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Article published Apr 15, 2009 Food offerings aim to please The traditional favorites will be there - or try salads, burritos, wraps, vegetarian fare
Sure, some people really go to the ballpark to watch the game. They're the ones who know the players' names and all their stats and probably know a fair share about the opposing team's players, too.
Then there are the rest of us.
We're the ones who pay marginal attention to the game, because we're really there for the food, glorious food. And probably the beer, too. Because not much beats a juicy hot dog and a cold beer on a warm summer day at the ballpark.
Was anybody worried when they heard Parkview Hospital claimed naming rights to the field? Did you envision a menu devoid of all the sugary, salty, fatty, tasty foods we've grown to love at the ballpark? Celery and carrots instead of popcorn, peanuts and cotton candy, for instance?
There's no need for alarm. You'll be able to get your hot dog, pizza and popcorn at Parkview Field, but there will be so much more. From salads and steak sandwiches to chicken wings, rib tips and made-to-order burritos, the various food offerings are intended to please just about any palate. “We want to be fan-friendly,” said Bill Lehn, director of food and beverage for the TinCaps.
A team of Parkview Hospital dietitians, a doctor and Parkview's chef did work with TinCaps staffers to suggest some healthier food options. One emphasis will be on made-to-order sandwiches, wraps and salads, said Parkview dietitian Meghann Whetstone. Suggestions were made to include items such as a grilled chicken sandwich, vegetarian offerings, hummus and whole-wheat bread.
But if you shudder at the thought of a hummus wrap at a ballpark, Whetstone suggested ordering one not-so-healthy option and then tempering it with better choices.
“I don't like to say there are any off-limit foods,” she said. “Staying away from deep-fried foods would be my No. 1 suggestion.”
And she added that the healthier options may give the old standbys some serious competition. “The way they'll present them and prepare food items, they will sound tasty - something people would like to try.”
With a 30-foot-wide concourse and four permanent concession stands, fans shouldn't have to fight crowds to get a bite to eat. In addition to the concession stands, 18 portable carts will be set up to serve food “hot off the grill,” Lehn said. A center-field grill and outfield brew station will service those who choose lawn seating, so they don't have to walk all the way around to the stadium concession stands. Hawkers will make their way through the stands for the convenience of those who don't want to leave their seats. In total, there will be at least 50 points of sale at each game, Lehn said.
Fans who buy season tickets to field boxes, located along the third baseline, will be treated to wait service at each game.
The TinCaps have hired about 250 food and beverage people to run the operation, Lehn said.
One of those carts will be exclusively devoted to apples in various forms.
“We want to obviously play off our logo,” Lehn said. Think fresh apples, apple pie, toffee apples, apple fritters or apple crisp.
There wasn't a french fryer to be found in Memorial Stadium, Lehn said. With the addition of fryers at Parkview Field, fans will be able to nosh on french fries, obviously, but also on decadent treats such as elephant ears and funnel cakes.
All fryers will use zero-trans-fat oils, Lehn said. And the TinCaps staff is “working with folks from Parkview to develop healthy options,” he said. Healthy parfaits and fruit cups may show up on a menu, for instance.
Convenience is also a priority at the new ballpark. Each seat has a cup holder, so fans won't have to balance food and drink on their laps. And they can pay for their food and drink with debit and credit cards at concession stands. Beer will be available at some of the carts and at the permanent concession stands. A walk-up bar serving mixed drinks will be on the main concourse behind center field.
Many of the changes in the food and drink menus are a result of research into what works at other stadiums, Lehn said. “There's not an original idea that's here.”
The TinCaps have hired executive chef Jason Stuart to oversee the food and beverage operation. With more than 11,000 square feet of indoor space designed to host corporate and social events, food planning goes well beyond what you can balance on your lap outdoors. Stuart is developing theme menus for events, with more sophisticated dishes such as sun-dried tomato herbed pasta salad. He also will provide high-end menu options for the luxury suites.
The menus for both the special events and the TinCaps games are still a work in progress, Stuart said. “We're going to try a bunch of things and keep the things that work.”