These Dogs Bite

Last month, the Yanks announced they would place a Hard Rock Cafe out in the right field stands of the new Yankee Stadium. It seems a sad fit for the park: crappy food served up to tourists in a kitchy memorabilia-laden atmosphere. There are also plans for a steak house in the new park, but from what I hear from industry insiders, the Yanks are asking for such exorbitant fees that no local restaurant is willing to take the lease. (So you can pretty much forget about Peter Luger at Yankee Stadium.) In their efforts to wring every last dollar out of the new park, it looks like the Yanks will turn it into a bland corporate playground. The Mets, meanwhile, are doing a good deal better. In today's NYT, we learn that they've teamed up with Danny Meyer, NY's pre-eminent restauranteur, and a man capable of producing winner's both at the luxury and the populist ends of the dining spectrum. It's tempting, for this baseball purist, to dismiss all of this stadium dining talk—I go to the game for the game, not to eat, dammit!—but its naive to look at these new parks as anything but "entertainment venues," in the broadest sense. The danger that comes along with providing "entertainment," is that when the entertainment isn't good, there's not much reason for anyone to show up. How loyal does a fan need to be, when his seat price jumps up 40 percent, a lousy burger costs $19.95, and the play on the field doesn't improve?

Comments

[LocklandSF]

"place a Hard Rock Cafe out in the right field stands of the new Yankee Stadium."

Yikes! Sorry to hear that guys.

[krueg]

I guess they won't be selling Miller High Life at the new stadium? Or if they do, that dude will come take it all back...

[SF]

crappy food served up to tourists in a kitchy memorabilia-laden atmosphere

And this is different from the current situation how?

[SF]

I also know for a fact that YF was not a big fan of 11MP. Not enough of the food came in "piles". And that's an accurate-ish quote, right YF?

The Shake Shack rocks, though, at least it did back when I didn't have two kids to drag there and had more of a stomach for a 45 minute wait for a burger. Is it still good?

[LocklandSF]

"And this is different from the current situation how?"

Zing!!!!!!!

[A YF]

Hmmm, I wonder how many times folks here have gone into the surrounding Bronx for authentic neighborhood cuisine. Great food at good prices...

[Nick-YF]

Basically every time I go to a game, I get Carribean food from a place recommended by my friend who used work in the neighborhood around the stadium. Great jerk chicken!

[FenSheaParkway]

Kind of relatedly: What's the lowdown on bringing food into the park? I've always thought it was subject to confiscation and you were better off trying to sneak in easy stuff to conceal like sunflower seeds, depending on the park.

But I'm sometimes amazed at how much food some people are able to get inside. The one time I've ever gone to Yankee Stadium, the family in front of me looked like they had a whole picnic dinner with them. Is it just luck of the draw, or are stadium rules more lax than I had assumed?

[SF]

But I'm sometimes amazed at how much food some people are able to get inside.

YF once brought in an entire flambe set to make Crepes Suzette. I found it amazing that he was able to get the stainless steel buffet set stuffed in his pants through stadium security.

[Nick-YF]

basically, you can bring in food as long as it is in a clear bag, and it is not in hard containers that can be thrown on the field.

[A YF]

"Basically every time I go to a game, I get Carribean food from a place recommended by my friend who used work in the neighborhood around the stadium. Great jerk chicken!"

Where's it at? And name?

I was just talking to my Dad about how typical Yankee fans treat the stadium like it's on an island - you know like Jamaica and not Queens - where you're ferried to and fro but with no interactions with the surrounding community. But for us, there's nothing better than filling our bellies with food and beer before the game then sitting back for 9 innings and enjoying the action. We get a much better value and enjoyment than wasting one dime on ballpark food/drinks.

Still, why would you want Peter Luger at the ballpark? You do that some other night since it wouldn't be the same at a stadium of 50,000 people. There's no way to cook great food fast and efficiently. I'm very skeptical on how Meyer is going to do it.

[A YF]

"What's the lowdown on bringing food into the park?"

There's only one - put it in a clear plastic bag.

[Nick-YF]

It's called The Feeding Tree on I think 161st, but I'm not sure the avenue.

[Nick-YF]

892 Gerard Ave

[SF]

There's no way to cook great food fast and efficiently

Not true, Meyer already has a track record at the Shack, to an extent. And go to the Red Hook ballfields for great food cooked uber-fast, if not already pre-cooked. If anyone can do it Meyer might be able to, since he has experience.

But really, a lot of it is in the ingredients, not just the method. The ingredients that are used at most stadium stink, if I had to guess. Legal Sea Foods sells their chowder at Fenway, and while some might see it as an affront to tradition, the fact is that the soup is damn consistent with what they serve in their restaurants, and it's pretty decent.

If the vendors step up the ingredient quality and can keep the system running smoothly, the food could well be fantastic. And expensive. But the game is already going to be unaffordable to most, so the team has to imagine that those who can go to the game can also afford a $9 burger. I know that if I had the choice between a $6 mediocre brat or a $9 Shack Burger, I am saving my quarters for a few days ahead to make sure I procure that burger.

[A YF]

"Not true, Meyer already has a track record at the Shack, to an extent."

Have you ever been there and waited less than 30 minutes? No, drop it in an environment where 1/10 of the demand equals 5,000 people and you have to change something.

"And go to the Red Hook ballfields"

Not the same demand.

"Legal Sea Foods sells their chowder at Fenway"

Notice how that's all they serve? Why? A soup is one set of ingredients, that can be kept at a constant temperature for hours with little decrement in quality. And that's if the ingredients are fresh,and if I know LSF there's no way that's fresh even at there many outlets. In fact, don't they sell it in a can?

See, SF, you can't start a response with "Not true" and then provide examples that don't apply.

[A YF]

"But the game is already going to be unaffordable to most"

This is another meme that needs to end. 30% of the seats will be under $25. 50% will be under $45.

But yeah it's a bit incongruous to complain about the price of tickets then expect great food at decent prices. If you want that, venture into the surrounding neighborhood. Yankee Stadium has that whereas Citifield won't.

[A YF]

Thanks Nick.

[Brad]

guess they won't be selling Miller High Life at the new stadium? Or if they do, that dude will come take it all back...

hahahahahahahaha. I love that commercial, and to a greater extent, that beer.

[FenSheaParkway]

Clear plastic bag? Wow, I'm trying that next time! I can get my own dang pretzels.

[A YF]

"In fact, don't they sell it in a can?"

Buy it by the *gallon* over the interpipes:

http://shop.legalseafoods.com/index.cfm/pk/product/ac/list/cid/10087

"Comes with oyster crackers." ! Boston's finest "cuisine"! Mmmmmm, mmmmmm, good!

[DuffsWhole30Challenge]

You ever have a Shake Shack burger? Damn, those things are GOOD. I heard the secret is the brisket they use.