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New wave of dining options: BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport

Dara Bunjon

I’m not as old as the Wright Brothers, but I do remember when Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport was Friendship Airport. It was a time when one dressed up to travel; ladies in dresses, high heels, and white gloves not pajamas and slippers that I’ve seen recently. We could go outside onto the observation deck and watch the planes taxi and take off. Meals were served on flights, definitely not haute cuisine, but more than the bag peanuts or pretzels offered today by the airlines.

I remember a trip to Paris with my friend, a caterer, who beautifully packed up meals tied with multicolored ribbons to eat on the plane and sharing the remains of cheese from  Paris’s street markets on the flight home. Those days are gone!

For everyone’s safety, we now have to be at the airport at least ninety minutes before our flight for security checks and the option of bringing your own food for your flight no longer exists.

That leaves you with two issues; time on your hands and what are you going to eat!

BWI Thurgood Marshall has focused in on their food offerings, shopping and fitness and making travelers’ experience a bit brighter and tastier. Their new website is easy to navigate, even updating you in real time on the available spaces to park in various lots.

Pretty much every ethnicity’s cuisine is covered from Mexican, Japanese, Chinese, British (yes British) and more. Old reliable hometown seafood houses represent; Obrycki’s and Phillips Seafood with selections of Maryland seafood for all travelers to enjoy. Have a crab cake tasting; even Firkin Pubs have crab cakes. Pizza, build your own pie at Pie Five or indulge in an outstanding fresh array of sushi from Gachi House of Sushi. With an upcoming early morning flight, I’m eyeing up Gachi’s breakfast sushi, Brushi – Norwegian smoked salmon, egg and cream cheese or maybe the Frushi Mango Roll – salmon, cream cheese, cucumber with mango, kiwi, escolar and caviar on top, or maybe grab a savory Salmon & Gravlax waffle from Sweet Jesus.

Want to whet your whistle, grab a local craft beers —Duclaw and Flying Dog at the Firkin & Flyer Pub, or a Crabby Mary from one of three Obrycki’s spots at BWI.

Are you at the end of Concourse A and the food you want is at the end of Concourse C, no worries – open up the Airport Sherpa application available on iPhones and they will deliver the food to you.

Dining at Baltimore International Thurgood Marshall Airport can fill that space between you, your flight and your tummy.