Newark Airport was recently named worst in America — a title New Jerseyans didn't exactly relish —by AirHelp, a newbie (six years old) American flight compensation company.
But our ego got a boost when veteran (70 year old) Fodor's Travel Awardsnamed Newark Airport's Terminal Cthe "best for foodies" in the country.
Yes, New Jerseyans love good food, so it's no wonder that our airport would offer travelers to and fro our state the best eats and drinksat the airport.
It took $120 million to turn United Airlines' Terminal C into aculinary Oz. OTG, a company that works exclusively with airports to revamp their dining options, partnered with United to overhaul the dining options in the terminal.
If you've been staycationing and haven't yet had a chance to enjoy what EWR has to offer palates,allow us to walk you through NewJersey's latest bragging right.
But first, know there are three different ways to dine: at one of thesit-down restaurants scattered throughout the terminal, at an "oasis" located in the middle of one of the wide hallways, or at the quick-service Global Bazaar food hall. Thedining spots are overseen by executive chef William Prunty, who trained at the Culinary Institute of America.
Every chef and sous chef at the many spots areencouraged to use fresh, local ingredients, making what's on your plate“farm to terminal.” Most of the food is made on-site.
“We’re literally putting bushels of vegetables through TSA security,” said Michael Marchese, director of experience for OTG.
“We are a restaurant company first,” added Marchese. “We just happen to be in an airport."
OTG toreout the moving walkways and replaced them with dining “oases” – long, skinny open restaurants where folks can eat, drink, relax or bust out their laptop and work.
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There aremore than 5,500 iPads OTG propped up on metal stands at nearly every seat. Whether you’re in an oasis, a sit-down restaurant or at a table near your gate, there will be a personal iPad waiting for you. You can play games on it, check info about your flight, and, if you'd like to stay by your gate,order food that will be brought to you for no extra cost.
“We’re trying to remove some of that airport anxiety,” said Marchese.
Then there’s the Global Bazaar, a space so unique it’s almost a theatrical set piece. A huge wiry, noodle-like structure stands elevated in the center, rippling with multicolored lights and reaching toward the glass ceiling. Underneath the glimmering art piece, pasta is made. Ramen noodles are cranked out of one machine and circlets of tagliatelle, cavatelli and rigatoni slither out of another. That open space is surrounded by a ramen bar.
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Circling the bar are quick-service spots slinging pizza, sushi, deli sandwiches, barbecue and more. But that’s only after 11 a.m.
Look closely and you'll notice that all the signs are made up of flip boards or near movable metal pieces. Beforethe morning arrives, the metal pieces drop down and the flip boards flutter, transforming intocompletely different signage bearingnames like Poppy’s Bagels, Flip Flop Pancake Shop and Breakfast Boli.The entire bazaar turns into a breakfast destination, serving egg sandwiches, breakfast stromboli, pancakes and more. The seamless transformation is like somethingout of a Broadway show — not surprising, as Terminal C was designed by the award-winning Rockwell Group,founded by David Rockwell, the Tony-award-winning set designer.
“You don’t want to go to a pizza place for a breakfast sandwich. You want to go to a true breakfast place,” said Marchese.
At 11 a.m. the magic happens again. The signs flip again revealing the lunch spots. The griddles that earlier cooked pancakes and Taylor ham get wiped down and prepped to sizzle burgers and cheesesteaks.
The prices range from restaurant to restaurant, but hover around $10 to $20 for casual dishes such as burgers, sandwiches and pizzas. Costs can climb up to $60 for large steak dishes and sashimi platters. Beer is around $10 per bottle; wine $15 per glass; and co*cktails $15 to $20.
Here’s a breakdown of some of the most popular dining options.
Sit-down restaurants
Abruzzo Italian Steakhouse: Abruzzo has an upscale vibe, with a large, modern, open bar and a display of the many wine bottles available for purchase.Serves chops, T-bones, burgers, pizza, cheese platters, salads and homemade pasta
CBGB L.A.B.: Look for a replica of the iconic CBGB sign and you’re there. At this edgy spot, full of plush, black pleather couches surrounded by black brick wallsyou’ll find American fare such as chicken and waffles, burgers and chili, craft beer and co*cktails, as well as vinyl records and punk-rock-inspired merch.
DAILY: The menu at this sit-down joint changes daily based on what is available in the market. The ingredients are sourced from localfarmers markets. The space is modern, with clean geometric accents and a wood-burning stove that lets off a rich, warm scent.
Flora Café: A bright, sunny Mediterranean café serving dishes such as hummus, babaganoush, falafel and shwarma sandwiches.
Little Purse: A quaint, bare-bones “dumpling den.” It offers Asian dishes: dumplings, wontons, egg rolls, bao buns, ramen, pad thai and more.
Nonna’s Meatball Café: Serves an array of meatballs —buffalo chicken, Swedish, Vietnamese pho beef balls, traditional – as well as burgers and fries.
Rivieira: A sleek Parisian-style café that offers French fare including tuna Niçoise salad, steak frites, foie gras terrine and ham and butter on a baguette.
Saison: A French brasserie, designed with blue trim, vintage mirrors and clean tile floors, with offerings such as croque monsieur, beef tartare, French onion soup and Tomahawk steak.
Vanguard Kitchen:Serves American dishes made with sustainable, organic ingredients. Options include sandwiches, burgers, pizzas, salads and chicken.
Vesper Tavern: Flashy tavern lined with gold trim and shelves of booze. Expect pub-like foodsincluding open-faced steak sandwich andpork belly BLT, plus many seafood options such as oysters, seared scallops and lobster rolls.
Tacquila: Serves street-style tacos, house-made salsa, tortillas, tortes and elotes. The seating surrounds a mountain of tequila bottles.
Oases
Happy Clam: An oasis with a beach-shack feel.Its menu features pastas, eggplant parm, sandwiches and plenty of seafood includingclams casino, calamari and shrimp.
Caps Beer Garden: Features a striking overhang that curves like a wave and is made up of hundreds of hexagons. This Asian beer garden offers a slew ofcraft brews, sushi, crispy Asian wings and more traditional pub food like sausages, brats and Kobe sliders.
Wanderlust Burger Bar: Burgers made with Pat LaFrieda beef, fries, hot dogs and other casual America fare. Burger whiz and chef Josh Capon helped design the menu.
Oeno Wine Bar: Glowing pink and yellow panels brighten up this oasis, where you can enjoy wine, co*cktails, sandwiches, paninis, charcuterie and more.
Proof Whiskey Bar: Sit underneath the wavy light fixtures while sipping on a glass or two of Old Rip Van Winkle aged 10 years, High West Son of Bourye, Jim Bean Distillers Masterpiece, Old Weller Antique or Eagle Rare Kentucky Straight Bourbon. Food options include pizzas, burgers and sandwiches.
Surf Bar: Colorful, splashy sushi bar that offers sashimi, sushi, chowders and a variety of seafood.
Global Bazaar
Melange Bakery Café: Bagels, cupcakes, cookies with a generous amount of chocolate chips, brownies and other pastries made in-house.
Tsukiji Fishroom: Freshly made sushi wrapped up in pairs with a Japanese machine. The packages with two pieces of sushi each allowcustomers to choose how many pieces of each type of roll they want. The fish is flown in daily from Japan from the famous Tsujiki Market in Tokyo. “Airport sushi shouldn’t be a dirty word,” said Marchese.
Kaedama: A ramen bar that surrounds the noodle-making station in the Global Bazaar. Besides the fresh-made ramen noodle soup,this spot also serves co*cktails, beer and wine.
Wabi Sabi: Offers Asian food such as dumplings, fried crab claws and gyoza.
Creperie Juliette: Serves sweet and savory crepes.
Supreme Bowl/Philly Cheesesteaks: Place to grab egg- or fruit-based breakfast bowls in the morning. Turns into Philly Cheesesteaks at 11 a.m.– the explanation is in the name.
Breakfast Boli/Uptop Pizza: Serves breakfast strombolis packed with eggs, bacon and other early-morning foods. Turns into Uptop Pizza, a build-your-own pie concept.
Poppy’s Bagels/Casciano Italian Specialties: Large counter for breakfast sandwiches in the morning. Turns into Casciano Italian Specialties, which offers Italian subs, pasta salads and pastries.
Eggy Weggy/Custom Burger: Fries up eggs for breakfast sandwiches and omelets in the morning. Turns into Custom Burger, where you can build-your-own burger.
Flip Flop Pancakes/Notorious P.I.G.: Place for pancakes, waffles and pastries in the morning. Turns into Notorious P.I.G., a barbecue joint, offering pulled pork, barbecue ribs, brisket and more.
CIBO Express Gourmet Markets: Freshly-made grab-and-go items and snacks. Also sells non-food travel essentials.
