Exclusive Offers at New York's Leading Restaurants Begin May 1 NEW YORK, April 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Continental Airlines (NYSE: CAL) announced plans today for its 2009 International Restaurant Week. Twelve of New York's best restaurants will participate, each offering a unique dining experience for guests from May 1 through May 10. Diners can sign up for free reservations on the Continental Airlines International Restaurant Week Web site to receive special offers - like exclusive kitchen and wine cellar tours, signed chef cookbooks, take - home treats, and more-from participating restaurants. The 12 restaurants were chosen for their unique ability to capture the authentic cuisine of Continental's featured destinations. Continental serves each of these countries with nonstop services from its New York hub at Newark Liberty International Airport. New this year: Each restaurant will create a special offering to compete in the Signature Dish contest. Once International Restaurant Week kicks off on May 1, diners will have a chance to rate and review their favorites online at http://www.continentalrestaurantweek.com/signature-dish. The voting will close on May 10, at which time award-winning chef and Top Chef head judge Tom Colicchio will choose the winner from the top three consumer picks. The victorious restaurant will receive $25,000 for the charity of their choice. "We are thrilled to have Chef Tom Colicchio as our judge for this year's Signature Dish contest and look forward to tasting the winning dish," said Mark Bergsrud, Continental's senior vice president marketing programs and distribution. "While we certainly love bringing New Yorkers to each of our international destinations to experience exquisite cuisine first-hand, we're excited to offer International Restaurant Week and create authentic dining experiences for our customers that don't require a plane ticket." Participating restaurants and offer details include: Alfama (Portugal) - Diners will experience an authentic 4-course meal, ending with a glass of port from Alfama's extensive collection, included with the meal. They'll also take home a box of Pasteis de nata, traditional Portuguese custard cakes. Allen & Delancey (United Kingdom) - After enjoying Chef Kyle Bailey's 5-course meal and specially designed signature dish, guests will be able to recreate the experience with Chef's signature dish recipe and a package of couscous. Avra (Greece) - For a truly personalized experience, a manager will help design a menu for each reservation, providing insight into the menu and wine pairings. Guests will take home some Greek delicacies chosen by the Avra team. Boqueria (Spain) - While there, diners will get to know Chef Seamus Mullen as they enjoy his specially designed shared tasting menus - for lunch or dinner. Each diner will receive a complimentary bag of house-made candied Marcona almonds. China Grill (China) - Guests will enjoy an exclusive 5-course tasting menu created by Chef Jamie Knott, with a specially paired cocktail included in the meal. Each diner will also take home a box of delicious ginger and almond cookies. Delmonico's (United States) - After enjoying an exclusively designed menu featuring Delmonico's most famous dishes, diners will take a personal tour of the restaurant, a National Historic Landmark, and take home a complimentary signed copy of the cookbook Dining at Delmonico's. Del Posto (Italy) - Diners will be invited to tour Del Posto's extensive wine cellar and bring a taste of the restaurant home with a special gift bag filled with the chef's favorite Italian delicacies. L'Ecole (France) - Guests will begin the evening with a behind the scenes look at L'Ecole's teaching kitchens. After, they'll indulge in a unique dessert and cocktail featuring rare Grapefruit Thai Basil Tea, included with the meal. Diners will take home a sample of the exotic tea along with the recipe, to recreate the experience at home. Maya (Mexico) - Chef Sandoval offers a uniquely designed 3-course Cinco de Mayo menu with special beverage pairings. Diners will be gifted with a complimentary signed copy of his cookbook Modern Mexican Flavors. Nobu (Japan) - Nobu's talented chefs will kick start the meal with a complimentary Chef's Selection Amuse-Gueule. Diners will finish on a sweet note too, with a signature fruit sake or shochu, included with the meal. Plataforma (Brazil) - Guests will go behind the scenes on a tour of the kitchen with one of Plataforma's Master Carvers. Every table will be gifted a complimentary caipirinha making kit to bring home a taste of this traditional Brazilian cocktail. Tabla (India) - Guests will be invited to take a personally guided tour of Tabla's kitchen. After savoring an exclusively designed 4-course prix fixe menu with an optional wine pairing to match, they'll take home one of Pastry Chef Melissa Walnock's uniquely designed desserts, packaged along with the recipe. Diners can visit http://www.continentalrestaurantweek.com/ for more information on how to make reservations online or by phone. Continental Airlines is the world's fifth largest airline. Continental, together with Continental Express and Continental Connection, has more than 2,750 daily departures throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia, serving 133 domestic and 132 international destinations. More than 750 additional points are served via current alliance partners. With more than 43,000 employees, Continental has hubs serving New York, Houston, Cleveland and Guam, and together with its regional partners, carries approximately 67 million passengers per year. DATASOURCE: Continental Airlines CONTACT: Corporate Communications of Continental Airlines, +1-713-324-5080, ; or Rachel Adler, +1-201-874-0608, , or Charlotte Lederman, +1-212-474-5045, , both for Continental Airlines Web Site: http://www.continental.com/ http://www.continentalrestaurantweek.com/ http://www.continental.com/company/news/

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