Another one of Philly’s best chefs is headed to Philadelphia International Airport this year

Is PHL the new hottest restaurant neighborhood in Philly?

Randy Rucker of River Twice and Little Water is the latest local chef to set up shop at the Philadelphia International Airport, where he’s designing a menu for American Airlines’ new Flagship Lounge, currently under construction for a summer opening.

Rucker joins a growing number of Philly chefs, restaurants, and brands branching out to the airport. Middle Child, whose own menu collaboration recently began rolling out in the Chase Sapphire Lounge, recently announced a full-blown third location set to open in Terminal D this fall, and Oyster House and Federal Donuts & Chicken remain on track for a spring/summer opening in the B/C connector.

Already at the airport are Bud & Marilyn’s, Sabrina’s, La Colombe, Elixr Coffee, and Jim’s South St. Famous Cheesesteaks, as well as a Michael Solomonov-designed menu at the American Express Centurion Lounge.

American’s Flagship Lounge and a new, connected Admirals Club will be located in Terminal A West, close to most long-haul international flight departures (which typically take off from A West and A East). More exclusive than the Admirals Club, the Flagship Lounge is a distinct entity that requires elite airline status, a first- or business-class ticket, or a day pass that can be purchased for $150 or 15,000 AAdvantage miles.

American Airlines has an ongoing partnership with the James Beard Foundation to connect its lounges with local chefs; Rucker was selected by the foundation as the host of its Taste America event last month. He said that he was not able to disclose specific menu items yet, but that they’ll be emblematic of the locality of the Philadelphia region and feature seasonal produce.

“My approach to food is simple on the plate, but complex in development,” he said. “It’s very seasonal. We are definitely reflective of the Delaware Valley. I believe in time and place. There’s also the backbone of Southern soul in what I do.”

Rucker, noted, however, that he will not be responsible for dessert. “I’m sticking to my savory bones here,” he said.

In a review of Rucker’s latest restaurant, Inquirer critic Craig LaBan cited the chef’s evocative approach to cooking, noting that the “threads of nostalgia and a distinct sense of coastal places … are especially vivid in his food at Little Water.”

As is the case at Middle Child in the Chase Sapphire Lounge, Rucker will be responsible for creating select à la carte dishes. The lounge will offer additional dishes and provide an all-day buffet, as well as cocktails (with alcohol and without), spirits, and a self-service wine bar.

The coffee service at American is getting decidedly less Philly-friendly, however: La Colombe has been ditched at both the Flagship Lounge and the Admirals Club.