Introducing the Culinary Collective by American Express Centurion
American Express has formed the Culinary Collective by partnering with five James Beard Award-winning Resy chefs, Mashama Bailey, Sarah Grueneberg, Kwame Onwuachi, and Mike Solomonov, alongside renowned Bar Director Harrison Ginsberg. The Collective is creating a set of new menus with dishes and crafted cocktails inspired from their renowned restaurants across the country. New menu items will be available in all 15 U.S. Centurion Lounges beginning July 29, 2025.
Select recipes developed by The Culinary Collective will also be available at Sidecar by The Centurion Lounge, an entirely new, intimate airport lounge, expected to open at Harry Reid International (LAS) in Las Vegas in 2026.
Culinary Experts
- Kwame Onwuachi is known for his vibrant cuisine approached through an Afro-Caribbean lens and drawing from his Nigerian, Jamaican, Trinidadian, and Creole background. Onwuachi and his acclaimed restaurants, Tatiana in New York and Dōgon in Washington, D.C.
- Mashama Bailey learned to cook from the women in her family before moving on to formal training and experience in New York and France. She taps into her previous experiences to create innovative Southern-inspired dishes that are deeply layered, contextual, and evocative in their flavors. Bailey and her critically acclaimed restaurant, The Grey in Savannah, have received numerous accolades.
- Mike Solomonov is known for putting rich and diverse Israeli cuisine at the forefront of dining in America. He owns eight restaurant concepts across New York, Philadelphia, and Miami. His first, the highly celebrated Zahav in Philadelphia, became the first Israeli-American restaurant to be awarded “Outstanding Restaurant” by the James Beard Foundation in 2019.
- Sarah Grueneberg blends the traditions of Italian culture, culinary techniques, and ingredients with influences from her global travels as well as her family heritage. She is the award-winning chef-partner of Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio in Chicago, which has continuously earned a place on numerous “Best Restaurant” lists since the restaurant opened a decade ago.
- Harrison Ginsberg is a passionate and experienced master mixologist and Bar Director at Overstory in NYC, known for elevated, imaginative cocktails and recognized worldwide for his innovative approach. He leads the beverage programs at the acclaimed restaurant and bar concepts of Kent Hospitality Group in New York, including Overstory – named 2025's 6th best bar in North America by 50 Best Bars – Crown Shy, and SAGA.
Changing seasonally, dishes from the Culinary Collective will make up approximately half of the menu items in the U.S. Centurion Lounges, with the other half inspired by cuisine local to the city where each lounge is located. Specific dishes offered by The Culinary Collective by The Centurion Lounge will also vary by lounge.
We know how much Card Members love the food and drinks at the Centurion Lounges and look forward to seeing what's new. With help from our Resy chef partners, we've brought together a group of some of the most exciting culinary minds in America to create incredible menus, available all in one place for the first time ever,
said Audrey Hendley, President of American Express Travel
Press Release: American Express Partners with Award Winning Chefs to Create New Menus at U.S. Centurion Lounges
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Closing Thoughts
I have found in the past that Centurion Lounges have delivered above-average food compared to other lounges. I have, in the past, gone to a Centurion lounge to get a great meal before heading to my airline lounge. This collective of diverse culinary experts will surely add a positive change to menus begin in July 2025. I look forward to visiting the lounges and seeing the sample menus as they start to appear.