Wednesday, 04 August 2010 13:30 Dine & Cook Staff Report

Some of New York City's biggest names in food and drink are teaming up to bring gourmet dining options to the city's LaGuardia Airport.

Delta Airline tapped Chefs Riad Nasr and Lee Hanson, both are behind New York City's Balthazar, Pastis, Schiller's and Minetta Tavern; Chef Michael Lomonaco, from the city's famous Porterhouse Restaurant; Chef Jamison Blankenship, of Morimoto fame; Dominick DeMarco, who is behind the local DiFara Pizza chain; Baker Jim Lahey, from the Co. and Sullivan St. Bakery; and Butcher Pat LaFrieda of Pat LaFrieda Wholesale Meat Purveyors.

Also tapped Restaurateur Jason Denton, who is behind Lupa and Inoteca and is the author of “Simple Italian Sandwiches;” Restaurateur Chris Cannon, behind Alto, Convivio, and Marea; and, Brooklyn Brewery Brewmaster Garrett Oliver.

"As part of our aggressive plan to invest and improve our main terminal at LaGuardia, Delta is fully committed to enhancing the experience for our New York customers with superior amenities that include outstanding food and beverage choices," said Gail Grimmett, Delta's senior vice president New York.

The new terminal will include 13 restaurants, a gourmet food hall, coffee bars and a wine bar. The redesign will launch in phases starting August 21 and is expected to be complete by summer 2011.

Delta's LaGuardia Main Terminal dining experience will feature:

-Bisoux: A bistro inspired by Provencal cuisine, the menu has been created by Chefs Riad Nasr and Lee Hanson. The menu features the flavors and textures of simple French country cooking. The restaurant will offer classic dishes such as French onion soup, croque monsieur, tuna nicoise and crispy duck confit. The Bisoux Market will offer the entire menu to-go.

- Prime Tavern: Chef Michael Lomonaco developed the menu for this modern American steakhouse. Prime Tavern is an updated version of the classic American steakhouse with a menu that features steaks, chops, burgers, fresh salads and fish.

- Crust: Featuring thin-crust, Neapolitan-style pizzas with artisanal toppings. Crust's menu was developed by New York baker Jim Lahey.

- wibar: wibar is a wine bar that features 101 premium wines by the glass, flights and bottles. The wine list was created by Chris Cannon and features a wide range of wines from all over the globe. The beer list was created by Brewmaster Garrett Oliver; it features local brews and hand-picked beers from around the world. A menu of small bites, cheese and meats is also available along with a full selection of spirits, coffee and espresso beverages. Each bar seat has a touch screen where customers may learn more about the wine offerings and pairings and even place their order.

- Minnow: Minnow is a seafood and raw bar that will serve fresh fish and shellfish. The menu, developed by Andrew Carmellini is complemented by an expansive wine and craft beer list.

- Bar Brace: Bar Brace will feature Italian road food including homemade panini and bruschetta. Jason Denton created the menu based on his travels through Italy.

Gourmet Food Hall

A gourmet food hall will enable travelers to mix and match menu items from four quick-serve eateries, self-serve hot and cold food bars, a soup station, sundae station, bakery, gourmet market and other options, to create their meal:

- Tagliare: Classic New York-style pizza by the DeMarco family.

- Pat LaFrieda Burger: Pat LaFrieda, one of the top meat purveyors in New York, to create a burger blend specifically for this quick serve eatery. Burgers, featuring unique and classic burger combinations, are grilled to order, customers may also order house-made milkshakes.

- Shiso: Shiso is an Asian noodle and sandwich shop serving authentic cuisine from Vietnam, Japan and China created by Chef Jamison Blankenship. The quick-serve menu includes bahn mi, a popular type of Vietnamese sandwich, as well as noodles, soups and dim sum.

- Harry's Deli: A New York style Jewish deli serving traditional favorites such as Nova lox, matzo ball soup and knishes. Features ingredients sourced from New York City purveyors, including Russ & Daughters, Yonah Schimmel's Knish Bakery and Eli Zabar.