Fly ’n’ Dine

You would have to be asleep, or not have flown in or out of the Twin Cities in the last few years, to have missed all the big changes at the airport. Paramount among these are the enhanced food offerings. Recently, Wolfgang Puck Express and New York’s Famous Famiglia pizza and legendary Stage Deli have joined ranks that include Chili’s, T. G. I. Fridays, and local favorite D’Amico & Sons. This fall, the dispiriting Split Rock Grill will be replaced by a Rock Bottom Brewery, and additions to Northstar Crossing will be complete. It will contain a second airport French Meadow Bakery, this one with a full restaurant menu, plus a two-story Ike’s Food and Cocktails.

The Metropolitan Airports Commission’s plan has been to supply a broader selection of meal options, including healthier choices, and to build mechanisms into leases to keep food prices down. The MAC also wanted a greater presence of local operators so that travelers know they are in Minneapolis and not a cold Omaha.

But do the feel and taste of airport versions of familiar local restaurant brands hold up to the real thing? (Does it matter, since 60 percent of airport customers are from out of town?) The MAC wants the answer to be “yes,” but recent experience tells me “no.”

Why is the brisket and pastrami sandwich at Stage so awful? Why does the local slice of Famous Famiglia pizza pale in comparison to the original? Why does the sandwich or salad at D’Amico seem not quite as good as in town? (Because of a lack of kitchen space at the airport, the meals are often prepped in off-premises commissaries, so quality control is harder to sustain.) They all are operated by Creative Host, HMS Host, or Anton Airfood, giant management companies that make licensing deals with local and national restaurants, lease airport space, and hire staff to serve food based on the “home” restaurant’s recipes. They pay a monthly royalty based on sales.

Quality is easier to control with a French Meadow scone or a Dairy Queen cone (we’re the first airport in the country to have one, but you can enjoy DQ in the airport in Chang Mai, Thailand, believe it or not) because it’s easier to consistently cook and serve items such as baked goods than it is an Ike’s medium-rare burger.

But Ike’s owner Chip Isaacson is beyond optimistic, and not just because he’ll make good money off the deal. He insists that due to HMS’s acquisition of Anton Airfood, a competitor, “HMS now has a hospitality and restaurant mindset they never had before, and my staff will train all the employees and 50 percent of the opening-day staff will be current Ike’s employees.” Lynn Gordon of French Meadow told me flat out that HMS is meticulously sourcing organic and natural foods for her and hewing to a more stringent standard: “These guys really get it now!”

Sitting in for a few moments during a planning meeting with HMS Host and Gordon was impressive, but I’m waiting to see how the final product turns out. The Puck salad I had, like the pizza and pastrami, left more than one bad taste in my mouth. Food needs to be cooked and served by someone who cares about the customer and the product, whether it’s a grilled piece of fish or a slice of pizza. The challenge is not just the recipe, it’s about who holds the spoon and rings up the register—it’s the experience. Ike’s and French Meadow, or should I say HMS Host, have their work cut out for them. 

For more foodie conversation, tasty recipes, and fun photos, check out Andrew Zimmern’s new blog, Chow & Again.