Take me out to the buffet…a chef’s review of Cub’s cuisine

Chef Michael and me

I’ve never considered the Friendly Confines a destination for fine cuisine.  While other ballparks have experimented with tofu dogs, sushi, crab cakes and pork tacos, Wrigley delivers standard stadium fare.  Don’t get me wrong, I have no culinary complaints.  They know how to grill a great dog; the beer is cold and the peanuts are fresh.

But I recently toured Wrigley with a new point of view. Rather than simply heading to Section 409 for a night of Cub’s action, I sampled the Wrigley Field offerings with an expert.  My friend Michael Wehman is a Le Cordon Bleu trained chef and consummate foodie.  The following is his take on the food scene.  (Bonus, he’s got an excellent palate for pairings.  So in addition to reviewing the dining options, he’s suggested a drink of choice, available in stadium, of course.)  Bon appetit!

Greek Salad: Greek salad???  Yes, Greek salad. Who knew you could get your veggies at the game. The salad was done well; crisp greens and surprisingly good feta: firm and salty.  A red wine vinaigrette was offered, a bit too sweet but not out of a packet.  Kalamata olives, not simply black.  A missing touch? An anchovy, but that would have been really surprising.

Rating: 3 balls (out of 5)

Chef Michael’s drink pairing: Bud Light Lime (While lemon is the traditional Greek accompaniment, lime will do in a pinch.)

Buffalo Blue Cheese Fries: Thrilling!  We were about to order conventional chili cheese fries when we saw a basket loaded with blue cheese go by.  Culinary innovation from the vendor stand!  Tangy hot sauce. Excellent blue; crumbly and pungent. The fries themselves? A touch lacking, but held up well under the savory toppings.  Naked, they might disappoint.

Rating: 4.5 balls

Chef Michael’s drink pairing: LaBatt’s (sticking with the blue theme).

Foot Long Hot Dog: We selected a fully dressed, Chicago-style wiener. So mustard, onion, sport peppers, pickles, tomato and neon-colored relish.  (The relish color had a high creep out factor).  We noted good grill marks and a flavorful dog. And suddenly the so-so frozen margarita tasted better.

Rating: 3.5 balls

Chef Michael’s drink pairing: Margarita (to cut the heat in the pepper).

Pretzel Bites: Another scrumptious snack.  We’d sampled feta and then real blue before discovering a stadium staple: liquid cheese.  The processed cheese was melted over a basket of crispy pretzel bits and ends.  The pieces could stand up to the cheesy goodness of the sauce, which had a hint of jalapeno kick.  Michael is a pretzel purist, but even he enjoyed this deviation from the norm.

Rating: 4 balls

Chef Michael’s drink pairing: Old Style

Kettlecorn: The aroma has captivated me all season.  The product? A sweet-salty seesaw that did neither flavor justice.  The night’s (first) disappointment.

Rating: 1.5 balls

Chef Michael’s drink pairing: water (to cleanse the palate).

Brat: The patio at Wrigley greets guests with a rush of charcoal scent. And the grill team knows how to satisfy.  Michael’s mom is from Sheboygan, which makes him something of a brat connoisseur. He gives the Wrigley brat high marks for taste, appearance and temperature.  The warm kraut and grilled onions finished the flavor.  All that’s missing? The beer and butter preparation found in Wisconsin.

Rating: 4 balls

Chef Michael’s drink pairing: Heineken

Pulled Pork Sandwich: This sandwich looked like a winner.  But it was the evening’s second disappointment.   The sauce: one-dimensional; the meat: too uniform (bordering on mushy). To the food staff at Wrigley we have a message: stick to meat in casings.

Rating: 1 ball

Chef Michael’s drink pairing: Vodka lemonade (one of those new flavors, if you can find them).

Fannie May Pixie Ice Cream Cup: So ends our edible tour of the park…the vanilla ice cream was rich and full-flavored but the mix-ins were a bit sparse.  We were expecting decadent from Fannie May and got simply yummy.  On the plus side, no wooden paddle for a spoon.

Rating: 3 balls

A highlight of our culinary adventure at Clark and Addison