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| - The Phoenix airport's dining options seem to be getting better, at least since I last visited in 2012. I remember reading at the time that the airport was making a concerted effort to bring in better cuisine. An airport location of La Madeleine Country French Cafe is a start. It opened in 2013 in Terminal B, sandwiched between a McDonald's and Cowboy Ciao (Scottsdale-based American restaurant and bar). These restaurants are all relatively new (or renovated) with open, fenced-in, dining areas along the concourse. All of these build-outs look good with nice modern designs.
On a recent pass-through, La Madeleine looked most appealing to me for a quick meal. The restaurant has an upfront ordering system where you wait for food to be brought out to you or your table. There are glass display cases with ready-made foods such as baguettes, yogurt, cakes, and French pastries. A large window behind the ordering counter allows you to see inside the kitchen. The tables are small and the dining area resembles that of a French street cafe. The staff wears French chef uniforms and berets.
The restaurant serves breakfast (eggs, bacon, oatmeal, omelettes), soups, salads, sandwiches (hot and cold), quiche, and chicken and pasta entrees. Prices are reasonable, especially for an airport restaurant, with no single item costing more than $9.99.
If you're dining on-site, your order is brought to your table on/in disposable plates/bowls. If you're dining off-site, your order is securely packaged in sturdy disposable plastic containers and comes in a bag with handles. Practical and convenient. I saw multiple passengers on my flight leaving Phoenix who brought meals on-board packed by La Madeleine.
Drinks (fountain drinks), napkins, plastic cutlery, and condiments are self-serve at a station next to the ordering counter.
I ordered a Quiche Lorraine ($5.89) and one of the Soups of the Day, the Tomato Basil ($3.99). The other Soup of the Day was French Onion. The Quiche Lorraine comes with ham, bacon, and Swiss cheese. They've also got a Quiche Florentine which comes with egg, spinach, and Swiss cheese.
The quiche have already been prepared and are reheated for new orders. They're served in plastic containers with clear, snap-shut lids. My Quiche Lorraine was OK, though it wasn't heated properly. I ate immediately after it was served and it was unappetizingly lukewarm. I think it would have been much better if it was hot. It reminded me of the frozen quiche I've gotten at Costco before. So it wasn't a very fresh or super tasty quiche. However, for airport food, it was satisfactory.
The Tomato Basil soup was good, though the portion size seemed a bit small. The soup was flavorful, creamy, and a little thick (I didn't mind). I'd definitely order it again.
Service was superb. The on-duty manager took my order at the register and also served the food to me. I saw him assist another custom with finding (and cleaning) an open table.
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