Shake Shack
Any New Yorker that loves burgers has been to Shake Shack in Madison Square Park. Owned and operated by Danny Meyer they specialize in serving
fantastic burgers, shakes and fries. The Madison Square Park location can get so busy at lunch time that they have a webcam running so people can
check the line from their desks. The Citifield location is situated out in centerfield and although there were lines they seemed to move very quickly. I
did not try a burger this game but I have been to Shake Shack before and the burgers are really worth the wait. They are served on a soft bun, cheese
melting over the sides and the burger requires several napkins because it’s so juicy. Just the way it should be. Also as far as price goes it’s only about
a dollar more at the ballpark, really not that bad.
Blue Smoke
Right next to Shake Shack you’ll find another one of Meyer’s food stands, Blue Smoke. The restaurant is located in the Murray Hill section of
Manhattan serving quality BBQ in a casual setting. The food has received rave reviews and a 21 rating in Zagat. My first stop once inside Citifield
was to visit the Blue Smoke concession stand. The menu is kept simple to maintain both quality and speed in service which is extremely important at
a game. It features a Pulled Pork sandwich, Kansas City Spare Ribs, Chipotle Chicken Wings and Fries. The line was already outside of the roped
section when I arrived yet it probably took me less than 10 minutes. The most important element of BBQ is the smoke. Without smoke you don’t have
BBQ. So I was very curious to see how they dealt with this at the park. You could certainly smell the BBQ from the line but how did they do it? When I
reached the counter I glanced to the side of the kitchen and noticed a huge stack of wood. Thank God! I was so happy to see that they were doing BBQ
the right way with real wood and smoke right in the park. Once I saw the wood I knew the food was going to be amazing and I was right. I tried the
Pulled Pork Sandwich and their signature Blue Smoke Beer. I took the sandwich back to my seat and the steam was still rising off it when I took it out
of the box. With my first bite you got just the right amount of smoke flavor mixed with the tender slow cooked pork. It was lightly sauced, just how I
like it. You tasted the true pork flavor without it being covered up by a ton of sauce which is what most places would have done. The quality of the
food exceeded anything I’ve had at a game before. The beer was dark amber in color and a perfect complement to the sandwich.
Box Frites
Across from Shake Shack and Blue Smoke you’ll find the other two Meyer’s creations. During the middle of the game I was ready for a snack and went
down to Box Frites which only serves classic Belgian French Fries cooked the proper way which is first in oil at about 300 degrees to blanch then a
second bath in hotter oil to create a nice crisp. The fries are served with a choice of dipping sauces, mayonnaise, blue cheese, chopped Manzanilla
olives & pepperoncini, smoked bacon or chipotle ketchup. I opted for the classic pairing of house mayonnaise. The first time I tried mayo on fries was
on a family trip as a teenager to the Caribbean island of Bon Air, which is a Dutch territory. With the Dutch it’s a classic combination, like
Americans with ketchup. While I was on line waiting to order I looked into the back of the stand and there was Danny Meyer tasting the fries. It was
so great to see how involved and committed his group is to quality. This initiative is clearly very important to him and he expects all of these food
stands to live up to the quality standards of his Manhattan restaurants. As soon as I got my order I tried a fry and it was cooked perfectly. Still very
hot with a crispy exterior and pillowy interior. The mayonnaise was real and house made. It was the natural yellowish color and velvety smooth. For
those of you that have not had real mayo it’s a great opportunity to try it.
El Verano Taqueria
Next to Box Frites is Meyer’s last stand, El Verano Taqueria serving Chicken Mole Pipian, Carnitas, Chili-Marinated Skirt Steak and a Combo Platter
of all three. I didn’t get a chance to try and of the tacos but just from walking past they looked very tempting. I expect it to meet the standards set by
the other Meyer’s establishments.
Catch of the Day
Over the bridge in centerfield which is designed to look like the Hell’s Gate Bridge in Astoria you’ll find Catch of the Day, serving local and fresh
seafood. The menu includes Fried Fish Sandwich, Grilled Shrimp Po’Boy, Lobster Roll, Catch’s Shrimp Cocktail Salad, Fried Calamari and Long Island
Clam & Corn Chowder. I was on line to try the chowder but on this cold day it was already sold out. I was glad to see they decided to serve a long island
chowder instead of the obvious but less appealing, in my opinion, choice of Manhattan or New England which I love but is not regional to the area.
The Lobster Roll cost $17 which might sound high at first. However it’s really not that bad. I did some research and found a local roadside shack that
I’ve been to up in Maine. They buy their lobster from the boats directly across the street and their roll costs $14. I’m sure the Citifield version has
slightly less lobster meat but still only a $3 price difference is really good considering you’re in New York at a ballgame.
The Next Trip
I didn’t make it to all of the other food stalls but it’s on my agenda for the next game. Here is a list of the other options available at Citifield. All of
these places are local businesses with restaurants outside of Citifield.
The Original Cascarino's – Pizza
Daruma - Sushi
Mama's of Corona – Italian Deli Sandwiches
Any New Yorker that loves burgers has been to Shake Shack in Madison Square Park. Owned and operated by Danny Meyer they specialize in serving
fantastic burgers, shakes and fries. The Madison Square Park location can get so busy at lunch time that they have a webcam running so people can
check the line from their desks. The Citifield location is situated out in centerfield and although there were lines they seemed to move very quickly. I
did not try a burger this game but I have been to Shake Shack before and the burgers are really worth the wait. They are served on a soft bun, cheese
melting over the sides and the burger requires several napkins because it’s so juicy. Just the way it should be. Also as far as price goes it’s only about
a dollar more at the ballpark, really not that bad.
Blue Smoke
Right next to Shake Shack you’ll find another one of Meyer’s food stands, Blue Smoke. The restaurant is located in the Murray Hill section of
Manhattan serving quality BBQ in a casual setting. The food has received rave reviews and a 21 rating in Zagat. My first stop once inside Citifield
was to visit the Blue Smoke concession stand. The menu is kept simple to maintain both quality and speed in service which is extremely important at
a game. It features a Pulled Pork sandwich, Kansas City Spare Ribs, Chipotle Chicken Wings and Fries. The line was already outside of the roped
section when I arrived yet it probably took me less than 10 minutes. The most important element of BBQ is the smoke. Without smoke you don’t have
BBQ. So I was very curious to see how they dealt with this at the park. You could certainly smell the BBQ from the line but how did they do it? When I
reached the counter I glanced to the side of the kitchen and noticed a huge stack of wood. Thank God! I was so happy to see that they were doing BBQ
the right way with real wood and smoke right in the park. Once I saw the wood I knew the food was going to be amazing and I was right. I tried the
Pulled Pork Sandwich and their signature Blue Smoke Beer. I took the sandwich back to my seat and the steam was still rising off it when I took it out
of the box. With my first bite you got just the right amount of smoke flavor mixed with the tender slow cooked pork. It was lightly sauced, just how I
like it. You tasted the true pork flavor without it being covered up by a ton of sauce which is what most places would have done. The quality of the
food exceeded anything I’ve had at a game before. The beer was dark amber in color and a perfect complement to the sandwich.
Box Frites
Across from Shake Shack and Blue Smoke you’ll find the other two Meyer’s creations. During the middle of the game I was ready for a snack and went
down to Box Frites which only serves classic Belgian French Fries cooked the proper way which is first in oil at about 300 degrees to blanch then a
second bath in hotter oil to create a nice crisp. The fries are served with a choice of dipping sauces, mayonnaise, blue cheese, chopped Manzanilla
olives & pepperoncini, smoked bacon or chipotle ketchup. I opted for the classic pairing of house mayonnaise. The first time I tried mayo on fries was
on a family trip as a teenager to the Caribbean island of Bon Air, which is a Dutch territory. With the Dutch it’s a classic combination, like
Americans with ketchup. While I was on line waiting to order I looked into the back of the stand and there was Danny Meyer tasting the fries. It was
so great to see how involved and committed his group is to quality. This initiative is clearly very important to him and he expects all of these food
stands to live up to the quality standards of his Manhattan restaurants. As soon as I got my order I tried a fry and it was cooked perfectly. Still very
hot with a crispy exterior and pillowy interior. The mayonnaise was real and house made. It was the natural yellowish color and velvety smooth. For
those of you that have not had real mayo it’s a great opportunity to try it.
El Verano Taqueria
Next to Box Frites is Meyer’s last stand, El Verano Taqueria serving Chicken Mole Pipian, Carnitas, Chili-Marinated Skirt Steak and a Combo Platter
of all three. I didn’t get a chance to try and of the tacos but just from walking past they looked very tempting. I expect it to meet the standards set by
the other Meyer’s establishments.
Catch of the Day
Over the bridge in centerfield which is designed to look like the Hell’s Gate Bridge in Astoria you’ll find Catch of the Day, serving local and fresh
seafood. The menu includes Fried Fish Sandwich, Grilled Shrimp Po’Boy, Lobster Roll, Catch’s Shrimp Cocktail Salad, Fried Calamari and Long Island
Clam & Corn Chowder. I was on line to try the chowder but on this cold day it was already sold out. I was glad to see they decided to serve a long island
chowder instead of the obvious but less appealing, in my opinion, choice of Manhattan or New England which I love but is not regional to the area.
The Lobster Roll cost $17 which might sound high at first. However it’s really not that bad. I did some research and found a local roadside shack that
I’ve been to up in Maine. They buy their lobster from the boats directly across the street and their roll costs $14. I’m sure the Citifield version has
slightly less lobster meat but still only a $3 price difference is really good considering you’re in New York at a ballgame.
The Next Trip
I didn’t make it to all of the other food stalls but it’s on my agenda for the next game. Here is a list of the other options available at Citifield. All of
these places are local businesses with restaurants outside of Citifield.
The Original Cascarino's – Pizza
Daruma - Sushi
Mama's of Corona – Italian Deli Sandwiches
CitiField Food Review – Flushing, NY
April 4, 2009
The start of spring makes me think of one thing, baseball. This spring New York is opening two brand new start of the art baseball stadiums. I’m a
huge Mets fan and this past weekend I had my first opportunity to visit the Mets new home, CitiField.
Ballpark food has come a long way since the classics of hot dogs and peanuts but the Mets really have taken it to a much higher level. The Mets went
out an partnered with some of the best high end chefs and restaurateurs in New York including Danny Meyer owner of Gramercy Tavern & Union
Square Cafe, Dave Pasternack chef at Esca, and Drew Nieporent owner of Nobu and Tribecca Grill. Never before have restaurants of this caliber been
involved with a sporting venue. New York is the restaurant capital of the world and finally that is represented in our ballparks as well. Luckily for
me it’s at my home park, I couldn’t be happier.
April 4, 2009
The start of spring makes me think of one thing, baseball. This spring New York is opening two brand new start of the art baseball stadiums. I’m a
huge Mets fan and this past weekend I had my first opportunity to visit the Mets new home, CitiField.
Ballpark food has come a long way since the classics of hot dogs and peanuts but the Mets really have taken it to a much higher level. The Mets went
out an partnered with some of the best high end chefs and restaurateurs in New York including Danny Meyer owner of Gramercy Tavern & Union
Square Cafe, Dave Pasternack chef at Esca, and Drew Nieporent owner of Nobu and Tribecca Grill. Never before have restaurants of this caliber been
involved with a sporting venue. New York is the restaurant capital of the world and finally that is represented in our ballparks as well. Luckily for
me it’s at my home park, I couldn’t be happier.
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This past Saturday the Mets played an exhibition game against the Boston Red
Sox. The game really took a back seat to the new park on this day as fans got
their first glimpse of the park. For me I was interested in trying out some of
these amazing new food options. While the park does include several sit down
restaurants I focused on the concession stands, which I feel is the true baseball
experience. Some of the best food I’ve had has been casual street food so it’s
about time that the ballparks caught up and realized that people want great
food, even at a game.The outfield section of Citifield has the majority of the
food you’ll want to seek out. My advice is get to the game early to eat, then find
your seats to enjoy the game. They have a lot of tables in the food area so you
don’t have to feel confined to your seat. Here’s my food tour of the new Citifield.
Sox. The game really took a back seat to the new park on this day as fans got
their first glimpse of the park. For me I was interested in trying out some of
these amazing new food options. While the park does include several sit down
restaurants I focused on the concession stands, which I feel is the true baseball
experience. Some of the best food I’ve had has been casual street food so it’s
about time that the ballparks caught up and realized that people want great
food, even at a game.The outfield section of Citifield has the majority of the
food you’ll want to seek out. My advice is get to the game early to eat, then find
your seats to enjoy the game. They have a lot of tables in the food area so you
don’t have to feel confined to your seat. Here’s my food tour of the new Citifield.
| Me and Cow-Bell Man |
Hudson Valley Food Blog
