Ultimate Baseball Road Trip (17 page)

In a nod to the old analog clocks that appeared at our favorite parks of yesteryear, a rectangular Armitron clock appears high above the field in left, beside giant blue letters that read “Yankee Stadium,” lest any visitor to the Bronx think he may have inadvertently taken the 7, instead of the 4, train, and ended up at Citi Field.

The ornate metalwork—called filigree or frieze—that rings Yankee Stadium’s upper level has been the trademark feature of the Yankees’ home park ever since the original “House that Ruth Built” opened in 1923. Pennants inscribed with the city name of each big league team wave in the breeze above this majestic finishing decor, arranged so that the teams of each MLB division appear together. The Red Sox flag in deep right field is red, while the Yankees flag is blue, the Orioles flag is orange, and so on. There are actually quite a few more Yankees flags up there than you might think. That’s because the white flags appearing between each division’s flags, acting as separators, bear the familiar Uncle Sam top hat and baseball bat that have composed the Yankees’ logo since its creation by artist Henry Alonzo Keller in the 1940s.

On the face of the press box and luxury suite level the Yankees display the year of each championship in team history. If you missed the timeline on the first level concourse, this is an opportunity to refresh your knowledge of the Yankees’ dynastic dominance right from your ballpark seat.

Josh:
I bet it’s intimidating to look up from the field and see all those titles.

Kevin:
I think that’s what they mean when they say “Yankee mystique.”

Yankee Stadium offers an amazing range of dining options that includes high-end private clubs like the Mohegan Sun Sports Bar behind the batter’s eye in centerfield and the Audi Yankee Club on the suite level in left, as well as casual restaurants and bars that any shorts-wearing slob can visit, like the Malibu Roof Deck. We managed to sneak into the Jim Beam Suite on the 300 Level, even though our tickets were outside the Section 317–323 range for which this licensee-only bar is reserved. Actually, we didn’t sneak in. The guy working the door was really nice to us. He told us he wasn’t supposed to let us in, but that since it was 100 degrees outside, he thought we deserved a little AC too. So he let us pass. We immediately took advantage of the free popcorn, free peanuts, and water, while watching the game on TV. We weren’t brave enough to order drinks or food, though. We didn’t want to risk getting booted out of the AC.

Aside from the many clubs, bars, and restaurants inside the park, a wide selection of offerings can be found at the concession stands. But buyers should beware: To keep the lines moving (which we observed Yankee Stadium does very well), a lot of the fare is pre-cooked, pre-wrapped, and propped under heat lamps. The effects of this pre-preparation on our Garlic Fries and pizza slice were minimal, while other items—like our hot dog plucked from an eternally spinning set of rollers—suffered more noticeably.

We were impressed by the many comfortable places to sit and eat on the concourse. On the 200 Level, near Gate E, there is an array of wicker chairs and tables that looks almost too nice to be on a ballpark concourse. On the 300 Level behind Section 310, the Malibu Roof Deck provides high bar tables where patrons can catch a breeze on a hot night while sipping a tropical drink and taking in the lights of the Manhattan skyline.

At $15 it’s one of the pricier ballpark treats we’ve encountered. But you know you’re getting quality when you order a New York Strip Steak Sandwich from one of the several NYY stands at Yankee Stadium. This is USDA Prime Beef. It’s juicy and delicious. It comes cooked medium-rare, served on a seeded weck roll, loaded with au jus. If you can’t afford the ballpark restaurant (Ribeye $52, Strip Steak $50, Lamb Chops $48, Side of Mashed Potatoes $9), or don’t have attire appropriate for it in your suitcase, the sandwich at the stand is a great alternative. We suggest having some Nathan’s fries on the side.

Nathan’s hot dogs, corn dogs, and crinkle cut fries are served throughout the park. Unfortunately, because the dogs see such heavy sales volume, at most locations they’re premade and packaged, then placed beneath the dreaded orange lamps. At some locations, they’re “cooking” on rollers. Nathan’s makes a good dog. But for our money, a dog cooked on an actual grill is a better treat. If you’re a dog connoisseur, you should be selective; walk the concourse for a few hundred feet and you will eventually find a New York Grill stand where Nathan’s dogs and other cased meat products are being cooked properly. A limited number of stands
also serve all-beef Hebrew National dogs. We observed these being taken out of hot water and placed directly into buns as they were ordered. That’s kosher as far as we’re concerned.

Just like at Citi Field, all of the food stands show you exactly how many calories each item contains. And as at Citi, this really depressed us. If we’re going to eat a bucket of popcorn we’d rather not know that it contains 2,473 calories.

We really enjoyed our stop at the Torrisi Parm Stand in the Great Hall. We rate the hand-carved
turkey sandwich
better than any other ballpark turkey we’ve come across, and that includes all of the roasted ballpark turkey legs out there in hardball land, including the ones they serve at Malibu Roof Deck upstairs. Torrisi’s
Meatball parm
sandwich was also delicious. Don’t expect a ton of cheese between your meatball and bun, but rest assured the parmesan and mozzarella is kneaded right into the supple meat.

We liked the
Carolina pulled pork
at the Brother Jimmy’s. It was quality meat but a little on the dry side, which made us happy the counter attendant had provided us with two sides of barbecue sauce without our having to ask for it. They also serve
hush puppies, mac and cheese
, and
pulled chicken
.

The
Famiglia pizza
is a cut above the typical ballpark fare. Rather than getting a pre-boxed personal pizza, we opted for a $5.00 slice of hot pie. Some of the stands only have the personal ones, so be sure to rove around a bit. We found actual stands with ovens on every level. We thought the butter-glazed
garlic knots
, served with marinara for dipping, were even better than the pizza. If you’re looking for something a little unique after eating knish at Citi the day before, we highly recommend them. Hey, you’re in New York, you can be a little knotty!

For the East Coast, the
Garlic Fries
are really superb. They come loaded with herbs and garlic. The smell is so strong that everyone in your section will turn around to see what you’re eating. Actually, they’ll already know what you’re eating. They’ll be turning to have a look at them, though. They come in a tray with a fork for those unwilling to make a complete mess of themselves. Josh used the fork, while Kevin used his fingers.

Nathan’s
crinkle cut fries
are also very good, though a bit greasier than the fries at the Garlic Fries stands. The
chicken fingers
are better than the usual ballpark chicken. They’re real meat, not that preprocessed junk, and the breading is light and not too greasy.

We tried a made-to-order
shredded chicken and rice burrito
from the Latin food stand behind Section 313 and it was excellent. They also serve shredded beef. It took a few minutes for them to fill the tortilla and wrap it, but it was fresh and well worth the wait.

The
chicken kabobs
at the Malibu Roof Deck were very good, but the
jumbo turkey leg
had clearly been on the grill too long.

Hot and sweet
Premio Sausages
are available at New York Grill stands, in addition to
Brats
and
Chorizo
. These are all excellent choices. But be sure to find a stand where they’re doing actual grilling, like, you know, on a grill. When it comes to the self-anointed “Roller Grills,” say “no, thanks,” and walk away.

After paying $10.75, we were disappointed to see how little steak came in our
Carl’s Steak
sandwich. Then we took a bite and thought maybe it was just as well. Either our batch of steak had missed out on the seasoning shaker or they were going for a minimalist approach. Or maybe we’d just been spoiled by the “Shorty’s” steak we’d had in Times Square earlier in the day. In any case, we wished we’d paid a few bucks more for a second NYY Steak sandwich instead.

Josh:
That’s 605 calories I already regret.

Kevin:
You didn’t have to eat the whole thing.

We were dismayed to find that a Bud Light draft costs $11.00 at Yankee Stadium, but slightly happy to find that just about every food stand served beer, unlike at some parks where you have to get in a separate line. We also found a decent selection of better brews available for those willing to spend even more money, including Heineken, Hoegaarden, and Stella Artois.

When Josh ordered a Bud Light, the counter attendant looked at his ID and noted that he had produced a Maine driver’s license. She asked if Josh was a Red Sox fan and when he replied in the affirmative, she jokingly replied that she was going to pour him a warm beer.

The roving vendors stop serving two hours after first pitch, but the concession stands keep pouring drafts and popping open bottles until the top of the eighth. The in-stadium bars keep serving long into the night too. So don’t dismay when your friendly roving beer man says “last call.” It just means you’ll have to get off your rump and get the next round yourself.

We’re not sure if it’s just a matter of the new yard being so much bigger than the old one or of its acoustics being up to modern code, but we remember the old Yankee Stadium being a lot louder than the new one. We think the new park is a friendlier place, too, than the hallowed pinstriped grounds that earned the “Bronx Zoo” rap. Granted, we were in town for a mid-summer game against the Oakland A’s—who aren’t exactly one of the Yankees’ top rivals—but everyone we encountered was well-behaved and pretty friendly, from the ballpark staffers to our fellow fans. We even observed an attention-seeking Red Sox fan wearing a Jacoby Ellsbury jersey who was only mildly heckled by a group of twenty-somethings in our section. No profanity was used. The worst barbs the Yankee rooters tossed were ones that implied Jacoby was a juicer. Just the same, Josh didn’t jump to the Bostonian’s defense.

Josh:
No sense picking a fight.

Kevin:
Would you wear your Boston hat if the Sox were in town?

Josh:
Nah, at this place it’s best to fly under the radar.

Customer Service Attendants on the concourse hold signs that say, “How may I help you?” We weren’t sure what they could do for us, so we asked one.

Kevin:
You tell me. What can you offer?

Attendant:
Directions to the nearest team store, tips on concessions, assistance if there’s a rowdy fan in your section, driving directions for after the game …

Josh:
You’d do all that for us?

Attendant:
All in a day’s work.

Kevin:
Looks to me like you’re watching the game, too.

Attendant:
Like I said, all in a day’s work.

More than a decade after 9/11, New Yorkers haven’t lost sight of the lessons learned on that tragic day in 2001. We think New York and its ballparks and stadiums are friendlier places in the wake of the terrorist attacks that, ironically, brought the city’s diverse populations closer together than ever before. A “we’re all in this together” sensibility now prevails that just wasn’t present in the city before. Being a New Yorker these days also means being vigilant for anything that seems fishy. Accordingly, there are signs posted throughout Yankee Stadium that read, “If you see something, say something. To report any suspicious activity, confidentially text guest services at 69900.”

Singing “God Bless America” in the middle of the seventh inning has been a tradition at Yankee Stadium ever since 9/11 as well. You may recall that every team made the patriotic ditty a staple of its ballpark experience for the remainder of the 2001 season, but the Yankees opted to make the song a permanent part of their game-day experience. For Opening Day, playoff games, and nationally televised games, famous Irish tenor Ronan Tynan usually stops by to do the honors.