On the Intel page in the October 2010 Global Traveler, there is a piece about local restaurants and well-known chefs opening locations in airports. I have enjoyed watching this trend firsthand at O’Hare Airport, my usual place for departing flights.
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Chicago favorites like The Billy Goat, The Berghoff Café and O’Brien’s are just a few of the great local dining choices located at O’Hare. I have also been to Yan Can Asian Bistro and Bar at San Diego Airport and Legal Sea Foods at Boston’s Logan Airport (two of the places mentioned in the GT piece). I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at both, even if they are somewhat abbreviated versions of the original restaurants.
This trend is a great development as airports start to add more comfort to the necessary functionality. Airport food can be tasty as well as representative of the city’s fare. It doesn’t just have to be generic sustenance. I always get to the airport well in advance of my flight. Then I relax and have a meal (or snack). It has been so much more enjoyable lately as I see more local options popping up in airports.
I am really looking forward to the new restaurants in O’Hare featuring Rick Bayless and his modern Mexican cuisine. Hopefully more airports will follow the lead. My dream is to have the food courts feature all local delights. Then I might get to the airport even earlier and hungrier.
–John Wroblewski, distribution specialist
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