It looks like we're in for a winning football season at Sun Life Stadium -- for dining.
The home of the Miami Dolphins has made a distinct change to its roster of food options for the 2014 season, with the promise of delivering high quality food and good prices.
See also: Filet Mignon Sliders and Stuffed Chicken Wings From Sauced Up Food Truck
At yesterday afternoon's media tasting, Dolphins President and & CEO Tom Garfinkel said that the change is in direct response to fans who wanted to see delicious menu options, good service, and value pricing. "$14 is too much for a beer." Garfinkel also added that he wanted to engage more local flavor at Sun Life.
The result is a partnership with many Broward-based restaurants, including two run by former Dolphins greats.
Kim Bokamper's Bokampers Sports Bar & Grill will have a signature space in the stadium with his new Bokampers MVP Club on the 300 level, just above the eastern end zone. This plush skybox will feature favorites like Bo's signature wings, smokehouse pulled pork sliders, and tuna wontons drizzled with sriracha.
Other items on Bokampers menu are the deep fried mac & cheese balls, served with creamy Italian sauce and bacon & blue cheese sliders made with Bokampers' proprietary blend of Wagyu beef and 1855 Angus chuck.
Miami Dolphin great Bob Brudzinski will land an outpost of his popular Bru's Room Sports Grill at section 154 of the stadium. Look for Bru's wings, freshly fried wings tossed in your choice of spicy hot sauce or tangy barbecue sauce ($10). Bru's tenders ($11.50) are all-white meat breaded chicken tenders served over the restaurant's famous curly fries. Of course, you can get the fries on their own for $5 a serving.
Broward-based BurgerFi is also new to Sun Life Stadium's food options. The restaurant, which offers all-natural hormone and antibiotic-free burgers, will be located at section 130. Their BurgerFi cheeseburger ($10) features 6.6 ounces of "clean" beef, topped with two slices of American cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes. The VegeFi burger ($9) offers vegetarians a delicious option with their patty made from quinoa and lentils. All burgers can be custom topped with over a dozen options including garlic, shallots, eggs, and capers.
You might know Sushi Maki from their grab-and-go sushi at Whole Foods Market or their sit-down restaurants. Now, their fresh sushi and lo meins are available at section 241 at the stadium. The shrimp lo mein ($14) features jumbo juicy shrimp over a traditional veggie lo mein.
Miami celebrity chef Michelle Bernstein will also have her own outpost. Her Midtown Miami bakery/cafe, Crumb on Parchment, opens at section 213 and features her savory crumb turkey sandwich, served on a pretzel roll ($12), a hearty vegetarian sandwich with avocado, cheddar, and pickled radish ($12), and a kale and quinoa salad ($11).
Sun Life Stadium's exclusive food service provider, Centerplate, has come under fire for the actions of its CEO, Des Hague. Hague was caught on surveillance cameras kicking a small dog in the elevator of a Vancouver apartment building. The leader of the multi-billion dollar corporation that serves 300 major arenas and convention centers, will retain his position, although part of the terms of his continued employment involve donating $100,000 to the Sade Foundation "in honor of the dog he mistreated" and serving 1,000 hours of community service to an undetermined animal protection agency. Hague is also facing criminal charges for animal abuse in Vancouver.
Sun Life Stadium issued the following statement regarding their association with Centerplate:
"We are aware of the allegations involving Centerplate's CEO Des Hague. Our organization doesn't condone or accept animal abuse under any circumstance. We believe the reported actions and video are not reflective of our local Centerplate employees who work tirelessly to provide exceptional service to our fans at all of our events. We will continue to monitor this matter."
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