Jul 28, 2016, 12:20 am
Delta In-Flight Meal/Food Service: The Definitive Thread — 2016 Edition
Sep 4, 2016, 12:33 pm
#901
Join Date: May 2015
Location: DCA
Programs: AA EXP, DL FO, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 6,712
LAX-JFK
DL One
A333
Breakfast
PDB: everyone else is asked the usual: sparkling wine, OJ, Mimosa. FA gets to me and says "All set?" I reply "I'll have champagne" and she proceeds to 8A and delivers his request for sparkling wine. I waive down another FA and mention I was skipped over and the original PDB FA says "Oh, gosh I thought you said you were all set" and I replied "No, I said I would have champagne/sparkling wine".
Initial meal service (you'll notice there is no beverage in this photo because this crew did not think to put champagne or wine or anything other than water or OJ on the "bar cart")
Omelette was fine.....pretty boring for what DL touts as an amazing/exclusive DL1 experience (champagne finally had arrived):
Service was lousy (at least on my side).....I had to deliver my dirty napkin and tray linen back to the galley because no one was checking in on the right side aisle. In all honestly the Flight Leader was really good, but she only looked after the left aisle.
7,500 SkyPesos.....would never pay for DL1 Breakfast flight again.
DL One
A333
Breakfast
PDB: everyone else is asked the usual: sparkling wine, OJ, Mimosa. FA gets to me and says "All set?" I reply "I'll have champagne" and she proceeds to 8A and delivers his request for sparkling wine. I waive down another FA and mention I was skipped over and the original PDB FA says "Oh, gosh I thought you said you were all set" and I replied "No, I said I would have champagne/sparkling wine".
Initial meal service (you'll notice there is no beverage in this photo because this crew did not think to put champagne or wine or anything other than water or OJ on the "bar cart")
Omelette was fine.....pretty boring for what DL touts as an amazing/exclusive DL1 experience (champagne finally had arrived):
Service was lousy (at least on my side).....I had to deliver my dirty napkin and tray linen back to the galley because no one was checking in on the right side aisle. In all honestly the Flight Leader was really good, but she only looked after the left aisle.
7,500 SkyPesos.....would never pay for DL1 Breakfast flight again.
Sep 4, 2016, 3:30 pm
#902
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: BUR/LAX
Programs: AS MVP
Posts: 300
It's interesting to me that the menu is almost Delta One level but not quite. It is surprising to me that it is cost effective (assuming that it is) to have a whole special meal category for this route: Nicer than domestic F but not D1. Does any other route offer this particular kind of menu? Maybe, IIRC, some of the business class non D1 routes to central America?
I was a bit surprised a flight so short would have such an elaborate service - on a 738, no less.
Sep 4, 2016, 7:15 pm
#903
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Location: WAS
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Posts: 18,939
Sep 4, 2016, 7:39 pm
#904
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Sep 5, 2016, 12:37 am
#905
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: DL PM, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 8,414
Agreed that the omelettes are tired. I think they burned us all out on them when for so many years the only option was an omelette or Cheerios. There are so many good options for brunch service that would do well on at 30K feet: smoked fish, chicken and waffles, quiche, french toast. I think we all need a 3 or 4 year break from the Delta omelette.
Sep 5, 2016, 12:57 pm
#906
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: MIA
Programs: AA EXP (AC), DL G (SC), Bonvoy LTP, & IHG AMB
Posts: 1,798
Agreed that the omelettes are tired. I think they burned us all out on them when for so many years the only option was an omelette or Cheerios. There are so many good options for brunch service that would do well on at 30K feet: smoked fish, chicken and waffles, quiche, french toast. I think we all need a 3 or 4 year break from the Delta omelette.
Sep 5, 2016, 1:38 pm
#907
Suspended
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Location: NYC
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Posts: 7,344
Sep 6, 2016, 8:08 am
#908
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Brooklyn
Programs: Delta Diamond, Bonvoy something good; sometimes other things too
Posts: 5,050
Agreed that the omelettes are tired. I think they burned us all out on them when for so many years the only option was an omelette or Cheerios. There are so many good options for brunch service that would do well on at 30K feet: smoked fish, chicken and waffles, quiche, french toast. I think we all need a 3 or 4 year break from the Delta omelette.
Sep 6, 2016, 8:36 am
#909
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Brooklyn
Programs: Delta Diamond, Bonvoy something good; sometimes other things too
Posts: 5,050
JFK-SFO
3 Sep 2016
Delta One
Lunch
75S
Had a chance to experience the new Delta One transcon menu over the weekend. I will post separately on the return flight from SFO but long story short, the ex-California flights appear to still be using the same menu that has been in place for a few years now.
The ex-JFK menu is exactly the same as the trans-Atlantic menu posted here, with a few items removed: no soup, no chicken leg option, no Opera Cake, and no option for strawberry ice cream or orange butter "scotch". (And no second meal, though the warm chocolate chip cookie is still offered later in the flight.)
I have read that the FAs serving the trans-Atlantic routes ex-JFK with the special Danny Meyer meals are required to get special training on how to prepare and serve the food so as to meet Danny Meyer standards. I have no idea how true that is or how extensive the training is if so, but regardless, it would appear that the same rule does not apply to the FAs on the transcon routes: I was in 1A and could hear the FAs chatting in the galley before takeoff about how confused they were by the new menu and how uncertain they were of how everything was meant to go together.
For example, the lead FA also pointed out the fennel in the chocolate sauce on the sundae to everyone, saying, "It's a little crazy, but I tried a bit and it wasn't bad." The promised roasted marcona almonds also never appeared despite being listed on the menu, though there had been some catering glitches that were getting sorted out during boarding, so those might just have never been loaded. Overall it was still a great crew (I gave the lead FA a JWD cert), but this was kind of a case in point for those who argue on here that Delta has made the meals too fancy; the FAs were clearly not playing it as a luxury restaurant.
All that said, the food was good, and a nice change from the old menu. It is significantly less food since the appetizer course is no longer such a feast, which is probably fine considering how huge the old meals are, though it makes for an odd imbalance with the eastbound flights still offering the old menu. It also didn't feel quite as luxurious as some of the trans-Atlantic Danny Meyer meals have; the short rib cannelloni was delicious but felt like something you might be offered for a normal domestic first meal on a good day.
The shrimp and egg mayonnaise, subject to much speculation upthread, was basically some shrimps with a hard-boiled egg cut in half and covered with some spices. Based on the PR picture I wonder if there was supposed to be a mayonnaise sauce poured over the eggs that the FAs forgot, because there was nothing identifiably mayonnaise on the plate.
Dessert is a nice upgrade though, with a proper sundae now available instead of just gelato.
In case anyone is curious, I also overhead the FAs discussing how many meals they had available, which was interesting: there were 8 people in D1 out of 16 seats, and apparently the FAs had 8 of the short rib, 9 of the trout, and 8 of the pasta meals available, which seemed quite generous for such a light load -- all of the crew was sampling the new meals as well after the passengers were done. No idea if Delta might just cater for a full load despite the half-empty cabin; it seems like those meal counts would be a healthy amount of redundancy even for 16 passengers.
3 Sep 2016
Delta One
Lunch
75S
Had a chance to experience the new Delta One transcon menu over the weekend. I will post separately on the return flight from SFO but long story short, the ex-California flights appear to still be using the same menu that has been in place for a few years now.
The ex-JFK menu is exactly the same as the trans-Atlantic menu posted here, with a few items removed: no soup, no chicken leg option, no Opera Cake, and no option for strawberry ice cream or orange butter "scotch". (And no second meal, though the warm chocolate chip cookie is still offered later in the flight.)
I have read that the FAs serving the trans-Atlantic routes ex-JFK with the special Danny Meyer meals are required to get special training on how to prepare and serve the food so as to meet Danny Meyer standards. I have no idea how true that is or how extensive the training is if so, but regardless, it would appear that the same rule does not apply to the FAs on the transcon routes: I was in 1A and could hear the FAs chatting in the galley before takeoff about how confused they were by the new menu and how uncertain they were of how everything was meant to go together.
For example, the lead FA also pointed out the fennel in the chocolate sauce on the sundae to everyone, saying, "It's a little crazy, but I tried a bit and it wasn't bad." The promised roasted marcona almonds also never appeared despite being listed on the menu, though there had been some catering glitches that were getting sorted out during boarding, so those might just have never been loaded. Overall it was still a great crew (I gave the lead FA a JWD cert), but this was kind of a case in point for those who argue on here that Delta has made the meals too fancy; the FAs were clearly not playing it as a luxury restaurant.
All that said, the food was good, and a nice change from the old menu. It is significantly less food since the appetizer course is no longer such a feast, which is probably fine considering how huge the old meals are, though it makes for an odd imbalance with the eastbound flights still offering the old menu. It also didn't feel quite as luxurious as some of the trans-Atlantic Danny Meyer meals have; the short rib cannelloni was delicious but felt like something you might be offered for a normal domestic first meal on a good day.
The shrimp and egg mayonnaise, subject to much speculation upthread, was basically some shrimps with a hard-boiled egg cut in half and covered with some spices. Based on the PR picture I wonder if there was supposed to be a mayonnaise sauce poured over the eggs that the FAs forgot, because there was nothing identifiably mayonnaise on the plate.
Dessert is a nice upgrade though, with a proper sundae now available instead of just gelato.
In case anyone is curious, I also overhead the FAs discussing how many meals they had available, which was interesting: there were 8 people in D1 out of 16 seats, and apparently the FAs had 8 of the short rib, 9 of the trout, and 8 of the pasta meals available, which seemed quite generous for such a light load -- all of the crew was sampling the new meals as well after the passengers were done. No idea if Delta might just cater for a full load despite the half-empty cabin; it seems like those meal counts would be a healthy amount of redundancy even for 16 passengers.
Sep 6, 2016, 8:40 am
#910
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Brooklyn
Programs: Delta Diamond, Bonvoy something good; sometimes other things too
Posts: 5,050
[QUOTE=bgriff;27172598]JFK-SFO
3 Sep 2016
Delta One
Lunch
75S
Sorry also forgot to post the pictures.
3 Sep 2016
Delta One
Lunch
75S
Sorry also forgot to post the pictures.
Sep 6, 2016, 9:07 am
#911
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2012
Location: MCO
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Posts: 12,809
I have to say that looks pretty disappointing for a transcon J meal. That egg app looks kinda strange, definitely nothing like the marketing material, and the main looks pretty much like a standard domestic F dinner.
Last edited by cmd320; Sep 6, 2016 at 9:30 am
Sep 6, 2016, 9:53 am
#913
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Brooklyn
Programs: Delta Diamond, Bonvoy something good; sometimes other things too
Posts: 5,050
SFO-JFK
5 Sep 2016
Delta One
Lunch
75S
On the way home from SFO the meal was more familiar, appears little or nothing has changed from the longstanding menu. Appetizer offered a salad featuring apricots, parmesan, and pecans, and a platter including eggplant, prosciutto-basil rotola, carrot caponata, and lentil spread. I went for the cedar plank salmon as a main, and gelato, now served in a container rather than scooped in a bowl, for dessert.
Not sure if it was just an off day or what but having had this exact meal before, I remember it being better. Crew was also a bit off -- bread basket wasn't offered until main course arrived, and the lead FA took orders from the back on an even-numbered flight (fortunately I still got my first choice). I hadn't been on the transcon services for over a year so maybe I had just developed overly rosy memories of how the food was.
5 Sep 2016
Delta One
Lunch
75S
On the way home from SFO the meal was more familiar, appears little or nothing has changed from the longstanding menu. Appetizer offered a salad featuring apricots, parmesan, and pecans, and a platter including eggplant, prosciutto-basil rotola, carrot caponata, and lentil spread. I went for the cedar plank salmon as a main, and gelato, now served in a container rather than scooped in a bowl, for dessert.
Not sure if it was just an off day or what but having had this exact meal before, I remember it being better. Crew was also a bit off -- bread basket wasn't offered until main course arrived, and the lead FA took orders from the back on an even-numbered flight (fortunately I still got my first choice). I hadn't been on the transcon services for over a year so maybe I had just developed overly rosy memories of how the food was.
Sep 6, 2016, 1:29 pm
#914
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: USA
Programs: AAdvantage, MileagePlus, SkyMiles
Posts: 4,159
FWIW, I flew JFK-SFO in December and the ice-cream was scooped in the bowl. I'd guess a lazy crew in your case.
SFO-JFK
5 Sep 2016
Delta One
Lunch
75S
On the way home from SFO the meal was more familiar, appears little or nothing has changed from the longstanding menu. Appetizer offered a salad featuring apricots, parmesan, and pecans, and a platter including eggplant, prosciutto-basil rotola, carrot caponata, and lentil spread. I went for the cedar plank salmon as a main, and gelato, now served in a container rather than scooped in a bowl, for dessert.
Not sure if it was just an off day or what but having had this exact meal before, I remember it being better. Crew was also a bit off -- bread basket wasn't offered until main course arrived, and the lead FA took orders from the back on an even-numbered flight (fortunately I still got my first choice). I hadn't been on the transcon services for over a year so maybe I had just developed overly rosy memories of how the food was.
5 Sep 2016
Delta One
Lunch
75S
On the way home from SFO the meal was more familiar, appears little or nothing has changed from the longstanding menu. Appetizer offered a salad featuring apricots, parmesan, and pecans, and a platter including eggplant, prosciutto-basil rotola, carrot caponata, and lentil spread. I went for the cedar plank salmon as a main, and gelato, now served in a container rather than scooped in a bowl, for dessert.
Not sure if it was just an off day or what but having had this exact meal before, I remember it being better. Crew was also a bit off -- bread basket wasn't offered until main course arrived, and the lead FA took orders from the back on an even-numbered flight (fortunately I still got my first choice). I hadn't been on the transcon services for over a year so maybe I had just developed overly rosy memories of how the food was.
Sep 6, 2016, 6:20 pm
#915
Join Date: Jul 2004
Programs: DL; AA; UA; CO; LHLX; NZ; QR; EK; BA
Posts: 7,408
I actually quite like the new D1 North End Grill menu from JFK and prefer it to the recent Union Square creations from the summer...entrees are simpler and less fussy, hence more difficult to mess up on an airplane. Have tried both Short Rib cannelloni and the pink sea trout and can recommend both...
Menu should be available in D1 out of JFK to LAX, SFO, LHR, DUB, AMS, BRU, CDG, FRA, and ZRH.
http://news.delta.com/video-ny-s-nor...ht-delta-fall2
Menu should be available in D1 out of JFK to LAX, SFO, LHR, DUB, AMS, BRU, CDG, FRA, and ZRH.
http://news.delta.com/video-ny-s-nor...ht-delta-fall2
