Another year has passed, meaning another new lineup of food has been unveiled at Isotopes Park. Chef Jim Griego hit it out of the ballpark yet again, with seven new delightful dishes, including the Ballpark Sandwich, Spicy Roasted Half Chicken, Hungarian Hot Smoked Paprika Chicken Wings, Fanfare Milkshake, Ice Cream Nachos, Piña Colada Ice Cream Float and Brownie Sundae.
Not one, not two, but four new desserts round out the bases this year at the Sweet Spot stand. Sadly, I only got to try the Fanfare Milkshake and Brownie Sundae. However, from the looks of the Piña Colada Ice Cream Float and Ice Cream Nachos, they’ll also be fan favorites.
All new savory food items will be available at Pecos River near section 120, and all new desserts will be available at the Sweet Spot near section 117.
The Ballpark Sandwich
Field of dreams? More like the sandwich of my dreams. This sandwich features brisket, hot dog “bacon,” fried pickles, beer nuts and onions with a mustard-based sauce, all squished between a pretzel bun. The Ballpark Sandwich lives up to its name and has all the traditional food a ballpark has to offer in one convenient dish.
Coming from someone who is not the biggest fan of an overloaded sandwich, this might be my new favorite food. I will go to a game just for this sandwich. The tanginess of the brisket and hot dog “bacon” mix perfectly with the mustard sauce and pickles, and it is finished off perfectly with the salty pretzel bun.
The wild card of this year's new food was the hot dog “bacon” added by Griego, who is also the brain behind the popular “Pig’s Candy.”
“I'm always looking for crazy things, so I happened to see it, and I thought, okay, we're gonna try it,” Griego said. “So, hot dog bacon is basically really thin sliced hot dogs. I deep-fat fry them real quick, so they curl up like a piece of bacon, and then off of that, I toss them in a pan of teriyaki sauce.”
Spicy Roasted Half Chicken
The tender and spicy chicken is perfect for someone looking for something other than nachos, burgers or hotdogs. The Spicy Roasted Half Chicken is literally half a chicken with a nice dry rub of spices cooked to perfection. Additionally, a red chili-infused barbecue sauce is served on the side.
Do not be thrown off by the name; I would rate the spice level as one base. As someone who can hardly handle takis, I thought this chicken was perfect. However, anyone looking to step up to the plate and add another level of spice should look no further than the sauce it comes with. The barbeque sauce adds a level of spice I could not handle, but others could.
Spice was the name of the game for the menu this season, and that was done purposefully, according to Griego.
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“I'm not a big user of red chile and green chile — we have some great vendors that do that here,” Griego said. “I always look for the different types of spices, whether it's a spicy paprika or something like that.”
Hungarian Hot Smoked Paprika Chicken Wings
Spiciness is back up to plate and hitting a home run with this new addition. Where the Spicy Roasted Half Chicken is not too spicy, the Hungarian Hot Smoked Paprika Chicken Wings definitely light a bit of fire in the mouth. These air-fried chicken wings are coated in Hungarian hot smoked paprika and pack quite a swing.
Upon first try, they were not my favorites due to the spiciness. However, the cucumber ranch dressing they are served with takes them out of the park. The sauce is a refreshing follow-up after an explosion of spice. Anyone can enjoy these wings with or without the sauce.
Make sure to grab some napkins because there is not one spot free of seasoning.
The Fanfare Milkshake
This dessert loads up all the bases with all it has to offer. After selecting an ice cream of your choice, the milkshake is served in a cup rimmed with marshmallow cream, rolled in sprinkles and topped with cookie “straws” and an ice cream cookie sandwich. Anyone with a sweet tooth will be singing “Take me out to the ballgame” after seeing this picturesque milkshake.
If the Ballpark Sandwich has all the meals the ballpark has to offer, then the Fanfare Milkshake has all the desserts. By far one of my favorite tries of the day, I would recommend anyone try this — but maybe pop a Lactaid pill beforehand.
Griego pulled inspiration from Bloody Marys for this shake.
“I’ve always thought (of) the Bloody Mary drink that they make with shrimp on it, celery and all this stuff in there. I always thought, ‘How can I make a sundae like that?’” Griego said. “Or, ‘How can I make a milkshake?’ I guess it would be more of a milkshake. And I thought, okay, I'm gonna come up with a Fanfare.”
Brownie Sundae
Fair warning to anyone who decides to try this: Maybe try it with a buddy, or you might have to strike out before finishing. The Brownie Sundae is two large fudgey brownies topped with a scoop of ice cream and then topped further with whipped cream, chocolate and caramel sauce, sprinkles and a cherry.
The chocolate brownies make this a dessert for the big leagues, as they are chocolate fudgey heaven. This is a more traditional dessert that is perfect for sharing or eating solo if you want to give it a shot.
Elizabeth Secor is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at news@dailylobo.com or on X @esecor2003
Elizabeth Secor is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted on Twitter @esecor2003
