From the airport-as-dwelling-place file: Salt Lake City International is infusing local Utah fare into the menus of the nation’s 25th-busiest airport. In the coming months look for Market Street Grill, Café Rio, Greek Soulvaki, Salt Lake City Pasta, High West Distillery, Millcreek Coffee and Veloce Cucina Toscana to set up shop.

At the same time, the airport is adding a Vino Volo to the list of SLC water holes. Vino Volo is a company that operates in-airport wine bars from coast to coast.

The local connection extends to retailers too. Utah! And Utah’s Own intend to sell Utah-related products, things you can’t find in generic airport shops. Headed, literally, for the hills when you get off the plane at Salt Lake? A stop by No Boundaries might not be a bad idea. The shop sells a slew of outdoor products.

Over at Chicago O’Hare, the planet’s second-busiest aerodrome, they’ve opened an urban garden on the mezzanine level of Terminal 3’s G Concourse. The aeroponic affair produces vegetables that will be served up at a number of ORD restaurants, including Tortas Frontera, Wicker Park Seafood & Sushi, Blackhawks Restaurant and Tuscany.

Next time you’re in one of these eateries savor the succulently fresh Swiss chard, sweet basil, cilantro, Bibb lettuce and such. It may well have come from the airport itself.

In the 928-square-foot aeroponic garden, plants are grown in water and nutrient solutions – sans soil. Aeroponics is a perfect way to produce vegetables in areas where space is scarce. Gardeners plant seeds in small cubes of nutrient-rich volcanic rock. Once they reach a certain size they’re transferred to horizontal aeroponic towers where they sit under special lamps.

So, is airport food actually getting better? What’s your opinion?

Story by Jerry Chandler

(Image: Seth Sawyers)