s na ck s + t re at s
say goodbye to peanuts baseball’s evolving cuisine
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has partnered with super chef Danny Meyer and the Union Square Hospitality Group to provide more upscale options to the traditional vendors such as Nathans and Hebrew National. This partnership has led to the increased popularity of the center field food court in Citi Field, which consists of Shake Shack, Blue Smoke, El Verano Taqueria, Catch of the Day and Box Frites. These restaurants serve everything from chile marinated skirt steak tacos to long island clam and corn chowder, which is a clear step up from burnt burgers on soggy buns or mystery meat hot dogs. In addition to partnering with popular restaurants, baseball stadiums are making an effort to serve food that highlights the regional cuisine. The Baltimore Orioles are widely recognized as the first team to start the push towards
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allpark food has been an integral part of the baseball stadium going experience since the game’s start. The mental image of the stadium cannot be complete without the smell of hot dogs and French fries permeating the air and the loud salesmen yelling “Peanuts! Get your Peanuts!” For over a century now ballpark franks and greasy fried goods have dominated the food options at stadiums, however there is now a movement in the baseball community to move away from the traditional, calorie-laden food and move towards more gourmet options. Now, many local restaurant owners partner with teams to open branches of their restaurant in the stadium. To find some examples of these partnerships look no further than the New York Mets’ new home, Citi Field. The 850 million dollar stadium
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serving local flavors. At Camden Yards, Charm City Seafood serves Maryland Crab Cake Sandwiches, among other Chesapeake seafood delicacies. The Philadelphia Phillies partner with South Philly favorite Tony Luke’s to serve delicious Philly Cheesesteaks and roast pork sandwiches. Safeco Field, home of the Seattle Mariners, serves a Pacific salmon sandwich and sells deep fried cod sandwiches; both highlight Seattle’s abundance of fresh and delicious Pacific seafood. In Yankee Stadium, a branch of Mike’s Deli has opened and serves Arthur Avenue classics like eggplant parmigian sandwiches and zepolee, Italian doughnuts. The other major trend in stadiums is providing healthier alternatives to the traditional greasy fare. Stadiums are offering options to baseball traditions such as peanuts, as each bag can contain as much as 1,200 calories, and French fries, for which a serving can amount to as much as 22% of your daily fat. The Colorado Rockies’ Coors Field has a build your own salad stand called Infield Greens and Yankee Stadium has Melissa’s Farmer’s Market Stand, which serves salad, veggie sushi rolls, and fresh fruit. Camden Yards offers a hummus dish with chopped vegetables. So if you are at a baseball game and want to avoid unhealthy or simply unappetizing stadium food, just know that there are plenty of options, whether it is eating at a branch of a popular local restaurant, sampling the local cuisine, or opting for a healthy salad.