My consolation for my first class upgrade on Alaska Airlines not clearing was the best economy class breakfast (and perhaps even the best breakfast period) I’ve ever enjoyed on an airplane: the carnitas breakfast bowl.
I was flying from Chicago to Seattle and while hoping for an upgrade as an AAdvantage Gold (hahaha, yeah right) I pre-ordered breakfast from the economy class menu, which offers heartier items for pre-order on flights on flights over 1100 miles. Breakfast items are served between 5:00 am and 10:00 am and include a quartet of choices:
- Carnitas Breakfast Bowl
- Peach Muesli Yogurt Bowl
- Sausage Bagel Sandwich
- Waffle Breakfast Sandwich
I love pork (sorry pig lovers), salsa verde, and scrambled eggs so I ordered the Carnitas Breakfast Bowl for $13.99. Alaska Airlines takes payment information beforehand, but does not charge your card until your food is delivered onboard.
Carnitas Breakfast Bowl
Slow-roasted pulled pork and salsa verde, with a side of breakfast potatoes and fresh scrambled eggs.
Shortly after takeoff, flight attendants began service by distributing meal pre-orders, then performed beverage service.
Folks, breakfast is my favorite meal of the day and I can confidently say that this was an outstanding dish and the best airline breakfast I’ve had in memory, far better than the many premium cabin breakfasts I’ve recently been served on American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and yes, even JetBlue Mint.
The pork was moist, the eggs were fluffy, and the green salsa flavored it nicely. There were also potatoes and cheese and yes, I ate every bite and wish I had ordered a second one.
Alaska Airlines serves Stumptown coffee onboard and this too was excellent. Alaska said it extensively tested the flavoring of the coffee onboard to ensure the taste would remain at high altitudes and sure enough, the coffee was strong and very good.
So kudos to Alaska for its buy-on-board menu (which makes me think the Hawaiian Airlines shift to buy-on-board will work well). You can order food on the Alaska mobile app or alaskaair.com between two weeks and 20 hours prior to departure.
Each week, my Meal of the Week feature examines an airline meal from my travels over the years. This may be a meal from earlier in the week or one served over two decades ago.
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