Ballpark food on steroids
We are a nation of plus-sized people and this season, America's favorite pastime has some extra-large offerings for us.
First at bat are the West Michigan Whitecaps of Comstock Park, Mich. The minor league team has rolled out a 4-pound, 4,800-calorie burger -- five beef patties, five slices of cheese, chili, salsa and corn chips on an 8-inch bun.
(Richard A. Chapman/Sun-Times)
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Big food
The Physicians Committee For Responsible Medicine, a vegan advocacy group, asked the ballclub to label the burger a "dietary disaster." Naturally, the team didn't do that.
New in the lineup at U.S. Cellular Field is the Grand Slam Italian Meatball Sandwich. Nestled in a 2-foot-long roll are 12 meatballs with marinara sauce, provolone and grated Parmesan.
Weighing in at 3 pounds, the $26 sandwich is served on the "premium levels," bringing new meaning to the term well-bred and well-fed.
On the North Side, Wrigley Field introduced the North Side Twist, a soft-baked pretzel made from 2 pounds of dough and topped with sea salt.
It comes with three dipping options -- spicy brown mustard, chipotle mustard and a beer cheese sauce. (Of course, those who want plain yellow mustard can get that, too.)
The pretzel and accoutrements are $15.
David Burns, executive chef at Wrigley Field, says the mega-pretzel and meatball sandwich-on-steroids, both developed by Chicago-based Levy Restaurants, aren't about being piggy. It's about sharing, he says.
"We were trying to create something that would be easy to share in the stands," says Burns, who worked with Levy cooks in the off-season to beef up the ballpark's third best-selling food, the soft pretzel.
The pretzel serves between four to five people. A single-serving pretzel is $3.25 -- but comes with no specialty sauces.
The giant Twist seemed to be a hit during the April 13 home opener. The lone concession offering the pretzels sold 100 of the warm-on-the-inside, crisp-on-the-outside treats.
Then again, it was a rainy, 40-degree day; a warm treat would hit the spot. It will take a season to determine whether the Twist is here to stay.
Levy also developed the meatball sandwich at U.S. Cellular Field. A spokeswoman for the food company says the idea is to split the 2-foot sandwich with friends.
Food has become big business at ballgames as teams extend their offerings beyond the ol' peanuts and Cracker Jack. The Kansas City Royals hosted a tasting day for the media before its home opener this season, a spokesman says. The New York Mets and Texas Rangers hosted similar events.
Contributing: AP