Cincinnati, Oh. (FOX 56) — MLB opening day is here! Past the peanuts and cracker jacks is a new Great American menu, featuring your traditional ballpark foods with a Queen City twist.
“You’ll start to see they’re expanding outside of hot dogs, popcorn, and just your normal pretzel, and they’re really trying to get into local restaurants,” said Gary Davis, executive chef for the Cincinnati Reds.
Entering his sixth year leading the team’s kitchen, Davis spends months scouting new foods for fans on game day. This season has more than 10 new options from favorites near the stadium, like Giler’s Goetta and Fifty West. However, there are also choices that hit closer to our Old Kentucky Home.
“I like the Skyline nachos. I’m not going to lie, it’s really good,” said Davis.
Another popular fast-food chain sure to draw a crowd is Chick-fil-A. The menu is limited for opening day, but by May, you can eat more chicken at their permanent stand.
“I think Chick-fil-A and baseball go hand in hand,” said a Chick-fil-A representative. “We both just got a deep culture and a love of our fans.”
From sandwiches to soft serve, there’s something to satisfy everyone’s taste buds, and while that’s important, the growing foodie fandom for these new ballpark businesses is in a league of its own.
“It was just something that we couldn’t turn down,” said Max Fram, vice president of strategy and operations at Fifty West.
