Seattle

Alaska Airlines calls Seattle-Tacoma Airport home, but the unquestioned dining star at Sea-Tac is Dish D'Lish, the takeout-food concept of Seattle superstar chef Kathy Casey. The menu is varied, tasty, and fresh. Every airport should be so lucky. There are branches in the Central Terminal and the main ticketing areas. Also in the Central Terminal is Anthony's, a branch of Washington's much-loved seafood chain. I find the food at the airport location uninspired and the large space institutional. Others disagree, however.

Want to escape the terminals? Go no further than International Boulevard, the busy thoroughfare at the airport's front entrance. 13 Coins on International operates 24/7. The downtown original is a Seattle legend and the Sea-Tac branch follows the formula: a 1950s diner meets late-night Rat Pack hangout with copious drinks and a bewilderingly large menu. Breakfast items (served anytime) are best. A few steps away is Sharp's, a burly "roasthouse" with two dozen beers (mostly local microbrews) on tap and an endless array of roasted proteins on the menu.

Check out another airport's dining options by clicking a city below:

• 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