Delta Air Lines has tapped renowned chef Todd English to create selections for its new food-for-purchase menu

This is being developed for customers flying in its Coach Class on flights within the United States. The new menu is part of an extensive upgrade to Delta’s exclusive onboard offerings available to domestic Coach, First Class and international BusinessElite(r) customers this fall.

On Sept. 13, Delta will begin offering a variety of breakfast, lunch and dinner entrees, as well as popular snack items, available for purchase on nonstop flights between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco and Seattle. Menu items will be priced between $2 and $10(1). In November, Delta’s food for purchase program will begin featuring Todd English’s signature creations on flights within the 48 contiguous United States of approximately 2,000 miles (four hours or more). As Delta expands the menu to more flights by spring 2008, the food for purchase will be available on flights of more than 750 miles, out of cities such as Atlanta, Chicago, Cincinnati, Boston, Houston, Phoenix, Portland, Ore., Tampa, Fla., Las Vegas and more. Customers will still receive complimentary snacks on all flights of more than 250 miles and on Delta Connection carrier flights.

“Delta’s exclusive new menu selections will provide our customers with the chance to pair a great meal, snack or refreshing cocktail with a superior selection from our Delta on Demand in-flight entertainment system featuring movies, HBO programs, music, live television and more,” said Joanne Smith, Delta’s senior vice president of In-Flight Service and Global Product Development.

Delta’s September food-for-purchase menu includes:

* Breakfast:  Fruit & Cheese plate; Cereal with Fresh Fruit; Fresh
  Baked Bagel; or Breakfast Wrap (sun-dried tortilla filled with egg
  salad, turkey, cheddar cheese and roasted red peppers; offered with
  salsa)


 * Lunch/Dinner:  California Salad (Earthbound Farm(r) Organic Spring
  Mix topped with grape tomatoes, cucumber slices, dried apricots,
  candied pecans and goat cheese); Chicken Caprese Sandwich (grilled
  chicken breast, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, basica with pesto spread
  on herb focaccia bread); Asian Chicken Breast (served with Asian
  Slaw and Forbidden Rice Salad).
 
Todd English’s signature creations will include a variety of fresh sandwiches, salads and light bites. Items being considered include: smoked salmon and egg salad croissant; roast beef steak cobb sandwich; chicken and avocado wrap; beet, walnut, manchego and spinach salad; and Olives’ hummus, based on the recipe from English’s restaurant of the same name.

The new onboard enhancements complement options available in Delta’s terminal at New York JFK, including Balducci’s Food Lover’s Market, Todd English’s Bonfire Steakhouse, Todd English’s Bonfire Bar, The French Meadow Bakery & Cafe, Starbucks Coffee, Legends Sports Bar and a host of retailers.

Chef Michelle Bernstein designs domestic transcontinental First Class menus

Delta’s BusinessElite celebrity Chef Michelle Bernstein, who has created the airline’s menus for international business-class customers since 2006, is extending her culinary creations to Delta’s domestic First Class customers as part of the airline’s onboard enhancements. Starting Sept. 13, First Class customers flying between JFK and Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco and Seattle will enjoy an upgraded dining experience featuring:

* A choice of two of six new Bernstein creations, such as short ribs
  in a red wine sauce with Yukon Gold mashed potatoes and a
  zucchini/squash medley or fettuccine in a Porcini Mushroom sauce
  with sauteed mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes Julienne topped with
  parmesan cheese;


 * Hot fudge and caramel ice cream sundaes; and


 * Delta-exclusive pre-landing indulgences from the Godiva Chocoiste
  Collection, a new line of personal chocolates coming later in
  September.
 
Additionally starting this fall, domestic First Class once again becomes high class with customers on all flights enjoying pillows, glassware and metal cutlery, as well as Earth-friendly amenity kits—made predominantly of all-natural, recycled/recyclable and biodegradable materials—that include eye shade, ear plugs, a toothbrush, toothpaste and Lather body lotion.

Refreshed Michelle Bernstein menus in BusinessElite

Bernstein has refreshed her international BusinessElite menu for the next year with new entrees and side dishes available on flights between the United States and Africa, Asia, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Europe, and the Middle East. Specialty entrees available during the following months include:

August, November, February and May

* Departing the United States: Braised beef short ribs served with
  beef sauce, mashed potatoes and Brussels sprouts


 * Returning to the United States: Seared filet of beef with sauce au
  poivre, served with macaroni & cheese and sauteed spinach
 
September, December, March and June

* Departing the United States: Grilled chicken breast “Ras el Hanout”
  topped with yogurt sauce, served with pearl couscous with leeks &
  olives and sauteed zucchini


 * Returning to the United States: Pan seared flounder with grapes and
  capers, served with cauliflower puree and sauteed spinach
 
October, January, April and July

* Departing the United States: Grilled filet of beef & shrimp scampi,
  served with lemon risotto, sauteed zucchini and squash


 * Returning to the United States: Lamb chops with pomegranate glaze,
  served with rice pilaf with cherries, green beans and pearl onions
 
The Big Apple, Amarulla Wake-Up, and Caipirosca signature cocktails shake things up

Delta customers can toast to their travels with new creations from Midnight Sky—the signature cocktail program created exclusively for Delta by nightlife proprietor Rande Gerber. Delta’s signature cocktails are offered on board all domestic and international Delta mainline flights, select Delta Connection(r) carrier flights, and in the airline’s Crown Room Clubs(r) and BusinessElite lounges. This fall, customers can choose from three signature cocktails, personally mixed by Delta flight attendants who have been specially trained by mixologists from the Gerber Group. Beginning in September, customers can choose:

* The popular “Big Apple”—Woodford Reserve Bourbon, Stirrings Apple
  Martini mix and Cran-Apple Juice;


 * The new “Amarulla Wake-Up”—Amarulla, served with coffee


 * The new “Caipirosca”—Finlandia Vodka, served with Stirrings
  Caipirosca mix
 
The signature cocktails are available at no cost to Delta customers traveling in domestic First Class and BusinessElite, as well as in Crown Room Clubs(r) and BusinessElite lounges. International Coach Class customers will receive one complimentary signature cocktail, beer or wine selection during the main in-flight meal service. In addition, international and domestic coach-class customers can purchase signature cocktails for $5 each.
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