Just a week after feeding hungry baseball fans in the U.K. at Major League Baseball’s inaugural London Series, Delaware North was able to impress yet again at another signature MLB event: the 2019 All-Star Game. The annual showcase of the league’s best players was held this year at Progressive Field in Cleveland, where Delaware North Sportservice provides food and beverage services for the Cleveland Indians.
Efforts were led by Delaware North’s general manager at the ballpark, Fattar Thomas, but it was a true team effort with 24 chefs, 33 managers and 160 other Sportservice associates traveling to Cleveland to assist with the huge hospitality operation during the multiday event.
Beyond rave reviews from the fans, the Delaware North team at Progressive Field also drew compliments from the players. Members of the National League team signed an official game ball to show their appreciation for the food and beverage operation in the clubhouse and even said the All-Star Game food has “never been so good.”
Executive Chef Josh Ingraham and his culinary team put on an all-star performance of their own, debuting 12 new concession items for fans. One of the major draws was the Let’s Eat, Cleveland section of concession stands at the ballpark, which showcased classic Cleveland dishes and ingredients. Featured items included a sliced sausage hoagie, a loaded pierogi, gyros and chicken shawarma.
Some of the other fan-favorite food items were the All-Star Meatloaf Sandwich, All-Star Rally Reuben, dipped ice cream bars and the return of the Parmageddon – a gourmet grilled cheese sandwich made with a potato and onion pierogi, fresh Napa vodka kraut, grilled onions and sharp cheddar cheese.
The food also drew the attention of the media, with CBS Sports, Cleveland.com and WKYC-TV covering all of the culinary highlights.
“With the 2019 All-Star Game in town, Progressive Field executive chef Josh Ingraham and his team have brought their A-game in an effort that Ingraham says is a process that takes years,” CBS Sports reporter Matt Snyder wrote in his article about the food. “The stadium normally has a strong all-around food game (try the Fat Rooster spicy chicken sandwich), but they put together some specials for the All-Star Game.”
This was the fourth time in the past six years that Delaware North has been the hospitality provider for the All-Star Game, having also served fans at the 2014 game at Target Field in Minneapolis, at the 2015 game at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati and in 2016 at Petco Park in San Diego.
Delaware North will be back on deck for All-Star Game hospitality in 2021, when the festivities head to SunTrust Park in Atlanta, where Delaware North is the hospitality provider for the Atlanta Braves.