After we leveled off, warm nuts and drinks were served. I decided to continue with the Dom I had kicked-off at the lounge. It was impeccably chilled. After the initial round of drinks, the FA's served the back-up pilot an early seating meal and then started to attend to the pax. I noticed the purser and one FA serving the F cabin. Hot towels came along with the linens. The menu stated the following:

To begin:

Warm crab cake with marinara sauce
- garlic and shallot sautéed spinach

(or)
Beef carpaccio with red onion brule
- sun dried tomato and Parmesan cheese

Garden salad with balsamic Dijon vinaigrette or creamy Gorgonzola dressing
Assorted of specialty breads fresh from the bakery

Main Course:

Grilled veal tenderloin with portobello mushroom reduction
- cheddar mashed potatoes and vegetable sauté

Salmon and halibut in a zucchini wrap
- Israeli couscous and tomato onion stew

Woodland mushrooms and asparagus
- Treccie dell'Orto pasta and white truffle oil

The Early Seating meal

Beef carpaccio with red onion brule
Chilled marinated shrimp with charred tomato salsa, avocado cream
Chaumes and Bavarian blue cheese

Dessert

International cheese sampler
Chaumes, Emmenthal and Bavarian Blue Cheese

Ben&Jerrys ice cream with sundae toppings

Fresh seasonal fruit

Breakfast - prior to arrival

Breakfast sampler
Ham, cheese and seasonal fruit

Scrambled egg timbals with corned beef hash
- Hollandaise sauce

Featured Wines

Champagne - Brut, Dom Perignon
Malbec - Trapiche Oak cask, Mendoza 1997
Port - Sandeman's Porto

I was surprised to see no white wine, other than the champagne on the menu. Nevertheless, there was a non-sparkling white offered, although I didn't catch the label. I selected the carpaccio and the mushroom/asparagus pasta.

The carpaccio was fine, although it was more like a micro-mini steak (well done) than anything close to what I know as carpaccio. Not rare, and not thinly sliced…. Perhaps some of the back-up chefs that UA's catering service is currently using need some cooking lessons….??? In any event, the pasta main course made up for the unique carpaccio…. The pasta was good, with adequate texture, good sauce and at the perfect temperature. A positive surprise.

Service was good, with the FA filling my glasses very often, and an overall attentive service. I finished up with a double dessert, both the cheese & grapes and the B&J ice cream with extra fudge and cream - albeit no nuts.

I chose not to have bfast and slept until the last minute before landing at Ministro Pistarini International Airport, where we had an on-time arrival. Overall I think this was a good flight, considering all the cutbacks that UA has been doing lately. It left me with a glimmer of hope that maybe things will slowly get better...


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Gaucho100K