Sports Food’s Going Gourmet
I’ve been going to sports events since before I was even an idea in my parents’ minds. It’s part of being in the Falk family. And as a lifetime lover of food, I have long taken note of what’s being served up at stadiums and arenas worldwide. I am pleased to say that in recent years, it has come to my attention that sports food is getting more and more gourmet.
It all started one evening at the Staples Center in Los Angeles when I was attending a Clippers game with my father. We were handed a menu at our seats, and in addition to the popcorn, peanuts, and deep fried chicken tenders you’d expect to see on an arena’s menu, there it was: sashimi plate! A sashimi plate?! At a basketball game?! What!!??? And it grew from there. I’ve seen meatballs, Kung Pao chicken, eggplant parmesan sandwiches, gourmet nachos (if there ever was such a thing), various pasta salads in aged balsamic vinegar, and the list goes on. At Staples, beyond just ordering “fancy” sports food from your seat, there are different venues, such as the San Manuel Club, where you can actually sit down and be waited on . . . while you watch the game! And they’re serving up prime rib, flatbreads, gourmet antipasti, ham sliced to order, fishes, and pastas, all to please your voracious sports fan palate! It’s pretty darn remarkable how far we’ve come from nitrate-alicious hot dogs and Cracker Jacks.
The view from the dining tables at the San Manuel Club at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
I have blogged before about my adoration for the new Yankee Stadium, particularly as a foodie fan. When it comes to cuisine and having options, Legends Hospitality and the Yankees really hit it out of the park, pun intended. In addition to enjoying the many food vendors around the stadium, including local favorites Lobel’s, Brother Jimmy’s, and Johnny Rockets, it is possible for fans to go even more upscale when it comes to dining. At Gate 6, for example, you will find NYY Steaks, the official steakhouse at Yankee Stadium. And interestingly, it’s open year-round, for those of you willing to make the trip up (or down) to the Bronx. NYY Steaks is a typical upscale steakhouse — it has the dark wood decor strewn with fancy wine bottles, a menu of hearty aged steaks, substantial seafood, and plentiful sides. But what I appreciate the most about NYY Steaks is that they do remind you that you are, indeed, still at the ballpark and that you are still eating sports food. The menu is pinstriped, the bread plates are in the shape of a baseball field, and the bread is baked in the shape of pretzels. It’s whimsical and fun and a wonderful, snazzy alternative to typical sports food.
I’ll end this blog by saying that I have spent a great deal of my life as a Los Angeleno, and as such, I have been to many a Dodgers game. In fact, I am heading to Dodgers Stadium in a few short days to watch them take on the New York Mets. Now that the team is under new ownership, it is my sincerest hope that they take a page from the playbook of the Yankees’ Legends Hospitality Group, the Staples Center, and all the other sports venues around the country who have seriously stepped it up in the last few years. While Dodgers Dogs may be historic, the food options are Dodgers Stadium are quite limited, to say the least, if not downright awful. I say renovate the stadium — total overhaul — food included.
