Tuesday marked the glorious day when Yankee Stadium chefs cook up all this season’s new food and drink offerings from stadium partners and its own Legends Hospitality culinary team.
The Yankees on March 26 invited members of the media and other influencers to the posh Audi Club overlooking left field, where they could sample all the tasty offerings as part of the team’s 2024 Food and Beverage Media Preview.
Some observant Bronx Times readers may know that before pursuing a career in journalism, I had a long career in restaurant kitchens. I was a line cook for about five years before becoming the chef at a prominent Minneapolis restaurant from 2019 to 2022.
Now, I live and work in the Bronx and have firmly planted myself in the camp of Yankees fans — so I jumped at the chance to sample this year’s new foods at the stadium.
Being a former chef is weird. Most people assume that because I worked in nice restaurants, I only eat fancy food. Nothing could be further from the truth. I love stadium food! As an avid basketball and baseball fan, milling around a stadium for hours surrounded by hot dogs, nachos and beer is the best way to spend a day.
But this year’s new concessions at Yankee Stadium proved far above that standard. Honestly, everything I tried on Tuesday — and I really did sample everything — was at least very good, making it nearly impossible to choose five favorites. But I tried my best to put on my professional culinary hat and really think about how each offering was special in its concept and execution.
Small disclaimer: obviously, sampling foods in this environment is not the same as eating them on game day in full-size portions as intended. But man, it was a great way to spend a day at work. I’ll just have to come back to try everything again “in the wild.” When you visit Yankee Stadium this season, let me know your thoughts!
Here are my five favorite offerings, in no particular order.
Streetbird by Marcus Samuelsson (section 112): M’s Spicy Chicken Wings
Description: brown sugar babe sauce, ranch, house-made pickles.
I confess I never enjoy eating wings — they’re my least favorite part of the otherwise wonderful bird — but these wings were fantastic. They were crispy and not too saucy — just glazed with just a mild heat. The ranch was lightly drizzled on top, not drowning the wings. These were among the best I’ve ever tried.
Christian Petroni (section 125 and 310): Meatballs and Cheesy Garlic Bread
Description: Meatballs fried in extra virgin olive oil; seeded bread with parm, mozzarella and pecorino cheeses; 8-hour marinara sauce for dipping.
OK, this was not groundbreaking, but still very tasty, with the flavors of pizza but more fun and satisfying. Chef Christian Petroni is a Bronx native — he grew up around 241st Street and White Plains Road — and he said the garlicky marinara sauce and meatballs were adapted from his mom’s recipes.
Petroni repeatedly expressed how much it meant to him, as a native Bronxite, to cook at Yankee Stadium. “What planet is this?” he said in wonder. “All I ever wanted to do was cook.”
The meatballs had a good crust on the outside from the frying — the tiny sample fork kind of struggled to break through. But that’s not to say they were tough. The inside of the meatballs was beefy and tender and stood up well to dipping into marinara. Everything was showered with a coating of freshly-grated parm. Overall, this was really good.
Grand Slam Shakes (section 112, 125 and 324): Black and White Cookie Shake
Description: vanilla milkshake, chocolate sprinkles, chocolate sauce, whipped cream, mini black and white cookie
It might already be clear that I have the culinary tastes of a 5-year-old, so bear with me. This shake was not creative — but sometimes you just don’t mess with a classic. I downed the large sample cup with delight while the tiny part of my brain that reminded me I’m slightly lactose intolerant just gave up and said “YOLO.”
Sweet Spot Bowl (section 311)
Description: carne asada steak, sweet plantains, rice and black beans, pickled onions, cilantro sauce, choice of Melinda’s Hot Sauces.
I’m biased here — this is exactly the type of thing I want to eat every day — but it was extremely tasty and well-executed. The beef was tender and the rice was nicely seasoned — incorporating good technique into each element, not just throwing stuff on top. The whole bowl had a nice warm flavor. But I made a mistake by not taking any hot sauce. While it was great on its own, hot sauce would’ve put it over the top.
City Winery (section 105): Porchetta Sandwich
Description: porchetta, broccoli rabe, provolone, Calabrian aioli, arugula, brioche bun.
I was conflicted about putting this in my Top 5 because I think my sample slider had been sitting out for awhile and wasn’t a top example of the form. But I could tell it has potential to be great. This was a really good sandwich and the pork itself was incredible.
Porchetta is a rolled pork loin — sometimes stuffed — seasoned with fennel, garlic and rosemary. After cooking, it is sliced into pieces.
The provolone cheese — which can sometimes be bland — actually added a lot of flavor, indicating good quality. I could’ve used more Calabrian chili aioli, which was a little tangy and packed stealth heat.
Pro tip: Executive Chef Brian Flowers told me this sandwich is his favorite among the new offerings. I definitely want to try it again sometime.
Everything else I ate that was also really good
99 Burger (section 107)
Description: two four-ounce Wagyu beef patties, American cheese, caramelized onions, secret sauce, brioche bun, dill pickles. Lettuce and tomato are available upon request.
This was not a new offering, which is the only reason why it didn’t rank in my Top 5. This burger was truly worthy of superstar outfielder Aaron Judge, No. 99. Even in sample slider format, it was one of the best burgers I’ve had in recent years. The beef comes from Lobel’s and you can taste the quality. This style of burger, with a tangy sauce and straight-up American cheese, is now ubiquitous for a reason; it has everything you want and no unnecessary extras. Simply delicious!
Lobel’s (section 134): BBQ Filet Tip Loaded Tater Tots
Description: crispy tater tots, Lobel’s seasoning, BBQ filet tips, cheddar cheese, crispy onions.
Loaded tots are a tricky thing. Too much sauce makes for soggy tots, but you do want enough to create a mixture. The meat should be flavorful, but casual enough to make sense for a dish that both kids and adults will eat. Most places just seem to go for bacon.
Not so with Lobel’s, a sixth generation butcher shop that has been a presence in Yankee Stadium since it opened. You can find its famous steak sandwich near sections 134 and 321, along with Lobel’s carving station, where you can watch butchers cut meat for service in the stadium.
So, why tater tots? Mark Lobel said they’re “fun” and “something different” that’s easy to eat.
Lobel said he takes pride in having such high-quality steak offered in a stadium. People wait two or three innings for the steak sandwich, he said, and even plan ahead to order to-go sandwiches right before the game ends. He hopes the tots will be their next item to create a frenzy among fans.
In this case, I think my sample was a little dry, but the steak itself was flavorful and tender — definitely not an afterthought. I’m not a huge fan of BBQ sauce, but the coating was light, keeping the tots crispy (but maybe could’ve used a bit more sauce — darn that tricky ratio). The crispy onions were also fantastic.
Mac Truck (section 223): Bacon Ranch Mac and Cheese
Description: bacon crumbles, butter toasted breadcrumbs, buttermilk ranch.
I eat more mac and cheese than I’d care to admit, and this version was extremely tasty. It was very saucy and the cheese flavor not super complex, but the slightly tangy drizzled ranch and bacon added a punch. I’m not one to add bacon or ranch to everything, but in this case, it worked. The noodles could’ve been cooked a little more al dente for my taste.
Mighty Quinn’s BBQ (section 132): Chipotle BBQ chicken sandwich
Description: hand-pulled, slow-smoked chicken glazed with house-made chipotle BBQ sauce, served with an optional assortment of pickled veggies and slaw.
The chicken had nice flavor and wasn’t dry, bringing just a little heat from the sauce. My sandwich had four pickles and slaw, but they didn’t add as much tang as I’d like. This sandwich wasn’t super memorable for me, but I’d give it another try at the stadium sometime.
Fuku (section 109 and 213): Sweet and spicy chicken sando
Description: crispy habanero-brined chicken breast, sweet and spicy glaze, pickle, potato roll.
Fried chicken sandwiches are everywhere these days, but this one from chef David Chang was a little unusual — in a good way. The chicken brought noticeable heat and the glaze had a complex, slightly nutty flavor. I picked up on sesame and gochujang (Korean pepper paste), but it had a little bit of a dark chili powder essence as well.
Goose Island (section 105 and Kona Bleachers Bar): New York Legendary Ale
This was a really nice beer, perfect for those who want something more than a Coors Light but less than an IPA. It had a deep golden color, good crispness and nice body, and it doesn’t have to be ice cold to taste great. Available on tap and in 25 oz. cans.
Meet the Yankee Stadium chef
Executive Chef Robert Flowers, who oversees concessions and catering for the entire venue, told me he’s only been on the job for a week! Most of the new offerings were set before he arrived, but he did make tweaks to put his touch on several dishes.
When I asked how he approached the daunting role of Yankee Stadium executive chef, he said he first considers the “demographic palate” of what fans will eat at a baseball game — and then looks to elevate those flavors.
“It’s no longer a cold hot dog and flat beer,” Flowers said. (“Not that there’s anything wrong with that,” I said to myself).
Flowers comes from an extensive culinary background, most recently at a California ski resort — but ten years ago, he was the chef for what he appropriately called “the other baseball team in New York.”
When Flowers heard about the opportunity to come back to New York and work at Yankee Stadium, he jumped on it.
“This is a dream job,” he said.
Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
