Dining review: Popular spot has plane-side view
- Flight Deck: 3 out of 5 stars, 2680 Aerial Way SE
A couple of years after we moved here, my spouse gave me flying lessons from an outfit at Salem Airport for a birthday present. The flight school was in a hanger right next to Flight Deck Restaurant & Lounge. That was the first time I became aware of the restaurant.
I love airplanes and filed away the thought that it would be interesting to go have a meal there. For some reason, I haven't made it there until recently, when my spouse and I went for dinner. A couple of friends had recommended the restaurant to us.
The menu has a few names of dishes and sections that read like they were infused with a little humor from a Southwest Airlines flight attendant: "Daily Charters," "Scenic Flights," "Pre-flight Check List," "In-flight Beverage Service," "Upgrades," "Plane Burger" and "Seaplane Burger." The atmosphere also is awash in aeronautical decor, with miniature airplanes hanging from the ceiling and wall-to-wall glass windows looking out at the airport taxiway and runway.
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We perused the in-flight offering as several planes headed for the runway, and by the time the last one soared into the clear-blue yonder, our waiter had brought our Blue Moons and taken our order: Battered Green Beans ($4.99) for an appetizer to share, Panfried Oysters ($18.99) and Chicken Almond Crunch ($16.99). Both of our meals came with either a soup or a salad. The soup of the day was Chicken Diablo. When we asked the waiter what that meant, he described it as a creamy chicken soup that was spicy. We both opted for a dinner salad and ranch dressing. Our dinners also came with a choice of sides: baked potato, mashed potatoes, roasted baby Yukons or rice pilaf. We both opted for the baked potato.
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Even though the Flight Deck was packed for a Sunday night, service was prompt. As we reached cruising altitude and finished our dinner salad of chopped iceberg lettuce, baby salad greens, carrots and tomatoes with croutons, we hit some unexpected in-flight turbulence. Our waiter brought our dinner entrees, but the appetizer hadn't shown up yet. When we asked him "where's the appetizer?," he responded with a laugh, "yea, where's the appetizer?" and left us, presumably to check on it.
He came back a few minutes later with the Battered Green Beans and apologized, saying the kitchen forgot it and said that it would be on the house, trying to smooth the turbulence.
I'm a fan of anything deep fried and really enjoyed the appetizer. The generous portion of green beans were dipped in a seasoned batter and then deep fried and served with a ranch sauce. They were crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside. The batter was perfectly seasoned, coated all of the beans and was just the right amount of batter. Not really a tempura batter, it was lightly battered and then dipped in seasoned breadcrumbs.
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My spouse also enjoyed his pan-fried oysters. The five or six small oysters tasted fresh and were breaded in nicely seasoned breadcrumbs and then fried to golden brown and served with tarter or cocktail sauce.
I was looking forward to the Chicken Almond Crunch because two friends had recommended it, but I discovered that it was overcooked and somewhat dried out on my visit. The crust did have a tasty nutty crunch, and I thought the Amaretto cream sauce was delicious, filled with rich almond flavor and slightly sweet.
I returned a week later for lunch, and, again, the restaurant was packed. It's amazing how popular this spot is. This time it was a smooth dining experience. I ordered the Fish & Chips ($12.99). The four or five pieces of Alaskan cod squares were dipped in beer batter and then bread crumbs and fried to a golden brown. They were well seasoned and crunchy on the outside. and the fish was moist and flaky. The coleslaw and French fries also were perfect.
Victor Panichkul is food, wine and beer columnist. Reach him at 503-399-6704, Vpanichkul@StatesmanJournal.com, follow at Facebook.com/WillametteValleyFoodWine and on Twitter @TasteofOregon.
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Flight Deck Restaurant & Lounge
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Address: 2680 Aerial Way SE
Phone: 503-581-5721
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays-Fridays and 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays
Credit cards: Visa, Master Card, Discover, American Express
Website: flightdeckrestaurant.com
Parking: Off-street parking