Lots of things went wrong for business travelers this year, but one thing they can't complain about is the state of airport cuisine. A decade-long trend of offering better food and more sophisticated drink for more discerning flyers continued unabated in 2011, and now there's hardly an airport in the nation that can't offer a more-than-passable joint to wait out a late flight.

Want top-notch ethnic fare? This is the year that Rick Bayless, the high priest of Chicago's Mexican dining scene, brought tortas (sandwiches) to O'Hare. You'll find trendy new burger joints in Charlotte and New York's LaGuardia airport. Revered local microbreweries have set up shop at their local airports too. And Miami International has even imported a well-known Belgian wine bar to spice up its offerings.

The skeptics among us realize that better airport gastronomy is probably a result of the much greater amount of "dwell time" we're required to spend at airports now. But at least airport operators understand that mediocre plastic-tabled restaurants and traditional fast food won't fill the bill anymore.

"Not a day goes by when I've not being pitched a new dining concept by some fancy chef or other," one Midwest airport manager tells me. "Being at the airport is like being in Las Vegas now. If you're a serious chef, you have a concept you want to bring to the airport."

Which is good news for us, as you can see by part one of our annual airport dining guide. And, as usual, since even good food at the airport is still at the airport, which isn't one of my favorite dining venues, I've included a selection of worthy dives and high-end dining selections near the largest airports for your consideration.

Click on one of these city airports for more:

• Atlanta
• Charlotte
• Chicago/O'Hare
• Dallas/Fort Worth
• Denver
• Detroit/Metro
• Houston/Intercontinental
• Los Angeles
• Miami
• Minneapolis/St. Paul
• New York/Kennedy
• New York/LaGuardia
• New York/Newark
• Philadelphia
• Seattle

The Fine Print…

Don't see the airport you use most frequently? Not to worry. We've got dining tips for almost two-dozen more airports coming in next week's column. And I'd be thrilled to hear about your favorite at- or near-the-airport dining and drinking joints. Drop me a line at JBrancatelli@portfolio.com, and if you happen to have a photo of an airport dining spot you've taken, send that along too.