ATLANTA, Aug. 1, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Delta Air Lines is unveiling the new creations for its on-board menu for international BusinessElite(r) customers created by one of the most celebrated female chefs in the country, Michelle Bernstein. As Delta's consulting chef, Bernstein has designed sumptuous entrees and side dishes which are part of Delta's continued effort to enhance its BusinessElite product to create a more inviting and entertaining experience.
BusinessElite offers a personalized five-course dining experience catered to each customer's preference and an original, award-winning wine program. Bernstein -- one of the country's most prominent female chefs who recently opened Michy's, a Mediterranean-style bistro in Miami -- has created a BusinessElite menu with savory, contemporary offerings, in keeping with her culinary vision and extensive experience as a chef. Samples of Chef Bernstein's mouth-watering entrees that will be on-board Delta flights between the United States and Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Europe, Israel, and Japan August through October include:
August
-- Departing the United States: Braised breast of duck with
Thai coconut-ginger sauce, jasmine rice and stir-fried bok
choy
-- Returning to the United States: Linguine pasta in a brandy
and goat cheese sauce with tarragon, tossed with sauteed
shrimp and roasted tomatoes
September
-- Departing the United States: Chicken braised in red wine
with tomatoes, olives, capers, yukon gold mashed potatoes
and a pea medley
-- Returning to the United States: Grilled tenderloin of beef
with polenta chimichurri and mushrooms
October
-- Departing the United States: Pan seared grouper with ginger,
lime, cilantro, snow peas, bean sprouts, edamame and jasmine
rice
-- Returning to the United States: Grilled salmon with sauteed
Napa cabbage, shitake mushrooms and a red wine glaze,
served with a cauliflower puree
"Michelle Bernstein's vision and upscale menu creations are a perfect fit for Delta's BusinessElite product and the new in-flight experience we are creating for our globally bound customers," said Joanne Smith, Delta's vice president of Marketing. "This year, we are marking the largest international expansion in Delta's history, and to support it, we're incredibly excited to enhance our international BusinessElite product, including our personal dining offerings with one of America's most innovative chefs. Chef Bernstein's menu creations will provide our BusinessElite customers with a truly unmatched, world-class dining experience."
"I'm incredibly excited to be working with Delta to create a new, contemporary menu of original and delicious on-board food choices that I hope will delight Delta's BusinessElite customers," said Chef Bernstein. "My vision was to simplify the menu -- using fewer ingredients, but making those ingredients incredibly impactful and significant -- especially at 30,000 feet."
In addition to the personal dining menu, Delta's enhanced BusinessElite experience includes comfortable all-leather sleeper seats with 60" of legroom; a new digital, on-demand entertainment system with an extensive movie selection, the ability to build a personal music play list and a suite of video games; in-seat laptop power outlets; and a cleaner, brighter cabin. BusinessElite is available on most of Delta's intercontinental routes, including flights between the U.S. and Europe, Japan, India, Israel, Chile, Brazil, and Argentina.
About Chef Michelle Bernstein
One of the country's most prominent female chefs, Michelle Bernstein is former chef of Azul at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Miami, the hotel's 120-seat signature restaurant. Azul was bestowed with the coveted AAA Five Diamond Award for 2003 and 2004, making it the only restaurant in Miami with this prestigious honor of culinary excellence. Under Chef Bernstein's helm, Esquire named Azul "Best Restaurant of the Year" in its 20th annual survey of the nation's best new restaurants and Bernstein's foie gras with chocolate mole was rated on of the five best dishes in the world by Vanity Fair.
Chef Bernstein trained with world renowned chef Jean Louis Palladin at the Watergate in Washington D.C. and honed her skills at Alison on Dominick and Le Bernardin in New York.
At her signature restaurant Michy's, in the new upper east side of Miami, Bernstein presents her unique version of luxurious comfort food that showcases her careful selection of only the finest and freshest ingredients, the whole menu being done in half and full portions.
Bernstein was a co-host of The Food Network's Melting Pot, a show that presented the traditions, stories and recipes of her Latin background. She also made a recent appearance on Iron Chef America where her team battled Bobby Flay and took home the winning title. Bernstein was named one of the Southeast's top chefs by Esquire, Food and Wine and Bon Appetite and also was nominated for the James Beard Award for best chef. Chef Bernstein is a graduate of Johnson & Wales University from which she holds an honorary doctorate.
About Delta
Delta Air Lines (Other OTC:DALRQ) offers customers service to more destinations than any other global airline with Delta and Delta Connection carrier service to 295 destinations in 46 countries. With more than 50 new international routes added in the last year, Delta is America's fastest growing international airline and is the world's leading carrier between the United States and Europe with flights to 29 trans-Atlantic destinations. To Latin America, Delta offers nearly 500 weekly flights to 47 destinations and is quickly becoming the second-largest carrier in the region. Delta's marketing alliances also allow customers to earn and redeem SkyMiles on more than 14,000 flights offered by SkyTeam and other partners. Delta is a founding member of SkyTeam, a global airline alliance that provides customers with extensive worldwide destinations, flights and services. Including its SkyTeam partners, Delta offers flights to 463 worldwide destinations in 95 countries. Customers can check in for flights, print boarding passes and check flight status at delta.com.
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