New Yankee Stadium Food - Save Your Money And Bring Food From Home

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For those who pissed this post due to the holiday weekend:

For many people, the bevy of food options at the new Yankee Stadium was an unnecessary addition to the baseball experience. From the "just give me a hot dog and a beer" crowd, to the "bring your own food from home" fans, there were plenty of people smarter than us who knew that the new menu options just meant more terrible food to choose from. Unfortunately, we promised a food tasting series here on NSI, so we have been subjecting ourselves to unthinkable food horrors over the past 3 months.

Without further ado, here is some of the most terrifyingly disgusting grub that we have wasted our money on. We recommend that you stay far, far away from these menu options on your next trip to the new Yankee Stadium.


The steak sandwich (sold at select NY Grill locations throughout the new Yankee Stadium):


The best description we have heard of this steak sandwich is from fellow blog author Nick - "that sandwich looked like E.T when he was dying... tastes like it too." Trust us - if we knew this was what this "sandwich" (sold at the NY Grill near section 434 in the upper deck) looked like, we never would have bought it. Unfortunately, we saw the $15 price point and assumed it was another outlet for the $15 Lobel's steak sandwich that we know and love. In short - it is not. This "sandwich" consists of a dry, tasteless, overcooked mystery meat, thrown onto a tasteless hoagie roll (although the concession stand menu says it is a garlic roll). To spare you the gory details, it tastes as bad as it looks. This is $15 we will never get back, and we can only hope that this reaches someone else to save them their hard-earned money. The key is knowing that the $15 Lobel's Steak sandwich on the field level down the left field line is amazing and is totally worth the $15. This is an impostor sandwich and is the biggest ripoff in Yankee Stadium history.

Mac N' Cheese (sold at Brother Jimmy's locations throughout the new Yankee Stadium):


Egg on our faces for ever thinking that Mac N' Cheese at a baseball game was a good idea. As the story goes, we saw it on the menu at the Brother Jimmy's on the field level, had memories of the very good Mac N' Cheese at the actual Brother Jimmy's restaurants and took the plunge. Terrible decision. Pictured above is what the Legends Hospitality Management concession stand workers think qualifies as serviceable Mac N' Cheese. It was dry, there were weird chunks of bread in it (breadcrumbs?) and it tasted like it had been sitting around for days (it probably had been). We regret not trusting our instincts and staying far, far away. This was "only" $8, but some who have seen this photo are even more appalled than the quality of the steak sandwich. The worst part? We actually tried this on the same night as that steak sandwich. $23 for two of the worst food items that we have ever purchased. It was enough to inspire a blog post.

Chicken Parmesan Hero (sold at Mike's Arthur Ave Italian Deli in the Field Level Food court at the new Yankee Stadium)


File this one in the "should have trusted our instincts" category. The small size of this $12 chicken parm hero wasn't the only thing that caused it to make this list - it also had no taste. As with most of the "different" food items at the new Yankee Stadium, this sandwich was warm, but it looked and tasted like it had been sitting under a heating lamp for a long, long time. The congealed cheese and dried up sauce was a dead giveaway. The chicken wasn't terrible, so the availability of some fresh sauce and some fresh Parmesan cheese might have made this edible. Unfortunately, the Legends Hospitality Management employees simply threw the wrapped up sandwich at us, without offering any options to spruce it up. Stay away from this hero unless you plan on sneaking some extra tomato sauce into the stadium.

Cuban Sandwich (Unnamed Latin Food Stand down the right field line)


This one was a real disappointment. It came highly recommended by someone on Twitter of Cuban descent who told us that a relative had tried it and vouched for its authenticity. Unfortunately, it was as bad as the other food items on this list. It was dry, the bread was stale, and like most other food items it seemed like it had been sitting around all day. Toss in some congealed cheese, and this Cuban sandwich was quite forgettable.

In all fairness, we have had some excellent food at the new Yankee Stadium, as well as some serviceable options. The Lobel's steak sandwich is $15, but is the best food option in the entire stadium and is absolutely worth the cost. The only location is on the field level - DON'T be fooled by the impostor steak sandwich like we were! Carl's Philly Cheese Steaks are pretty much a can't miss if you are in the mood for cheesy, greasy goodness. Mo's home wrecker burrito and Nachos Supreme are stuffed with ingredients. They are serviceable on a bad day and hit the spot on a good day (LHM got one thing right and decided to check the beans at the door - no need to subject fellow fans to the inevitable unpleasantness that would result from beans at the ballpark). Heck, we even had spicy tuna rolls one time and were surprised at the quality of the raw fish. We were also extremely happy with the food during our two trips to the upscale Audi Yankees Club. The food is supplied by Lobel's, and Lonn Trost enjoys his meals there - if the COO is eating there, you know you are in the right place.

We were able to speak with Joe Swanski, the Yankee Stadium concessions manager for Legends Hospitality Management. In a phone interview, we had the opportunity to discuss the food quality issues, as well as service complaints that we have heard from fellow fans. Swanski acknowledged that the company is going through some growing pains. "In the service sector, there are always some issues to work through, but we aware that we are in a unique position as a start up company running the concessions for a brand such as the Yankees." Some of these issues include finding the right balance between fresh and prepared foods to keep concession lines manageable, as well as deciding which "experimental" food items such as the impostor steak sandwich are going to remain on the menu. Swanski takes complaints about their employees the most serious. "Service is the core value of our company and we have a an extensive training program in place to make sure our employees are prepared."

From our experiences with the concessions at the stadium, things have gone from bad to worse as the season has progressed. We have even gone so far as to swear off anything other than hot dogs and Lobel's Steak sandwiches. Swanski was disappointed to hear the resignation in our voice and says that fan feedback is the only way that the company will know what issues need to be addressed in order to improve the fan experience going forward. He was genuinely happy to hear from us, and hopes that more fans will share their experiences. If you have had a bad experience with the concessions at Yankee Stadium, Legends Hospitality Management offers an online form to air your grievance. We'd recommend avoiding yelling matches with unmotivated employees at the stand, and simply submitting your complaint to Legends Hospitality Management. Perhaps we can make a difference.
Read the full post, after the jump

Time Magazine Shows You How To Get The Most Out Of The Legends Seats

Since we did something similar with the Audi Yankees Club last month, we thought we'd pass along Time Magazine's attempt to get their money's worth out of a Yankee Stadium premium ticket offering.

The article was written by an un-funny Yankee hater, but it is worth reading to fantasize about being afforded the luxury of being a glutton in the Legends Suite for a day:

The Yankees were up 2 to 1, but obviously I had other concerns. A waiter came by with a bag of peanuts ($5) for me to down while I considered the menu. To start, I went with a box of chicken fingers with spicy buffalo sauce ($10), a lobster roll ($15), a hot dog ($5) and two large unsweetened iced teas ($7). And another giant bag of peanut M&Ms ($5). The waiter looked at me suspiciously.

Minutes later the food arrived. The lobster roll was an exaggerated pink paste on white bread. The hot dog was a hot dog. But the chicken fingers and buffalo sauce were a revelation. So I ordered another box ($10). I also remembered that I had brought a friend with me, so we talked a little between bites. But I needed to say focused. When a waitress came by with a tray of pasta plates — remember, this is technically a baseball stadium — I asked if the pasta was any good. Turns out no one had tried any: "Everybody just looks at me like I'm crazy." So: pasta ($15)! And while it was terrible pasta, I felt very good eating it.

We're wondering if the "say focused" typo made it into the magazine as well, or if that is an online-only article. Anyway, back to the "review." It isn't surprising that the food for the Legends Suite is terrible - Legends Hospitality Management runs the place and sources the food. They are a newbie of a company, bound to deal with some growing pains.

Meanwhile, Lobel's supplies the food for the Audi Yankees Club, making it the clear choice if you want to enjoy top notch food while attending a game at the new Yankee Stadium. Read the full post, after the jump

New Yankee Stadium Food Options Announced By Legends Hospitality Management

As we mentioned early last week, Legends Hospitality Management promised a press release to announce all of the food and drink options at the New Yankee Stadium. Today, they made good on that promise and the press release was posted on the Yankees' website. Sadly, it does not include prices, but it does list all of the specific brands and concessions that will be a part of the new Yankee Stadium experience. It looks like garlic fries are being touted as one of the major new additions, and we can't wait to try them.

Stadium Debuts:

• Boar's Head made-to-order deli sandwich stand, including soups and salads
• Brother Jimmy's BBQ
• Dunkin' Donuts Coffee
• Highlanders traditional ballpark food with a New York flair, including hot dogs with sauerkraut and "pushcart" onions
• Johnny Rockets
• Lobel's of New York
• Moe's Southwest Grill
• Otis Spunkmeyer
• Pepsi Cola Products, including Lipton Iced Tea, Tropicana Lemonade and Gatorade
• Tommy Bahama's Bar serving mixed drinks
• Turkey Hill Ice Cream

New Cuisine:

• Garlic Fries stand, a staple of West Coast ballparks
• Latin Corner, serving hot-pressed Cuban sandwiches, nachos and burritos
• Noodle Bowls stand with other Asian-inspired items
• Soy Kitchen sushi and salads
• Triple Play Grill, offering beef and chicken sliders, and Lobel's steak sandwiches

Healthy Alternatives and Specialty Items:

• Melissa's, a traditional farmers market, carrying fresh fruits and vegetables
• Various Glatt Kosher options

Child-Friendly Options

• The Big Apple stand, offering candy, caramel and chocolate-dipped apples
• Dale and Thomas popcorn stand
• Kids Cart with school-lunch favorites and smaller-portion items, such as peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, milk, small hot dogs and Kozy Shack Pudding

Traditional Favorites:

• Bazzini nuts
• Carl's Steaks
• Carvel Ice Cream
• Cracker Jack
• Famous Famiglia Pizza
• French's Mustard
• Hebrew National
• Heinz Ketchup
• Mike's Arthur Avenue Italian Deli, featuring zeppoli and antipasto
• Nathan's Famous, serving hot dogs in natural casing
• New York Pretzel
• Premio Sausage, serving grilled coiled sausages
• Poland Spring Water
• Tyson chicken
• Utz Potato Chips

As everyone probably realizes by now, the food at the new Yankee Stadium is a major interest of ours, so we will be sure to get more in depth with this when time permits.

UPDATE (1:06 PM) - The link to the actual release was added to the the top of the post. We inadvertently left that out previously in our haste to post the news. Also, it was pointed out (via Twitter) that prices are discussed on the release, promising a $3 hot dog, $3 soda, and $6 beer. We don't recall there being a $6 beer at the old Yankee Stadium, but it will likely be a 12 ounce bottle of Bud Light. Also, Fake IPK has chimed in via the comments and has pointed out the death of Dippin' Dots. They were the ice cream of the future for a couple of decades, but they never really caught on. The world's supply of Dippin' Dots is slowly dwindling. Sad stuff. Read the full post, after the jump

Just To Whet Your Appetite: Some Of The Food Options At The New Yankee Stadium

Legends Hospitality Management plans on posting a press release later this week, detailing the food options at the new Yankee Stadium. For now, we can take a sneak peak at some of those options courtesy of the many great photos that came out of the stadium tours this weekend (and in the past).



First up is the unsurprising and disappointing Famiglia Pizza. If it looks like microwave pizza and tastes like microwave pizza, it must be microwave pizza. Very disappointing, since New York City is known to have some of the best pizza in the world. Why the Yankees continue to torture us with Famiglia's horrendous dough with cheese and sauce on it is inexplicable (or perhaps it is that Famiglia is willing to pay the big bucks it must take to forge a concession deal with the Yankees).



Next, we have a minor tweak to a Yankee Stadium classic. Nobody can forget the chicken fingers and fries combo that was served at a few concession stands around the old park. Sadly, the rubbery chicken and days-old, grease-soaked french fries were actually one of the highlights of the food selection in the upper deck. Now that those days are behind us, it looks like Legends Hospitality Management has a new trick up their sleeves: sliders. Who doesn't love mini burgers? We will set the under/over on the price per slider at $5. I'll bite and take the under. Anyone willing to make the wager? A Bernie Williams CD might be in it for you if you win the bet.



Of course, there is Johnny Rockets. However, we previously covered this concession in a previous post, so we'll spare you the diatribe about awesome straw dispensers.



Here comes the good stuff. When Stadium Insider had the pleasure of visiting Safeco Field in Seattle last May, everyone recommended the garlic fries as the must-have stadium food. We gave those fries mixed reviews, but the smell of them cooking was enough to make the mouth water. As long as the Yankees change the oil in the fryers every once in a while. garlic fries at Yankee Stadium have some major potential.



Finally, we present a relatively new classic from the old Yankee Stadium, Carl's Cheesesteaks. A reviewer on yelp was hopeful back in November that Carl's would make the move to the New Stadium, and they won't be disappointed. The lines at these "hot" concession stands are typically too long to justify waiting in, but with the more open design of the new Yankee Stadium, the potential exists to wait in line and not have to miss all of the action on the field. The joys of a modern stadium will never get old to us.

Of course, there is the Hard Rock Cafe (open year round), and the upscale NYY Steak Restaurant in centerfield (it isn't too late to apply for a job there), for meals of the sitdown variety. We plan on visiting all of these fine establishments for in-depth reviews from the perspective of the average Yankee fan (never to be confused with the typical Yankee fan) during the season. Now we just have to wait to see how much all of this is going to cost us. We're pretty sure that beers are going to average $10 for the first time in 2009, but that is just speculation. Read the full post, after the jump

Time is running out to work concessions at the New Yankee Stadium

This isn't breaking news, but it is worth noting that time is running out to apply for a job as one of the helpful, efficient and friendly concession stand workers at the New Yankee Stadium. Legends Hospitality Management (the Yankees' new "homegrown" concession company), has been holding special job fairs for all interested persons:

Legends Hospitality provides all of the fine dining, concessions and merchandise services for the new Yankee Stadium. We are currently looking for experienced workers to fill positions in our restaurants and clubs, and available positions include servers, bartenders, food runners, cooks, concession stand workers and supervisors. Qualified individuals will be self-motivated, hard working and have fine dining experience.

In order to interview potential candidates, Legends Hospitality will be holding job fairs on the following dates and times:

Saturday, January 24, 2009 from 10am-4pm (Union Members Only)
Thursday, January 29, 2009 from 4pm-7pm
Saturday, January 31, 2009 from 9am-12pm
And every Wednesday in February, beginning on February 4, 2009, from 10am-1pm

With the bleak outlook for the economy, there should be plenty of overqualified workers applying for these all-important jobs. All I ask is that the homegrown concession company requires their workers to add another speed of service to their repertoire. Any frequent visitors to the Old Yankee Stadium who waited in the endless concession lines are well aware that the workers from Centerplate (the former concession company) operated in two speeds: slow and stop.

Potential peanut salesmen should be happy to know that the Upper Deck is considerably less steep in the New Yankee Stadium, making their peanut-throwing a bit less tedious.

Talk about it in the Stadium Insider Forums! Read the full post, after the jump

Forget the games they play between the baselines... Its all about the new amenities

Between reporting idiots from my cell phone while surfing the web via free wi-fi, eating at all of the new food vendors and playing PS3 on Sony LCD HDTVs when will I have time to watch baseball at the new Yankee Stadium? People buying the game program and scoring the game is going to be pretty much obsolete. What is the point of that anyway?

If you went to the final game at the Old Yankee Stadium and plan to attend the first exhibition game at the beginning of April, its probably going to feel like you entered some sort of time warp when you see all that the New Stadium has to offer.

Talk about it in the NYYSI Forums! Read the full post, after the jump

Yankees to have "homegrown" catering company provide food in the New Yankee Stadium

From BusinessWire comes news of Dallas Cowboys/New York Yankees partnership. Usually these business press releases fly right over my head, but in this case it is pertinent to frequent visitors to Yankee Stadium.

Lets go to the release:

“The old model of stadium concessions is broken,” stated Hal Steinbrenner, Co-Chairman of the New York Yankees. “Fans want and deserve a better experience for their sports entertainment dollar. Working with Legends to leverage the talent and experience resident in the Yankees’ and Cowboys’ organizations will enable us to set a higher bar for sports franchises while delivering greater value to fans. When the new Yankee Stadium opens for the 2009 season, our fans will be able to experience first-hand the enhancements to our menus, concessions, retail operations and fan spaces that Legends has overseen.”

The main bullet point of this press release is that the Yankees are cutting out the crappy middlemen such as Aramark and Centerplate catering and creating their own in-house option. Theoretically, this should cut costs for food items at the new Stadium, but that is highly doubtful given the overhead of starting up this operation and building the billion dollar Stadium. However, this does mean that we are free from the gummy chicken fingers and transfat-enhanced, year-old oil-soaked french fries that had haunted us for years at the old Yankee Stadium.

Many long-time vendors at the old Yankee Stadium are likely to lose their jobs based on this announcement, but for the average fan it is nothing but a good thing. I have seen some of the cooking facilities that Aramark and Centerplate use and whatever the Yankees come up with can't possibily be worse.

LONG LIVE LEGENDS HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT!

Talk about it in the NYYSI Forums! Read the full post, after the jump