Continental Airlines (NYSE: CAL) has introduced new BusinessFirst menus on its international flights.
HOUSTON – The gourmet meals, which first debuted on trans-Atlantic and South American flights Oct. 29, were created by members of Continental’s Congress of Chefs, including: Michael Cordua of Americas of Houston; Paul Minnillo of the Baricelli Inn at Cleveland; Tim Keating of the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, Fla.; and James Canora of NYC Culinary Events in New York City.
„We’ve taken the best and most popular dishes from some of the world’s greatest chefs and blended their wonderful regional cuisines into our BusinessFirst menus, creating a fusion of international flavors,“ said Continental’s Executive Chef Siegfried Lang. „As we introduce new menus for our premium class service, we still are the only major airline to continue to serve complimentary meals at meal-times in coach class.“
Six Months in Development
Continental’s award-winning BusinessFirst service, most recently ranked by Conde Nast Traveler readers as the number one U.S. carrier for Business Class, requires that menus and beverages be constantly reviewed and updated. After six months of development and taste-testing, Continental finalized four different lunch and dinner menus — each under the signature of a celebrity chef — to rotate monthly and vary by region.
[GADS_NEWS]A typical BusinessFirst menu on an international flight includes an appetizer, salad, choice of four entrees, cheese and fruit service and dessert. Travelers can enjoy new main courses such as: veal osso bucco with saffron risotto accompanied by steamed broccolini and rapini; a lighter option of grilled Escolar fish with rosemary shrimp accented with a bouillabaisse sauce, artichoke barigoule and steamed sugar snap peas; and grilled Churrasco- style tenderloin steak, enhanced by a chimichurri sauce, roasted champignons, grilled bell pepper, steamed broccoli and a spicy corn and rice blend.
Continental will also introduce new hot canapes and soup demitasse appetizers, as well as an assortment of petite desserts for those seeking a lighter dessert option to Continental’s signature ice cream sundae.
Tailoring its product for specific routes, Continental’s dining experience includes regional touches in various markets. For example, a sushi appetizer and a complete Japanese meal are options on Tokyo flights, and an Indian- Vegetarian entree is one option offered on flights to Delhi.
Linens, Fine China, Flatware and Fine Wines
Continental’s BusinessFirst five-course gourmet meals are presented restaurant-style, complete with linen, fine china and flatware. Premier Champagnes, regional fine wines and beers are served, and barista-quality espresso and cappuccino are offered on all Boeing 767 and 777 flights. In addition, BusinessFirst customers on flights between the U.S. and Paris, London and Tokyo, take part in the annual global rollout of the famous wine Beaujolais Nouveau each November.
Culinary Experts: Continental's Congress of Chefs
This elite dining experience is crafted with the aid of 18 chefs, known as Continental’s Congress of Chefs. These chefs periodically prepare dishes onboard flights as part of Continental’s Chef on Board program to become familiar with food service at 35,000 feet and to incorporate customer feedback into the development of new menus.
Celebrity Chef Paul Minnillo personally introduced his new signature menu to customers onboard Continental’s flight from Newark Liberty International Airport to Rome on Oct. 29.
So Much More than Gourmet Meals
Continental’s acclaimed BusinessFirst service offers more than fine restaurant-style meals. The premium-class cabin has extra-wide electronic sleeper seats with 55-inch/140-cm pitch, adjustable winged headrests and personal video screens. A high level of service is provided inflight with a superior 1:8 flight attendant-to-customer ratio. In addition, customers enjoy personalized pre-and post-flight service by a specially selected and trained corps of more than 200 concierges at 26 key airports worldwide.
Superior Designation
Continental Airlines is the official carrier of the Confrerie de la Chaine des Rotisseurs, Bailliage des Etats-Uni, the premier International Food and Wine Society established in 1248 during the reign of King Louis IX of France.
A Sampling of New BusinessFirst Complete Menus
Following is Continental’s new complete BusinessFirst menu on a typical flight from Cologne, Germany to Newark, New York:
Hot appetizer cart: A demitasse of creamy wild mushroom soup accompanied
by a spicy vegetable-filled pastry and chicken
kabob, served with Asian-style dipping sauce
Salad: A contemporary blend of lolla rossa, red leaf
lettuce and field greens topped with fresh
pineapple, kiwi, strawberry and pecans. Offered with
choice of vinaigrette or passion fruit dressing
Freshly baked garlic bread and assorted rolls with butter
Choice of Main Courses:
* New York strip steak accented by black peppercorn sauce, presented
with buttered carrot batons and seasoned green beans, potato and red
shallot gratin with red pepper sauce
* Roasted chicken complemented by herbes de Provence, offered with
tomato olive ragout, bulgur wheat couscous and a grape leaf filled
with rice and vegetables, green asparagus with eggplant confit
* Grilled shrimp with herbs enhanced by Riesling wine sauce served on a
bed of white wine risotto, topped with a medley of julienned carrots,
zucchini and turnips
* Roulade pasta bowl baked breaded eggplant with fontina cheese, spinach
pasta with ricotta cheese, spinach, basil pesto and pine nuts and egg
pasta with Taleggio, fontina, ricotta and Parmesan cheeses,
complemented by marinara sauce, topped with roasted black olives and
sauteed yellow bell pepper strips
Fruit and Cheese: Select European cheeses accompanied by fresh seasonal
fruit, assorted gourmet crackers and roll, served with
Port wine
Dessert cart: Featuring vanilla ice cream offered with choice of
toppings or a petite dessert cup.
Following is Continental’s new complete BusinessFirst menu on a typical flight from Houston, Texas to Amsterdam, Netherlands:
Hot appetizer cart: A demitasse of lobster bisque accompanied by
raspberry and brie cheese wrapped in pastry and Thai
chicken satay, served with peanut sauce
Salad: Fresh baby spinach and Belgian endive with cherry
tomato, goat cheese and maple-glazed pecans.
Offered with a choice of balsamic vinaigrette or
buttermilk ranch dressing
Freshly baked garlic cheese loaf, multi-grain and pretzel breadsticks and Spitzweck roll with butter
Choice of Main Courses:
* Veal osso bucco presented on a bed of saffron risotto, garnished with
lemon zest and fresh parsley, sauteed broccoli rabe and fresh
broccolini
* Herbed breast of chicken topped with thinly sliced air-dried beef,
pomodoro sauce and melted mozzarella cheese, grilled Roma tomato,
sauteed baby spinach and Lyonnaise potatoes
* Bouillabaisse of grilled Escolar fish and rosemary shrimp in a rich
seafood stew with stewed artichoke hearts, roasted red tomatoes and
buttered sugar snap peas
* Pasta bowl of manicotti filled with fresh spinach and creamy ricotta,
parmesan and feta cheeses, complemented by Salute sauce and mozzarella
cheese
Fruit and Cheese: Select American and imported cheeses accompanied by
fresh seasonal fruit, assorted gourmet crackers and
bread, served with Port wine
Dessert cart: Featuring Dreyer's Grand vanilla ice cream offered
with a choice of toppings and an assortment of petite
pastries.
Continental Airlines is the world’s fifth largest airline. Continental, together with Continental Express and Continental Connection, has more than 3,200 daily departures throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia, serving 151 domestic and 136 international destinations. More than 400 additional points are served via SkyTeam alliance airlines. With more than 43,000 employees, Continental has hubs serving New York, Houston, Cleveland and Guam, and together with Continental Express, carries approximately 61 million passengers per year. Continental consistently earns awards and critical acclaim for both its operation and its corporate culture.
In 2006, Continental Airlines won its sixth J.D. Power and Associates award since 1996. The carrier received the highest rank in customer satisfaction among network carriers in North America in the J.D. Power and Associates 2006 Airline Satisfaction Index Survey(SM). For the third consecutive year, FORTUNE magazine named Continental the No. 1 Most Admired Global Airline on its 2006 list of Most Admired Global Companies. Continental was also named the No. 1 airline on the publication’s 2006 America’s Most Admired airline industry list. Additionally, Continental again won major awards at the OAG Airline of the Year Awards including „Best Airline Based in North America“ for the third year in a row, and „Best Executive/Business Class“ for the fourth consecutive year. For more company information, visit continental.com.
SOURCE Continental Airlines
10/30/2006
