6 days Ago By Bryce Winslow
As the New York Mets prepare for their home opener against the Toronto Blue Jays, Citi Field will feature new dining options aimed at enhancing the fan experience. According to Eyewitness News , Sam Ryan sports anchor has previewed a lineup that includes loaded fries, a vegan white chocolate macadamia cookie, smoked turkey sandwiches, and the sinfully delicious fried Oreos. Apart from the culinary expansion, fans are also in for a new entertainment spectacle between innings, a mascot race featuring prominent symbols from New York's five boroughs.
Brooklyn will dash as a pizza slice, Manhattan as a skyscraper, Staten Island represented by the ferry, Queens takes on the identity of the subway, and a giraffe, signifying the Bronx Zoo will embody the Bronx. Adding more to the story, CBS News New York's Elle McLogan dove into the ballpark's efforts to diversify the menu with options for every fan. Katie Haas, vice president of ballpark operations and experience at Citi Field, stated, "This year, we have more emphasis on diversity, affordability and inclusion," with the introduction of halal, vegan, and kosher foods.
Menu expansions aren't just about variety but also about affordability, featuring meal deals for kids and $5 Tuesdays with classic stadium fare. Local flavors are being featured as part of the new offerings, too. Ozone Park’s Arepalicious is stepping up to the big leagues with its Colombian arepas.
Helmed by Danny Atehortua, who juggles his restaurant between working shifts for the Staten Island Ferry, Arepalicious will now spotlight its homemade white corn and mozzarella cheese arepas at Citi Field. "It's fantastic because now we're going to let everybody know about our product. It's going to be international," Atehortua told CBS News New York.
Additionally, fans can look forward to dishes like Korean fried chicken and curried chicken patties, courtesy of Seoul Bird and Chef Kwame's Patty Palace, respectively. With the Mets' season ticket packages already sold out, Citi Field's seasoned executive chef Jason Eksterowicz highlighted the exceptional platform the stadium provides for their culinary offerings. "We've got 50,000 people that come to this stadium every day," he emphasized, as per CBS News New York.
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