Delta to preview menus from celebrity chef

NEW YORK (AP) -- Delta Airlines is launching a new upscale menu of in-flight meals designed by celebrity chef Todd English.

The menu includes Mediterranean salad with grilled shrimp, roast beef Cobb sandwich, chilled black olive spaghetti salad, cheddar-turkey bacon-apple butter croissants and Nutter Butter sandwiches. Items will sell for $2-$10.

The new meals will be introduced in November. By spring of 2008, they will be available on all flights of approximately 750 miles (about 90 minutes) in the contiguous U.S., serving markets like Atlanta, Chicago, Cincinnati, Boston, Houston, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Portland, Oregon, and Tampa, Florida.

Customers will still get free snacks on all Delta flights over 250 miles and on Delta Connection carrier flights.

Delta has also hired Andrea Robinson, a master sommelier, TV host and author, to curate its wine offerings. Her selections debut in Delta's business class in February.

Delta, based in Atlanta, emerged from bankruptcy protection on April 30.

Other airlines have also brought in well-known chefs in recent years. Air France's wine selections are overseen by Olivier Poussier, named the world's best sommelier in 2000 by an international sommeliers' association, while the French airline's first-class meal menu was designed by a renowned Paris chef, Guy Martin of Le Grand Vefour restaurant.

Jimmy Canora, whose NYC Culinary Events has catered the U.S. Open tennis championships, the Tribeca Film Festival and the Grammy awards, consults for Continental Airlines. On a recent episode of Bravo's "Top Chef" show, which is sponsored by Continental, Canora helped judge a contest in which the challenge was to cook a meal fit for Continental's first-class passengers.

Delta is offering free samples of the new Todd English menu at a temporary public lounge in Manhattan called SKY360, open through November 10 at 57th Street and Sixth Avenue. The tastings will be offered Wednesdays. The lounge will also showcase Delta's new flat international business class seats, available on flights early next year, and a new on-demand in-flight entertainment system with movies, HBO programs, music and TV. E-mail to a friend

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