Great report thus far, I'm really enjoying reading it. You are correct in that AA decided to not fit ovens or warmers to their regional aircraft. This certainly has an effect on the quality of meal offered. On regional aircraft the salad is generally the better option due to the limited facilities.
seemingly inspired by corporate offices of the late 1990s
This made me laugh hard because it's so true. This is the perfect way of describing the AA theme throughout the new lounges and aircraft.