Have a long stopover and don’t feel like paying $14 for a chicken sandwich that tastes like stringy plant fiber trapped between two Hush Puppy loafers? Well, usatoday.com has a solution for hungry travelers looking for a bit more sustenance between flights: catch a taxi into town and visit an honest-to-God, real restaurant.
This particularly helpful column lists a handful of exceptional restaurants less than 12 minutes travel time from major airports across the United States. A civilized meal at a non-airport restaurant is the perfect panacea to inject some humanity and comfort into the otherwise uncomfortable airport experience.
Most on the list tend to be higher-end and expensive but helpful quotes from the Zagat Guide can help you decide which is right for you. I’ve been to only one of of the suggestions, Café del Rey in Los Angeles, and found it exceptional. The ten minute estimate for travel time, however, isn’t taking into consideration rush hour, so be careful you don’t miss your plane.