The first Randy Rucker dishes have landed at PHL
Chef Randy Rucker of Little Water and River Twice is designing dishes for the American Airlines Flagship Lounge, which opened in Terminal A West on May 22. He's one of multiple chefs to come to PHL.
Just in time for summer travel season, American Airlines’ updated Admirals Club and new, extra-exclusive Flagship Lounge — which features dishes designed by Philly chef Randy Rucker, of River Twice and Little Water — are now open at Philadelphia International Airport. The lounges, which together occupy some 25,000 square feet, bowed on May 22.
The pair of lounges arrive as part of a flurry of expanded food and drink options at PHL, headlined by a run of local restaurants throughout the airport, which includes the newly open Oyster House and forthcoming Federal Donuts and Middle Child. Another new lounge, from Chase Sapphire, has also partnered with Middle Child’s Matt Cahn for select menu items. (That’s right, there will be two ways to get Middle Child at PHL by the end of the year.)
Both the Chase Sapphire Lounge and American’s Flagship Lounge are operated in conjunction with food services company Sodexo.
The Admirals Club is open to American Airlines members, while the Flagship Lounge is accessible to international travelers flying in business and first-class cabins. The Flagship Lounge menu will feature a rotating dish by Rucker each quarter. The first is a rich and creamy cauliflower vichyssoise topped with trout roe and sweet preserved strips of konbu.
Rucker, whose latest restaurant, Little Water, earned a rave review from Inquirer critic Craig LaBan, was connected to American through the airline’s ongoing partnership with the James Beard Foundation.
Other food offerings on the lounge’s all-day menu were developed by Sodexo, but match the ethos of Rucker’s locally sourced fare. One such dish is truffled tofu cheesesteak, which sees savory slices of tofu layered with Kennett Square mushrooms and black truffle miso cheese poured onto a Liscio’s roll saturated with black garlic vegan aioli.
The lounge is moving away from more conventional buffets, pre-plating everything in tiny ramekins, plates, bowls, or mini-cauldrons instead, like at a doll’s tea party. (Sodexo also does this at the Chase Sapphire Lounge.)
The lounge is open from 4:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Breakfast, including lox bagels, grits, a breakfast sandwich, and a cheese and charcuterie board, is served until 11 a.m., when the menu switches over to an all-day menu with Rucker’s vichyssoise. Guests are welcomed into the lounge with a glass of champagne, which on Friday came from French producer Piper-Heidsieck. Otherwise, the wine offerings, available at a help-yourself-bar, are primarily American, from labels including Josh, La Crema, and CrossBarn.
The new American Airlines lounges are in Terminal A West; Oyster House, Elixir Coffee, and the forthcoming Federal Donuts are in the B-C connector; the recently announced Middle Child will be in Terminal D; and the Chase Sapphire Lounge is in the D-E connector.