Inside JFK airport’s new JetBlue terminal
Betcha never thought you’d see a place in an airport terminal reviewed on a food blog. I betcha a million dollars. You know why? Cause airport eating sucks. It sucks so bad. Todd hates flying for 4 major reasons: 1) security (usually former prison guards), 2) jet lag, 3) non-free access to the inter-webs, and 4) horrendous food on the plane, at the airport, and even on the way to the airport (strip clubs, hooters, and “Chotchkie’s”-styled terrible chain restaurants just don’t do it for me).
Why? Why do this? Especially to the poor traveling public, many of which do not appreciate being frisked for no good reason only to go on to eat at one of the many terrible airport burrito chains. [Fun side-note: to create your own burrito chain, use any fun combination of the following words, in any order: baja, chipotle, fresh, fast, fiesta, amigo, taco, pepper. Now you too can open the fun, new “baja amigo fiesta fresh” restaurants in the airport of your choosing!]
Well, friends, the world changed when JetBlue decided to be a unique example of an American airline taking their heads out of their backsides and opened an airport terminal that actually acts as a functional hub for a modern, traveling, HUNGRY populace. The new Terminal (#6) at JFK airport in New York is a beacon of gastronomical hope in a world of shit-laced peanuts and crappy, greased up tacos.
An airport foodcourt for the 21st century
"What? It's 6 in the morning and you want breakfast? HELL NO! You're getting a corned beef and swiss sandwich! Too early you say?! Fine - you're getting peppers on it too!"
Bam! Meat and Peppers! In the morning! Take that, Todd's jetlagged internal clock!
Among many others, there is a burrito place (yes – ‘mex and the city,’ witty if not slightly offensive), a smoothie place, Dunkin Donuts (god yes), and an honest to god Boar’s Head Deli. Boar’s head! A great mass-market deli meat now forms the basis of an airport deli, which, by the way, employs a touch-screen ordering system. I was as shocked as you are. So the next time you have the choice between flying direct on some crappy 5:30 am flight or taking a quick spin through JFK, remember that your trip could be substantially more pleasant given good architecture, free WI-FI, ample laptop plugs, and food that actually makes you look forward to grabbing a bite at the airport. Oh yeah, did I mention that you can order food at a laptop stand and they actually deliver it to you…in the airport.
For more info: http://www.jetblue.com/about/jfk/food.html
For more about the even more hoity-toity dining opportunities in JFK: http://www.newsday.com/services/newspaper/printedition/sunday/travel/ny-trglobe5886195oct19,0,7935547.story