Wednesday, April 25, 2001 | 8:27 a.m.
Nobody likes down time in an airport, and despite a 24 Hour Fitness location, banks of gaming machines and several other distractions, McCarran International Airport isn't where you planned to spend your vacation, or too much time waiting for that long lost relative to arrive.
It is, however, a good place when you are hungry, provided you are aware of the newer dining options there. The majority of flights originate from the A, B or C Gates, but the newer D Gates, which feature a rotunda food court, are just a tram ride away. If you have the extra time, this area offers terrific dining alternatives to the Burger King, Pizza Hut and Cinnabon concessions that dominate the other three terminals.
The train ride, which takes well over a full minute, passes through a long tunnel and feels like a subway ride in a distant, eastern-seaboard metropolis. When you arrive, you spot tiled murals representing various world capitals, including Tokyo and Sydney, and a long escalator ride up to the gate level beckons.
When you arrive, you'll notice that most of the food options are to your immediate right, in a huge rotunda area. HMS Host Marriott, which has the concession license for food at the airport, has a hand in most of the operations here.
Law requires HMS Host, however, to lease no less than 20 percent of its allotted space to private ownership, hence the presence of places such as Auntie Anne's, a specialty pretzel operation, and Harlon's BBQ and Country Breakfast, which belong to individual franchises.
Following is a description of some places where you might dine in this area. Most of these concessions are open 7 a.m.-11 p.m.; hours vary slightly from place to place.
Look for even more options when the airport opens its newest phase, the E Gates, now under construction. HMS Host remains tight-lipped for now about what we will be eating out there.
Ruby's Dinette
Ruby's started as a '50s-style diner at the Balboa Pier in Newport Beach, Calif., and 20 years later the concept is still going strong in dozens of locations.
This colorful restaurant has a pleasant staff with servers who wear little visors, and an all-American menu featuring classic burgers and fountain treats.
Try a breakfast burrito, $5.79, made with scrambled eggs, salsa and cheddar cheese, or for lunch, a first-rate BLT, $5.29, served on a grilled bun. Burgers are certified Angus beef, topped with beefsteak tomato, lettuce and a special sauce.
Among the shakes are the Peanut Butter Cup and the house specialty, a sumptuous creation called Oreo Cookie Fantasy.
Prickly Pear Cafe
This spiffy, Southwest-themed sit-down restaurant also has a curved, copper-flecked bar with specialty drinks such as the Prickly Pear Margarita, which is made with real prickly pear syrup. This makes it a popular watering hole, and let's not forget that the food is both imaginative and quite good.
Breakfast can be conventional, or something such as a warm pecan and banana waffle, $5.99. The best lunch or dinner deal is probably the Kickin' Combo Platter, where you get top sirloin, skirt steak, grilled chicken and pulled pork, along with slaw and skin-on fries, all for $12.99. It easily feeds two.
Other dishes to try include firecracker chicken wings, $6.99, the pollo loco pizza, made with chicken, scallions and provolone cheese, $8.79 and a nice whiskey bread pudding, $3.99.
Harlon's BBQ and Country Breakfast
Steam-table 'cue doesn't get much better than this fare from a Texas chain that is one of the hidden food treasures at this airport. Swiss and Japanese tourists were eating these meats with abandon last week, at a common seating area located directly across the concourse.
The meats are smoked in three special smoking devices located on the premises, and the hardwoods employed penetrate every bite. The link sausage is on the bland side, but the other meats, beef, chicken, baby-back ribs and turkey, are delicious, and so are the sides, things such as barbecue beans, potato salad and seasonal vegetables such as summer sweet corn.
Sandwiches such as one made with richly sauced, smoky-chopped beef are $6.99. Harlon's Special, a three-meat platter with two sides, is $12.95, and most plates are $10.99.
Jody Maroni's Sausage Kingdom
You get three different items for your money because what is essentially a stand-up sausage stand also triples as the concession for Mrs. Field's Cookies and TCBY Yogurt.
The sausages are wonderful, it must be said. Maroni started small at Venice Beach, Calif., but now he has locations all over the country, and dozens of tasty, low-fat varieties.
This concession only sells six: chicken Italian, Polish, chicken andouille, Louisiana boudin hot link, turkey/chicken chorizo and bratwursts. But they are all delicious, and the spicy Louisiana link generates real heat. The sausages, which are all natural, are grilled to order and served with optional grilled peppers and onions. Most sausages are $4.49, but Jody's Chicago hot dog, which the company makes and which here is served with all the trimmings, is a bargain at $3.49.
Auntie Anne's
The hand-rolled, oven-baked pretzels prepared and sold here come in three styles -- original, special and sweet. Sweet flavors include almond, cinnamon sugar and Glazin' Raisin. Special flavors span jalapeno, garlic, sesame, parmesan herb and sour cream onion.
The flavors are achieved by rolling the warm pretzels in butter and specially prepared mixtures. They are all terrific and sell for $2.29.
That's not all. In addition, there are two espresso bars out here, two sub joints, a Port of Subs, and a Quizno's, and also Nevada Market which sells See's and Ethel M Candies, snacks, gift foods, a variety of salads and similar specialty items.
You'll have such a good time that you are going to have to hurry to make that flight.
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