Baseball is back, and Delaware North Sportservice is ready for the action of the 2018 MLB season. Several ballparks with Delaware North operations hosted their respective Opening Day festivities this week, and culinary and retail teams across the country were able to unveil their new items. Here is a roundup of some of the new items hitting ballparks this season:
Globe Life Park in Arlington – Texas Rangers
Always a home run with fans, the food lineup at the home of the Rangers again generated an early-season buzz with its new Dilly Dog, a whole dill pickle stuffed with a hot dog and then battered and deep fried. Other attention-grabbing items hitting stands this year are The Triple B (a sandwich with bacon, brisket and bologna), the Cheetos Jalapeno Bacon Dog (hot dog wrapped in bacon and covered with Cheetos cheese sauce) and the 7th Inning Cinnamon Roll (a classic iced cinnamon bun, deep fried and topped with raspberry and chocolate sauce).
Oriole Park at Camden Yards – Baltimore Orioles
Local Baltimore and Maryland favorites are on deck for Orioles fans this season, with a full slate of new food partners coming to the ballpark. Boardwalk Fries (made famous in Ocean City, Maryland), Lobster Hut’s chopped lobster salad on a New England roll, popular Baltimore County Pizza John’s and fresh corned beef and pastrami from Attman’s Deli are all available throughout the ballpark this year. Also available in concessions will be Stuggy’s gourmet hot dogs with several varieties, including the Bob Marley (chicken, Caribbean slaw, mango mayo and jalapenos), the Motor City (chili, shredded cheese and diced onions) and the Crab Mac & Cheese Dog (baked mac & cheese, crabmeat and Old Bay seasoning).
SunTrust Park – Atlanta Braves
Delaware North Co-CEO Lou Jacobs and EVP & Chief Administrative Officer Frank Mendicino joined Vice President of Operations Jeff Hess, District Manager Shawn Mattox and Operations Manager George Raub to take in the Braves’ Opening Day at SunTrust Park, which begins its second baseball season. Some new food items taking the field this year at SunTrust are: The Spec-Tater (jumbo potato stuffed with jalapeno cheddar sausage, wrapped in blanket of slow-smoked bacon, and topped with sour cream and scallions), Los Bravos Gigante Burrito (unofficially the largest burrito in baseball, four extra-large tortillas layered with grilled chicken or beef, sofrito rice, queso Chihuahua, and salsa roja), and the Pig Pickin’ (BBQ-seasoned tortilla shell filled with slow-cooked smoked pork and smothered in Coca-Cola BBQ sauce, creamy mac and cheese, summer coleslaw, fries and grilled corn).
Busch Stadium – St. Louis Cardinals
Leading off for Cards fans this year is the Grand Slam Mixed Grill, a mouth-watering platter featuring three new concessions items: Grilled Chicken Bats (smoked chicken legs with choice of BBQ sauce), Sausage Bites (bacon, onion and cheddar, whiskey peppercorn or mango habanero brat topped with a spicy aioli) and a Jumbo Shrimp Skewer (four jumbo shrimp, grilled to order, marinated with minced garlic and fresh lime). Other new items include a Gioia’s Hot Salami Sandwich (an award-winning sandwich that’s been a St. Louis classic since 1918) and Coke Corner Tacos (smoked pulled-pork tacos with Coca-Cola-infused BBQ sauce, fresh pico de gallo, and toasted onions).
Guaranteed Rate Field – Chicago White Sox
Because it’s Chicago, the White Sox food offerings has to include an all-star sausage lineup. New to the ballpark this year are Johnsonville Specialty Sausages, including The Slurve (a cheddar bratwurst topped with caramelized onions and spicy deli mustard), The Change Up (Monterey jack chicken sausage with zesty salsa fresca) and The Cutter (Southwestern chorizo served with guacamole and cotija cheese. Other new items include a Cuban Burger (beef hamburger topped with sliced ham, pork carnitas, sliced pickles, swiss cheese, yellow mustard and mojo sauce) and a Churro Ice Cream Sandwich (ice cream served on a bun made from churros).