CITI FIELD’S MAC-AND-CHEESE FRIES ARE THE ULTIMATE FRANKENFOOD
by Hailey Eber
The Mets are putting a new spin on ballpark dining with tasty Mac & Cheese Frites (left). Since Mr. Met (right) is hungry for a winner, he may find it in new food like that — and more — at Citi Field. Photo: Tamara Beckwith; Paul J. Bereswill
The Mets will have an exciting new lineup for their Monday home opener. No, we’re not talking about Michael Cuddyer and Wilmer Flores.
We’re talking about the rookie star in the concession stands — Mac & Cheese Frites ($9.25 at Box Frites, in the center field food court area).
While there’s a whole roster of exciting edibles debuting at Citi Field this season — hearty gourmet panini and grilled cheese sandwiches from Pressed by Lure chef Josh Capon; s’mores-dipped bacon (as disgusting/delicious as it sounds) from Pig Guy NYC; a trio of seafood sliders from Esca chef Dave Pasternack — this cheesy Frankenfood is the player to watch.
“We are anticipating a strong season,” says John Karangis, the executive chef for Union Square Events, an offshoot of Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group that handles several concessions at the ballpark.
The frites feature elbow pasta coated in a rich sauce made from local Five Acre Farms milk and freshly grated Gouda and Cheddar.
The resulting mac and cheese is formed into thick “fries,” coated in ground Arborio rice and deep-fried. They’re served with a homemade smoked-tomato ketchup and an Aleppo-pepper cheese sauce.
Getting them just right took a lot of practice.
“I must have changed and made the recipe 20 times until I was happy with it,” Karangis says. “I felt something was missing, and I remembered an Arborio rice coating I once used for coating scallops a few years back, where I put the rice in a coffee grinder.”
All those hours of spring training have paid off with a perfect ballpark treat, one that should appeal equally to children and adults, drunks and teetotalers, junk-food lovers and artisanal-ingredient snobs.
In short, a perfect play.
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Mac & Cheese Frites
