Catering in stadiums - Target Field USA vs the Amex. Are you reading this PB ?

[Easy 10]

I've just returned from a rather marvellous hectic 11-day round trip of the USA, taking in New York, Minneapolis and Chicago. I had the pleasure of visiting Citifield to see the New York Mets chasing their wildcard slot, beating the Minnesota Twins 3-2. Then in Minneapolis, I took in 2 games at Target Field, the 40,000 capacity home of the Minnesota Twins. Lost both games against the Detroit Tigers, naturally (the Twins are utterly hopeless this year), but oh my LIFE what a stadium. And I do not say this lightly, but the concourse and catering facilities there put the Amex to shame.

As you can see, the variety of food options around the multiple outlets are utterly MINDBOGGLING. Service is swift, courteous and professional. They all speak english. And there are 7 bars all in full view of the pitch serving a huge variety of beers to choose from, and you can stand there and watch the game from that bar, with a beer, from any one of those 7 bars, or just take it back to your seat. OK, I fully accept the pathetic laws in this country prohibit this small pleasure, but it was just wonderful to be treated as an adult at a sports event and have that freedom. Thats not the Albons fault.

But as I left that stadium, I wondered what an american fan would make of the miserable, poorly served crud on offer at the Amex, with the infinite queues for the crappy burgers and hotdogs (ok, the pies are alright...mostly). Also there are other factors, in that a game of baseball plays out across about 3 hours, whereas with football you get half that time period, and a couple of service-intensive periods before kickoff and at half time. And on my first game there, the crowd was only 24k, so the place was almost half empty (its the fag-end of a terrible season with nothing to play for). But with the sheer volume of outlets and options for everyone, you'd have no problem getting served somewhere very, very quickly being as we were strolling right up.

My point is...I know its different sports, different countries, different laws. And I know almost none of you give a toss about baseball. But when I hear about the "matchday experience" over here, it doesn't even come CLOSE to what they have laid on for the fans at Target Field, Minnesota. It absolutely pisses on any football ground I've ever been to in this country in terms of choice, value, service, spectacle, and all-round experience. Wembley, by direct comparison to the stuff laid on there for the fans, is a SHOCKING rip-off.

If anyone finds themselves in the USA in the vicinity of an MLB game, I just cannot recommend it highly enough. THATS a matchday experience.

 

[happypig]

Could you get a Waldorf Salad though ?

 

[el punal]

Looking at the sparse number watching the game I was just wondering if the majority of the fans were scoffing in the concourse?

 

[Milano]

If you are going to compare baseball to another sport then it needs to be cricket. It is a summer sport, played in nice weather, over a long period of time.
No problem with drinking in your seat at the cricket.
Let's see how great it would be if they had a history of a few hundred fans kicking crap out of each other each week for a few years......

I like baseball BTW, went to see the Cubs at Wriggley Field once, great experience.

 

[whitelion]

Been to a couple of NFL stadiums in Oakland and Houston and it was great to be able to carry your beer to your seat and drink whilst watching.

 

[wigman]

I go to a football match to watch a game of football.

 

[Easy 10]

Looking at the sparse number watching the game I was just wondering if the majority of the fans were scoffing in the concourse?

It looks sparse, but it starts at 7.10 in the evening and goes on for 3 hours, so there isn't the rush to get there for the first pitch, or the first couple of innings even. It does fill out, and there were eventually 24k there (in a 40k), with probably an element of pretendence. They do also play 81 regular home games a season, over 6 months. And for the Twins, this was another dead rubber (their season has been dead since mid-May).

Americans do love their food as we know. But being at a game for 3 hours, I was hankering too. I had the hot buffallo wings from the Buffalo Chicken Mary diner on the evening game, with the blue cheese dip and celery, $9. It was so good I had to bite the back of my hand to stop myself from crying out.

 

[Simster]

I love the baseball and have followed your Facebook posts with interest, but be fair, baseball hasn't had to deal with social problems like football here has.

 

[el punal]

It looks sparse, but it starts at 7.10 in the evening and goes on for 3 hours, so there isn't the rush to get there for the first pitch, or the first couple of innings even. It does fill out, and there were eventually 24k there (in a 40k), with probably an element of pretendence. They do also play 81 regular home games a season, over 6 months.

Americans do love their food as we know. But being at a game for 3 hours, I was hankering too. I had the hot buffallo wings from the Buffalo Chicken Mary diner on the evening game, with the blue cheese dip and celery, $9. It was so good I nearly cried.

Do they have e-x-t-r-a wide seats for those with B-I-G appetites?

 

[Mackenzie]

Could you get a Waldorf Salad though ?

They could probably knock you up a Ritz salad...potatoes, apples and grapefruit......

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

Is this an egomaniac look at me and my US holiday pics thread VERY loosely masquerading as an Amex issue catering thread per chance?




(Just a tiny suspicion I had)

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

If I want decent food I'll cook or go to a restaurant. If I want to watch weird sports, I'll tune in to Sky. If I want to watch the Albion, I'm off to the Amex.

 

[Easy 10]

I love the baseball and have followed your Facebook posts with interest, but be fair, baseball hasn't had to deal with social problems like football here has.

This is true. But it still STINKS that we are now in 2016, with a transformed football culture and a majority of modern, well policed stadiums - and yet we're still shackled to laws that came about 25-30 years ago.

Chatting with so many american sports fans over there, both at the game and in the bars, they were universally GOBSMACKED that at a football match, we are not even allowed to have a beer in sight of the pitch over here. It just did not compute.

 

[Easy 10]

Do they have e-x-t-r-a wide seats for those with B-I-G appetites?

You should've seen the size of the guy in economy on my connecting flight from Chicago O'Hare to JFK. He was next to this little waif of an asian girl, who spent the entire 1.5 hour flight pressed up to the window, seemingly engulfed amongst his fleshy folds.

 

[Easy 10]

Is this an egomaniac look at me and my US holiday pics thread VERY loosely masquerading as an Amex issue catering thread per chance?




(Just a tiny suspicion I had)

You can certainly take it as that if you like. And I could easily FILL this thread with a borefest series of pics from my entire excursion.

However, I've isolated it to a couple of pics of the stadium, and a couple of screengrabs of the catering on offer over there, as I thought the direct comparison with what is on offer over there might be mildly interesting to discuss with what we are so familiar with here, as its the first time I have ever experienced it. I'm sorry if I've bored you though. Feel free to move on to the next thread. Or DM me if you WOULD actually like the other 108 photos I have on my phone.

 

[clapham_gull]

Don't Americans have a bit more of a history of sitting and eating crap whilst watching when we tend to leave it till half time ?

I know there is a history of eating Chicken wings.

Were more fans stuffing their face during the game did you notice ?

I have a theory that terracing historically has limited what can be eaten. Without making a distasteful joke about the dangers of terracing in the past, there was enough health and safety issues without steaming cups of Bovril.

We left it to the cinema.

 

[Easy 10]

Don't Americans have a bit more of a history of sitting and eating crap whilst watching when we tend to leave it till half time ?

I know there is a history of eating Chicken wings.

Were more fans stuffing their face during the game did you notice ?

I have a theory that terracing historically has limited what can be eaten. Without making a distasteful joke about the dangers of terracing in the past, there was enough health and safety issues without steaming cups of Bovril.

We left it to the cinema.

I think its mainly a timings thing.

I do not usually feel an irresitable compulsion to masticate furiously at a football match, primarily because the food is SHIT, and unless you're there beering up early, you're generally only at the venue for a couple of hours anyway. Whereas with baseball (and to an even greater extent NFL), you're there for 3-4 hours, sometimes more, being as draws are BANNED. You play till there's a loser.

And the food there is bloody amazing. No wonder there are so many heffers.

 

[Surrey_Albion]

I go for the a beer,and sing song and the football

 

[studio150]

Having seen baseball basketball ice hockey and football in the USA I agree with the op that the choice of food and drink available is far wider in the USA. However all the games have far more natural breaks allowing fans to get food and drink without missing too much action.
And watching football many treat the game as a sideshow as their attention span has trouble coping with 45 minutes without food drink or a social chat.
Different cultures different worlds.

 

[SicilianHungary]

I'm sure at this stadium;

The staff arrive, and on time
All tills are manned
Each outlet has a proper chef, perhaps even hired by the stadium
Maintenance is not too far away if something goes wrong

And whoever is in charge of each outlet probably doesn't have to do the job of three.