Classic Cuisine by Union Square Cafe Arrives on Delta

New York's No. 1 airline partners with New York's beloved restaurant to create exclusive dining experience

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Feb 18, 2016, 09:00 ET

NEW YORK, Feb. 18, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Acclaimed New York restaurant Union Square Cafe won't reopen until this spring, but you can still enjoy Bar-Nuts and other classic seasonal cooking from the restaurant's all-star culinary team on select Delta flights.

Beginning March 1, Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) Delta One flyers on select trans-Atlantic routes to Europe can enjoy hand-crafted selections inspired by the iconic New York restaurant. The new menus feature Italian-influenced fare created under the culinary direction of Union Square Cafe Executive Chef and Partner Carmen Quagliata and brings the restaurant's award-winning, locally-focused philosophy to international skies.

"At Union Square Cafe, we use the freshest ingredients that we can find from local farmers at the greenmarket located just steps from our front door," Chef Carmen said. "The beauty of working with Delta is we get to share our market-driven approach with international travelers. For Delta's guests, we're featuring produce and meats from the same farmers who serve our restaurant."

The partnership with Union Square Cafe deepens Delta's collaboration with Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group, the hospitality company behind beloved New York restaurants like Gramercy Tavern, North End Grill, and Maialino. Rustic winter menus from Nick Anderer, Chef and Partner of Union Square Hospitality Group's Rome-inspired pizzeria, Marta, have been served on board on select flights since December and will conclude at the end of this month.

"We are so passionate about creating a unique experience on board for our customers and can't wait for them to enjoy Chef Carmen's fresh, seasonal culinary creations from Union Square Hospitality Group's namesake restaurant at 35,000 feet," said Allison Ausband, Delta's Senior Vice President of In-Flight Service.

Chef Carmen's vibrant menus in the Delta One cabin reflects his Italian heritage with main course selections including Beef Short Rib Stracotto, Union Square Cafe's Classic Roasted Chicken Breast, Gulf Shrimp and polenta, and a Baked Paccheri basil cream pasta.

The latest menus pair with Delta's 2016 wine program curated by Master Sommelier Andrea Robinson which follows a similarly seasonal approach. The medley of vintages she has chosen provide customers with a sense of wine discovery as part of their in-flight dining experience and this year, Robinson has sourced a number of locally-made wines from, in some cases, small, artisanal wineries who bring to the tray table a flavor and body uniquely their own.

In addition to the airline's partnership with Union Square Hospitality Group, Delta has in the last year been making evolutionary enhancements to its system-wide chef-curated food programs featuring the culinary talents of Chef Linton Hopkins, Michelle Bernstein and Michael Chiarello on a wide selection of transoceanic routes, highlighted by the airline's industry-leading focus on seasonally and regionally inspired cuisine which began in December.

"This is really an exciting time for Delta as we continue to change the conversation around airplane food," Ausband said. "Our partnership with Union Square Cafe perfectly aligns with our overall strategy to offer fresh, local and seasonal food to our customers. Through this partnership customers will enjoy food picked straight from the farm that morning, and on their tray table that night."

Watch a video about Delta's partnership with Union Square here.

About Union Square Cafe
One of New York City's most acclaimed and beloved restaurants, Union Square Cafe serves seasonal American cuisine in a relaxed and warm setting. Since its opening in 1985, Union Square Cafe has changed the restaurant landscape in New York City, played an integral role in the revitalization of Union Square, and become a pillar in the neighborhood as well as a symbol of its progress. Under the direction of Executive Chefs Ali Barker (1985 – 1988) and Michael Romano (1988 – 2007), and now Executive Chef/Partner Carmen Quagliata and Managing Partner Sam Lipp, the restaurant has earned continuous acclaim over its 30 years in business, including five James Beard Awards and the #1 spot on Zagat's "Most Popular Restaurants" list an unprecedented nine times. In December 2015, Union Square Cafe closed its doors at its original location on 16^th Street, and plans to re-open in a new space just three blocks away in spring 2016. www.unionsquarecafe.com

About Union Square Hospitality Group
Founded by Danny Meyer, Union Square Hospitality Group is home to some the United States most beloved restaurants: Union Square Cafe, Gramercy Tavern, Blue Smoke, Jazz Standard, The Modern, Cafe 2 and Terrace 5 (at the Museum of Modern Art), Maialino, Untitled and Studio Cafe (at the Whitney Museum of American Art), North End Grill, Marta, Porchlight, and GreenRiver. USHG also comprises the catering and venue hospitality business Union Square Events and the organizational consulting business Hospitality Quotient. USHG restaurants and chefs have earned an unprecedented 26 James Beard Awards. www.ushgnyc.com.

About Delta
Delta Air Lines serves nearly 180 million customers each year. Delta was named to FORTUNE magazine's top 50 World's Most Admired Companies in addition to being named the most admired airline for the fourth time in five years. Additionally, Delta has ranked No.1 in the Business Travel News Annual Airline survey for an unprecedented five consecutive years. With an industry-leading global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 328 destinations in 57 countries on six continents. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta employs nearly 80,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 800 aircraft. The airline is a founding member of the SkyTeam global alliance and participates in the industry's leading trans-Atlantic joint venture with Air France-KLM and Alitalia as well as a joint venture with Virgin Atlantic. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers customers more than 15,000 daily flights, with key hubs and markets including Amsterdam, Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York-JFK and LaGuardia, London-Heathrow, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City, Seattle and Tokyo-Narita. Delta has invested billions of dollars in airport facilities, global products and services, and technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the ground. Additional information is available on the Delta News Hub, as well as delta.com, Twitter @DeltaNewsHub, Google.com/+Delta, Facebook.com/delta and Delta's blog takingoff.delta.com.