My friend and I were traveling between Halifax, Nova Scotia, and St. John's, Newfoundland, a quick two-hour hop over the Laurentian Channel. It was late January, and with a blizzard threatening delays, we arrived extra early and settled at the Firkin & Flyer pub for a pint before takeoff. One by one, all flights were grounded, and all passengers too: The highway had been closed, and it was impossible to leave the airport. We split an order of crisp fish and chips and a lobster roll with a creamy lemon sauce, and watched the world disappear behind the blizzard. After a while we put in another order: salt cod fish cakes and scallop chowder. It was dark now, and there was no idea of leaving before morning. But we were happy with our pints of Burnside, brewed in nearby Dartmouth, and the slices of fried kielbasa and potato skins (nachos made with tuber instead of chips) the waitress brought us gratis. “You might as well,” she said. “We're all set in for the night.” We slept fitfully and woke early, as Firkin & Flyer was opening. The blizzard had ended, but the world was still covered in a dollop of sour cream. It felt devilish ordering a deep-fried Mars bar at that hour, but it was worth it. —J.R. Patterson, Gladstone, Manitoba
Fried chicken plate (wings and thighs, biscuits, rosemary tater tots, collard greens) in Atlanta
Concourse D, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
My home airport, Minneapolis–St. Paul International (MSP), is the second largest Delta hub in the United States. While I can fly direct to plenty of destinations, I sometimes have to route through Atlanta, the largest Delta hub. If I have a layover of two hours or longer, I make a point to stop by Ludacris’s Chicken and Beer in Concourse D. The fried chicken plate is unbelievably delicious and my go-to order is perfectly crispy wings and thighs (with your choice of white or dark meat), the butteriest biscuits with a hint of honey, rosemary tater tots, unctuous collard greens—I shudder with delight just thinking about it. The portions are generous too, which makes me feel (slightly) better about shelling out $18.99 for an airport meal. The food is awesome, don't get me wrong, and the servers are also incredibly nice. It's a show of true Southern hospitality when you’re welcomed in with a “Hey, how y'all doing today?!” and I love how they dote on my toddler, even when he's doing annoying toddler things. Their kindness and warmth is a big reason I go back every chance I get. —Ashlea Halpern, St. Paul
Bento box (hamachi sashimi, seaweed salad, spicy tuna roll, and a cookie), assorted omakase box, and a can of sake in Atlanta
Concourse E, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Headed to Huntsville, Alabama, for Space Camp (yes, Space Camp), my husband and I faced a series of travel hiccups—our quick layover in Atlanta morphed into a marathon. After a canceled flight and a delay until past midnight, we found ourselves famished by 8 p.m. With time to kill, we navigated from concourse B to E, zeroing in on One Flew South, a spot I'd been meaning to try. They don't take reservations, but the line wasn't that long, thankfully. What should've been a 30-minute hop to Alabama turned into a culinary detour. At Atlanta's One Flew South, we skipped Southern classics like the meatloaf sandwich for the famed sushi lineup. I savored a bento box—hamachi sashimi, seaweed salad, spicy tuna roll, topped off with a cookie—for a fresh yet satisfying meal. My husband's choice? The omakase box with assorted sushi and a can of sake, which left him craving just a bit more. The damage? $130—pricey, but a flavorful detour compared with the fast-food options next door. Everything we ordered was fresh and flavorful, definitely a notch above typical airport fare. Would I recommend it? If you're not in a rush and can overlook some service glitches, the food's well worth a try. —Jordi Lippe-McGraw, New York City
Frosted Orange in Atlanta
Concourse C, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
I was returning to Dubai from the wonderful Kisawa Sanctuary on Benguerra Island and wanted one last taste of Mozambique before I flew out. Querino Huo, the guest manager from the resort, suggested we stop by the airport café, Monte Verde, which initially sounded uninspiring, but I put my trust in him. It's a pretty basic place—a handful of metal-topped tables and chairs; fridges with cold drinks; a counter with chips, nuts, and snacks; and a kitchen somewhere in the back. Frankly, my expectations were fairly low, but the crab samosas were fantastic. I love a good samosa but had never had one stuffed with crab before. They came hot from the oil, so crunchy and crisp that I'm sure the whole airport could hear when I bit into my first one. The inside was packed with crab, slightly sweet and juicy. Served with a slice of sour lime, a good shake of piri-piri hot sauce, and a cold 2M Mozambican beer on the side, it was the perfect send-off snack. Four of those plus a beer and two soft drinks came in at less than $10. The element of surprise was one of the things that made this so special, as well as the fact that I was on a high from an amazing few days in an incredible place. Not sure I'll ever find myself back in Vilankulo, but if I do, I'll definitely be grabbing crab samosas. —NC
