OTG (On The Go) partnered with United Airlines, to completely re-imagine the dining and retail experience in the United Airlines terminals at George Bush Intercontinental Airport here in Houston. In addition to the re-imagined customer experience, OTG has added eight additional new restaurants in Terminals C South and E, all inspired by local Houston chefs and flavors.
During a private “taste & tour” of the newest four concepts: Yume, Q Smokehouse, Tanglewood Grille and GAVI, I was truly blown away. If you’re flying United Airlines anytime soon, you’ll definitely want to shuttle over to Terminal E! Below is a brief recap of the restaurants and what I suggest you try at each stop. Scroll all the way down for an added bonus and view the magic for yourself!
Our first stop was at Yume by Chefs Chris Kinjo & Mike Tran.
I was immediately struck by how beautiful Yume was. The colorful ceiling of floating lanterns was truly breathtaking. Yume is a sushi exhibition kitchen and ramen bar with an Asian Biergarten focusing on local and Japanese-sourced ingredients. It offers rotating selections of international beers and imported sake. Our stop here consisted of a quick sushi roll making class by the one and only Chef Nathan Appleman. I suggest you stop here to “get your roll on.”
“Q” Smokehouse by Chef Greg Gatlin was our second tour stop.
“Q” features traditional southern barbecue staples, fresh-smoked meats crafted with a custom-built smoker, and complemented with signature rubs. The bulk of the tasting menu here was pork (pork ribs, chopped pork sliders, bacon wrapped jalapenos), so I only ate the spice rubbed chicken wings. They were damn good! Easily some of the best airport wings ev-ah!
“Tanglewood Grille” by Chefs Seth Siegel-Gardner & Terrence Gallivan was by far my favorite stop on the tour!
Tanglewood Grille serves inspiring dishes, including hand-cut steaks, build-your-own burgers, fresh seafood, and farm-to-table greens. It’s a low key spot where patrons can enjoy classic cocktails and a variety of craft brews. They also serve these AMAZING pretzels that are larger than my head. And served with a cheesy crawfish dip fit for a queen. At the conclusion of our visit I stuffed my unfinished pretzel in my purse. They travel quite well and are certain to make the people seated next to you on the plane jealous!
Our final stop of the night was “Gavi” by Chef Ryan Pera.
Now, I am not a fan of Italian food what-so-ever, but this unique Houston take on Italian cuisine sort of changed my mind. Would this be my first stop for grub in terminal E, no, it may be my second! Gavi features a combination of local foods and traditional family recipes. House-made pizza, pasta, and antipasti served, paired with a wine bar offering a wide selection of wines by the glass as well as crafted cocktails. You MUST order Chef Pera’s cannolis & negronis. The absolute perfect pairing. I literally didn’t want to part with my cannoli at the end of the night. I ate it all the way to the parking garage.
The “taste & tour” hosted by United Airlines and OTG was by far one of the best events I’ve attended this year. These photos don’t do it justice though, so click below and watch the official #PREflight footage created by OTG, and ironically narrated by me and Erika, of Black Girls Who Brunch.
