Logan International Upgraded Its Airport Dining. Here’s How, Why and Where You’ll Be Eating.

Living in Boston, restaurant lines that stretch around the block thanks to tourists can be annoying—but also understandable. Our city’s food scene is distinct, rich and alluring, and despite a visitor’s best efforts, it’s impossible to experience it fully in just one trip. But what if travelers could enjoy the tastes of Boston even as their vacations come to an end? And what if we, as locals, could enjoy the cuisines that make our city’s food scene so iconic even as we prepare to take trips elsewhere?   

That concept is at the heart of Boston Logan International Airport’s redesigned culinary scene, carried out by MarketPlace Development in partnership with Massport. By opening outposts of some of New England’s most iconic local spots inside the airport, visitors to the area can add new tastes and memories to their trip even as they wait to catch their flights—and locals can opt for authentic, local meals, snacks and drinks in the airport, rather than settling for a more generic eating experience. 

“Boston and the broader New England region have so much to offer in the way of culinary tradition and a thriving modern food scene. Visitors to Boston Logan don’t always have the opportunity to explore the surrounding community, so we seek to bring a taste of it to the terminal for them to enjoy,” explains Anthony Alessi, HMSHost Vice President of Business Development.  

And in bringing those local tastes into the terminal, the airport’s team considered the unique flavors that characterize each neighborhood in Boston and in the greater New England area. Here’s a deeper look at how the airport’s culinary scene transformed to become a microcosm of the region, and what passengers experience in the airport today. 

Curating A Local Experience 

According to Scott Moriyama, Vice President of Leasing and Business Development at MarketPlace Development, the food scene in Boston is much more diverse than some might realize—and the more well-known New England foods, like lobster rolls and clam chowders, don’t include the array of cultures that contribute to Boston’s landscape.  

“A lot of people from an array of cultural backgrounds have come to Boston and everyone leaves their mark. Our cuisine represents that,” says Moriyama. With this in mind, MarketPlace ensured that a myriad of culinary offerings were represented in the airport—but they also kept in mind that different eateries can have vastly different approaches to the same cuisine. And with more than 70 food and beverage spots in Boston Logan, they achieved that balance by including eateries that not only represent different culinary cultures, but also approach those cuisines uniquely. 

For example, Fox & Flight, Chef Karen Akunowicz’s airport restaurant in Terminal A, nods to her renowned Boston restaurant, Fox & The Knife, and embraces a modern, refreshed take on Italian cuisine—while other Italian restaurants in the airport, like Lucca in Terminal B, offer a more traditional Italian experience. “No two experiences are the same here,” explains Moriyama. “Because we have so many restaurants, some of them represent the same type of cuisine, but the way they deliver it is so different.”  

Because of that curated, intentional approach to food, Boston Logan accurately encapsulates the region’s diversity, and celebrates the area’s top chefs, like Chef Michael Schlow of Alta Strada and Chef Karen. But despite their well-earned reputations, no chef or restaurant is included in the airport just to check off a box; instead, each chef is celebrated for their distinct flair and impact, and the significance of their food on the culture of the neighborhood it serves. 

“We have Shojo in Terminal C, which brings a new flair to Asian food directly from Chinatown,” says Moriyama. 

And though national brands have a place at the Logan airport, too, MarketPlace grounded their choices of larger franchises in a New England cultural anchor. (How could you celebrate New England’s culture without the quintessential Dunkin’?) 

“The majority of brands here are either only found in New England or were born in Boston. We have way more local brands than we do national, and we were very thoughtful in choosing them,” says Moriyama.  

The Passenger Dining Experience 

The food offerings at Boston Logan are expansive and cater to different palates, and the MarketPlace team brings that same diversity-centric approach to the actual eating experience.  “We wanted a culinary experience that represented the amazing foods that Boston and New England have to offer, and we wanted the experience to be approachable to every passenger, from families to business travelers,” explains Moriyama.  

For those who have time to sit down and dine, there are many options—including elevated dining at Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse in Terminal C and casual pub fare Kelly’s Roast Beef in Terminal B. And for those who need a more grab-and-go experience, those opportunities are there, too; travelers can grab a slice from Sal’s Pizza in Terminal E or stop by Boston Public Market in Terminal C to grab various bites in one spot. 

“It’s easier to access some of the most happening restaurants through their outposts in the airport because you don’t have to wait for reservations,” says Moriyama—which means that tourists have another chance to enjoy the spots that maybe didn’t align with the schedule of their trip, and locals have a special in to experience busy eateries without needing to book reservations weeks in advance. 

And as excellent as each culinary experience in the airport is, they go even deeper than what’s on the plate. “We really want to show that it’s not just the brands, but the stories behind the brands,” explains Moriyama. With several women-owned businesses and minority-owned businesses that emblem the culture of Boston, the airport celebrates the drinks, dishes and stories of each eatery.  

Really, it’s the stories and backgrounds behind each restaurant that have earned them their place in Boston Logan—and their iconic stature in New England. “With outposts of iconic restaurants like Kelly’s Roast Beef, Santarpio’s Pizza, Sam Adams, and Boston Public Market featuring Red’s Best and Beantown Pastrami, Boston Logan is a gem among airport dining, making a traveler’s journey as exciting as their ultimate destination,” says Alessi. 

To learn more about MarketPlace Logan’s food, beverage and retail programs in Boston Logan, click here. 

This is a paid partnership between MarketPlace Development and Boston Magazine