Diancecht Posted September 11, 2023 Share Posted September 11, 2023 (edited) hubby and i are dealing with a cold which is why no new food posts have occurred for the past week or so. i thought i’d share my experience flying first class to/from nyc. this is going to be the last time i will bother with those modes of domestic air travel. a friend on facebook said they’re “glorified busses” and she’s not wrong. i didn’t take a photo of the united airlines lounge at sfo but it’s ok. the food was average buffet. the only good thing amongst all these pictures turned out to be some baked beans. Edited September 11, 2023 by Diancecht Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diancecht Posted September 11, 2023 Author Share Posted September 11, 2023 these are photos at jfk in the american airlines lounge and you can immediately see the difference between aa and ua. oh, and there’s a menu too. in case you haven’t figured it out by now, i collect restaurant menus because they’re a record of where we’ve eaten. the crab cake was 90% crab and very little filler. the pasta was a bit “thick” (not really eataly quality but not bad either). this lounge features showers in the back if you need a few moments before your flight to freshen up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diancecht Posted September 11, 2023 Author Share Posted September 11, 2023 as for the food on the airplanes, aa was the clear winner (which is not saying much). i know that cheap airfare is desirable with everything that entails but it just seems to me that the airlines are denying a good source of revenue by not providing the possibility of good or “better than average” food to customers who would like to pay. the salad had a bottle of dressing (olive oil, balsamic) that you could add as desired. the pasta was less offensive than the other entrées. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilfrid Posted September 11, 2023 Share Posted September 11, 2023 But you are not flying economy, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diancecht Posted September 11, 2023 Author Share Posted September 11, 2023 we didn’t fly economy this trip. i have heard that united now offers premium economy plus with the possibility of hot meals. that’s really what i’m after, instead of buying food from the concourse and taking it onboard with us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
voyager Posted September 12, 2023 Share Posted September 12, 2023 Some years back, fed up with well done, tough-as-owl beef "steaks", I wrote the president of United and suggested that instead of throwing money at these cuts that are inedible at 35000 feet, they serve braises which reheat beautifully. Never noticed that they took my advice but got a handful of freebies for my effort. Air France, our current carrier, serves these often to good effect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evelyn Posted September 12, 2023 Share Posted September 12, 2023 Heh. Funny you mention braises reheating beautifully for an airline meal. On my flight back from the beatdown in Tuscaloosa, I had Delta's braised shortrib. It was a defensive play, for the exact reason you mentioned. It was so tough I almost sent the bowl it was in flying while trying to cut it. The broccolini was also impossible to cut. Same for my seatmate. So, I defaulted to my backup "Delta Diet". Eat the dessert. Ask the FA for some pistachios and almonds. Then eat a reheated serving of my own braised shortrib (or whatever) when I get home. I keep a few selections of leftovers in my freezer for occasions just like this. Which happens pretty much every time I take a late lunch/early dinner flight home. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sneakeater Posted September 12, 2023 Share Posted September 12, 2023 This is completely irrelevant (and mawkish to boot), but I really missed you guys. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MitchW Posted September 12, 2023 Share Posted September 12, 2023 14 hours ago, Diancecht said: I believe the butter lettuce in the Butter Lettuce Salad would be from Satur Farms, even though it might taste as if it's from Saturn. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orik Posted September 12, 2023 Share Posted September 12, 2023 I can see an opportunity with Venus Clam, Saturn Lettuce. I don't fly business often, but I think SAS far outperformed any of them in recent years. Thoughtful wine list, perfectly good scandi food, and a determination to help you take advantage of those. The scene "Anticipating Lasagna - Danes circling EWR SAS lounge buffet" is also highly recommended. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
voyager Posted September 12, 2023 Share Posted September 12, 2023 We found consistently that Air France business class food was orders of magnitude better flying from SF to Paris than from Paris to SF. Counterintuitive, but true. Never figured it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieL Posted September 12, 2023 Share Posted September 12, 2023 (edited) On 9/11/2023 at 3:29 PM, Diancecht said: we didn’t fly economy this trip. i have heard that united now offers premium economy plus with the possibility of hot meals. that’s really what i’m after, instead of buying food from the concourse and taking it onboard with us. We were on United Premium Economy on one of those fancy SFO-EWR flights a few months ago, and the warm breakfast wasn't too bad. Alaska Airlines will give you a hot breakfast in first class even on a short hop up the coast (say from SFO/OAK to PDX/SEA). Edited September 12, 2023 by StephanieL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sneakeater Posted September 13, 2023 Share Posted September 13, 2023 On a short hop up the coast in Alaska, you deserve a hot breakfast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Bonner Posted September 13, 2023 Share Posted September 13, 2023 This is like the scene in the blues brothers where they compare various dishes in different state prisons. I'll add for the record the pepper steak in United Polaris might be worse than the pepper steak in Joliet. I had the flight attendant apologize to me as he handed me my plate. I fly international business class a bunch and really mostly care about hard product. Can I sleep in your lie flat, do you have an arrival lounge I can shower in, and can you get me through security quickly. Flying to Europe I try not to eat on plane - especially the flight over. Asia a different story and the local carriers always much better than US carriers but still not actually good. I had an utterly hideous experience on BA yesterday. They tried to unload a 787 from a remote stand with one bus. I was in Row 22 (which is J on that flight l, the premium loads are so high) and it took me 30 minutes to get off the bus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
voyager Posted September 13, 2023 Share Posted September 13, 2023 Husband has solved the problem of food and jet lag by chowing down in the (AF) lounge before a long flight (SF-Paris), and immediately going to sleep on the plane, avoiding on board food until middle of the night snacking (fruit, sandwiches, ice cream). Granted business class, but an improvement over staying up for a questionable meal service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieL Posted September 13, 2023 Share Posted September 13, 2023 15 hours ago, Sneakeater said: On a short hop up the coast in Alaska, you deserve a hot breakfast. I was only going from SF to Portland. 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieL Posted September 13, 2023 Share Posted September 13, 2023 5 hours ago, voyager said: Husband has solved the problem of food and jet lag by chowing down in the (AF) lounge before a long flight (SF-Paris), and immediately going to sleep on the plane, avoiding on board food until middle of the night snacking (fruit, sandwiches, ice cream). Granted business class, but an improvement over staying up for a questionable meal service. I envy anyone who can go to sleep soundly on a plane. If I'm lucky, I get a couple of hours of fitful sleep in. And then there was the 15-hour flight from NY to Johannesburg where I didn't sleep at all..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
voyager Posted September 13, 2023 Share Posted September 13, 2023 1 hour ago, StephanieL said: I envy anyone who can go to sleep soundly on a plane. If I'm lucky, I get a couple of hours of fitful sleep in. And then there was the 15-hour flight from NY to Johannesburg where I didn't sleep at all..... I have no idea who they build airline seats for. I always feel like Goldilocks but never find the “just right”. May as well go to the movies. I usually watch 4 +shorts during a 10 hour flight. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
relbbaddoof Posted September 14, 2023 Share Posted September 14, 2023 15 hours ago, Anthony Bonner said: This is like the scene in the blues brothers where they compare various dishes in different state prisons. Unlike the rest of you I've never been to State prison or flown Business (only First, rarely) but the solution to your airline/prison-supplied food woes arises from a suggestion made to me three decades ago by Ihsan and Valerie, the former owners of Formaggio Kitchen in Cambridge, MA. (The business passed earlier this year to their long-time manager and is in terrific hands.) Don't eat it. Get to Boston first, if you're not already t/here, and get to FK (or amble to Essex Market FK, now spun off from the original), buy a salami (+1 for your girl in the army), then nibble on it through your ride. There's no way you can make dining elbow-to-elbow with your neighbor an elegant eating experience, so stop trying. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MitchW Posted September 14, 2023 Share Posted September 14, 2023 11 hours ago, relbbaddoof said: or amble to Essex Market FK, now spun off from the original), buy a salami (+1 for your girl in the army), then nibble on it through your ride. At Essex Market, they do have those nice, smaller salamis from Fra' Mani...but no Broadbent, unfortunately 😋 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
relbbaddoof Posted September 14, 2023 Share Posted September 14, 2023 1 hour ago, MitchW said: At Essex Market, they do have those nice, smaller salamis from Fra' Mani...but no Broadbent, unfortunately 😋 . Yes, I know the Essex FK well (or used to -- haven't been there since before times). The mothershop in Cambridge carried a country ham or two in the past, but the NY one never did, probably because they had less space, especially in the old location. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
voyager Posted September 14, 2023 Share Posted September 14, 2023 Not a salami from Essex Market, but close. After the airlines started filling the middle (of three) seats, husband and I used to book "aisles across" seats. Once we stopped at Russo's Market in Reading, PA, before flying out of Philly. We had them build us a huge antepasto platter with all the usual suspects. After the meal carts had passed, we brought out our feast and passed it back and forth across the aisle. One of our best airline meals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MitchW Posted September 14, 2023 Share Posted September 14, 2023 22 minutes ago, relbbaddoof said: Yes, I know the Essex FK well (or used to -- haven't been there since before times). The mothershop in Cambridge carried a country ham or two in the past, but the NY one never did, probably because they had less space, especially in the old location. Yes - they do have a couple of different cured hams from Spain, France and Italy, but none from country ham country. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sneakeater Posted September 14, 2023 Share Posted September 14, 2023 1 hour ago, voyager said: Once we stopped at Russo's Market in Reading, PA, before flying out of Philly. I would have bet that I was the only person here who knew that place. Of course, that would have been impossible. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
voyager Posted September 14, 2023 Share Posted September 14, 2023 (edited) When Russo first opened, I was wandering around taking photos of their vast assortment when I realized I was surrounded by what appeared to be a mafia hit squad. The leader asked what I was doing and I explained that I was documenting their incredible assortment, that I was from SF and that we had nothing that compared. He considered for a moment then backed off, explaining that they didn’t allow photos in an attempt to thwart their competitors. At least he didn’t bust my phone or my arm. Edited September 14, 2023 by voyager 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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