On Tuesday night I flew out of Boston Logan Terminal E to catch an international flight to Barcelona, Spain (via Frankfurt). As an airport nerd and connoisseur, I wanted my first real visit to Boston Logan’s International Terminal E done right. So, I *tried* to make reservations at a Boston Logan Terminal E airport restaurant a few hours in advance of my flight to make the most of my airport experience.

Unfortunately, Vineyard Grille doesn’t take reservations, and (as expected), were a little confused by my request. But hey, WHY NOT make reservations if you know you’re going to have a layover around meal-time and it’s often expected to have to wait for a table? Especially if you’re planning a date night, which I’ve also written about here.

Entering Boston Logan Terminal E

In any case, I made it to Boston Logan Terminal E with about 2.5 hours to spare before my flight. I quickly dropped of my luggage with Lufthansa (they have a special, shorted line if you’ve already checked in to your flight in advance and just need to check your bags), and made it to Security. Unfortunately, unlike the other Boston Logan Terminals, I discovered that there is no pre-check line in Boston Logan Terminal E. However, if you choose to eat at Dine Boston (a Tastes on the Fly concept restaurant), located just outside the entrance to security, you can use the special, shorted line reserved for airport/airline staff and passengers with special needs. This would have saved me considerable time in this instance, since the security line reached nearly to the Boston Logan Terminal E entrance and looked like an hour wait.

Just as I was about to forego my dinner plans post-security for the chance at bypassing the line with Dine Boston, a TSA official advised us that there was another security line at the opposite end of Boston Logan Terminal E that was much shorter, and to follow him. He led us all there and at first we were happy because we were making progress by following him – but once we got there immediately became frustrated again as the line was still quite long. After waiting for about 30 minutes, I made it through. The Dine Boston would still have probably been worth it, had it not been for the fact that I really wanted to eat in a more relaxed manner inside Boston Logan Terminal E, closer to the gates.

Post-Security at Boston Logan Terminal E

On the other side, I immediately found some appealing options near the Southwest cluster of gates:

• Relax in a colorful rocking chair

  

• Work at a workstation (and charge)

  

• Eat at Vineyard Grill

  

I decided on Choose Your Adventure #3, went in, and sat down. However, I looked over the menu and was pretty disappointed to find really just standard bar fare – nothing that fancy, interesting, or appealing. The waiter then pointed out a few tapas options that sounded alright, when I told him I was going to try my luck at Vino Volo, but I ultimately decided to move on. That said the waiter and I ended up chit-chatting for the next 15 minutes about traveling, Brazil (where he was from), and Spain (where I was going). If nothing else, the staff was really friendly!

At the other end of the terminal, in the food court, and closer to the United/Lufthansa gates, was Vino Volo. Having been my first time at this Vino Volo airport location (also fairly new in Boston Logan Terminal E), I was excited to try it out.

There was actually a wait even for one, so as I waited I strolled along the food court, enjoyed looking at the names of cities along the ceiling molding trim.

I also took some pictures of Vino Volo’s specials and wines.

Dining at Vino Volo in Boston Logan Terminal E

I was sat by who I later found out to be the store manager in a matter of minutes in a cozy nook at the bar. After looking over the menu, I decided to order a Central Coast Merlot and the chicken and goat cheese salad. Both were nicely paired and deliciously satisfying. I then started chatting with the woman on my right, who had just graduated from her Pharmacy School and was on her way to backpack around Europe (UK, France, Italy) with her friends as a graduation present to herself. She was excited and anxious at the same time, and we had fun discussing her plans, and I eagerly peppered in gems of advice from my own travels through those regions. It was extremely gratifying to share in the excitement of someone who obviously so desperately wanted to travel but never before had the opportunity – I knew she would love it, and that travel would save her life (as it did mine).

After she departed and I asked for the check, I noticed that I could scan my receipt barcode with the Vino Volo app – I had never done this before, so I decided to check out their home-grown loyalty program. All the pieces worked except for the app – every time I tried to scan the barcode, it errored out. The store manager came over, saw me do it again, and took a picture of the error so that she could email the development team about it.  She also told me to write my name and email on the receipt and she would add the points for me. Just as she promised, the next day I received an email from her (Rachel Vanderpool, General Manager) to the dev team, explaining the error and asking them to add the points (they ultimately did!).

Even thought the technical experience failed, the customer service experience made up for it. I will be more than happy to try the app again the next time (but the error had better be fixed!), of course I feel this type of content would be perfectly suited for tripchi also.

It was high-time I headed to my gate, which was already packed with people.

Shopping in Boston Logan Terminal E

To kill a little more time near my gate, I perused some of the shopping opportunities in Boston Logan Terminal E, such as the Duty Free and Brookstone. I seriously thought about buying one of those Brookstone travel neck pillows for the long plane flight, remembered that I had forgot my pillow (which I often take on long flights) at home. They even had a deal on it. But, at that moment the gate agent called for boarding so I scurried to my gate and boarded.

More to come later about the Lufthansa experience.

For your reference, I’ve listed out all the Boston Logan Terminal E dining and shopping choices, courtesy of the Massport website.

Boston Logan Terminal E Reference Guide

Boston Logan Terminal E Restaurant choices:

• Cisco Brew Pub  Get a taste of Nantucket Island with beer, wines and spirits crafted by Cisco Brewers, Triple Eight Distillery and Nantucket Vineyard.
• Dine Boston Restaurant Stylish dining concept by former Red Sox outfielder Darren Lewis features a menu inspired by some of Boston’s top restaurants and chefs celebrating New England. Full-service restaurant and bar.
• Vineyard Grille features American cuisine with a focus on seafood (including crisp, golden-brown whole belly clams, scallops, oysters, calamari and lobster rolls) as well as specialty sandwiches, burgers and a flat iron steak cooked to perfection. To complete your experience try one of our 15 regional craft-brewed beers, a glass (or bottle) of wine, or a favorite cocktail.
  
• Vino Volo is the perfect place for travelers to unwind with a glass of wine in a comfortable setting. Vino Volo’s staff hand-selects the wines featured on the menu, offering wines by the glass or creating themed tasting flights of two or three glasses, including a “Sommelier Series” that showcases two extraordinary wines. In addition they also offer elegant small plate meals to pair with the wines, including such items as artisan cheeses, dry cured meats and smoked salmon rolls.

Shopping:

• Automatic Apparel is an automated retail company that sells basic apparel and accessories. All items are under $15…perfect for last minute items you forgot to pack.
• Brookstone Offering travelers everything from Brookstone-branded Fm travel pillows to Xpress-Check luggage and more, this famous gadget shop has something for everyone.
• Duty Free-International Shoppes a duty free retailer specializing in fragrance/beauty, liquor, tobacco & confection.  The company has 60 years of experience in travel retailing.
• Hugo Boss – Premium, Modern, Sophisticated clothing, accessories and footwear for Men.
• TechShowcase Featuring the worlds leading mobile electronics manufacturers where technophiles can preview the latest mobile electronics devices before they are released into the market.
• Zoom Systems Featuring top brands in the most exciting and popular categories, ZoomShops are custom-branded automated, self-service retail stores that combine the convenience of online shopping with the immediate gratification of traditional retail.