If there is one thing Citi Field is known for, it’s food. Some might argue and say it’s baseball but to be honest, how often do people attend Mets games? If anything, the team should be proud that they have such a wonderful stadium full of a great variety of culinary options. The Bacon and Beer Classic recently returned to Citi Field to put on another display of breweries and restaurants. If there are two things that go together well in this world, they are beer and bacon. At the beginning of the event, everyone was handed a glass so they could sample any and all of the beers (and various other beverages) on hand for the afternoon.
Although the VIP session began at 11AM, we we were all ready to try some fabulous beer. The first stop we visited was Lagunitas. Lagunitas is a brand that I am partial to and enjoyed to see at the festival. Sixpoint and Smuttynose were also on tap, serving up delicious beers to go with all of the food we were stuffing our faces with. Heavy Seas was a new brewery for me but I was not disappointed. Another two favorites of mine also happened to pay Citi Field a visit: Shiner and Sam Adams. The latter was serving up their latest IPA, which was crisp and refreshing on a humid day. Of course, Brooklyn Brewery was also around. For those who like to drink but are not beer drinkers, there was Original Sin and Woodchuck Hard Cider. Both of these were very tasty and had a nice flavor to differ from all of the beer that surrounded us. Abita made an appearance, as well. Their popularity was clearly displayed by the amount of people standing in line for them.
To go with all of that beer, there was also food. Pretty much every food in the festival somehow incorporated bacon. These ranged from cookies to spreadable jams. Barbacon and Macbar were excellent. The latter offered exactly what the name sounds like: Mac & Cheese. Who doesn’t love mac & cheese? It’s comfort food! Also there was Ottomanelli. These folks had their grill blasting away throughout the festival. Bacon Bites was on hand with chocolate-covered bacon goodness. Brindle Room was serving some of their classics and they are also a great place to visit if you are ever in the area. Kimchi Smoke made amazing somehow managed to include bacon in their food offerings and it somehow tasted fantastic. Our personal favorite was Pig Guy NYC. These folks now have a concession stand at Citi Field all season long! Their food was out of this ballpark (see what I did there?) good! I went back for thirds.
One of the best parts of the Bacon and Beer Classic was the VIP Lounge. The lounge happened to be on the warning track and inside the dugouts of Citi Field. This was a great opportunity to explore the stadium from a place other than the seats. There were also plenty of beer offerings strictly limited to VIPs. The entire event was fantastic and fun. It was a great way to spend an afternoon and I cannot wait to return next year to see what else these breweries and restaurants have to offer!
Article by: Kristy Rody (www.quinngoldie.wordpress.com)