Originally Posted by
JBord
I completely agree with your last sentence. The food is an odd rant, assuming ORD is the OP's home airport. I rarely eat at ORD unless it's an early morning flight or a lengthy delay.
ORD is my home airport, but that doesn't mean I don't care about the food options.
Gone are the days where I would waltz into ORD 35 minutes before my flight. (Those were the days!) I know that on any visit I could get pushed out of the PreCheck line into the regular security lines, meaning I have to get to ORD earlier than I'd like.
Given the lack of food on planes, if I'm taking a longer flight (or know I have a longer drive on the other end) I usually want to pick something up to eat on board. And if I'm traveling for an extended period of time I may not have much to eat at home before departure.
Plus...it is ORD. Which means that half the year we can reasonably expect delays thanks to snow, ice or thunderstorms. The same kinds of weather that can turn a 40 minute trip to the airport into a 75 minute trip to the airport...or not.
ETA: And I don't work or live near River North, so there are times when I'm actually craving good Mexican food, and ORD is the most convenient spot to scratch that itch.