Whether you credit food TV and other media, or a new generation of populist chefs, the rise in culinary education and sophistication over the past two decades has been astounding, if not unprecedented. Palates are more diverse, and an appreciation of good food is permeating every aspect of society. The folks at the shiny new T-Mobile Arena have clearly taken note of this. Their food and beverage options are a far cry from the steamed hot dogs, soggy pretzels and flat beer that almost completely dominated concert and sporting event concessions when I was growing up.
I recently toured the venue and tasted some of its offerings during off hours with Garry DeLucia, Levy Restaurants’ executive chef for the arena. Other than the menus of the independently operated Hyde Lounge, local chain Pizza Forte (from the Ferraro family) and a Shake Shack, everything served within the arena is his responsibility.
Those “favorites” are aimed at traditionalists who’ll find hamburgers, hot dogs, pretzels and pizza. However, “We put a little twist on it,” DeLucia says. “But nothing too crazy that would turn [people] off.” Along those lines, the burgers are served with white cheddar cheese and organic tomatoes and lettuce on brioche buns. The hot dogs are 100 percent Angus beef. Fries at the Gastro Pub are cooked in duck fat. The pretzels are a Bavarian variety and come with a choice of cheese sauces. The house pizza (separate from what Pizza Forte offers) is made with focaccia bread. And all of the breads come from the local Bon Breads Baking Company.
You’ll find that same level of attention to detail in all of the menu items. If you grab a charcuterie plate or prime rib sandwich in the Gastro Pub, the chefs will be slicing the meats to order. The chipotle pulled pork at the barbecue station is smoked in-house. And the giardiniera on the Chicago beef sandwiches comes from the Windy City.
All of these dishes, however, are high-end upgrades to familiar products. “But what we’re hoping for,” DeLucia says, “is that we can [also] open up some minds. Good-looking food is good-looking food. And there’s a lot of things that you’ll see that might not be something you’ll normally eat. But you’ll see it and say, ‘Wow, that’s a good-looking piece of food right there!’”
And trust me, you’ll definitely say that when you lay your eyes on some of the more exotic dishes offered throughout the arena, even in the nosebleed seats. There’s the ahi tuna poke, built to order on concession carts. It features fish flown in from Hawaii, seaweed salad, jicama, papaya, cucumber and avocado with a roasted sesame seed wonton. The Vietnamese banh mi comes from the Goose Island carvery cart on the main concourse, where the house-roasted pork belly is sliced fresh throughout the evening and piled onto a beautiful French roll with Asian slaw, sriracha aioli, fresh cilantro and red jalapeños. At $13 each, these are as good as what you’ll find at a high-end Strip restaurant or a top Vietnamese spot in Chinatown.
The first thing that struck me about Levy’s culinary offerings is their range. They include what are referred to as “fan favorites,” but also go out on a few very long limbs.
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