Continuing an occasional series in which I show up at professional sports stadiums for a free meal, FC Dallas introduced the media to new items on the menu at Toyota Stadium in Frisco this week.
If you’re not a soccer fan, “FC Dallas” is short for, “Much like the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, the Soccer Team Also Does Not, Technically, Play in Dallas.”
FC Dallas averaged about 15,500 fans per match last year. As we’ll discuss, that’s a lot of po’boys.
This year, FC Dallas is adding two “3 More Points Stands,” which were inspired by Atlanta’s Falcons and current MLS Champion United FC. Everything costs $3. It was not inspired by Atlanta’s Ted Turner. Otherwise, everything would cost $100 million and only win the World Series once. In a strike-shortened year.
PK Dogs
The PK Dog is the anchor of the 3 More Points Stand. The PK Dog is a hot dog stuffed with cheddar cheese and jalapenos, all wrapped inside a sweet roll.
Name one thing that doesn’t sound better wrapped in a sweet roll. I’ll wait.
Maybe what this country needs right now is to be nestled in a pastry blanket.
You what else this country needs? Some beer mustard on the side for dippin’!
The culinary team at the stadium was chopping up the items and handing out pieces to all the reporters so we could try a li’l bit of everything. I was one of the last ones through the PK Dog line, though, so they told me to take a whole one. If they didn’t hand out everything, they’d have to throw some of the food away.
#CarbsToo
BBQ Texas Dog
The executive chef talked about how the chefs at different stadiums all work together to come up with new ideas [the PK Dog was a nod to FC Dallas’ new Czech player]. I told him about my run-in with cheese curds, and he said everyone knows hot dogs and peanuts will sell everywhere, but some foods only perform well in their region.
That brings us to the BBQ Texas Dog.
You might have been asking yourself, “Sure, a hot dog has some meat. But without jalapenos, how do we make it really mean something?”
So the concessions company, Legends, put some brisket on top.
The beer mustard makes another appearance on the BBQ Texas Dog, I suspect, as a binding agent. The BBQ Texas Dog, you see, is topped with coleslaw.
Blackened Chicken Po’ Boy
The Blackened Chicken Po’ Boy is also topped with coleslaw [or “slaw,” if you will]. The chicken gives it a different feel, though, and the sandwich includes an insouciant hint of some kind of Cajun-like seasoning.
An associate at the event is explaining to me that the Cajun-ry is provided by “Remoulade.” I thought that sounded made up, so I googled it. Turns out that is what makes me think of New Orleans. Apparently, dill juice is just brimming with insouciance.
Crafty Cocktails
FC Dallas was also serving new drinks. The Eastsider, pictured above, is vodka, simple syrup, lemon juice and topped with a beer. I’m not sure how, exactly, the drink is topped with beer, but one of the other reporters encouraged me to take one of the #adorbs li’l glasses.
Market 469
The stadium says vegetarian and vegan items have been popular at the AAC for Stars and Mavericks games, so they wanted to give people some options there, too. Market 469 is billed as a place for “fans looking for dietary inclusion.” #LettuceToo
It’s actually a “grab and go” place in the Heineken Red Star Club, so people can just stop off and pick up a sandwich.
The complete list of new foods is on the KRLD story I linked to at the top. And also here. Two websites. Two links.
And yea, I’ve nearly completed my tour of stadium food in North Texas.
