The Albuquerque Isotopes unveiled their new concession items right before the current season. The latest food up to bat has me singing, “Take me out to the concession stands.”
The ballpark's executive chef, Jim Griego, is the mastermind behind these new dishes. Griego wanted to create food that made coming to the stadium a culinary experience (that requires lots of napkins).
El Fuego (available at Santa Fe Trail near section 116)
“El Fuego” features brisket burnt ends, cooked in a spicy Brazilian barbecue sauce. It is topped with green chili mac and cheese between a green chili cheese bagel. The sandwich comes with the option of jalapenos and red onions to add an extra crunch, but I did opt out of those for this round.
As someone who usually can’t handle any sort of spicy food (I’m a firm no-chili, red or green, gal), I was a bit nervous when trying this sandwich. However, it was a spicy and tangy curveball. If you like a complete meal in one sandwich, this is the new concession for you.
The “El Fuego” replaced “Dentist’s Delight,” which was last year's wild card for new concession stand options. Griego likes using sandwiches to let his creativity with food shine, as both the new “El Fuego” and the old “Dentist’s Delight” are twists on brisket sandwiches.
“I took (out) the ‘Dentists Delight’ to put out the El Fuego. I'm trying to use that sandwich (at the Santa Fe Trail) to be like, ‘That's my playground,’” Griego said. “That's where you get to come in, and you come up with a crazy idea or something different.”
Vegetarian Fusion Bowl (available at Noodle Cart near section 108)
I love the focus on adding vegetarian options to the ballpark besides the regular veggie dogs or nachos. “Impossible Pork” is up to bat as the main ingredient in the bowl. A plant-based pork protein cooked with hoisin, ginger and soy sauce, it is served on a bed of rice and with a plethora of vegetable topping options.
The “Impossible Pork” is a bit chewy by itself and not something I’d seek out. The soy sauce taste is strong but helps add a kick of zest in the bowl, combined with rice and different toppings. It makes a meal option loaded with flavor.
I chose avocado slices and cucumbers as my toppings, and the combination was heavenly. The Noodle Cart is a healthier option than most new additions this year, and a rather refreshing one, both in terms of options and taste. If you want a break from the typical ballgame food, look no further.
Griego has been expanding the menu at the ballpark by adding more vegetarian options. Last year's new concessions highlighted “The Dugout,” a sandwich with a vegetarian falafel option, and this year, with the focus on the “Vegetarian Fusion Bowl.”
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
“I really wanted to do a vegetarian option here. There's a lot of non-vegetarian types of food and I wanted to do something that was nice,” Griego said. “I wanted somebody to be able to come out here and say that they actually had a meal.”
Hawaiian Barbecue Turkey Leg (available at Santa Fe Trail near section 116)
Do you need a change of base from the average turkey leg? Look no further. The “Hawaiian Barbecue Turkey Leg” offers a twist to a classic with a flavorful Hawaiian Barbeque sauce made from ketchup, pineapple, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and brown sugar.
The “Hawaiian Barbecue Turkey Leg” was out of left field for me as I don’t usually like any type of sauce, however, this one is a surprising goodie that all fans should try at least once. It's another combination that provides a sweet and smoky taste. Just make sure to bring lots of napkins. The turkey leg is dipped fully in the sauce and placed in a container, so there is no way to pick this baby up without a bit of mess.
The “Hawaiian Barbecue Turkey Leg” is another area where Griego wanted to take a classic and add a fun twist.
“Everybody loves turkey legs. So I thought, ‘Okay, I gotta do the turkey leg a little bit different … I don't do anything normal. I like to kind of take it out of the box and all that,” Griego said.
Piggy Burger (available at Batter’s Up near section 108)
“Pig’s Candy” from last year's lineup is back on the plate with a new twist on this delightful creation by Griego. This year, find Pig's Candy (sweet pork candied in maple syrup and brown sugar) in both its original form and now on a burger. The Piggy Burger was my favorite and definitely this year’s grand slam.
The smokiness of the grilled burger, mixed with the sweetness and tenderness of the Pig's Candy, is a delightful flavor combination. It makes for the perfect blend of savory and sweet, with a burst of flavor in every bite. I opted out of the tomatoes, lettuce and onions that come with the burger, but even without toppings, it was a hit for sure.
Griego wanted to take the “Pig’s Candy" from last year and add it to something in the ballpark. After being asked about the ballpark's old “Tumbleweed Burger,” he created the “Piggy Burger.”
“When I embedded the Pig Candy, I thought, ‘Okay, I gotta put this on something.’ So, I thought about it all year long,” Griego said.
ThunderCup Sundaes (available at Banana’s Foster near section 101)
The sundae comes with six options of ice cream flavors, including “boozy” flavors like Maple Bacon Whiskey and Wicked White Russian for the 21 and over crowd. The sundae is layered with a chocolate or caramel drizzle and comes with a multitude of topping options to finish off the icecream masterpiece: M&M’s, Graham Cracker crumbs, Gummy Bears, Oreo Cookie crumbs, sprinkles and whipped cream.
21-year-old Daily Lobo photographer, Francesca Cicconetti, stepped in and sampled the ThunderCup Sundae that features the Maple Bacon Whiskey and all the toppings, minus the whipped cream.
To Cicconetti, the “ThunderCup Sundae” reminded her of a perfect Southern baseball game. The maple bacon whiskey flavor was perfectly complemented by the caramel sauce and Oreo topping, Cicconetti said.
After receiving suggestions for more dessert options and wanting to add a refreshing option to the concourse, Greigo created the “ThunderCup Sundae.”
“We thought we'd put something else on the concourse. People really liked dessert here. We're really lucky,” Griego said. “They come in, they watch a game, they have some dinner, and then they go have some dessert and we watch fireworks. It's a whole entertainment.”
The Isotopes have a home stand against the Sugar Land Space Cowboys starting on Tuesday, Apr. 9.
Elizabeth Secor is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted on Twitter @esecor2003
Elizabeth Secor is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted on Twitter @esecor2003
