General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee isn’t the most impressive airport I have ever been to. Despite the ‘international’ title, GMIA isn’t in any way impressively-sized or popular. The airport has a small gallery that houses flying artifacts, a small, likely disease-ridden play area and a few premier lounges for elite flyers. The one thing GMIA, and most airports for that matter, really have going for them is the food. The first thing flyers experience when traveling to a different state or country is the shops and restaurants that are featured in airports, so the airport needs to be particular about what restaurants they choose to represent the area they are located in.
As a frequent traveler, I have tried a lot of airport food. Every airport I have been to has its distinct choice of restaurants, usually based on the city the airport is located in. O’Hare and Midway in Chicago have Watertower famous Wao Bao, Nuts on Clark, and hot dog venues, whereas Raleigh-Durham International in North Carolina has 42nd St. Oyster Bar, a wine bar featuring celebrated wines from the area, and Brookwood Farms BBQ. The food is completely dependent on the region, which makes airport food quite unique, and delicious! Milwaukee’s General Mitchell has Midwest and Milwaukee favorites like Colectivo Coffee, Northpoint custard and burgers, Nonna Bartolotta’s homemade Italian, and Usinger’s sausage and cheese.
What better way to introduce travelers to Milwaukee than with classic Wisconsin food? I recommend always trying the food airports have to offer when traveling, not McDonald’s or Starbucks, but regionally unique restaurants with city flare. Traveling is all about the experience and the novelty of an area. The first step to really experiencing a new place is experiencing the food, even if it is at an airport.