I've had some of the other transcon meals that have been posted in here and they're fine, and some of the Hawai'i meals look downright delicious.

How, then, has AS managed to go so wrong on their medium haul? My staple (read 2-3x monthly) is TUS->SEA (or reverse). In the past year I've had a variety of decent sammys, including the turkey breast sandwich. While it was getting a *bit* old, it provided a solid meal.

In the past month, I feel I've been the butt of a cruel joke perpetrated on hapless AS F class passengers by the health food movement. I don't have pictures of all of the travesties, but in order of ascending criminality against good eating:

Exhibit A:

AS 677 DEN->SEA (June 30)



I'm not sure exactly what part of the chicken this piece of meat came from, as it looked inedibly covered with gristle. On the upside, it was so well cooked that the gristle was (more or less) edible. On the downside, wayyy too much pesto. I noticed a number of passengers who saw the food and didn't eat it after seeing it. At least it had a chocolate.

I saw a repeat of this (or something substantially similar on AS 370 SEA->SMF and on an SFO->PDX flight (don't remember which one).

Exhibit B:

AS 369 SMF->SEA (July 13)



Quinoa Salad!!! Quinoa is quite possibly the cruelest culinary prank ever played upon a gullible public, and Alaska's preparation did it no favors. On the upside (I guess) it came with salt and pepper packet. No chocolate, and it was served on a plate not on a tray (no cloth napkin, just a paper napkin and the plate). The steward on this flight was excellent, though. I also saw this from PDX to LAX, I think (didn't get it).

Exhibit C:

AS 648 SEA->TUS (July 14 *today*)



And this, ladies and gentlemen of FT proves beyond a reasonable doubt that this summer's menu is some sort of an evil test, designed to see what depths the flying public is willing to tolerate before they stand up and demand "I want one of those delicious smelling Reuben sandwiches from the back". This flight did it for me. On a 3+ hour flight, leaving before 10am and getting in at 1pm my lunch was to consist of a dollop of hummus, and a few sticks of vegetables?

I have not asked for a meal from coach in a long, long time (It's a kind of high maintenance thing to do), but for once, I broke down to the delicious smell of warm Rubens from the cart in the back. Many thanks to the FA who refused to take my money after I explained that I was extremely hung over and that vegetables quite simply weren't going to cut it and I needed protein and carbs.

All kidding aside, I sort of get the quinoa salad on some of the ~ 90 minute west coast routes, but on the Tucson flight, especially over lunch time, a real, solid meal is needed.

Also, as I've said before, they should really cater more chocolates, especially on the late flights, when I'd like nothing better than to nibble a few chocolates with some coffee. Yes, I know I can buy my own, but the whole point of the F food is that I shouldn't have to bother with bringing my own.

In any case, to sum up a very busy 45 days of flying for me, AS customer service and crew have been exemplary, the food ... not so much.