Airport terminals were once dreary places where travelers dreaded getting stuck. Boarding gate areas were overcrowded, with uncomfortable seats, limited power outlets, and greasy fast-food joints. Those days are over. Today, terminals are being transformed into sophisticated atmospheres with first-rate and esteemed dining outlets that include many award-winning celebrity chef–driven restaurants.
An example is Long Beach Airport, which is undergoing a $140 million modernization project that will include outdoor seating with patios, fire pits, cabanas, and a space for outdoor performances, as well as outlets of popular local restaurants.
OTG, a pioneering airport F&B operator with more than 175 restaurants and eateries in 10 airports, is one of the major players in the airport enhancement movement throughout North America. OTG provides travelers award-winning restaurants as well as modern and thoughtfully designed spaces and the latest technology with the recent introduction of 7,000 free iPads at three major international airports: New York’s LaGuardia, Minneapolis-St. Paul, and Toronto Pearson.
The iPads are used by travelers to track their flights, surf the Web, and play games. Meals like crispy duck confit, tuna nicoise, or croque monsieur can be ordered from the iPads for delivery at one’s seat, and products available in OTG stores in the terminal can be purchased online, gift wrapped, and handed to passengers as they board the plane.
Any improvements that can be made to the often demeaning experience of air travel are welcome news. “Working with acclaimed culinary names such as Andrew Zimmern, Andrew Carmellini, and Mark McEwan, we are able to create dining experiences that rival your neighborhood fare,” says OTG Concept Chef Michael Coury. “It is truly humbling to be able to partner with such talent who share our vision of bringing great food to travelers.”
As concept chef, Coury sets the culinary direction for the company. He has assembled some of the region’s hottest chefs to lend their talents to OTG’s restaurants.
Menus are seasonal, and change regularly, and are paired with outstanding wines and custom cocktails. Chef Coury also makes twice-weekly trips to New York City’s Union Square Greenmarket to source local produce, which he serves at the various restaurants at LaGuardia’s Delta terminals B, C, and D.
The newest restaurant at LaGuardia is Biergarten, which offers a variety of local craft beers selected by Brooklyn Brewery Brewmaster Garrett Oliver, as well as authentic Würstchen, hand-rolled pretzels, and more. Other OTG restaurants at LaGuardia include Cotto, a trattoria with a menu developed by Chef Michael White; Kombu, featuring contemporary Japanese cuisine; and Empire Tavern, a collaboration by Balthazar’s Lee Hanson and Riad Nasr.
With restaurants like these, travelers will no longer panic if their flight is delayed. They may even prefer it.