Despite not necessarily investing a lot in catering, airlines like to get creative with what they serve in first class, as people seem to like that. Perhaps the most talked about example of this is Delta’s partnership with Shake Shack (which I recently experienced for the first time).
Along those lines, at the beginning of the year, American announced a new catering collaboration, which I’m sure will be a crowd pleaser. This is now being expanded significantly, to a lot more routes
In this post:
American serving Pecan Lodge barbecue platters & brisket
Since early 2026, American Airlines has been serving Texas barbecue onboard select flights, in partnership with Pecan Lodge restaurant. The airline explains that Pecan Lodge was founded in 2010, and has been recognized for its Central Texas-style barbecue, which is available onboard flights for the first time ever. I know about as much about barbecue as I know about football, so I’ll defer to others as to how well regarded they are.
The catering collaboration initially debuted on only two routes out of Dallas Fort Worth (DFW), so suffice it to say that not many passengers actually got to try this. This will now be expanding massively — as of September 9, 2026, the Pecan Lodge catering will be available on all lunch and dinner flights departing DFW. This is available exclusively via pre-order, meaning customers have to order this at least 20 hours in advance via the American website or app.
The selection is as follows:
- For lunch flights, passengers can expect the smoked chopped brisket sandwich, consisting of chopped brisket on a fresh brioche bun, served with roasted green beans, creamy potato salad, and a side of pickles, onions, and barbecue sauce
- For dinner flights, passengers can expect the Pecan Lodge barbecue platter, consisting of smoked brisket and smoked sausage, paired with creamy mac and cheese, crisp coleslaw, and a side of pickles, onions, and barbecue sauce
Here’s how Rhonda Crawford, American’s SVP of Customer Experience Design and Strategy, described this partnership when it was launched:
“As we celebrate American’s centennial anniversary in 2026, we’re looking forward to delighting our customers in new ways that honor unique regional tastes, beginning right here in our home state through one of the most beloved barbecue restaurants in Texas. Our customers deserve nothing but the best, and Pecan Lodge is certainly that.”
I’m sure people will enjoy this, but it’s not for me
It goes without saying that Texas is known for its barbecue, and it’s something people really love. I like the concept of airlines offering regional and local dishes, so I give American a lot of credit for that, and embracing its biggest hub.
Some people wait in line for hours and plan trips around it. We all have our preferences, and personally, it’s not for me (not that American should plan its catering around my preferences). But of course lots of other people love this kind of stuff, and it’s great to cater to them.
If we’re being realistic about airplane food, it simply shouldn’t be as good as food on the ground, since it’s prepared many hours earlier, reheated, etc. That says nothing of the tiny budgets that airlines have for this. Nonetheless, the reality is that people love comfort food, so anything that’s on the unhealthy side will be a crowd pleaser on a plane (kind of like American’s very mediocre slider & fries).
Personally (again, just my preferences!), I’d love to see the airline actually try to offer simpler and healthier dishes. It’s not uncommon to have an American first class flight where the pre-order options include a cheese plate, creamy pasta, chicken breast with cheese tortellini, or two types of short rib.
Am I the only one who would love to just see a salad or sandwich that’s half decent on the menu, rather than all of these options that are overly caloric without likely actually being good? For example, the salads in Air France’s La Premiere first class are exceptional. Okay, admittedly that’s among the world’s best international first class products, but in isolation, this really shouldn’t be that hard to replicate.
Like I said, I’m likely in the minority here, so I’ll get off my soapbox.
Bottom line
Since early this year, American Airlines has been serving Texas barbecue in first class on select flights from Dallas Fort Worth, in partnership with Pecan Lodge. This is now being expanded hugely, with these meals being available for pre-order on all domestic first class lunch and dinner flights out of the airport.
On lunch flights you’ll find the brisket sandwich available, while on dinner flights you’ll find the barbecue platter available. I’m sure many people will love this, and it’s cool to see American serving up something local, even if I’m not personally a huge fan of this type of cuisine.
What do you make of American serving Texas barbecue?
Ben,
Pecan lodge is probably top 3 bbq joints in the metroplex. And its not some mega chain like shake shack. They have one location! I'm curious to see how AA is going to scale/attempt to pull this off.
The negativity of the article can't help me think this a continued slow march to left of center blogging. We get it. You don't like anything even remotely associated with Trump/being right of center. BBQ/sliders/football/non-costal USA....
Ben,
Pecan lodge is probably top 3 bbq joints in the metroplex. And its not some mega chain like shake shack. They have one location! I'm curious to see how AA is going to scale/attempt to pull this off.
The negativity of the article can't help me think this a continued slow march to left of center blogging. We get it. You don't like anything even remotely associated with Trump/being right of center. BBQ/sliders/football/non-costal USA. Its stale and overdone.
Seriously try it. And lighten up the undertones. I used to read you daily and now maybe stop in once every two weeks.
-Lisfranc
Like Cantonese BBQ, it only is special if it is cooked properly.
Otherwise it’s just fast food.
(And similar to Cantonese BBQ) The unwritten economics is that Texas BBQ ingredients are cheap, it’s the cooking that makes it special. Airline galley cooking, even if someone skilled actually does the preparation?
20 Years ago American had an amazing cold seafood platter that was availible I both F & Y and was availible on most US flights. You know back in the day when Tampa to DFW got a lunch service. LOL
My likes are not going thru since yesterday. Should I get more OMAAT loyalty points for them to be enabled again?
Helpful button I meant
WE NEED MEAT THAT HAS SEEN A WOOD FIRE AND MAC & CHEESE THAT COULD GET YOU DISQUALIFIED FROM MEDICARE.
Anita is ready. Somebody get me a boarding pass, a wet nap, and a second stomach. WE'RE GOING TO DALLAS, BABY.
Simple food done well is very hard to execute. When a dish is pared down, the quality of the raw ingredients speak for themselves. And, given the severely constrained food budgets of most carriers including, apparently, AA, simplicity would shine a light on said mediocre standards. But I completely agree with the concept of delivering light, calorie conscious items that focus on taste and high quality basic ingredients, Sadly, I don’t anticipate that happening anytime...
Simple food done well is very hard to execute. When a dish is pared down, the quality of the raw ingredients speak for themselves. And, given the severely constrained food budgets of most carriers including, apparently, AA, simplicity would shine a light on said mediocre standards. But I completely agree with the concept of delivering light, calorie conscious items that focus on taste and high quality basic ingredients, Sadly, I don’t anticipate that happening anytime soon on flights in the U.S. except on carriers such as JetBlue.
It cooks wells , just like the sliders . They can’t be cooked with a regular entree, because bread reheats very easily.
Can tell that almost none of the posters on this thread are familiar with Pecan Lodge.
Jnw, that's true for me. Being from San Diego, Phil's BBQ is all I know, and it's served in Terminal 2. Since Alaska has a pilot base in SAN maybe they can add Phil's to the F menu pre-orders. I always try to order the Seafood Tower (the one with the Alaska King Crab and Oysters), but the catering never makes my flight.
Pecan Lodge gets the O-ver-ra-ted! (clap! clap! clap clap clap!) from me. It's fine, but probably the 4th or 5th best BBQ in DFW, and wasn't worth the 40-minute wait to get inside.
That said, am I going to pre-order the sandwich the next time I fly F out of DFW, absolutely yes.
Why do they ( and so many other airlines) feel the need to serve food that screams Heart Attack, Stroke, Diabetes, Dementia, cancer? And no, they usually don’t offer any healthy alternatives.
Most people fly a few times a year. There is no real benefit to them of moderation if they are reasonable in the rest of there days. And, this isnn't the only meal offered. Doesn't AA offer a special order healthy option? Lighten up RFK, jr. jr.
If you only fly occasionally then I see no issue with choosing the "sometimes foods" on the menu. If you're in the air all the time, you're probably better off choosing the less catastrophically calorific option.
Even as someone who’d enjoy the BBQ platter, I agree a well executed salad would be a great menu addition. There are times when I just want a light meal.
we have much better food in Texas than this crap and/or Shake Shack burgers. What's next deli Burger King/Mc Donald's?
Seems will be very strong smelling for the seatmates who aren't into this kind of food!
Right before Covid Alaska Air offered a really good salad that you could order ahead of time but you had to pay for it. You may have been able to order it in First. It never came back after Covid.
This AA BBQ meal looks great.
sometimes i don't get you Ben.
You would celebrate even the most obscure asisan or middle eastern dish because it does reflect the heritage of the related airline.
But classic american or european meals (besides italian) are either boring or just bäääh....
I would prefer a nice roulade on LH, sockeye salmon on air canada (dreams are allowed, yes ?) or a nice chilli on an american carrier over the hundredth version of butter chicken
@ Rainer -- I think you're maybe not reading what I actually wrote, or maybe I didn't express myself well? I said I think this is great, and I love when airlines serve local options, so I commend American for this. I just noted that I don't personally love barbecue (again, not imposing that on others), and that I wish we saw more healthy options. That's all.
The article did seem pretty passive aggressive. No?
Ben, first, thank you for your tireless work.
Input from all the senses is interpreted by the brain. If it were not so, we would see the world upside down (the eye has only one lens). And product of the brain requires maximum deference, because it's your truth without necessarily being mine.
But is it at least possible that you haven't had the right barbecue for you?
I ate much Central Texas barbecue, places the...
Ben, first, thank you for your tireless work.
Input from all the senses is interpreted by the brain. If it were not so, we would see the world upside down (the eye has only one lens). And product of the brain requires maximum deference, because it's your truth without necessarily being mine.
But is it at least possible that you haven't had the right barbecue for you?
I ate much Central Texas barbecue, places the locals go, poorly accessible to visitors, and contrary to expectations, much of it was poor or inedible.
I don't know what Pecan Lodge barbecue is like, but given the very wide range of experiences across our fair country, more curiosity might be to your benefit.
Sorry to intervene.
Respectfully,
B.
No way, Ben. Who wants to eat rabbit food? I'm not interested in BBQ but the creamy cheesy things are a definite win.
No thanks!
Thankfully this is pre-order only. If it was the onboard option, with my luck, I’d be left with the choice of the BBQ platter or the fish option.
With each passing year the “free” airline food in J is of less interest to me, preferring to eat on the ground and eating little onboard. This is on bith US and Foreign carriers premium cabins.
There are some carriers that get it, Qantas and Cathay Pacific produce reliably healthy and tasty food in business and first, whilst Japan Airlines Japanese meals are unsurprisingly excellent. I agree it’s odd so many of them think premium cabin passengers want to eat terrible versions of something they would probably reject as a $15 meal in a fast food restaurant whilst paying $5K for a ticket.
This is excellent news. My old firm used to have their yearly partner meetings in Dallas. A group of us would always sneak off after a couple of boring powerpoints to go eat on Pecan Lodge's deck. Great sausage. American's had a stretch here the last year or so of making some great tweaks to their product.
AA First meals have improved over the past two years and honestly some of the best. DL is a close second but UA, I'd rather have a bag of chips then what they are pushing. Hopefully,this trend continues and AA brings a variety back to the main cabin. Salad or Sandwish option seasonally for advance buy on BOB would be fantastic for lunch / dinner. Danish and yogert of a warm biscuit and egg option...
AA First meals have improved over the past two years and honestly some of the best. DL is a close second but UA, I'd rather have a bag of chips then what they are pushing. Hopefully,this trend continues and AA brings a variety back to the main cabin. Salad or Sandwish option seasonally for advance buy on BOB would be fantastic for lunch / dinner. Danish and yogert of a warm biscuit and egg option would be great too. Once first is stable (which they are close) and AA / Flagship clubs are consistant (also close), let's improve the cheap seat options. Also, just a throught, throw in a sandwich / salad or breakfast for any flight over 4 or 5 hours, that will win a few passengers.
Hellllllllll yeah
Was gonna ask AA to introduce more salad options as well but knowing their cost strategy they probably would buy up the Taylor Farms lettuce from the clearance aisle to make them
I had the platter from DFW-LAX last week. Even after boarding and de-boarding and switching planes, followed by a 3 hour delay, it was delicious and satisfying.
Ug, skip the sausage.
Had this last month, it was legitimately very good, and would have no hesitation about ordering it again.
Or get the grain bowl with the salmon - also very good.
Even the beef wellington is pretty good - the veggies are tasty and I enjoy the side salad it comes with.
And with DO&CO now official from LHR - AA's catering is a real bright spot for the airline, especially as compared with United.
2nd time’s the charm. (Jeremy, Howe, c’mon, fellas, a delete button, or at the very least, an edit button, for five minutes after posting, like CrankyFlier and FrequentMiler have, would be awesome for the site.)
As for pecans, isn’t that kinda shot across the bow at Delta (Georgia-based, they grow ‘em there, or not..)
I mean, no clue why my comment posted twice - would have happily deleted one! Not trying to get 2x OMAAT points or anything...
I feel like Texas is just as much a part of the Pecan Belt as Georgia? Beats me!
You deserve OMAAT Diamond, Peter_
To live, perchance to dream. Sadly Peter was taken. So now I'm Peter with an underscore. Fancy.
Had this last month, it was legitimately very good, and would have no hesitation about ordering it again.
Or get the grain bowl with the salmon - also very good.
Even the beef wellington is pretty good - the veggies are tasty and I enjoy the side salad it comes with.
And with DO&CO now official from LHR - AA's catering is a real bright spot for the airline, especially as compared with United.
Tried the beef wellington on JFK-EZE, and I donno. Maybe I just got unlucky. LHR-JFK, whatever white fish it was I much preferred. The sundaes are always great, at least!
I mean, it's still airplane food, but I thought it was tasty enough. Especially if you have them put vanilla ice cream on the pecan tart it comes with.
When will they start offering cannabis gummies?
I agree about the potential for more salads/sandwiches. Interestingly, this is already what American Eagle does and manages to do alright as well.
There's a reason why they don't serve tuna salad on planes. I imagine the same should apply to BBQ, as I've never been to a BBQ joint where you couldn't smell exactly what they were serving. Not sure I'd want to be sitting in a plane for hours with that smell wafting around.
Eh, bbq places often have that smell because they are smoking the meat inhouse. Obviously, that won't be happening on an aircraft.
Alaska had a really refreshing turkey salad on SEA-SFO a few months ago! I think they usually have some sort of salad as one of the options in First.
Presumably the American preorder option also includes the grain bowl with salmon - which is pretty good actually. But, yes, people like comfort food when traveling. Ideal is some kind of comfort + healthy combo - half a warm sandwich with a substantial salad.
I had ranch tofu salad and geek chicken salad on Alaska First Class. Both were really bad. I was jealous of the burger my son ordered and landed being hungry.
Nerdy chickens are quite tough but it sounds smarter than my order
As the late Barbara Bush said "It's a step up"
Perhaps the year after COVID, so 2021, I had an AA attendant tell me that the staff did NOT like the merger with USAir - as they went from (their words) from a Cadillac to a Ford Escort.
Pre-COVID, I really enjoyed the James Beard Foundation chef meals and wine selections in Business Class. Afterwards, things seemed to get more pedestrian.
Texas BBQ is delightful if the friend you are visiting drives you out...
Perhaps the year after COVID, so 2021, I had an AA attendant tell me that the staff did NOT like the merger with USAir - as they went from (their words) from a Cadillac to a Ford Escort.
Pre-COVID, I really enjoyed the James Beard Foundation chef meals and wine selections in Business Class. Afterwards, things seemed to get more pedestrian.
Texas BBQ is delightful if the friend you are visiting drives you out to that one place in the Hill country - that place that you would have never otherwise known about and you are completely unwilling to pay Uber to take you there from Austin.
The best meal I have ever eaten on AA was the time I got the gluten-free meal out of LAX - it was amazing Asian - good short grain rice, steamed bok choy, and tasty garlic shrimp. This was 2019 - never to be repeated.
Nobody will choose an airline or flight because of the on board food.
When all things are equal, I do.
This would be something I'd think of try in March out of DFW if it's available. The, they screw it up with potato salad as the side. My lack of inside knowledge may make me look stupid here. But, let me design a healthy, tasty salad and a heated dish. I bet I could do it in a way that meet AA's limits on kitchen prep and cost. Ben and I would be happy.
Same ole same ole out of Mexico City, month after month, so sign me up too and throw in some vanilla Häagen-Dazs ice cream for dessert!
Looks like poop. Hope they keep the bathroom stocked.
Hey, ... don't knock the " sustainability " aspect of it ! ... Newer aircraft configuration will locate the lav immediately adjacent to the galley !
This appears to be AA competiting with DL who offers FC passengers the option to pre-order a Shake Shack burger.
Fasten your seat belts for more diversions due to ' fume events' from the smoker ! /s
Not my choice but good to see AA changing things up.
I'll echo the sentiment of "it will be good in a restaurant. It might not be good in the air." My knowledge of Texas barbecue is next to none but I have had Pecan Lodge and I did enjoy it. Might be going back there soon.
A BBQ pulled pork sandwich should be pretty hard to mess up, so nice news there. Though I think I've only ever flown AA first class once in my life and I don't go out of my way to do so being an ATL native and the prior (bad) experiences I have with AA connections from ATL.
I have the same thinking as you. After all, BBQ pulled pork gets better the day after IRL - somewhat similar to how Indian curries heat up well in planes.
Why do so many people here thing they will served pulled pork? This is Texas BBQ, and the article clearly only mentions brisket and sausage.
All the sandwich images looked suspiciously like pulled pork to me, not brisket, so I apologize for not reading closely enough.
Pecan Lodge is awesome. Try it, and then see how you feel!
sign. me. up.
Me too. Love it.
Once you go Black’s (BBQ) you never go back.
But of course if you want the real deal that’s in Lockhart so ‘the widget’ will probably get on that Q train to bolster the most amazing, profitable, definitely not failing focus city on earth.
Travel forecast: sticky seats and armrests.
Thanks, I'll pass. I love bbq. I will make it at home or eat it in a restaurant with actual cooking and smoking facilities.
And a plentiful supply of napkins and wet naps.
Haha - you are correct - I'm sure Gary over at VFTW will be peeing his pants over this one. I will say though, as a life-long Texan, I can say that Gary does know his BBQ!! I'll give him that.
Are these meats beef or pork?
...neither, keep guessing! /s
Texas bbq usually implies beef brisket, which thankfully is typically eaten with a knife and fork, but still can be messy and often involves licking one's fingers. Whereas pork ribs are typically eaten without utensils. If that is what they are serving ..... ew. An airplane is not the place to be serving sticky finger foods.
This is what happens when you have a non Texan running a Texas airline.
The concept is excellent but I doubt any bbq enthusiasts would agree that they can properly reheat and serve Texas bbq in the air.
By the way Pecan Lodge is so 10 years ago and have dropped since.
Personally, I'd've preferred burnt ends
And those French fries... whose bright idea was it to serve *french fries* on an airplane? They're invariably going to be limp, soggy and cold unless they plan to install deep fryers in the galleys.
sinc, the world has moved on don’t you know? Deep fat fryers are so last century, the air fryer has dragged French Fries, etc, into the twenty first century.
Aircraft are equipped with convection ovens, which are [essentially] the same thing as air fryers. I’m not saying serving French fries in domestic first class is the most brilliant idea in the history of ideas, but the equipment is capable of making them crispy.
I had the sliders with fries yesterday in FC to PHX. based on these blogs, I was prepared for soggy fries. Nope, crispyish. Better than I thought it would be.
Last week I had a "Grains Bowl" for lunch in AA F. It would not have been my first choice but it was surprisingly good.
Grains bowl? They should have GAINS BOWL
They do, on their flights out of Gainsbolough.
The grains bowl is one of the better offerings. I’m with Ben, a properly executed cold dish can really hit the spot. The meals served on the longer E175 flights (no ovens on “AA” RJs) are cold and quite tasty IMO.
Pre-merger, AA had some amazing lunchtime salads. There was a steak cobb, a buffalo chicken, and a chicken and beets salad. They were all really delicious, but I'm assuming post-merger AA did away with them because of expense. Good ol' Discount Doug.
I fondly recall pre-ordering on AA in Y back in the ‘90s, as a non-meat special meal, the shrimp salad - beautiful “house” salad with a handful of delicious prawns layed on top. Delicious, healthy and easy to execute. What’s wrong and what’s so hard about that?
Looks like AA is just following Delta's lead here in aspiring to serve moments, rather than just meals ;)
But seriously, this looks decent and I like the creativity. And it's nice to see that the announcement is on planet earth and not full of the embellishment and hyperbole that a certain Atlanta based airline would have certainly included.
In theory, pulled pork BBQ should work pretty well on a flight. It reheats easily, you can drown it in flavorful sauce, and you just serve it with a little potato salad & coleslaw.
The star and biggest concern is the brisket.
Pulled pork should be exceptional.
I'll give a big round of kudos to AA for partnering with a legit local joint to serve something unique and highlights the company's Texas roots. Though personally, I found Pecan Lodge overrated and not worth the wait in line. IMO, there's better BBQ you can get in DFW (go get the beef rib at Hutchins if you want some serious 'cue). But that's just me, and give credit to AA for trying.
My only...
I'll give a big round of kudos to AA for partnering with a legit local joint to serve something unique and highlights the company's Texas roots. Though personally, I found Pecan Lodge overrated and not worth the wait in line. IMO, there's better BBQ you can get in DFW (go get the beef rib at Hutchins if you want some serious 'cue). But that's just me, and give credit to AA for trying.
My only hesitation - the chopped beef sandwich and sides should be pretty easy to pull off, but I do wonder about that brisket. Reheated improperly, it'll get really dry. And there's few things worse in life than dried out brisket...
Didn't they try this like a decade ago? I remember picking up an over-air-fried stale bun and PLOP out goes the BBQ meat on tray. All for something different but this seems like a mess if memory serves
It's less of a *PLOP* and more of a *FUMP*
Excellent use of onomatopoeia, regardless.
American will never serve the likes of this cuisine to me, simply because I am extremely unlikely to grace one of their flights with my presence.
They serve fake meal to fake usernames.
Is this real Eskimo calling out fake Aero, or fake Eskimo calling out fake Aero?
-- O.G. 1990.
Eskimo, darlink, it is a good evening for me, is it a good afternoon for you?
What does it matter to you if it is the real, or fake, username AeroB13a? Whichever it is you will prostrate yourself at the feet of the AeroB. True to form you and your band of fake username users, will troll whomever takes your fancy, yes?
However, Eskimo darlink, one is minded to suggest that Ben’s article about soft and hard products is more your bottom line, yes?
nice to see diamond aeroB is the same personality as the guest AeroB
Both strangely similar in insults hurled as Tim Dunn
And for that, we thank you.
So we bitch and bitch about how AA doesn't try, but the second they begin to make an effort we immediately shit all over it (the screens are in the way! BBQ isn't to my personal taste!)
Here in Texas, BBQ is a classic catering choice for events because it holds up very well. This is a smart choice for a collaboration.
@ BigT3x -- And I think commended the airline for serving local cuisine, and said that most people will probably like this?
@BigT3x, it's not that AA is "trying" (something), but rather it's the longstanding inconsistency with successfully delivering a good product that many here have issue with and frankly, are wary of. I'm in Texas, and I am sure in a restaurant setting, this barbecue is well-executed.
However, I can imagine the following experience unfolding with AA:
OPTION 1: AA: "Uh, Mr. Cesar, we didn't load your reserved barbecue meal. Here's some cheese tortellini."
OPTION...
@BigT3x, it's not that AA is "trying" (something), but rather it's the longstanding inconsistency with successfully delivering a good product that many here have issue with and frankly, are wary of. I'm in Texas, and I am sure in a restaurant setting, this barbecue is well-executed.
However, I can imagine the following experience unfolding with AA:
OPTION 1: AA: "Uh, Mr. Cesar, we didn't load your reserved barbecue meal. Here's some cheese tortellini."
OPTION 2: Mr. Cesar is served the crouton-bun, and the meat portion is either dried to the point of jerky *or* there's a refreshing ice cube in the cold, frozen center of the meat.
They serve the same BBQ in the Admiral's Club at times. Maybe they are just sourcing the AC food same place as the First Class.
As a former Texan and foodie, I can tell you that Pecan Lodge is one of the best barbecue spots in the Metroplex. I have no idea how well it will hold up onboard, but it's a good sign.
It actually shows a lot of care that they chose Pecan Lodge, as I'm sure it would have been easier to organize a partnership with a larger chain or a barbecue spot closer to the airport. Hopefully they're being just as thoughtful with the other product decisions they are making.
Hope this is a test for something bigger. It'd be really cool for AA to partner with a local restaurant at each of their hubs for all flights out of that hub. Would add something unique to the travel experience (of course assuming the quality is reasonably good).
Anything would be an improvement over those AWFUL overcooked sliders.
"Am I the only one who would love to just see a salad...that’s half decent on the menu..."
IME only FC Emirates and Air France can do a decent salad that's...a salad, not limp, cold greens, decent mix of veggies and proteins, and no bugs.
@ TravelinWilly -- Yeah, Air France absolutely does some amazing salads, and I just added a reference to that in the post... thanks! I can't say I've had one on Emirates, though!