Baseball fans and food lovers alike can head over to the ballpark in the Bronx for games and great grub, as the chef savants at Yankee Stadium have taken their cuisine to new heights for the 2022 season.
“You have fans that want hot dogs, peanuts, crackerjacks and beer at a stadium,” said Senior Executive Chef Matt Gibson. “But, you also have people who know that they’re going to come to the stadium and explore a tremendous food scene.”
Gibson, who has worked at Yankee Stadium since 2010, says the chefs behind the iconic ballpark’s constantly-updating menu have worked tirelessly to improve their offerings with new partnerships — including with many widely-known names that have brought their creations to the Bronx.
“We’re dedicated to making sure that we’re offering a wide variety of options,” he said. “Every year if you’re not coming out with 5, 10, 15 new concepts, you’re behind the 8 ball.”
The stadium has teamed-up with food maestros like Marcus Samuelsson from Streetbird, renowned-chef Bobby Flay, and the Halal Guys to offer a wide variety of options that fans wouldn’t normally associate with a ballpark.
“We have some traditional food, but we also have our crispy chicken sandwich, and chicken and waffles, which are not that traditional in a ballpark,” said Samuelsson. “People are looking, in New York and other major cities in America, for great food — it’s not only at restaurants.”
“You can go anywhere, and have a great experience with food, wherever you are.”
Samuelsson, a world-famous chef and television personality from Ethiopia, said he hoped to bring the diversity of the Big Apple to the cuisine at its iconic field.
“The stadium should represent the city,” he said. “Whatever the city looks like, should be brought into the ballpark.”
The 50-year-old also spoke about the personal significance of seeing his offerings on the Yankee Stadium menu.
“As an immigrant, I came to this country with $300 to Kennedy Airport,” he said. “One of the first things you see when you come over the bridge is Yankee Stadium — and for me, 20 years later, to have a tiny part of that is amazing.”
“For me, this is a dream come true.”
Gibson, meanwhile, also highlighted the growing desire among game-goers to have a diverse list of grub to choose from.
“I think that 5 or 10 years ago, an Asian-inspired hot dog in New York at Yankee Stadium probably wouldn’t do so well,” he said. “But nowadays, it’s something that people are embracing, and we’re seeing some great success with it.”
As for his advice for fans coming to the ballpark, Gibson has some simple advice.
“I would come hungry.”
