Virgin America Launches Fresh Fall Flavors

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 9, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Virgin America, the California-based airline already known for its award-winning cuisine and international-grade First Class cabin, today announces its latest seasonal menu update with tempting offerings in First Class like a grilled mushroom medley with bresaola appetizer, a savory soy ginger marinated salmon salad entree and two decadent ice cream flavors – #ButterByMoodlight and Chocolate Gold Rush – created by local San Francisco cult favorite ice cream maker, Humphry Slocombe.

Before launching the fall menu onboard, Virgin America invited Chefs Feed, the leading food industry media network and platform, to bring in its elite roster of contributing chefs to taste the new cuisine. Sampling the new seasonal menu were celebrity chefs, Hiro Sone (Ame, Terra, Urchin Bistrot), Staffan Terje (Perbacco, Barbacco), Chris Beerman (Citizen's Band) and Elizabeth Binder (Former Top Chef contestant and Bar Bambino). To see the full video of their experience, click here.

All of Virgin America's menus are crafted using an assortment of sustainable and fresh ingredients, including local fruits and vegetables, premium meats and artisan breads. The airline's focus on a fresh, diverse range of menu options also helped the airline capture the "Best Domestic Airline for Food" award in Travel + Leisure 2014 World's Best Awards as well being recognized for "Notable In-Flight Dining" in SAVEUR Culinary Travel Awards for both First Class and Main Cabin.

This spring, Virgin America gave its award-winning First Class menu and service an upgrade on long-haul business flights between San Francisco and Los Angeles to Newark, New York, Boston and Washington, D.C. (Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport). This elevated menu includes the traditional after-takeoff cocktail with the addition of cocktail hors d'oeuvres of roasted tomato, marinated artichoke heart, olive and mozzarella skewer, served with warmed mixed nuts. The menu is topped off with two custom Humphry Slocombe ice cream flavors. Inspired by Virgin America's signature moodlighting, #ButterByMoodlight is a creamy combination of brown butter ice cream with a blueberry glaze. Accompanying the airline's signature flavor is one of Humphry Slocombe's latest creations, Chocolate Gold Rush, a dark chocolate ice cream with chunks of bittersweet chocolate covered cones. The artisanal ice cream will be hand-delivered daily to the airline's sleek home base at San Francisco International Airport's (SFO) Terminal 2 to be served to First Class guests on the airline's eastbound flights from SFO. Travelers in any cabin can also score a free scoop of ice cream at Humphry Slocombe's San Francisco Ferry Building location by presenting their Virgin America boarding pass through December 31, 2014.

Other First Class menu options include:

Roasted Chicken with Artichokes: Sumac herb marinated chicken breast that is roasted with the skin-on and served with marinated gigante beans, seared artichokes, roasted radish mix and caramelized fennel with sherry chicken jus. The dish is then garnished with a salsa rustica of charred tomatoes, onions, poblano peppers, capers and anchovies.

Spicy Ginger Pepper Noodles: Lo mein noodles with seared Chinese long beans, red bell peppers, and onions that are topped with a sauteed shitake and oyster mushroom mix, tossed with a spicy garlic ginger pepper sauce and garnished with scallions and cilantro.

The full fall First Class menu is available here.

Virgin America is the only airline in the U.S. with a touch–screen seatback menu that enables "anytime" ordering during a flight. Virgin America's Red® platform includes an additional suggested "pairings" menu and an "open tab" feature that allows guests to swipe their card only once and keep their tab open for continuous ordering during the flight. Starting tomorrow, Main Cabin guests flying to and from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport will have upgraded menu options as well including:

Soy Ginger Marinated Salmon Salad: Soy ginger salmon sitting on arugula pesto, mixed faro, sugar snap peas, togarashi, English cucumber, radish, watercress, cilantro and red rice tossed with a sesame honey vinaigrette and slivered almonds.

Marrakesh Chicken Salad: Spiced and herb-roasted chicken breast placed on a bed of mixed faro and red rice salad with grilled squash, Portobello mushrooms and red cherry tomatoes tossed with a Za'atar vinaigrette and feta cheese.

Main Cabin guests on all flights will find perennial favorite items like the Artisan Cheese box and Mixed Berry Yogurt Parfait with Gluten-Free Granola. New seasonal menu items include a Pastrami on Marble Rye Sandwich and the Autumn Veggie Wrap. Guests looking for healthier options on the go can browse Virgin America's "Travel Light" menu with snacks like the Sea Salt Caramel flavored 479° Popcorn and Krave Basil Citrus Turkey Jerky. Also new to the menu is Austin Cocktails Cucumber Vodka Mojito – a fresh vodka-based cocktail that is sweetened with organic agave nectar and features an earthy cucumber flavor with a citrusy kick. The full Main Cabin menu is available here.

Virgin America offers guests sleek, tech-forward aircraft cabins with custom-designed seating, fleetwide in-flight WiFi, signature moodlighting, power outlets near every seat and the unparalleled Red® in-flight entertainment system. The Red® platform offers guests on every Virgin America flight their own seatback screen, with 25 films, live TV, interactive Google Maps, videogames, a 6,000 song library and an on-demand menu, which allows flyers to order a cocktail or snack from their seatback any time during a flight. In addition to a Main Cabin that offers custom-designed leather seating with a deeper, more comfortable pitch, the airline's exclusive 8-seat First Class cabin features international-grade amenities such as plush white leather seating with 55 inches of pitch, 165 degrees of recline and lumbar massagers. The carrier's Main Cabin Select option offers 38-inches of pitch, free food and cocktails, an all-access pass to media content, dedicated overhead bins and priority check-in/boarding. In 2012, Virgin America opened its first airport lounge, The Loft at LAX, and rolled out enhancements to its Elevate frequent flyer program — including status levels.

Since its 2007 launch, Virgin America has created more than 2,800 jobs and expanded its network to include Austin, Boston, Cancun, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth (ends Oct. 13, 2014), Fort Lauderdale, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Los Cabos, Newark, New York (JFK), Orlando, Palm Springs (seasonal), Philadelphia (suspends Oct. 6, 2014), Portland, Puerto Vallarta, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington D.C. (IAD and DCA). Later this fall, the carrier will launch service from Dallas Love Field (Oct. 13, 2014) and New York's LaGuardia Airport (Oct. 28, 2014).

Photos of Virgin America's new menu can be found here.
Broadcast quality video b-roll of the airline's fall menu can be downloaded here.

Photos of Virgin America's unique aircraft can be found here.
Broadcast quality video b-roll of the airline's aircraft can be downloaded here.

About Virgin America: Known for its mood-lit cabins, three beautifully designed classes of service and innovative fleetwide amenities — like touch-screen personal entertainment, WiFi and power outlets at every seat, Virgin America has built a loyal following of flyers and earned a host of awards since launching in 2007 — including being named both the "Best U.S. Airline" in Conde Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards for the past six consecutive years and "Best Domestic Airline" in Travel + Leisure World's Best Awards for the past seven consecutive years. For more: www.virginamerica.com

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SOURCE Virgin America