I’m currently writing this propped up in my bed with three pillows behind my back and head. I hope I won’t have to move much for the rest of the day. Maybe I’ll see if I can order a wheelchair from DoorDash if for some reason I have to leave my apartment.
After leaving Yankee Stadium’s 2023 Food and Beverage Media Preview on Wednesday afternoon, I sat on a bench right outside of Gate 6 and contemplated the meaning of life. Was it about consuming ungodly amounts of food, most of which was fried, sweet and/or salty, in the name of creating content? Probably not! But someone has to do the job and my favorite word in the English language is “free.”
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I’ve only had one other food critic assignment in my life and that was three years ago when I was the Atlanta Hawks beat writer for The Athletic. I tried the lemon pepper wings at the iconic strip club Magic City after then-Los Angeles Clippers guard Lou Williams got caught at the establishment while in Atlanta for a funeral. This was during the NBA bubble. When Williams returned to Orlando, he was forced to spend 10 days in quarantine.
I spent a few hours in Magic City yesterday and totally understand why @TeamLou23 wanted wings from a strip club.
“It’s the magic, baby” is what I learned makes their wings so special.
Tropikal Delite gave me a recommendation for next time, too.https://t.co/CcV1iwrlmd pic.twitter.com/J75TA4Ddhs
— Chris Kirschner (@ChrisKirschner) July 28, 2020
Wednesday’s assignment was in Yankee Stadium’s Audi Club in left field. Let’s say it has very different views, aesthetically, than my assignment in 2020. But neither assignment was about the views; it was about the food!
The stadium has numerous new concession items for the 2023 season. I tried them all except for the bleu cheese and bacon burger from Bobby’s Burgers because I think bleu cheese is gross. Judge me if you must. Surprisingly, each of the items sampled by media will be priced below $20 before tax.
Baseball loves its “plus” stats, so to rank each item, I’m creating Yankee Stadium Concessions+, or YSC+, where the average rating is 100 just as it is for wRC+ or OPS+. So, a 125 YSC+ would be 25 percent better than your average concession stand item. I’m also reviewing each item in order of when I ate it. There was no rhyme or reason why I started with one particular item over the next.
Let’s taste some food.
Chicken tenders with waffle fries
Vendor: FUKU
Where you can buy: Section 213
YSC+: 140
I’ve been to FUKU’s brick-and-mortar locations before so this wasn’t a new item to me. I would say I’m a chicken tender connoisseur. FUKU easily has a top-five tender in the fast food space. Popeye’s will always be No. 1 for me. Raising Cane’s is my No. 2 followed by FUKU, Bojangles and, honestly, Dairy Queen. Don’t knock it if you haven’t had them.
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Not only does FUKU score major points with the juiciness of their chicken and just the right amount of spice, but their waffle fries might be the No. 1 in the waffle fry category, surpassing Chick-fil-A. If you’re getting tenders at the stadium, opt for these instead of the chicken buckets.
(Chris Kirschner / The Athletic)Cheesy garlic bread
Vendor: Christian Petroni
Where you can buy: Sections 125, 310
YSC+: 207
The Aaron Judge of cheesy garlic bread. Simply spectacular. The perfect crisp. The perfect amount of tang and sweetness in the marinara sauce. I will be back numerous times this season; I just hope they have a punch card so I can get free bread after my eighth visit. Garlic bread and baseball. The new American tradition.
(Chris Kirschner / The Athletic)Bronx Burrito
Vendor: Legends Hospitality
Where you can buy: Section 311
YSC+: 65
Like a raw prospect, this burrito needs a little more seasoning before it debuts in The Bronx. The burrito was quite bland. There was so much rice that also didn’t have much seasoning that it overshadowed the beef barbacoa.
(Chris Kirschner / The Athletic)Mexican street mac
Vendor: Mac Truck
Where you can buy: Section 223
YSC+: 160
I didn’t really know what to expect with this one: classic mac elbow noodles with pico de gallo, charred corn and crushed-up tortilla chips. It is a banger. The tortilla chips act similarly to toasted bread crumbs on traditional mac and cheese except there’s more crunch with the tortilla crumble. Some may find all of the different textures in this dish a bit much but I thought it was fantastic.
(Chris Kirschner / The Athletic)Bacon on a stick
Vendor: Yankee Stadium
Where you can buy: Various locations throughout the stadium
YSC+: 20
Really, the only good part about this was the immediate rush of saltiness after biting into it. I despise chewy bacon and the piece I had was tough. Side note: There’s nothing fun about getting a BEC at your bodega and the bacon is chewy. It’s seriously such a downer and an awful start to the day. I had a few more bites of the Mexican mac to increase my happiness after that bite.
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I probably need to get my cholesterol checked after this.
Pinstripe vanilla shake
Vendor: Yankee Stadium Grand Slam Shakes
Where you can buy: Sections 112, 125, 324
YSC+: 115
I was planning on continuing to eat more of the actual food but a tray of milkshakes passed by me and I’m never one to turn down ice cream if it’s in front of my face. I’m more of a chocolate ice cream fan so I was hoping for that instead but I didn’t see any.
I’d compare vanilla shakes to Clarke Schmidt. It’s solid. It’s dependable. It’ll get the job done. But it’s the toppings that really take it to a whole new level, and that’s what Schmidt is hoping that his cutter does for him this year. For the shake, I think crushed-up wafer cookies would make a difference instead of having a whole piece.
(Chris Kirschner / The Athletic)Classic mac and cheese
Vendor: Mac Truck
Where you can buy: Section 223
YSC+: 125
There’s no better description of this mac and cheese other than saying it’s the DJ LeMahieu of mac and cheeses. You know what you’re getting if you order this. You’re going to feel confident going back to your seat knowing this was your concession purchase because it’s going to be tasty. The only thing here is there are higher-upside options at Mac Truck if you’re willing to go out of your comfort zone. You have the Mexican mac and buffalo chicken mac right there. Be bold.
(Chris Kirschner / The Athletic)Rice bowl
Vendor: Mighty Quinn’s
Where you can buy: Section 132
YSC+: 95
After a brief, but necessary pause, I was back with newfound energy. I grabbed a rice bowl with burnt ends and a side of cole slaw. I had higher expectations for it, much like Josh Donaldson last season. I liked the sweet sauce on the burnt ends but it just didn’t do much for me overall.
(Chris Kirschner / The Athletic)99 Burger
Vendor: Legends Hospitality
Where you can buy: Section 223
YSC+: 175
Easily the best burger I’ve had at a sporting event. The 99 burger is, obviously, an ode to Judge’s number. The Yankees will only sell a maximum of 99 of these burgers each game, mainly because they’re made with Wagyu beef and cooked to order. On the burger comes aged cheddar, caramelized onions, a secret sauce and pickles on a brioche bun. The burger I had was cooked so perfectly. If I would have started with this, there’s probably no way I would’ve been able to eat as much as I did because I would’ve grabbed a second burger and just eaten that and called it a day.
Maybe the best part about this burger? It’s $19.99 plus tax. This would likely run you $30 in Manhattan.
(Chris Kirschner / The Athletic)Veggie Bronx burrito
Vendor: Legends Hospitality
Where you can buy: Section 311
YSC+: 120
There were not many vegetarian or vegan options available during this event but this is a quality option for those who don’t eat meat. The fried sweet plantains are the star of the show here.
(Chris Kirschner / The Athletic)Prickly pear margarita
Vendor: Bar
Where you can buy: Section 318
YSC+: 190
I know some don’t like tequila and can’t drink it even in mixed drinks. I am not that guy. There’s not a tequila I will pass up. This one is made with Hornito’s, prickly pear juice, simple syrup and lime. I might’ve found my new drink when I’m trying to turn up.
(Chris Kirschner / The Athletic)City Winery burger
Vendor: City Winery
Where you can buy: Section 105
YSC+: 70
I’m willing to give this one another chance because I do like all of the ingredients and toppings. This burger comes with red wine caramelized onions, garlic herb cheese spread and baby arugula on a toasted brioche bun. The burger I had was dry — the complete opposite of the 99 Burger. But the potential is there for this one to be very good.
(Chris Kirschner / The Athletic)Pork and broccoli rabe cheesesteak
Vendor: Legends Hospitality
Where you can buy: Section 107
YSC+: 60
Full disclosure: I am not a broccoli rabe fan. It’s definitely up there for my least favorite vegetable. Because of that, I likely hated this sandwich because of the broccoli rabe. You probably shouldn’t take my word for this score, though, if broccoli rabe is your thing.
(Chris Kirschner / The Athletic)Buffalo chicken mac and cheese
Vendor: Mac Truck
Where you can buy: Section 223
YSC+: 155
I’m putting this one just slightly below the Mexican mac. Both are phenomenal but I just liked how they took Mexican street corn and somehow enhanced an already great food item. The buffalo chicken on this mac wasn’t too spicy as the creaminess of the cheese lowered the heat just the perfect amount. I can see this dish becoming a crowd favorite because it has two things most people enjoy: buffalo chicken and mac and cheese. That’s like bringing together Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout together — except it’s a winning combination.
(Chris Kirschner / The Athletic)If the Lyft to my apartment wasn’t $37 after leaving the stadium, I might’ve taken a car because I felt (still feel) like I am going to combust any moment now. Thankfully, my flight back to Tampa for the end of spring training isn’t until Thursday afternoon. I couldn’t have made it to the airport on Wednesday night.
(Top photo of the 99 Burger: Courtesy New York Yankees)
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