It is, perhaps, due to a lucky lack of travel disasters that I have a romantic fascination with airports. Getting through security is a battle, especially with cheese sauce in your pocket, but then you get to join a familiar community of travelers sharing varying durations of intermission before boarding that blessed plane. I like to pretend I’m about to time-travel. The excitement almost makes me forget how terrible most of the airport food options are.

Travel through airports in Middle America and you’ll soon realize the importance of packing food for your journey. Away from the brewpubs, restaurant chains, and classic local gems that set up shop in the larger regional airports, the smaller airport eateries are more reminiscent of a bad mall food court. Weary (time) travelers are left to argue against their best judgment to convince themselves that, in the absence of options, this food is good, as they entertain the subtle suggestion that it is healthy, too.

Here at Nachos and Dreams, we have to admit that while nachos certainly can be healthy, we understand that they’re not destined for a list of Top Superfoods. Faced with a number of unhealthy options, nachos become a solid choice if only for the joy we get from eating them.

On a recent trip through Omaha’s Eppley Airfield in Douglas County, Nebraska, I enjoyed a pleasant Sunday evening in the north hanger waiting for my flight home. The weekend was long, the Packers were playing, I wanted a drink, and I wanted some nachos.

Much to my delight, I spotted a food counter, right next to The Bar. Wouldn’t you know it? They had nachos. And not just any nachos–these were Macho Nachos! Now you’re probably wondering, like I was, what makes them macho?

One explanation could be the ingredients, right? Well, here they are: tortilla chips, cheese sauce, ground beef, diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, jalapeños, and sour cream; not terribly macho. So, maybe it’s the size of the platter that makes them macho. We’ve all seen that impossible mountain of chips and toppings that faces a 2-top, but could easily feed 4 more. No, these nachos were served in a humble paper boat easily handled by one person–very handy for navigating the waiting area.

What makes these nachos macho? Apparently the answer is nothing. But guess what? I don’t care. They were delicious and paired perfectly with my Stella Artois. They even made my kind, chatty neighbor jealous as she joined me at the bar and choked down her lightly salted popcorn. My cravings were satisfied, and I think the Packers even won that night.

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Ya er No?

Ya! These airport nachos were simple, the distribution was on point, the price was right, and you can’t beat the portability. Go ahead. Live without regrets.