No matter whether it’s the Cowboys, Mavs, Rangers, Stars or our own FC Dallas, food and drink offerings inside the arena or stadium are as much a part of the in-game atmosphere as anything.
And in advance of their 25th anniversary season which officially commences Saturday, February 29 against Philadelphia at Toyota Stadium, on Tuesday FCD unveiled its culinary offerings for the 2020 season.
Buzz and I attended this event, truly taking one for the team, to sample the board of fare and here’s the rundown.
There were several dishes to sample by the media:
All-American Hot Dog—A hot dog is great by itself, but this one is not only wrapped in bacon and then topped with lettuce, tomatoes, ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise, it’s also topped with Lay’s potato chips, a nice touch with the crunch. Still don’t like ketchup and mayo on a hot dog, but this one was pretty tasty. (Winners Club).
Beef Short Rib Poutine—Who doesn’t love fries, right? This nod to the beloved dish of French Canadians will be served at the Away Stand on March 7 when Montreal visits Frisco. Beef gravy, cheese curds, braised short ribs, bell peppers and onions atop fries. You definitely need a fork to eat this one, but it’s well worth the trouble.
Brisket Empanada—An empanada filled with what else but brisket and joined by refried beans and cheese. Dip these in jalapeno ranch and you’ve got one killer appetizer, at least that’s what Mr. Carrick and I thought. (Winners Club)
Green Chili Chicken Mac and Cheese Bites—Now we’re talking. Mac and cheese is one of those foods I swear I could subsist on if it came down to just a few things on a desert island or whatever. These bits of breaded goodness feature creamy mac and cheese with chicken coated nicely and served with a green chili sauce. Buzz and I both raved about these. (Burgers & Beer-Section 133).
Hot Cheetos Chili Pie—Basically, this is a Frito pie with Flaming Hot Cheetos serving as the base and of course accompanied by chili and cheese but FCD adds elote and green onions. Didn’t try this one personally but Buzz thought it was interesting even if he might prefer the original. (Main Street Kitchen-Section 112)
Penalty Punch—A pink-colored cherry limeade margarita made with Lunazul Tequila. Again, didn’t try this one personally but this too got the proverbial thumbs-up from our fearless leader, Buzz. (Sections 109 and 124, Heineken Red Star Club, Winners Club).
Texas Tachos—Tater tot nachos topped with queso, jalapeno cheddar sausage, bacon, bell peppers, onions, and chipotle ketchup. This one scored highly with both Buzz and myself. (The Away Stand).
Of course, this is just a small sample of what FCD will offer hungry and thirsty supporters in 2020. Here’s a full rundown.
Midfield Market
Now located in section 126, this spot includes vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options like an Italian grinder with mortadella, salami, and capicola; and roasted red pepper and jalapeno hummus.
Crafty Cocktails
Besides the already-mentioned Penalty Punch, other offerings for 2020 include the Eastsider (vodka, simple syrup and lemon juice topped with a beer) and the Hat Trick (Irish whiskey with peach schnapps, sour mix topped with ginger beer) (Sections 109 and 124, Heineken Red Star Club, Winners Club).
Other New Additions
Among the other new additions which will be served around the stadium include Pulled Pork Sliders (Bent Buckle BBQ, Section 125), BBQ Smoked Turkey Sandwich (Burgers & More, Section 121), Meatball Sub (Calcio Café, Section 108) and an Elote Dog (Main Street Kitchen, Section 112).
A Familiar Name Returns
Chick-fil-A will again be located in Section 108 and will serve its famous chicken sandwiches, both the regular and spicy varieties as well as waffle fries. Of course, they will be closed for Sunday games.
Some Away Flavor
The Away Stand will feature several standard items like the Texas Tachos and the Chicken Fried Tri-Tip Sandwich alongside rotating items depending on who the opponent is. On February 29, the Away Stand will offer a Lonestar Cheesesteak since Philly is in town. Besides the aforementioned short rib poutine, this stand will also offer a California Burger on April 4 when LAFC visits Frisco.
A Solid Rotation
The Winners Club will rotate its menu three times during the 2020 campaign and will serve everything from South of the Border cuisine to Texas BBQ to All-American fare. Besides the Brisket Empanada and All-American Hot Dog, other choices include Burnt End Nachos, a Chicken Cobb Salad Shaker and a Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Plate.
Sure, this list is a lot to stomach, but with FCD’s season starting in just 10 days, there’s no better time to discuss game day refreshments than the present. Hope to see you at the concession stand!
A Few More New Food Items
Glad to see some better food options for this season. Definitely looking forward to the poutine.
FCD has done a great job the last couple years of using the preseason as a way to hype up some of these new food offerings. Darren Rovell tweeted about the Cheetos Pie (and I believe he tweeted about the $3 concession stand last offseason). That’s a really great way to build up the in-game experience and hopefully draw more people to the stadium.