Last weekend, we were traveling through the Philly Airport, and had a long layover. I had researched the airport's food options in advance, and discovered that the airport boasts a Legal Sea Foods, located at the Terminal B/C Connection. The chain has a great gluten-free menu, so I decided that was where we were going to have lunch.
I expected it to be decent, but I ended up being blown away - in a good way. The gluten-free menu they brought me read "CELIAC MENU," and when we told the waiter we'd be ordering gluten-free, he knew exactly what he was talking about and then said, "We'll take care of you."
As an appetizer, I ordered half a dozen raw oysters.
The server who brought them out was different than the one who took our order, bit he put all my worries at ease when he said, "We paid very close attention to your food allergies" as he put the plate on the table.
The oysters were amazing. It's been ages since I've had oysters of any kind, much less raw oysters. It just seems silly to be eating oysters in the middle of the desert (plus I'm never convinced that they're fresh enough). The folks at Legal Sea Foods brought out a variety of oysters, some a modest size, and some so big I wondered how I would fit them in my mouth. All of them were to die for.
If I'd only had the oysters, the meal would have been worth the hike across the airport. But it didn't end there. Eager to fill up for the rest of our travel day, I ordered the Greek salad with crabmeat on top. Again, when a different server put the food on the table, he said, "We paid very close attention to your food allergies."
While I can't say it was as amazing as the
oysters - and let's face it, trying to beat out those oysters would have been a losing battle - the salad was pretty awesome. There was just the right amount of dressing, olives, and chickpeas. I wasn't quite sure how the crabmeat would taste added to a Greek salad, but it was mild and delicious and perfect.
Mike ate gluten-free right along with me. He ordered the wood grilled salmon with coleslaw and rice.
He wasn't thrilled about the portion - mostly because the plate was too big for the food that was on it - but it really was a decent portion size. I had a bite of everything - the coleslaw was great and the salmon was out-of-this-world. The fish was tender and moist and succulent, and the outside was wonderfully crispy. If I'd had that as my meal, it might have rivaled the salmon. Maybe.
This was easily the best gluten-free eating experience I've ever had in an airport. It's amazing how the staff's great attitude to allergy-friendly dining made the whole experience so much more comfortable.
From sitting down (there was no wait although the restaurant was very busy), to the time we we left, we were only there about forty minutes. So the next time you're in the Philadelphia International Airport and have some time to spare, be sure to check out Legal Sea Foods. I'm sure you'll be glad you did!
No comments:
Post a Comment