesesteak is finally to a point of not scarring the roof of his mouth. Wed Sep 19 08:40:58 -0700 2007 2929923 11290 jfood 2 2959212 Have to agreewith jfood. Had a quarter pounder in the Bogota international the other day and a Big Mac in Mexico City International the week before. No good Mexican food in the Mexico airport; and no good food in Bogota. Was 8 hours in Charles de Gaulle last week: nothing really good for the price. Nairobi: nothing good at any price. Thu Sep 20 09:03:29 -0700 2007 2955445 36661 Sam Fujisaka 3 2959241 Sounds like Shenzhen... you'd think there'd be some really tasty noodles or other Cantonese fare, but there's a Popeye's Chicken, a McDonalds and a truly disgusting outpost of Cafe de Coral (a chain of cha chaan teng which is perfectly fine outside the airport). Thu Sep 20 09:08:54 -0700 2007 2959212 10811 Das Ubergeek 3 2960096 Sammy, the best is going to the El Al King David Lounge in TLV for your 1AM flight back to the USA and having a nice bowl of chicken soup and watching Israel play Milan in B'ball. Thu Sep 20 12:05:38 -0700 2007 2959212 11290 jfood 4 2964985 that made me laugh. Bangkok airport (the old one) is terrible if you want something to eat. the best option there IMHO was KFC with the chilli sauce they have on the tables (yum chilli). Fri Sep 21 19:09:50 -0700 2007 2960096 104230 kmh 1 2955468 Anthony's in Seattle Tacoma. Its a local restaurant chain with several locations in the Seattle Tacoma area that has a nice little spot in the food court area of the airport. Decent wine list and cocktails, excellent seafood. Always a good choice when you have a layover. Wed Sep 19 08:44:30 -0700 2007 2929923 59853 AlaskaChick 1 2957434 It's not fancy but I like the food at the airport in Austin, TX. To go along with their "Keep Austin Weird" mantra, the airport does not have any national chains. Only local restaurants. This includes Salt Lick Barbecue which is awesome. You can also get Round Rock donuts (which I've seen included in "The Best" lists for donuts). It's nice to have options that aren't available elsewhere. Wed Sep 19 16:54:03 -0700 2007 2929923 16737 Merry113 2 2957754 That's the one -- Salt Lick. Fantastic. Wed Sep 19 18:43:22 -0700 2007 2957434 10811 Das Ubergeek 2 2985866 I had a delicious and huge brisket sandwich at the Austin airport on Tuesday. If you are still hungy, there is an output of their local Amy's Ice Cream right next door to it. Fri Sep 28 10:50:30 -0700 2007 2957434 75002 Megiac 1 2960256 i almost forgot about one of my favorites: bethany's diner at the block island state airport. great breakfasts, funky atmosphere. Thu Sep 20 12:47:58 -0700 2007 2929923 10627 steve h. 1 2969361 OK, just back home (Cali, Colombia) from Tanzania via Nairobi, Paris, and Bogota: After a day and a night to get to Paris, take some small packs of saved-from-meals crackers, jam, cheese, and a mini-whisky to the Ibis hotel where you check in for two hours (only US $31), have a serious shower (this stopover is between the 8 hour Nairobi-Paris flight and the upcoming 11 hour Paris-Bogota flight). You at least feel human when you board the Paris-Bogota leg. Sun Sep 23 21:02:41 -0700 2007 2929923 36661 Sam Fujisaka 2 2970129 The terribly frustrating thing about the Minneapolis airport is that everyone who works there is Ethiopian/Somali, and yet you can't find a bit of that fantastic food there. Seems to me a small takeout place could stay in business with employee traffic alone. If anyone out there has a line of communication to the MSP East Africans community, please suggest that some of them pool their money and start something up. Mon Sep 24 08:25:06 -0700 2007 2969361 114020 Barry Foy 2 2994250 Sam, I don't know how you manage to feel human, given these horrid itineraries. When I'm flying from home, I can pack some good chow. Are there certain foods you can count on in foreign climes for take-on-board meals? Other than crackers and jam., that is. Mon Oct 01 16:40:12 -0700 2007 2969361 11995 pikawicca 3 2994424 Nothing you can take with you. I just save a few things from the flight for the stopover if necessary--all depending what's available on the flight and what is going to be available in the airport layover. Most important to me is getting a shower between any two flights of eight hours or more. Some airports (LAX, the new Thai International, Miami, the now closed Templehoff, Frankfort, Heathrow, even McDonald's in Mexico and Bogota...) have good food at reasonable prices; so no need to take anything. Some places have nothing...absolutely nothing: Sao Paolo, Manila, Delhi, Paris (there is but it costs too much), Nairobi, Managua, Tokyo, Guatemala, and on and on...). If I'm gliding into one of the wastelands, I get a 1.5 liter bottle of water from the flight attendants, maybe a bottle of wine or booze, save some of the meal extras (cheese, crackers, wrapped sandwiches) for the layover. Example, for my trip ending a week ago: Cali to Bogota, on sale quarter pounders in Bogota. Bogota-Paris, had 1.5 liter bottle of water and extra flight food to tide me over on the looong working layover. Paris-Nairobi, saved some good stuff for the five hour layover in the wasteland of Nairobi international. Big mistake was I forgot the adaptor for the plugs for use in the airport. As to showers, the weirdest is that I found that off of the international transit lounge in Seoul is a bathroom with a shower. No one seems to know about it. Mon Oct 01 17:46:05 -0700 2007 2994250 36661 Sam Fujisaka 4 3739587 good food at LAX? Tell us where please! (must be the international terminal, NOT Southwest's! :-( Sun Jun 01 14:15:01 -0700 2008 2994424 10158 susancinsf 5 3865824 Just saw this: yes, only in the international terminal (upstairs after the first round of security) for flights going to Asia. Sun Jul 13 19:53:53 -0700 2008 3739587 36661 Sam Fujisaka 1 2985258 sitka airport in sitka, alaska has the best breakfast in town and is famous for their pies. so good. Fri Sep 28 08:22:32 -0700 2007 2929923 123473 kennedy1025 1 2985420 I'm from Chicago and I didn't realize our O'Hare airport was so well-liked. I would have to say Seattle. They have a beautiful look to the airport with so many different choices of restaurants. Granted a lot of them were fish, but the others were pretty nice too. Good thing my brother is moving there - I can hang out more in that airport! Fri Sep 28 09:02:24 -0700 2007 2929923 112406 Chew on That 2 2985555 I'm a little amazed to report the best airport food I've had recently was in Detroit at a place call Mediterranean Grill. They had a fantastic Fattouch salad with Chicken that was better that any I've had IN Detroit. If you had been to Detroit Airport in the '90...you probably remember a grim experience, but since they've remodeled....the selection and ambience almost make up for the fact that you're probably flying Northwest Airlines. Fri Sep 28 09:39:17 -0700 2007 2985420 68734 Steve860 3 3526303 I was through Detroit and ate there recently too. I was quite surprised by the hummus plate. It was a great change of pace from the typical fare. Boy, I was stuck in O'Hare for six hours last week and must have missed the boat on any decent food. It was crazy crowded and I managed to make it into a Chili's after a 30 minute wait, but didn't see anything else decent in the terminal I was stuck in. Tue Mar 25 11:48:00 -0700 2008 2985555 39747 ExercisetoEat 4 3738516 I have heard comments on these boards that there is good food to be had at O'hare...but I certainly haven't found it. If you are in the United terminal, well, all I have to say is good luck. The ONLY thing there is Chili's, and as you pointed out it can get very, very crowded. The last few times I've been there I've killed my hunger with a double margarita and forgot about eating.... Sat May 31 22:08:38 -0700 2008 3526303 10290 janetofreno 5 3739609 I also have not had any luck at O'Hare. As you say, everything is always so crowded that it is tough to even find a place to sit down, much less to eat.... Sun Jun 01 14:27:35 -0700 2008 3738516 10158 susancinsf 5 3867315 wolfgangs has good chicken and the pizza is edible as well. unfortunately the little old lady in the AA terminal with the good hot dog cart has not been there for years. jfood misses her. Mon Jul 14 10:35:08 -0700 2008 3738516 11290 jfood 6 3868193 I'll take WP over Chili's anyday, but overall I loathe O'Hare and avoid it with a passion. Mon Jul 14 14:25:27 -0700 2008 3867315 107671 queencru 3 3866347 Just to be clear--there are two terminals at Detroit Metro. The McNamara, NWA's home base in the Motor City, is beautiful and only a few years old, with good restaurant and shopping options. The Smith, which is where most of the others are based, is scheduled for demolition soon and is grim, grim, grim--nothing gets fixed because they know it will be torn down in the near future. It will be replaced by another nice new facility. Mon Jul 14 05:14:55 -0700 2008 2985555 109573 coney with everything 2 3730638 O'Hare is alright - but should you have the misfortune to be stuck in the international terminal, for oh, 8 hours - woe is you. In order to eat anything you need to be on the other side of security - and the food there is nothing exciting. I'm happy my days of the layover in Chicago en route to Ireland is over - cause Aer Lingus typically does their darnedest to make food worse than the O'Hare international terminal. My favorite has to be the Tel Aviv airport though. I can't leave that airport without an extra bag of food. Thu May 29 08:26:40 -0700 2008 2985420 180127 cresyd 1 2986090 The Portland Airport was pleasant. I don't remember what we had for lunch, but I do remember a pianist adding to our enjoyment. We also bought some great brownies at a cafe and did some Christmas shopping at an "Only in Oregon" store, picking up jams, chocolates and wine. Fri Sep 28 11:54:19 -0700 2007 2929923 11231 Glencora 2 2994166 My most memorable experience was Legal Sea Foods at the Logan Airport. Big Downs to JFK as there was nothing appealing there at all. Perhaps I was at the wrong terminal. Mon Oct 01 16:07:17 -0700 2007 2986090 86819 callitasicit 2 2994539 I have to put my vote in for Portland...I never had much there other than Black Tiger mochas at Coffee People; my vote's for the fact that the restaurants and things there are not allowed to charge more at their airport locations than they do anywhere else in town. So that Black Tiger mocha costs the same there as it does downtown or out in Beaverton. Mon Oct 01 18:23:52 -0700 2007 2986090 32586 revsharkie 3 3738518 There is good clam chowder and decent beer on tap there too...... Sat May 31 22:09:36 -0700 2008 2994539 10290 janetofreno 1 3522122 The best food at an airport that I ever had was at Bangkok's new airport. OMG -- the food was pretty fresh and delicious. It was better than a lot of Thai restaurants in NYC. Mon Mar 24 09:55:04 -0700 2008 2929923 10763 Miss Needle 1 3523292 I second the nod for Chef Jimmy's at Denver. You can get something healthy and fresh there and you do feel somewhat like you're in a restaurant. The staff was also very prompt and respectful of our itineraries--they didn't rush us out, but they gave us what we needed quickly. I also like the new offerings in the Northwest terminal at Detroit. A lot of times, we try to find something like a Chili's or a TGI Friday's just because in some airports it's one of the few places where you can get a salad or something that's not fried. I would say to avoid the Chili's in the St. Louis airport at all costs. I've eaten there twice, they've never gotten my order right and both times the service was so slow that I nearly missed my flights (and each time I had a good hour before boarding). I have not had this problem at other airport Chili's. Mon Mar 24 14:31:00 -0700 2008 2929923 111207 rweater 1 3523311 The pasta at Rome's Fiumicino airpot cafe was simply stellar. So effortlessly prepared, but delicious. I also really enjoyed the options at Tokyo's Narita airport. Just wish I wasn't too sick to fully enjoy them! London Heathrow has a diverse choice of selections too. Can't say I've tried many of them (I get really nervous before long haul flights and tend to not eat much), but I do seem to recall the choices vary from cheap sandwiches to caviar and smoked salmon. Gordon Ramsay has a cafe at Heathrow too (not sure how much that qualifies Heathrow as a 'foodie'; airport ;-)). And there's a Carluccio's, which I am a fan of. Mon Mar 24 14:34:58 -0700 2008 2929923 124476 FoodieKat 1 3523358 Dallas/Ft Worth, but only Terminal D, the new snazzy one. The other terminals - forget it. I had quite a good meal in Denver last week; the restaurant was southwestern but I've blanked on the name. As much as I travel they all somewhat run together, I'm sad to say. Mon Mar 24 14:49:35 -0700 2008 2929923 52402 thedoorchick 1 3738496 Capetown, I agree that the Düsseldorf airport does have some great spots, as does Frankfurt and even Cologne. My favorite airport food experience has to be the udon noodles at Anchorage, Alaska. My family looked forward to the layovers there on the way to Korea, just to have a warm, comforting bowl of udon. I'm sure it was laden with MSG, but boy was it good. It's been over 20 years since I've been back, so i have no idea if it's still there. Has anyone been? Sat May 31 21:54:04 -0700 2008 2929923 70339 yumyumyogi 1 3738804 The airport in Iceland is very nice. You can pick up smoked fish and they'll put it in a bag that will keep it cold for the flight home. They also have the hot dogs that they are famous for to take home. For the plane or for reasonably priced gifts there is a huge selection of Icelandic chocolate candies in the duty free shop. A good idea since everything else is incredibly expensive. Sun Jun 01 06:01:33 -0700 2008 2929923 22620 DaisyM 2 3867821 My husband insists that the lamb at the Reykjavic airport (at 6am) was the best he's had anywhere. I'm also a fan of the Legal Seafood at National, and there used to be a pasta place near gate B6 in Philly (I think it's now the wine bar someone else mentioned) that I was very fond of. In fact, I once brought leftovers home, in my luggage. Mon Jul 14 12:45:48 -0700 2008 3738804 70775 sciencediet 1 3739511 Sydney's domestic terminal has some good eats -- we had doner kebab at Sahara before heading up to Hamilton Island. It was an amazing amount of food and I was amazed \ at how fresh everything was -- tzatziki, cuke/tomato/onion salad, etc. Granted, it was $11 (AU) per person for lunch, but still - when don't you get raked over the coals in an airport? Needless to say, McDonald's still had the longest line. http://www.sydneyairport.com.au/SACL/Terminal+Information/T2+Domestic+Terminal/Places+to+Eat/Sahara+Grill.htm Sun Jun 01 13:25:48 -0700 2008 2929923 11729 kivarita 1 3865732 Had a quick dinner at Bonfire with the family last week at JFK before our flight departed. Not sure who wants a $50 steak in an airport, but the $13 burger w/ fries seemed like a bargain for an airport. Served with bacon, aioli, cheese, and grilled onions. The fries were stellar. A few quibbles: burgers only available medium-well or well, charged for soda refills. Order the aioli on the side for the fries. Sun Jul 13 19:19:33 -0700 2008 2929923 85486 jtc 1 3870548 Miami has nothing nothing to eat. Starbucks, BK and Sbarro's. Oh and a small Cuban cafe for a pastry. Heathrow's smoked salmon bar is great with a glass of champagne but pricey. Gatwick is horrible. Tue Jul 15 10:50:15 -0700 2008 2929923 22559 smartie 2 3874236 You didn't look hard enough in Miami, there's a large and better than you'd expect cuban resto. Even the little pastry stands do cuban sandwiches. Wed Jul 16 11:42:37 -0700 2008 3870548 10784 Scrapironchef 3 3874717 The take out counter of La Carreta is the place to get Cuban sandwiches. Wed Jul 16 13:36:05 -0700 2008 3874236 36661 Sam Fujisaka 4 3877603 I used to teach classes down at MIA airport for a week at a time, never suffered over the food. Cafe Versailles also has an outlet there. A cortado brings new meaning to "coffee break" Thu Jul 17 11:24:57 -0700 2008 3874717 10784 Scrapironchef 1 3873382 For some reason, I really like the Seattle airport food court. They have so many choices, and they're all good! They have Italian and sushi and lots of fish restaurants, and they even have Wendys! Haha. Highly recommended airport (and city for that matter!) Wed Jul 16 07:36:13 -0700 2008 2929923 112406 Chew on That 1 3873588 I 've eaten some really awful food at airports so I can't claim eating anything good. Would go to Taco Bell if there was one. But the one airport restaurant I used to stop at on the way to Calistoga was Jonesy's at the Napa airport. Pretty decent steaks with these little hashed brown things with cheese and scallions. And the best Side Cars with pink sugar! Wed Jul 16 08:36:01 -0700 2008 2929923 50431 chef chicklet 1 3884217 I don't get to fly too often, but when I do, I always get a cinnabon before I leave. Because if I'm goin' down--at least it'll be with at tummy full of gooey sugary goodness... Sat Jul 19 18:33:43 -0700 2008 2929923 151640 PartyGirl43 1 4032432 Serrano ham and excellent tapas at Mexico City. Sat Sep 13 13:45:08 -0700 2008 2929923 102066 almansa 1 4037632 I have a relatively long lay over in Schipol coming up - would love some recommendations there. Last time I went through I ended up heading through customs and eating breakfast at one of the airport hotels (after the tourist people told me that having four hours starting at 7:00am on a Saturday morning would not result in quality tourist time in Amsterdam)... it was good food, but I'm not sure I want to bother with customs this time. I'll be in later during the day, and I noticed that the customs line was MUCH longer then. So - in airport food recommendations would be great. Mon Sep 15 17:18:33 -0700 2008 2929923 116540 kali_MM 2 4038057 We'll be in Schipol for 3 hours on Saturday - so, yes - any recommendations are much welcome. Mon Sep 15 20:05:02 -0700 2008 4037632 95793 jeni1002