There’s been so much hype about the new Yankee stadium so for the past year I have been dying to see what it was all about.  Well, I finally had my chance to experience all it had to offer and let me tell you, its reputation is well deserved!  Not only does this stadium house, in my opinion, the best team in baseball, but it also offers the best “stadium” food as well.  There are also two actual restaurants in the stadium: NYY Steak and the Hard Rock Cafe. You won’t find your typical room temperature frozen pizza or deep fried chicken tenders here either.  Instead, Yankee Stadium has a plethora of options to food baseball and food lovers alike.  Below are just some of the incredible culinary fairytales the stadium has to offer:
Carnivores are really in luck at Yankee Stadium! There are steak options galore and yes, this is really a picture of a butcher cutting up meat. There’s an actual Lobel’s  Butcher Shop and food stand right in Yankee Stadium.  Pictured above are the finest cuts of meat and a Lobel’s steak sandwhich, which will run you about $15.00.  The seasoned New Yorkers sitting next to me at the game insisted this place offered the best steak sandwhich around and a must have.  Look for it behind left field.  There is also a Brother Jimmy’s BBQ for Southern BBQ fans. I wish I could have gotten a photo of their hush puppies, which were the biggest ones I’ve ever seen. Check back for these photos during playoffs season! 🙂

If you are craving something a little more international and ethnic than a hot dog or you are a little freaked out by the red meat feast, have no fear: Yankee Stadium offers hand rolled sushi. And look at the size of those spicy shrimp sushi rolls!

 Chinese “takeout” at your fingertips!  

 

New York City has a law which requires the calorie counts to be listed next to the food entrees so all of the calorie counts are present next to each of these items when you order. It will definetly help you make some health choices.  It was nice to see a selection a fresh fruit available for people who want to nosh on something healthy. But if you’re craving something oily and greasy and sinfully delicious, try these instead:
FAIRYTALE GARLIC FRENCH FRIES. 
These are just – well, amazing. I’ve had these at Citizen’s Bank Park (Phillies’ stadiun) before and can’t really say which ones were better. This is a small order, which cost $6.00, and was worth every cent. You can find these behind section 108 near the first base line. These fries are literally covered in oil and chunks of garlic and fresh herbs.  Just make sure you have a breath mint handy. If you don’t, don’t worry because there’s a Turkey Hill not too far from the garlic fries stand and I’m sure their mint chocolate chip ice cream would do the trick.

These are not your everyday stadium nachos – you can tell by their taste and by the way that cheese melts that it’s not canned cheese whiz.  There is an authentic mexican stand right in Yankee stadium serving quesidillas, nachos, etc.  Look for it behind Section 105. 
And now, last but not least, here is the fairytale feast that I enjoyed at Yankee Stadium:

NYY STEAK SANDWHICH.
The New York Yankees now have a steakhouse in their own stadium, NYY STEAK. This steak sandwhich, like Lobel’s, cost $15.00 and was worth every cent. It was one of the best, if not THE BEST steak sandwhich I ever had in my life. I wouldn’t expect anything less from NYC or the Yankees. This meat was sooo tender and juicy. It wasn’t laden with pieces of fat either – it was prime meat that melted in my mouth. The roll was also perfection paired with this steak and seemed to be topped with onions and garlic. The sandwhich came with a side of dijon horseradish sauce or regular horseradish.  I drizzled a little dijon horseradish onto my sandwhich to taste it. After I did, I promptly dumped the rest of the container onto the sandwhich.  It was heavenly and I couldn’t decide what I loved about the game the most: Derek Jeter or my steak sandwhich.
(Note: Please don’t not mistake this sandwhich for a cheesesteak. They are two different things. And that is dijon horseradish sauce, not cheese sauce. If you want a cheesesteak, go to Philly. If you want a steak sandwhich, go to NYC.)
This sandwhich was 550 calories, which was actually less than I expected it to be. I’d have it again in a heartbeat.  You find the NYY Steak stand near section 108.  If you go to the Yankee stadium, please let me know what else is good! 🙂
Enjoy! 

I was a young and impressionable 18 year old when I first arrived in New York City. I didn’t know a lot about city life but I quickly learned that Manhattan cuisine was unlike anything I’ve ever tasted in my homeland of Northeastern Pennsylvania.  (Don’t get me wrong – NEPA has some amazing foods that cannot easily be replicated in NYC or anywhere else. AKA: square pizza, pierogies, cheesesteaks, Pennsylvania Dutch influenced menu items, WINGS and other items too numerous to mention.)  But in New York City, fresh of the Martz Bus, I felt like a girl who had just won the golden ticket.

From the corner deli to the Zagat rated restaurant, everywhere I went in New York City there was something new for me to taste. Authentic Mexican, Italian, French, Asian, Moroccan, Indian, Thai, Creole, Soul Food, Southern Barbecue were all easily within my reach.  Some were available via biker delivery, 24 hours a day.  Even ordinary items like pizza and bagels were available in so many variations and packed full of so many new flavors, I felt overwhelmed at times.  All of my life, I had loved food but never realized how much until I arrived in the city.    Every time I stepped foot outside of my apartment, I became a kid in a candy shop.  In many ways, when I visit the city, I still am.On one occasion during my first Spring season in New York City, I had one of the most incredible, flavorful chicken salad sandwiches while enjoying a sunny picnic lunch in Central Park. I had ordered lunch to-go from a little deli on the Upper West side. While I don’t remember the name of the deli, I do remember the chicken salad sandwich – in fact, my mouth still waters when I think about it.  Unlike any chicken salad I have ever had before, this chicken salad was composed of jumbo lumps of roasted white chicken breast that undoubtedly did NOT come from a can.  Scooped between two pieces of thick, crusty rustic rye bread, this chicken salad had a unique crunch that was intensified by slivered roasted almonds.  It was as goey as it was crunchy, mixed with just the right amount of creamy mayonnaise that dripped into the wax paper it was wrapped in as a I took each bite.  Most surprising to me were the chopped New York red delicious apples hidden in the chicken salad mix which took this chicken salad to an entirely new level of deliciousness for a sandwhich.

Now, years later, I still crave this sandwich so I’ve come up with my own quick and light version.  I switched full fat mayo for a lighter version and I cut down on the amount to save some calories.  To save time, I used canned chicken breast, but it is admittedly more flavorful if you roast your own chicken breasts. (Season with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake for 35-40 min at 350 degrees. Shred or chop.) But who really has time for that?

Diana’s City-Style Chicken Salad Sandwich
Serves 3-4

1 can of chicken salad
1 small tart apple, diced (can substitute handful halved grapes)
1/4 cup of diced red onion
1/4 cup of diced celery (1 stalk)

1/4 cup of slivered almonds
1/4 cup of fat free mayo
2 tablespoons chopped tarragon
Sliced red tomato
Handful of mixed greens

Combine all the ingred0ients. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve on crusty rye bread, pumperknickle toast, or mini whole wheat pitas.  Layer with thin slices of juicy red tomato, handful of mixed greens.

If you need a little bit more comfort and buttery goodness, try this salad on buttered and grilled Texas toast. Beware this will increase calories/fat but sometimes, its all worth it!

Enjoy!