This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Mia Magistro and her friends Leia and Kevin Anderson couldn't believe their luck when they saw the sign for Cat Cora's Kitchen, a new restaurant that opened Tuesday morning in Salt Lake City International Airport's Concourse B.
"I was so happy when I came down the escalator and saw this," said Magistro, who had a few minutes before she needed to board her Southwest Airlines plane to Arizona. "Airports are kind of known for bad food, so it's nice to finally have some quality."
Even better, the trio was seated at the table next to where the Iron Chef Cora was giving media interviews. "It's exciting. I didn't expect to see her here," said Magistro, after the encounter.
Cora was on hand Tuesday to launch her new airport restaurant concept that offers travelers high-end comfort food made with healthy ingredients and low-calorie preparations. The breakfast menu, for example, features an egg white scramble with Feta cheese, tomatoes and spinach. For lunch get a low-calorie Cobb salad with grilled avocado and chicken and for dinner try flank steak soft tacos. Prices range from about $6 to $20. (Although, if the company is paying, there is a grilled Angus New York Strip Steak with lobster mac and cheese for $31.)
Cora, who earned a degree in physiology and wellness before going to culinary school, hopes the new restaurant concept "will change the landscape of American eating" to one that's healthier and more nutritious.
During an interview, Cora said she travels more than 260 days a year and often has layovers in Salt Lake City, so it will be convenient "to have a beautiful, healthy gourmet spot to eat."
Salt Lake International is the third airport to get a Cat Cora's Kitchen after San Francisco and Houston.